BC Lions Football :: BCLionsDen.ca

You are here: Home / Archives for Anthony Fera

BC Lions Gameday: 5 areas to watch in tonight’s game.

By

The BC Lions play their final pre-season game tonight at UBC against the Edmonton Eskimos. Unlike in Calgary, the starters are expected to play the first half of the game and it will be the first real chance to see what the systems of Coach Jeff Tedford will look like in 2015.

This is a new offence, and the Lions want to use this game to define what kind of team they are going to be.

Here are five areas to watch in tonight’s game.

Travis Lulay

lulay-940x400

This is obviously the most important area to watch in the game. Lulay seemed like a kid in a candy store following this week of camp, and he is eager to get into game action. The off-season rehab plan has been a success so far, and all that’s left to do is face some live ammunition.

Lulay is slated to play the first half of the game, and will be doing so against the very aggressive starting defence of the Eskimos. Chris Jones only knows one way to play, so the Lions offensive line had better be ready to protect their starting QB.

Lulay has spoken about the Lions using this game to dictate what kind of team they want to be, and a huge part of that hinges not only on him staying healthy, but whether or not he’s able to return to his MOP form of 2011.

The Lions have worked hard to have Lulay adapt certain traits of his game so it will be interesting to see those subtle differences and how quickly he can get back into a groove following a long layoff from game action.

Andrew Harris

Damaso Munoz, Andrew Harris

By all accounts Andrew Harris is ready to go, and will play football for the first time since dislocating his ankle last season. The plan heading into camp was to have Harris ease into things, but injuries to other players sped that process up and Harris hasn’t looked back since.

The only test remaining is to put his ankle under the stress of real game conditions, but there seems to be a maturing attitude with Harris.He’s assumed a real leadership role on the team and feels he has something to prove. Harris looks bigger, and to me anyway, looked faster at training camp. Like Lulay, his return is crucial to the Lions chances this season.

The Trenches

The Lions offensive line will face a stiff test versus the blitz happy Eskimos. Jovan Olafioye holds down the right tackle spot, while on the left the battle seems to be between Josh Aladenoye and Tommie Draheim. The new man in the middle is Jason Foster, and at the guard spots it should be Kirby Fabien and Dean Valli starting. Fabien had been backing up Matt Norman who won’t play because of a knee issue. It was reported last week that Fabien may have also suffered a knee injury, but thankfully he returned to practice the next day.

Also keep an eye on T-Dre Player who won some praises from coach Tedford following the 1st preseason game, and Cameron Thorn. Campbell Allison, the Lions 2015 5th round selection should also get a look along with Cody Husband.

On the defensive side the starting four will likely be Jabar Westerman, Khreem Smith, Michael Brooks and Alex Bazzie. This is an area that has to be better for the Lions in 2015, not only getting to the quarterback but plugging up holes against the running game. Newcomer Ese Mrabure-Ajufo will likely get a chance to show his talents in the second half.

Receivers

arceneaux

The Lions have brought in some solid talent at the receiver position and will look for their holdovers to have better years. The featured attraction of course is the ‘Manny Show’, and by all accounts Emmanuel Arceneaux had a very strong training camp.

Beyond Arceneaux, Bryan Burnham has also showed well and newcomer Tim Vizzi is impressing the Lions as well. Shawn Gore and Marco Iannuzzi should start the game along with Austin Collie and Lions fans will also look forward to seeing the two new big tight ends the Lions brought in, Cam Morrah and A.C. Leonard. Both of them not only have great speed for their size, but will also be counted on to provide blocking when the play calls for them to do so.

Special Teams

The battle between kickers Richie Leone and Anthony Fera will come to a head on Friday. Both have been very impressive on kickoffs and punting the ball so it’s likely the winner will be chosen based on their field goal kicking.

The return game is a big question mark following the release of Tim Brown. No one has really stood out, but expect to see a plethora of candidates auditioning against the Eskimos. Some names to look for; Alex Tillman and Darius Lane.

GAME NOTES: Concerns remain for Lions in preseason loss to Stampeders

By

Jonathon Jennings

With all the hype of the Tedford Tempo leading up to the BC Lions first preseason game, fans had reason to look forward to Friday’s preseason opener in Calgary so that they could see the attack live. What they got though was plenty of evidence that some of the problems that plagued the Lions last season still exist, at least for now.

