2012 Game Recaps Archives | BC Lions Football

From the Stands: Lions 17 Roughriders 6

November 5, 2012 By Brian Wawryshyn

It was a night of accomplishments for the BC Lions on Friday night. Travis Lulay got the work he needed to and seemed to emerge no worse for wear. Andrew Harris got the yards from scrimmage lead back from Jon Cornish. They closed out the regular season with a win while their defence added themselves to the club record book for the best 18 game season ever. Here is I saw this exhibition type game, from the stands.

Travis Lulay

All eyes were on the face of the franchise as he returned to his starting role behind centre. Lulay took a shot early on the shoulder on a tackle from James Patrick and it survived the test. He went 9-14 the rest of the way and his passes looked crisp and accurate for the most part. Lulay played just over a quarter before giving way to Mike Reilly. While his consecutive touchdown streak ended at 26 games, I’m sure he’ll take the successful test of the shoulder over that streak any day. So will his coach, teammates and the fans.

Offensive Line

The Lions didn’t escape the mean nothing game unscathed and the state of the offensive line remains the primary concern of this blogger heading into the post season. Dean Valli left the game in the first quarter with what appeared to be a knee injury and if he can’t go its slim pickings at guard. Jesse Newman is having a horrible time out there and has knee issues of his own. The Lions are hoping that Jon Hameister-Ries will be ready for the Western Final, but just watching the man walk the sideline makes you realize that may be wishful thinking.

On the post game show they indicated that the Lions are looking at the logistics of flying Matt Norman in for the Western Final which would be tricky with his school schedule, but that they should be able to bring him in should they reach the Grey Cup. A healthy body on the line would certainly be a welcome addition.

Receivers

Courtney Taylor and Nick Moore may give way to Geroy Simon and Arland Bruce for the Western Final, but both had strong games in relief again and Ernest Jackson and Shawn Gore were even better. For a team that at the beginning of the year had questions about the future of its receiver depth, the future looks pretty bright, as does the present.

The Defence

We’re not going to take anything away from the defence, but it should be at least noted that the Riders were resting Darian Durant, Chris Getzlaf and the always dangerous Weston Dressler. Now that we have that out of the way; this Lions defence is the best in team history for a reason.

J.R. LaRose had a nice game at safety, and the defensive line did a great job all night long. At one point I decided to focus on Khalif Mitchell and it’s just amazing how much he gets double teamed and held. Adam Bighill picked up another interception and added another eight tackles to his regular season total.

Regardless of other issues, the fact remains that defence wins championships and the Lions are going to be very tough to beat with this group.

Rolly Lumbala

Lumbala had a couple of nice carries tonight and it sure would be nice to see a larger offensive role for him, because I think he can contribute. He’s a big load when he gets going and you would think he could be utilized more in short yardage situations, as well as down near the end zone.

One Last Thanks

On a non-football note, I want to send out one last thank you to our veterans who were saluted at halftime Friday night. The Lions do a fantastic job of this annual salute each year, and no matter how many times I watch it, it reminds me of how fortunate we are to live in such a great country and to enjoy the freedoms that we do because of these men and women.

Off To the Playoffs

I can’t believe the regular season is done and the playoffs are upon us. The Lions have set themselves up to play one game for a chance to defend their title in the 100^th Grey Cup. I really hope that the fans in this city and province come out and pack BC Place on November 18^th because this team deserves the support.

Until the Western final, take care and roar you Lions roar!

From the Couch: Lions 21 Stampeders 41

November 5, 2012 By Brian Wawryshyn

When the game started Friday night the BC Lions were apparently on Vancouver time as they didn’t start playing versus an eager Calgary Stampeders team until the 2^nd quarter. There was no shortage of reasons why the Lions found themselves down 34-0 before they knew what hit them, and here’s how Brian Wawryshyn from BCLionsDen.ca saw it, from the couch.

Short field for the Stamps

The Lions started the game by giving the Stamps a short field, an occurrence that was frequent on the night. Paul McCallum continues to struggle punting the football, and that has to be a concern as the playoffs approach. I honestly wouldn’t mind seeing Hugh O’Neill dress for the Saskatchewan game because you may as well see what you have in him with live bullets flying. The Lions are giving up too much field position of late because of a poor kicking game.

Turnovers and penalties (the Lions took the first 10 of the game) also contributed to the poor field position for the Lions on a night where pretty much anything that could go wrong did.

Missing Angus

If that was a preview of what life might be like on the offensive line without Angus Reid as the general, someone find me an anti-aging machine, stat. The Lions offence was clearly out of synch most of the night and it was mainly because the offensive line had no answer for the Calgary pass rush all night long.

