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From the Stands: Lions 26 Stampeders 7

November 8, 2013 By Brian Wawryshyn

There were some very promising signs in the BC Lions final home game this season at BC Place. Fans certainly left the building feeling pretty good about the Lions as they head to Regina. Here’s I saw Friday’s regular season finale from the stands.

QB Comfort

Friday’s game gave the Lions exactly what they needed to see at the quarterback position. Buck Pierce and Travis Lulay both moved the offence and engineered scoring drives for the club before giving way to Thomas DeMarco in the second half, and now the questions will begin as to which one should start in Regina next week.

Lulay didn’t seem to incur any adverse effects from his two series and the Lions offensive line did an outstanding job protecting both he and Pierce. Lulay tested his arm on a 36 yard strike to Nick Moore and then tested his confidence on an option from the shotgun, running in for a score.

The Lions certainly have to feel more confident about the QB situation then they did a week ago. Do they go with Travis Lulay who has two series under his belt in the last month and a half, or go with Buck Pierce who has a little more than that? To me it all depends on Lulay’s shoulder this week and whether or not increased work this week gives him a setback. Lulay never took a hit in the game so there is that to factor in as well.

If Lulay comes through the next week fine, I believe he will and should start the game and the Lions will have Pierce waiting if needed. I feel Pierce would be the more effective option coming off the bench than Lulay would.

Welcome back Andrew Harris

Andrew Harris seems to have his confidence back and that can only bode well for the playoffs. The addition of Stefan Logan has been a huge boost for the offence and Harris has been the main benefactor. All year the long the struggles of the offence could be pinned on a poor ground game and we’ve seen that proven in the last two weeks as the offence has started to move the ball more consistently.

Defence

The defence didn’t see much of Jon Cornish in the game but put in a very strong effort holding the Stampeders offence out of the endzone and to just seven points on the night. Eric Taylor led the way with a strong game, racking up with five tackles.

I know he’s in tough to win the awards he’s nominated, but at the risk of sounding biased Adam Bighill should be the league’s top defensive player. No he doesn’t have the sexy sack stats that are popular with voters, nor does he lead the league in tackles. What he does do well is everything, and that’s something I’m not sure the other candidates bring to the table. He is the heart and soul of the Lions defence, and I hope that voters look at the whole picture when casting their votes.

The Stampeders

The Stamps had nothing to really play for in the game and rested several key players as the game went on. But they lost two starters off their defensive line and one of their best receivers on Marquay McDaniel. Early reports say that none of the three are expected to be ready for the West Division final on Nov. 17.

Drew Tate took over for Kevin Glenn, didn’t have much success and seemed to be frustrated at everyone but himself for the lack of production at times. Kevin Glenn deserves to start for the Stamps in the Western Final and we’ll see if John Hufnagel agrees, but in my opinion leaders don’t lead by shaking their head and throwing their arms up in disgust at teammates.

Looking ahead

While the Lions used their final game to get tuned up for the playoffs, the Riders chose to rest key players on their season ending loss to the Eskimos. I left the building Friday feeling a lot more confident about the Lions chances than I did a week ago. The offence is coming around, the Lions are relatively healthy and it seemingly confident with their new-found success.

Will it continue against a pumped up Riders team on the road? The Lions’ recent success has come against the Eskimos and an uninterested Stampeders club but the real test will come next week at Mosaic in Regina.

They have certainly given the Riders lots to think about this week. Who will start at QB for the Lions? How will Logan and Harris be utilized? I have a good feeling about next week and all the pressure is on the Riders. The Lions would love nothing better to spoil the party on the prairies.

Veterans Night

One of my favourite nights of the year is the annual salute to our veterans that the Lions do each year. They always do a great job of the halftime show on this night, reminding us all to be thankful what these men and women have done for us and the sacrifices they have made in their lives.