A few thoughts for you chew on. Following a 20-6 loss to the Stampeders.

The Good:

  • There is little doubt that Jonathan Jennings improved his standing in the QB pecking order with his work in the first quarter. He wasn’t perfect and missed on a few throws, but he showed pretty good poise, working mostly against the Stampeders starting defence. He was easily the most pleasant surprise for me up in Kamloops when I was there and while he still needs to gain experience, there is plenty of promise in his game and with his demeanour on the field.
  • Richie Leone and Anthony Fera are going to make the kicking decision pretty tough for Jeff Tedford. Both players were good on their only field goal attempts (Leone 17 yards, Fera 39 yards) but Leone held the edge in punting averaging 52 yards on 4 kicks, while Fera averaged 39.7 yards on his three chances.
  • I liked the play of T.J. Lee and Alex Tillman, the latter unleashing the hit of the night on Calgary’s Nathan Slaughter. Tillman also got burned for the only touchdown of the night, but overall I liked his physical play.
  • Overall, I liked the work of Terence Jeffers-Harris, Bryan Burnham. I mentioned before the game to watch Tim Vizzi, but he didn’t get a chance to do much with the offence that sputtered under the direction of Travis Partridge and Greg McGhee.
  • I thought Keynan Parker had some solid reps at Safety, perhaps showing a little better than Chris Rwabukamba.

The Bad:

  • The trenches on both sides of the ball continue to be a concern. The Lions gave up 5 sacks including a blind side hit on Jennings that resulted in a turnover, after Kirby Fabien couldn’t make his block. Fabien has been getting second team reps in camp, and perhaps this was evidence of why. But the interior of the line is still an issue, and that’s not great news for a team hoping to keep its start QB healthy in 2015.
  • Speaking of that QB, how about the nugget dropped by TSN’s Glen Suitor claiming that Travis Lulay told him that if the season started today, he doesn’t think he would be ready? Ugh, where have we heard this story before? We know there is a plan, but all through camp there has been no real indication that Lulay was feeling that way, so this was a bit of a downer to hear.
  • The defensive line wasn’t much better, allowing penetration into the second layer much of the night. The only real starter missing from the bunch was Khreem Smith, so this area is once again a concern for the Lions. Alex Bazzie might have been the Lions best on the night, with an honorable mention to Zach Minter Wouldn’t it be nice of Houston decided they didn’t want Christian Covington? Don’t hold your breath.
  • Travis Partridge didn’t use his time wisely and was completely ineffective. He also threw a bad interception. Not a good sign for a player who was here last season, and with two young Tedford picks pushing him. Partridge may have put his spot on the roster in jeopardy with his performance.
  • No one stepped up in the running game; None of Brendan Bigelow, Rickey Galvin, Damien Thigpen or Pascal Lochard had much success carrying the ball. With no Andrew Harris in the lineup it would have been nice to see some more from the running game, but the offensive line wasn’t exactly opening up holes for them either.

In the end, this is a team installing new offensive and defensive packages, and they left 12 regulars off the roster. Tedford got a lot of players into the lineup, and will now look at the film to dissect who isn’t cutting it and change directions to give the starters time to get into game mode.

Next week will be a far better gauge of where this team stands, but there were enough signs that give you cause for concern in a few key areas.

Let’s hope next week eases some of that.

By the Numbers:

BC at Calgary, Preseason Game 3, Final Stats (Via the CFL)

The Lions Notebook: Training Camp Edition: June 9th

By

hillside-940

A nice breeze made things a little cooler for today’s sessions at Hillside Stadium in Kamloops, much to the relief of the players and this blogger sitting in the stands. The Lions continue to install the offense of Jeff Tedford in preparation for Friday’s preseason opener in Calgary.

Here are some observations from today’s sessions in this edition of the Lions Notebook: Training Camp Edition, June 9th.

The Scene

The Lions practiced without pads for the morning session but had them on in the afternoon for the last time before their game in Calgary on Friday. The afternoon was a spirited affair that saw a player skirmish involving DB Torrie Williams and an unidentified player on offence that was broken up quickly by Jeff Tedford.

