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From the Couch: Riders 29 Lions 25

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The BC Lions fought a good fight but in the end it was Darian Durant who put his team on his shoulders and led his Roughriders to victory. The Lions season is done, and they will be thinking about the one that got away for some time. Here is our final Lions game recap of 2013, From the Couch.

The Game

For three quarters it was the Lions that dominated the time of possession putting together three long and productive drives, chewing time off the clock and keeping the Riders offence shivering on the sidelines. The Lions showed the Riders looks they weren’t familiar with including a four man deep I-formation and you certainly couldn’t accuse the offence of being predictable.

The combination of Andrew Harris and Stefan Logan continued to have success while Travis Lulay looked to be on his game and confident. The offensive line played outstanding; pass protecting for Lulay and opening holes for Harris and Logan who built on their recent success racking up a combined 146 yards along the ground.

Defensively the Lions were containing the likes of Kory Sheets outside of one big run that set up a Rider score but it was Taj Smith and Weston Dressler doing the damage for the Riders. Smith stole a sure interception out of the hands of Josh Bell, then out-fought Dante Marsh on another deep ball following a questionable pass interference call just before the end of the half that kept a Riders drive alive. Dressler was Dressler, and when the Riders need him to get open he did with amazing ease. With those players keeping the Riders close, Durant then took it upon himself to lead the comeback in the fourth quarter.

Entering the final quarter with a nine point lead, the Riders noticed a vulnerability in the Lions defence and Durant killed them with draws up the middle, rudely reminding all that Solomon Elimimian was back in Vancouver nursing a hamstring injury that he didn’t feel would allow him to perform in the biggest game of the season. The offence dried up in the fourth and couldn’t muster any of the success they had for most of the game, the defence couldn’t get the stops and as a result, the Lions season is over.

Under Review

Every CFL fan can relate to the frustration of watching a game and tolerating CFL officiating and Sunday was no different. The Lions certainly weren’t on the favourable end of a few calls and that’s just the way it goes in the Canadian Football League.

The pass interference call near the end of the half, a very weak roughing the passer call on Durant on the same series and a curious decision by the command centre of the league on an apparent Lions touchdown all come to mind. These calls didn’t cost the Lions the game, but they also didn’t do anything to install confidence in fans who want to see the game decided by the players.

When I speak with fans around the league, it’s a constant topic that comes up. Officials have a very tough job, and I’m amazed at how many times they get it right at full speed, but we can only hope we won’t have anything to say about them in the final games of the year. Don’t hold your breath.

Where do they go from here?

Two exits from the playoffs for the Lions in the last two years will certainly mean changes are coming for the BC Lions and it may not be just player wise. The lack of consistency from the offence for the majority of the season has to be the focal point for the club moving forward, and it likely cost the Lions a home playoff game.

Despite what I felt was a great game plan by the Lions heading into the game on Sunday, I’m not sure it will be enough to save the job of coordinator Jacques Chapdelaine. Jacques has taken a lot of heat in BC over the years but the lack of a running game for much of the season may be the reason Wally Buono needs to go in a different direction in 2014.

I think that Mike Benevides will be back, but he will certainly be under pressure to return the Lions to the top of the Western division in a year when the Lions will be playing host to the Grey Cup. Of course it will be up to Wally Buono, Neil McEvoy and Roy Shivers to give him the team to do that and the Lions will have some tough decisions to make this off-season, beginning with who they leave exposed in December’s expansion draft.

Another question will be whether Travis Lulay will have surgery to clean up his problematic shoulder. He played like a warrior on Sunday, and injuries can never be predicted, but two seasons with the same problem indicate it should at least be considered. The Lions looked like a different team with Lulay back at the controls and they have to take every measure to make sure he doesn’t make it a shoulder hat-trick in 2014.

At 33 years of age, do the Lions bring back Stefan Logan? I hope they do, because I don’t think there is too much football mileage on that body. He provided a spark and a welcomed element to the Lions ground game and at the very least the Lions should be looking for a similar type back that can team up with Harris in the backfield and give them the same one two punch.

The offensive line will have changes as well and the Lions will need to hope that Kirby Fabien returns healthy. They seem to have an answer for replacing Angus Reid with Matt Norman, but the guard and left tackle positions need to be better. Defensively the Lions will be looking at an aging secondary and deciding whether they can get another year out of the group, while finding a way to start grooming others. The defensive line needs to be improved particularly at providing better first layer interior run support.