What were your thoughts on the regular season finale? Are you more confident with the Lions heading into Regina next week? Leave a comment here, or talk football with me on Twitter, @BCLionsDen and watch for our playoff preview “Pawdcast” this week on BCLionsDen.ca

From the Stands – Lions 43 Eskimos 29

October 31, 2013 By Brian Wawryshyn

Buck Pierce shovels a TD pass to Andrew Harris. (Photo: PNG: Gerry Kahrmann)

The BC Lions fought off a shaky start and got a boost from Buck Pierce on the way to a 43-29 win over the Edmonton Eskimos Friday. There were several promising things for fans to take from the game, and here is how I saw things, From the Stands.

Slow starts still a concern

The Lions were flat to start the game and that won’t please Wally Buono whose comments earlier in the week put many in the organization on notice. The defence allowed a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage and the offence led by Thomas DeMarco had fans frustrated early on. It was a J.R. LaRose turnover that turned took the Lions out of neutral and it was Buck Pierce that put the pedal to the metal.

The turning point

The first career interception of JR LaRose came just when the Lions needed it. Not only did it change the momentum it fired up his teammates as well.

With DeMarco struggling to move the offence, Mike Benevides had seen enough to give Buck Pierce a shot and almost instantly the Lions offence started to move the ball. Pierce used his arm, and his legs to make things happen and wasn’t shy to throw a block downfield that allowed Stefan Logan to finish off a 54 yard scamper for six.

I talked last week about how the presence of Logan may motivate Andrew Harris and as Logan was having success so did Harris, who had two touchdowns on the night. It was Harris’ best game in a long time and it appears the Lions have found something with Logan getting first down snaps and Harris coming in on second down.

Both players were banged up in the game, Harris on his final play from scrimmage and fans will hope that both will be fine going forward.

With all the abuse the offensive line has taken, they need to be applauded for a solid performance both in pass protection and opening holes for the run.

Managing the QB’s

Mike Benevides had several fans and others scratching their heads last week when he left a struggling DeMarco in the game. His reasoning was that DeMarco needed to learn how to fight through tough games. Fair enough, but a legitimate question might be whether or not a home playoff game might have been in the Lions grasp had he brought Pierce in last week in Regina. Hindsight is indeed 20/20 but those that witnessed the performance of Pierce Friday should at least be able to put the rest of the “learning the offence” reasoning.

Pierce was masterful and the confidence of the offence grew under his leadership. He got up slowly from a couple of hits, and that anxiety for fans and the team is always going to be there when he’s in the game, but the Lions now know what they have with Pierce should they need him.

The question now becomes who starts against Calgary next week? The game has no implications on the playoffs, as we now know the Lions will play Saskatchewan in the West semis. After thinking about it, I think the clear choice is that Thomas DeMarco should start and Pierce should play a few series as well.

Benevides put DeMarco back in the game in the fourth quarter in a move aimed at giving him a chance to get some confidence back with the game wrapped up. His 46 yard connection with Manny Arceneaux probably accomplished some of that, but if they can restore more of it against the Stamps, it would give them better options heading into Regina.

At that point I would start Pierce, simply for the fact of what I saw Friday and that he has playoff experience on his resume and to use one of the biggest clichés in all of sports, there is no tomorrow.

Of course this gets cloudier if the Lions think Lulay can go, but Pierce showing what he is capable of was vital for himself, his coaches and his teammates.

Some coverage concerns

I mentioned the slow start and the defence getting burned for a long touchdown on the Eskimos first play from scrimmage. Adarius Bowman had a big game for the Eskies and at times was left wide open. With the Lions having offensive success, they can’t afford a drop off by the defence who for the most part has been solid all season.

Manny returns

Arceneaux finally returned to a prominent role which was perhaps aided by a veteran QB at the helm. Arceneaux has been pretty much invisible the last few weeks and it was great to see him return to have an impact. The Lions are going to need multiple receivers going in the playoffs, so it was another positive to take from the win.

What were your thoughts on the game? Who should be the Lions starter next week against the Stampeders? Are the Lions on their way to turning their running game around with the Logan and Harris combo? I’d love to read your comments below and as always, talk football with you on Twitter @BCLionsDen. We’ll also have more for you on our weekly podcast, watch for it Thursday night.