Watching: Solomon Elimimian (afternoon), Courtney Taylor, Lavelle Hawkins, Courtney Taylor

Behind Centre

Jonathan Jennings continues to separate himself as the front runner for the backup/third string role to Travis Lulay, just ahead of Greg McGhee. Both players can expect to see a fair bit of work in Calgary (Lulay will not play) along with Travis Partridge who will likely get the start. Partridge is going to have to really show something in my opinion to not get over taken by Jennings or McGhee in my opinion. John Beck is back in camp and threw light passes in drills early in the session, but was not a full participant.

In the Trenches

The Lions appear to have settled on a starting five on the offensive line, for now at least. Jovan Olafiyoe of course stays at right tackle, Dean Valli at right guard, Jason Foster at centre, Matt Norman at left guard and newcomer Josh Aladenoye at left tackle. Kirby Fabien continues to participate on the second unit, and this is a big disappointment, as many were hoping he was going to rebound from an inconsistent 2014 after returning from injury. Right now, Fabien is backing up Norman, who seems to be settling in nicely at guard after moving from centre.

Dante’s Corner

Anyone concerned about the loss of Dante Marsh should rest easy, as Ronnie Yell has really stood out for me at this camp and looks to be in midseason form. He’s been battling against Manny Arceneaux and has showed very well. He’s quick, physical and has been in Arceneaux’s grill constantly. He doesn’t always win the battle, because let’s face it, Manny is pretty good, but Yell seems to be adjusting just fine to not only his role, but the new rule changes imposed on defenders.

Here is a bit more from Yell himself, courtesy of the BC Lions on Twitter:

Kicking Battle

We have been very impressed by the two kickers in camp, Anthony Fera and Richie Leone, but Tuesday wasn’t a banner day for either. Both players missed some field goals and shanked some punts, so Friday is going to be interesting to see which player emerges as a front runner for the job. Still there is no denying the leg strength of both candidates, both kicking 47 yard field goals to the back of the endzone and both launching some absolutely spectacular punts in both sessions.

Receivers

vizzi-940
Make note of the name Tim Vizzi (Photo: BC Lions Den)

Marco Iannuzzi had a strong day, getting open to make several TD catches during passing drills. One name to watch out for is Tim Vizzi, who has some people drawing comparisons to Weston Dressler. The Penn State product isn’t big in size, but runs good routes and has a solid set of hands. When you add the likes of Bryan Burnham, Austin Collie, Terence Jeffers-Harris, Shawn Gore and Manny Arceneaux and this group looks talented. Nevermind the additions of Cameron Morrah and A.C. Leonard, both of whom continue to impress. Now the Lions must find a way to keep as many of these talented players as possible.

There is some mystery to the status of Courtney Taylor whose participation in camp has been minimal since I’ve arrived.

Harris Watch

Rest easy Lions fans, Andrew Harris looks very, very good. Harris show no signs that his injury from last season isn’t healed. He looks quick and explosive hitting holes. Like Lulay, I wouldn’t expect him to see any action in Calgary, because there is no point, and the Lions have other backs they need to evaluate, like Shaquille Murray-Lawrence, Brendan Bigelow, Rickey Galvin and of course Keola Antolin, With Murray-Lawrence and Antolin missing earlier sessions with minor injuries they will be looking to impress in the preseason.

The Injury Bug

The Lions appeared to have taken a blow to their defensive line when DT Michael Brooks went down with what appeared to be a right knee injury. Brooks was carted off the field near the end of practice and it didn’t look good. Brooks had been impressing and it’s a tough break for him if the injury is as bad as it looked. Tim Jackson (North Carolina) is the next man up on the depth charge and will look to take advantage of Brooks’ bad luck.

As my friend Lloyd Bruneau noted, Jason Vega is currently sitting in Winnipeg, waiting for a phone call.

Offensive lineman Cody Husband and Cameron Thorn continue to follow concussion protocol.

Just For Fun

We leave you with this. The Lions cranked up the music for their warmup session and we caught this video of linebacker Adam Bighill who dances across the screen like he was in a Broadway show.

 

One more day at camp for us, with an hour walk through in the morning, we’ll spare you the details of that and will take in the afternoon session before heading home to Vancouver.

Thanks for reading, everyone.