There is no point in singling anyone out because as a unit they weren’t good enough. Not only was the pass protection poor the run blocking was awful as well, the five times they elected to hand the ball off to Andrew Harris, whose frustration was evident more than once last night.

While you’re getting me that anti-aging machine, get me some new knees and a new back for Jon Hameister-Ries.

Mike Reilly

The second start in the CFL career of Mike Reilly didn’t go as smoothly as the first. The previously mentioned offensive line didn’t help his cause, but Reilly looked a little off as well. To his credit he battled back and for a moment you felt that with one more touchdown, the Lions just might come all the way back. They almost got that TD when Reilly connected deep with Courtney Taylor only to have the ball ripped free by a Stampeder defender.

It will be an interesting week at Lions practice. If Travis Lulay doesn’t throw again this week, do we start to get concerned that this injury is more serious then the team is letting on? With two weeks before the Western Final the Lions would like to get Lulay some work, and it would be a month before he had any snaps if he doesn’t play until then. Some anxious times are coming for the Lions and their fans in the next two weeks.

Andrew Harris

As mentioned above, Harris was visibly frustrated at times in this game. It was the second game in a row that the young star of Lions has been held in check for the most part by the opposition. There doesn’t seem to be any holes open for Harris on handoffs and they aren’t finding him out of the backfield either. The team is going to have to find ways for him to get the ball as they are going to need a solid running game in the playoffs, especially if teams are going to be teeing off on the QB like the Stamps were doing all night.

Seeing some positives

There were some good things to take from the game as well. Geroy Simon returned to the lineup and was somewhat productive, showing no signs of a sore hamstring. Thomas Demarco got in a little work in the fourth quarter and didn’t look to bad, showing some of the accuracy the Lions like in him. Adam Bighill continued his never take a game off attitude and was the best Lion on the field, again.

Of course the fact the Lions did show some pride after getting down 34-0 and almost made a game of it was a small positive. If the Taylor turnover hadn’t occurred who knows what would have happened, but it was just kind of night and the Lions probably didn’t deserve such a comeback.

What does it mean?

It’s hard to take much from this game. The game obviously meant more to the Stampeders who had yet to beat the Lions this season and wanted to plant a seed for the future. BC was obviously not ready to play, and you can only hope the game served as a wakeup call. Coach Mike Benevides was not a happy camper on the sidelines and he’ll make adjustments. This is a veteran group and I expect the Lions will want to bring their “A” game next week against Saskatchewan. If they don’t there could be cause for concern heading into the playoffs.

From The Stands: Lions 39 Eskimos 19

October 21, 2012 By Brian Wawryshyn

There is nothing like having depth when it comes to assembling a football team and the BC Lions proved theirs once again last night. Mike Reilly steered the Lions to a 39-19 victory over the Edmonton Eskimos to punch their ticket to the 2012 Western Final and I’m pleased to present my first place clinching thoughts, from the stands.

Mike Reilly

After the interception on the first series, Mike Reilly took command of the team and settled in. I thought he made some hasty decisions at times, but that’s being extremely picky on my part. The Lions couldn’t have asked for more from their backup QB who showed all he has the tools to play. Watching his mannerisms on the field one might have thought Lulay was in the game. The offence sputtered a little in the third quarter, allowing Edmonton to stick around, but again I’m being picky. It was a very impressive performance by Reilly. Not only did Reilly prove that he has the skills to play, he also reinforced that no one in this league finds and develops quarterbacks in this league better than the Lions.

Tim Brown

I thought the unsung hero of the night was Tim Brown. Not only did Brown have a great night returning kicks, he was a force on offence as well, particularly on some nicely executed shovel passes. His 23 yard run at the end of the game was a nice way to cap a strong game in which he racked up 268 all-purpose yards. With the Eskimos doing a good job of containing Andrew Harris, Brown’s contribution was solid and well schemed by Jacques Chapdelaine and the Lions.

The Depth

Mike Reilly, Nick Moore, Courtney Taylor, Ernest Jackson, Maurice Evans, Brandon Jordan, Jabar Westerman, Patrick Kabongo, Jesse Newman. All depth guys who have stepped in for starters in the last few weeks and the team hasn’t missed a beat. The Lions now have the chance to get some guys healthy the rest of the way, but they’ll also have some tough decisions to make as it will be really tempting to keep some of these guys in. One could even argue that the offence has been more productive in the last three weeks then it was earlier in the season. Regardless as some of the players on this team near the end of their careers, it leaves you with a good feeling about the future.