From the Stands: Riders 31 Lions 17

October 10, 2013 By Brian Wawryshyn

The BC Lions had a chance to really set themselves up for a home playoff date but will have to do it the hard way after a 31-17 loss to the Riders on Friday night. The Lions lack of a running game once again left the defence with the task of getting the win and this time the Riders with Kory Sheets back in the line were too much to deal with. Here’s how I saw the game, From the Stands.

(Originally published on TheProvince.com)

Darian Durant escapes pressure in a win over the BC Lions Friday night. Photograph by: Gerry Kahrmann , PNG

One Dimensional Offence

The Lions simply don’t have a running game and they haven’t had one all season. Andrew Harris had 10 yards on six carries and it’s not the first time that type of stat line has been posted this year. The lack of an interior running game is a huge albatross for the offence and with that being the main problem it’s hard to imagine the problem getting rectified anytime soon.

Harris himself doesn’t look all that confident carrying the ball at times. He stated at the start of the season he was learning to follow his blockers more and be more patient. That approach doesn’t seem to be paying off with the lack of inside blocking and perhaps Harris just needs to attack his holes more aggressively and make his own yards.

Of course the lack of a running game puts far too much pressure on the passing game and the Riders were up to that challenge for most of the night. Thomas DeMarco displayed the inconsistency we usually see in all young QBs who come into the league. In addition to off-target passes he threw three interceptions and could have easily had thrown two more. With problems opening holes for the run, the Lions offensive line also didn’t offer much support for DeMarco, as he was sacked five times by the Riders.

Fans and critics can point at Jacques Chapdelaine and at times they will certainly have a beef, but the bottom line is that unless the Lions can magically fix their running game, the offensive woes and inconsistencies will continue, and that’s not going to help to get a home playoff game, or for that matter win a Grey Cup.

Defence

The Lions defence has been winning them games in recent weeks and with the offence putting the onus on them to do so again, a rejuvenated Riders offence won the battle on the day. The return of Sheets was a huge factor for the Riders. The Lions were doing a solid job early on but a really questionable pass interference call set the Riders up for their first TD of the night and seemed to give them the confidence they needed to get rolling.

It wasn’t just Sheets hurting the Lions. The Riders had a lot of success with pass plays across the middle with the likes of Weston Dressler, Chris Getzlaf and Taj Smith providing plenty of yards after the catch to make that a lethal combination.

The Lions defensive line got pressure in the Riders backfield, but too often Durant escaped the pressure or found a safety valve with Sheets.

The Show

There was a ton of hype generated for this game with the Lions promoting the game as “Lights Out” and a “Blackout”. The team sported their hugely popular gun metal jerseys and had their biggest crowd of the season in attendance aided by the presence of Rider Nation.

BC Place is a fantastic stadium and all the new bells and whistles allow the Lions to really raise the bar for live game entertainment. The pregame intro was outstanding with a video that would give any fan goose bumps. The lights were out with swirling spotlights as the Lions were introduced with AC/DC’s Back in Black playing in the background. It was a first class production that reminded one of a Canucks playoff game production. Despite the team’s play on the field on Friday, the game day production team scored a touchdown with the opening.

That said, the crowd was disappointing with their effort on the night. After a couple of games of being a factor I felt that the crowd let the team down in this one. The Lions have to find more ways to get the crowd loud on defence in addition to being told. Too many times at crucial points in the game I looked to my right and to my left only to find fans are just sitting on their hands.

As much as I hate to admit it, it would appear the average Vancouver sports fan is there to watch the game, rather than be a factor in it, and that’s a shame. I really wish every fan that attends Lions games could watch a football game in Regina, or down the I-5 in Seattle to see and feel how a real football crowd can affect a game.

It’s going to be an interesting next few weeks and if the Lions don’t get a home playoff game, they can look to Friday night as a big reason. If you look at the problems that have plagued this team for most of the season, it may be too much to expect the Lions can pull it off.

I’d love to read your thoughts on the game, so leave a comment here, and give us a follow on Twitter @BCLionsDen so we can talk Lions football with you.