So it is over for another year. As always I will be heading to Grey Cup in Regina and hope to provide you with some insight from the festivities from the 101st edition of our great Canadian Football championship, both in this space and on BCLionsDen.ca and via Twitter, @BCLionsDen. My thanks to Lowell Ullrich and the folks at TheProvince.com for giving this fan a voice here and we hope to continue next year as Vancouver gets set to host the nation at Grey Cup 2014. Thanks for reading everyone, and enjoy the rest of the playoffs. Roar you Lions roar!

From the Stands: Lions 26 Stampeders 7

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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

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Photo: (PNG Gerry Kahrmann)

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.

 

The BCLionsDen.ca Pawdcast – Episode 19

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In Episode 19 Brian and Mojo recap the BC Lions 35-14 loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders and get the scoop on the Eskimos from CHED 630 football analyst and colour man Dave Campbell. We welcome BC Lions receiver Marco Iannuzzi into the den to hear about his journey to the pros and how the Lions will head into the final two games before the playoffs.

To stay up to date with our podcasts, blogs and other Lions news, follow us on Twitter @BCLionsDen

Please leave us a comment on the site and let us know how we’re doing. You can also leave us a ranking and a review on iTunes, we would really appreciate it!

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From the Couch, Riders 35 Lions 14

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The BC Lions went into Regina and gift-wrapped a home playoff game for the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday thanks to an offence that simply cannot get on track. Here’s how I saw the game, From the Couch.

Turnovers

The Lions ran five offensive plays and committed four turnovers. Thomas DeMarco couldn’t be blamed for all of his four interceptions and would have had six had it not been for flags calling them back, but he can be blamed for missing open receivers. His protection has been good the last two games so you can’t blame it on the offensive line. Simply put, he has not been progressing since his first game and that has to be a concern for the Lions going forward.

It certainly wasn’t all on DeMarco; the Lions need to protect the ball better, period. You will not win many games in this league with eight turnovers, but you also won’t win many with an offence that simply can’t get into a rhythm.

Can someone tell me why the Lions acquired Buck Pierce? With DeMarco struggling so badly, it would have been a great time to give Buck a look. Instead the Lions decided to let Pierce, a QB with CFL and playoff experience sit on the sidelines. If I had a choice I would start Pierce against the Eskimos and see if he can get this offence going. The last two games mean nothing as far as the Lions and playoff positioning go, so you might as well get Pierce up to speed in case you want him to start the playoff game if Lulay is unable to return.

Stefan Logan

Logan showed flashes that he still has the speed and moves that caught the NFL’s attention after one season in the CFL. He averaged 27.4 yards per kick return, and had some decent runs from scrimmage, mostly on first down, but with the Lions down big after the first half they once again had to abandon the running game. Andrew Harris only had six carries and looked frustrated at the end of the game. It remains to be seen whether the addition of Logan will bring out the best in him in the final two weeks and into the playoffs.

Defence

This loss simply can’t be blamed on the defence with all the turnovers offensively. They started the game aggressively forcing two turnovers of their own but were barely able to catch their breath before being called on again and again. The defence held the Riders to just four points in the second half but the damage was done and they got no support from the other side of the ball.

That said, Kory Sheets ran for 145 yards while Jon Cornish racked up 130 the week before and the Lions definitely need to shore up that part of their game if they hope to have success in the coming weeks.

Where do they go from here?

The Lions have talked all season about the season being a marathon, not a sprint. How they want to be peaking at the right time. The injury to Travis Lulay hasn’t helped, but it appears the Lions are running on fumes as they approach the finish line.

I’ve already stated that I would start Pierce next week, and we’ll see if that happens, but the same problems on offence that plagued the Lions with Lulay in the lineup still exist today. The team has two games to figure their issues out, but you have to start to wonder if they simply don’t have the horses, or the coaches to get it done.

There is certainly no hurry to rush Lulay back now and all they can do is hope that in the next two weeks his shoulder improves dramatically.

To come out in such a big game like this and basically gift wrap a win for the opposition is concerning to say the least, but this is the CFL and stranger things have happened. They are in the playoffs and have a chance to redeem themselves in three weeks in Regina or Calgary.

It’s safe to say that if they hope to finish their marathon, they still have miles to run. The Lions are 3-6 on the road in 2013 and to win the Grey Cup they will have to equal those three wins in the playoffs.

I’d love your thoughts on the game and the Lions as they head into their final two games of the season. Do they have what it takes to get on a roll and get to the Grey Cup? Leave a comment for me and of course I’m always up for Lions talk on Twitter, @BCLionsDen

 

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