Stubler Let’s Em Loose

The Lions defensive pressure was relentless last night. It left them vulnerable to the long pass at times, but for the most part it had the desired effect. Eight sacks were racked up and Kerry Joseph completed just six passes all night long. When the defence wasn’t busy sacking Joseph, they were shutting down Hugh Charles, rendering the Eskimo offence a non factor for most of the night.

Mr. Clutch

Shawn Gore is quickly becoming the Lions go to guy on 2^nd down. His clutch catches haven’t come without a price either as for yet another game he took another big hit when he was sandwiched between two Eskimos in the fourth quarter. Akeem Foster also contributed which was nice to see. His 47 yard reception after the Reilly interception on the first series was important in more ways than one.

Proud Papa Phillips

Ryan Phillips had more than one chance to get an interception for his newborn son and finally got one in the fourth to really put a nail in the coffin of the Eskimos. Phillips had to be shocked after Cary Koch’s highlight of the year candidate catch, but he had a strong game overall and has been really noticeable the last two weeks.

Home Field Advantage

Lions fans are really starting to get it and the crowd of just over 30,000 were again a factor. It’s getting loud on defence, and not just at the end of the game. Imagine what type of advantage the Lions could have at home if it continues to improve, or if we can add another 20,000 people for the Western Final. I just love this time of year as the playoffs approach. The crowds get bigger, the fans get into it, and I just can’t wait for November 18^th.

From The Couch: Lions 37 Ticats 17

October 13, 2012 By Brian Wawryshyn

The BC Lions walked into their final appearance at Hamilton’s historic Ivor Wynne Stadium and were all business, cruising to a 37-17 victory over the Tiger-Cats who were completely outplayed on the night.

Here once again are my much anticipated and often celebrated, thoughts from the couch.

Dr. Lulay

Travis Lulay opened the game like a surgeon, methodically working the Lions down the field and using up over 6:00 minutes before punching it in with his 26^th consecutive game with a TD pass. It was almost embarrassing how easy the Lions moved the ball and how many times they converted on 2^nd down. It was revealed after the game that Lulay had lost his Grandmother the day before the game and he went out and had best game of the season, proving once again his undeniable leadership.

Marco Iannuzzi

Here’s hoping Iannuzzi will be okay after that terrible headshot he took from Dee Webb of the Ticats. TSN’s Glen Suitor seemed to think it was more a football play gone bad, but not many were buying that. That is exactly the kind of hit that the league needs to get rid of and Iannuzzi was in very rough shape afterwards and did not remember the hit. It most certainly means another addition to the Lions injured list. Some credit to Webb who reportedly sought out Iannuzzi after the game to apologize for the hit.

Depth and more depth

Despite injuries, the Lions just keep having guys step in. The latest is Courtney Taylor who had a touchdown, a beautiful catch on another that was called back because of a penalty, and other key catches. Shawn Gore had a strong game as well particularly in the 3rd quarter when he was the go to target. Nick Moore was also strong again, while on defence Jabar Westerman and Brandon Jordan filled in nicely again on the defensive line, who at times just had their way with the Ticats at the line of scrimmage.

Captain Canada

Andrew Harris had another solid outing picking up two touchdowns and becoming the CFL record holder for yards from scrimmage by a Canadian player. Harris is just getting better all the time. He’s effective whether he’s grinding it out on the ground or releasing out of the backfield. And don’t forget his blocking either as there were several plays where the Lions star was picking up the blitz and giving Lulay the time needed to find a receiver downfield.

The Thirty

The Lions were deploying the thirty defence for much of the night, and were even lining up seven tight up to the line of scrimmage at times. Injuries to Khalif Mitchell and Eric Taylor and the addition of Solomon Elimimian have given the Lions the option to tinker with their look on defence and it could have played a big role in the lack of success the Ticats had, seeing as they likely hadn’t seen much of that look on film.

Special Teams

The cover teams had one breakdown that led to a Hamilton touchdown, but they held Chris Williams in check. Tim Brown responded after that breakdown with a massive return of his own that must have just deflated the Ticats. Brown finished with 142 return yards on the night and also contributed on offence filling in for Harris.

Jacques Chapdelaine

He has taken plenty of heat over the years, so it’s only right that when things go as well as they did on offence tonight he should get a lot of credit as well. I though the Lions offensive game plan was brilliant and was executed at a high level tonight. The Lions owned second down and receivers were open all night long.