From the Stands – Lions 36 Alouettes 14

September 20, 2013 By Brian Wawryshyn

The BC Lions took out a little revenge on the Montreal Alouettes on Sunday, riding a strong defensive effort on their way to a 36-14 win. But whether or not they lost Travis Lulay in the process remains to be seen, after a fourth quarter TD run knocked him out of the game with a shoulder injury. Here’s how I saw it, From the Stands.

The Blitz

The Lions did a much better job dealing with the blitz this week, utilizing Andrew Harris more and using screens and quick passes to exploit it. The Alouettes only recorded two sacks on the night and while Lulay was hurried on occasion the protection was night and day compared to the last game the two teams played and last week’s effort against Hamilton.

Steve Myddelton seems to be slowly taking over the right guard spot of Patrick Kabongo and had more reps than he’s had on his previous appearances.

Offence

Lulay’s favourite target on the day was Courtney Taylor and with good reason. Taylor is quickly becoming the premier receiver on the club, mainly because of his reliability, but also because he can burn you so many ways.

Lulay spread the ball around fairly well to his receivers, but was certainly guilty on at least two of his three interceptions on the day.

Nick Moore dropped a couple more balls that he probably should have had, and according to the post-game show got into it a bit with Jacques Chapdelaine on the sidelines. After a solid start to the year, Moore is starting to show signs of the inconsistency that plagued him in his earlier Lions auditions.

Of course the biggest play of the game came in the fourth quarter when Lulay was forced to run the ball into the endzone and take a hit to his throwing shoulder that threatens to keep the Lions starter out of the lineup for the foreseeable future. Thomas DeMarco didn’t look out of place in relief, but with the Lions heading into a hostile Mosaic Stadium next week, it will be a daunting task for DeMarco to undertake. It makes the Buono deal for Buck Pierce look that much more valuable right now.

You would think the Lions will give DeMarco the nod next week if Lulay can’t go and then go to Pierce should DeMarco falter in a difficult road environment.

Defence

Despite a better showing by the offence overall, it was the Lions defence that were the story of this game. The Lions completely shut down the Alouettes for the most part and chased Tanner Marsh from the game who gave way to Troy Smith and later Josh Neiswander

The defensive line was much more effective and as a result so was the secondary. Newcomer Chris Wilson showed that he is going to be able to contribute and picked up his first sack of the season and Jermaine Reid also had a strong game with two sacks.

Dante Marsh had another strong outing but it was just unfortunate his fourth quarter interception combined with the fact he needed another couple of inches on the sideline during the return led to the Lulay injury after the offence had to finish the job.

Special Teams

The Lions did a good job on returns for most of the night, and Tim Brown continued to provide productive work on returns. Brown’s juke move in the open field is a thing of beauty and he used it Sunday to his advantage. His teammates hurt the cause with some penalties on occasion giving the Lions offence a longer field than necessary.

Roof Closed

The Lions opted to leave the roof closed for the game with the afternoon sun that was forecast never materializing I’d love for the roof to be open all the time but I think if you asked the club and got an honest answer, they like it closed as they feel it gives them an extra advantage with the added noise. The crowd of over 27,000 was fairly loud, but I’ve heard the place louder with the roof open. It was also time to make a note to not schedule Lions game during prime time in the NFL after 3,000 or so fewer fans took in this game compared to the game versus the Ticats.

Fun Stuff

• Prime Minister Stephen Harper was seated in our section and posed for pictures with fans during all the breaks in the game. I’m not going to make this a political piece but it was kind of nice to see him sit with the people. I’m sure he could have been in a suite if he had chosen to do so.

• Andrew Harris’ third quarter touchdown had a little extra flair to it. After crossing the goal line Harris ran towards the back of the endzone kneeled to one knee and flipped the ball to newlyweds and Lions super fans Monique Gendron and Jeff Green. The two were married a week ago but the bride wanted to celebrate at the game in her wedding dress, complete with Lions accessories of course.

What were you thoughts on the game? Are you confident about a DeMarco/Pierce tandem is Lulay is out for an extended time? Leave your comments below and follow me on Twitter @BCLionsDen.

From the Stands – Lions 29 Ticats 26

September 6, 2013 By Brian Wawryshyn

Courtney Taylor reaches for the endzone against Hamilton Photo: lfpress.com

With last week’s game against the Alouettes setting off alarm bells amongst fans, the BC Lions returned to work Friday against a formidable Hamilton Tiger-Cats club and sent 30,564 fans home happy with a hard-fought 29-26 over their feline cousins. Here’s how I saw the game, from the stands.

Offence

We have to start here, because clearly the offence was the biggest concern coming out of last week’s loss. Travis Lulay threw for 359 yards and likely would have upwards of 500 had it not been for some dropped passes, most notably a deep strike to Manny Arceneaux that was dropped and would have resulted in six points. He also missed a wide open Courtney Taylor that might have gone for a touchdown as well. You can’t blame Jacques Chapdelaine for that, folks. In fact the Lions offensive coordinator moved Lulay around a lot against the Cats, rolling him outside the pocket more often.

It was nice to see Marco Iannuzzi have a strong game with Shawn Gore contributing once again as well. Gore had a pretty strong game in Montreal, and the Lions will need continued contributions from their Canadian receivers in the second half of the season. I still wonder however why Paris Jackson isn’t used in more situations than catching onside kicks.

Arceneaux made amends for his earlier drop with a beautiful catch and run that answered a Ticats touchdown. It looked like Arceneaux slow played a Ticats defender before changing gears and blowing past him on the sideline.

The Lions didn’t address all their problems however. The running game still needs improvement but that should improve if the Lions can continue to make strides in their passing game. Lulay was sacked just once on the evening behind much better protection from the offensive line. When Hamilton did blitz the Lions handled it much better and were able to neutralize it.

One thing the Lions will need to find is the killer instinct to put a game away. It would have likely been a moot point had the Lions capitalized on the missed chances I mentioned above, but they are letting teams hang around with penalties and mistakes, like Thomas DeMarco’s fumble on third and short.

Defence

The Lions had five sacks on the night and did get some pressure on Henry Burris, but the veteran Hamilton pivot was 29-36 on the night, and when he did get protection he fired lasers to open receivers. But for the most part the Lions defenders kept the ball in front of them, and didn’t really allow the big play to do any damage.

There should be concern about last-minute drives in back to back games, but for an offence like Hamilton’s who had been rolling pretty good the last three weeks it’s pretty hard to find much fault with the performance of the defence.

Nice to see Dante Marsh pick up a key (albeit Korey Banks aided) interception at a key time in the game, after being the victim on last week’s Hail-Mary.

With Solomon Elimimian out of the game the Lions didn’t really miss a beat. Hamilton is not a team that runs the ball a lot. We’ll see if they throw more of that in next week if the Lions linebacker can’t go.

Atmosphere

I was pleasantly surprised to see the largest crowd of the season Friday night, especially with a traditionally lower draw like the Ticats as the opponent and the fact it was the start of the last long weekend of the summer. Slowly but surely fans are starting to understand the football culture and it will be great to see that continue to grow with big divisional games still to come on the home schedule.

The roof was open and you could feel the start of the cool crisp air that indicates the arrival of fall. How nice would it be to experience a few cool crisp nights this October and November?

The Lions Gemstone Grill and Family sections were once again well populated and it’s encouraging to see more and more orange in the stands.

Fan without HD will be pleased to know that this was the last of the five games the Lions will blackout this season.

What were your thoughts on the game? Did the Lions do enough to make you forget the previous week? Do you have more confidence in the offence after last night? I’d love to hear your comments, so post them here. You can also follow me on twitter, @BCLionsDen.

From the Stands: Lions 26 Stampeders 7

From the Stands – Lions 43 Eskimos 29

From the Stands: Riders 31 Lions 17

From the Stands – Lions 36 Alouettes 14

From the Stands – Lions 29 Ticats 26

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