Bye Bye Ivor Wynne

It was the final game for the Lions at Ivor Wynne Stadium, which will be torn down at the end of the season. Plans were unveiled today for the new stadium and it looks as though it will be a great new facility for the people of Hamilton. I was fortunate enough to see a game there for the first time this year and it was a great place to watch a football game.

Friday Night Tweets

@GeroySimon: That was a BULLSH$&T hit by D Webb!

@CraigNichols2: Why is Iannuzzi walking so far? Is there not a golf cart at Ivor Wynne? #BCLions #Ticats #CFL

Geroy summed it up quite nicely. The hit has no place in the game. And Craig also had a valid point; Where was the cart to take Iannuzzi off the field? He pretty much had to walk around half the field and he was still badly dazed.

@dantemarsh: ANDREW HARRIS BEST RUNNING BACK IN THE CFL…PERIOD… CHUUUUUCH!!!

I’ll go with that.

From The Stands: Lions 27 Stampeders 22

October 11, 2012 By Brian Wawryshyn

As Angus Reid had said earlier in the week, it was time to see what type of statement the Lions would make at home against the Calgary Stampeders. The Lions defended their home turf in impressive fashion on Saturday night, giving their fans plenty to be thankful for on this holiday weekend. Here’s my take from the stands.

Lulay’s Leadership

I thought Travis Lulay did a beautiful job executing the game. He was without a lot of experience in his receiving unit with Simon and Bruce out, but Lulay got all the receivers involved. On the first drive alone he used Andrew Harris, Nick Moore, Kierrie Johnson and Shawn Gore. When he needed to pull the ball down and run with it, he did. When Lulay is spreading the ball around and using his legs, the Lions offence is so much better.

Welcome Back Andrew

Andrew Harris got involved in the game early and that certainly set things up for the Lions to have better success passing the ball. His first two touches set the tone, and his carry in the dying seconds of the 1^st quarter was Harris at his best, bursting through the line and carrying defenders on his back.

Harris outperformed Jon Cornish head to head for the second time this season and proved that the Lions offence is much better when he is heavily involved.

Defence

The defence had a strong game despite the injuries up front. I thought Khreem Smith stepped up and his fourth quarter sack of Kevin Glenn was a big play at a big time. Dante Marsh had another strong game and Ryan Phillips had his best game in a long time. His interception was a big play, because if he missed it was likely six points for the Stampeders.

The Lions did a great job containing Jon Cornish once again, holding the Stamps star to 61 yards on 10 carries.

The Replacements

Nick Moore once again did a nice job filling in for Geroy Simon leading all Lions receivers with 5 catches for 83 yards and a touchdown, and really he should have had a second in the third quarter. Courtney Taylor showed why the Lions have kept him around with a couple of nice catches and also drew a key pass interference penalty.

On defence, despite some rookie aggression that was quickly reined in by Anton McKenzie, Brandon Jordan had a nice game. He was getting good push and his big frame and speed were impressive.

Angus Reid

Let’s just state the obvious right now. When Angus Reid retires he’s going directly into the Lions Ring of Honour. Is there a bigger warrior on this team? Not only did he subtly call his team out to make a statement this week, but he left the game with a reported knee problem only to return later, this despite already playing with a bad ankle. His absence was felt in the 2nd quarter when an Adam Baboulas snap sailed over the head of Travis Lulay with the Lions in the red zone, stalling the drive.

The Crowd

Are Vancouverites starting to get it? I have to say the crowd of 31,347 was into the game last night and not only near the end of it. With bigger crowds coming as we hit the final two home games, BC Place is going to be a very tough place to play if the fans can play a role like they did Saturday. When the Lions play like they did last night and the place is hopping it makes for a great environment.

Your Tweets

Fans agree, the crowd was into it last night:

@Canuck_4_Life: 13th man in full effect last night at #bcplace for the #Feast4First

@GrandMasterC: #BCLions D and the crowd @bcplace coming up huge here! #Feast4First #CFL

@BigBen604: WOOOOW!!! LOVE this ENERGY in BC Place!!! Its ELECTRIC!! Amaaazzing atmosphere!!! #BCLions #Feast4First #GetLOUD”

A shout out to the Lions rookies:

CJDixon71: @BCLions gettin it done with the rookies. That’s the way we roll. #clinch #Feast4First #BCLions #CFLonTSN

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, enjoy the games on Monday and rest of your long weekend!

From the Stands: Lions 17 Roughriders 6

From the Couch: Lions 21 Stampeders 41

From The Stands: Lions 39 Eskimos 19

From The Couch: Lions 37 Ticats 17

From The Stands: Lions 27 Stampeders 22

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