The Lions Notebook: Training Camp Edition – June 6th

By

I have a confession to make; I’m a bit of a freak when it comes to the BC Lions. That probably explains why on four hours sleep, I got up at 4:00am to make the three and a half hour trip for our annual pilgrimage to Lions training camp. Why is it so easy to get up for football, but it feels like waking the living dead to go to work?

But I digress.

Today was the first day of our five day visit to the tournament capital of Canada, Kamloops, BC, and the best word I can describe what I saw on day one is, impressive. Here are some thoughts, in a special training camp edition of the Lions Notebook.

Tedford’s Way

We’ve all heard a lot about the “Tedford Tempo” but until you see it live, you can’t begin to understand how different this camp is from any other BC Lions camp you’ve seen.  Everything is timed and organized down to the second. As this photo of the segment clock that Jeff Tedford brought in shows.

Photo: Brian Wawryshyn
Photo: Brian Wawryshyn

There is a much more business like feel to this camp, than any other camp I’ve attended. Coaches where headsets to communicate, there is less chatting and joking around by the players. You can tell they are here to work, and I haven’t always felt that way watching a Lions practice.

On the Short Side

One of the big questions at this camp is who will replace 11-year Lion Dante Marsh on the short side corner. During this session that player was Ronnie Yell, who looks more than ready to take on the challenge. Yell was one of the most impressive players I saw on the field today, and he had some aggressive battles with Emmanuel Arceneaux.

Behind Centre

Jonathan Jennings is making an impression at camp and you could see why. He throws a very nice ball and was by far the best QB on the field in the morning session. Travis Lulay continues to pace himself, and didn’t attempt many deep throws. Travis Partridge I thought had a bit of a shaky session, while Greg McGhee had some nice completions as well, but doesn’t look as polished as Jennings. John Beck has made his way to Kamloops (18 pounds lighter) and will undergo more tests here before being given the green light to practice.

The Offensive Line

This seems to be a constant concern for the Lions and for once it would be to come to a camp and not have to talk about it. The injury to Hunter Steward certainly muddied the waters for the team but there were also some interesting observations to be made during Saturday’s sessions.

For one, Kirby Fabien is not in the first unit, replaced instead by Matt Norman at left guard, while Dean Valli is on the left. This is concerning simply for the fact that the Lions (or at least their fans) have been hoping that Fabien would return to the form he showed prior to his knee injury in 2013. Has Fabien fallen from grace that far, or are the Lions simply getting Norman work at guard to see where he fits into their plans after removing him from the centre spot?

Paul McCallum

I’ve seen a lot of reaction to the Paul McCallum release that was announced today. Some fans are mad at the way it was handled by the Lions, some are miffed to why McCallum was released at all without a proven field goal kicker on the roster and others are wondering why McCallum was even brought to camp if they had other plans, only to be asked to retire after five days.

It’s my personal belief that the Lions tried to do the right thing and let McCallum call it a day without being officially cut. They brought him to camp, because until recently they only had McCallum on the roster. When Richie Leone was released by the club and the Lions came to terms with Anthony Fera, the picture changed, but the Lions still needed to see how they performed.

At 44 years of age, even Paul McCallum admits that his best days are behind him. He’s still a very reliable field goal kicker from inside 45 yards, and his experience with every stadium in the league is second to no one in his position. But his punt average is dropping, the Lions are leaving points on the field because of his limited range, and they have two guys in camp that have looked very good.

There will be some growing pains with whoever handles the kicking duties, but it you can’t wait forever to make the switch, and the Lions feel they have two very promising kickers to choose from and may indeed keep both of them on the roster.

Only Wally Buono and Paul McCallum really know how all of this went down and in time we will all hear the story. In the meantime, the McCallum era in BC is definitely over and we wish Paul well. He’s been a great BC Lion and he’s had a hall of fame career.

Keeping it Light

At the end of the morning session, Tedford gathered his players around and told them it was time to kick field goals. Both Leone and Fera would each kick two field goals. For everyone they missed the whole team would have to do “gassers” or wind sprints for those of you unfamiliar with the term.

But there was a catch, the rest of the team was told to make as much noise as possible to try and distract the two kickers. Thankfully for them, all four field goals were made and the two kickers instantly became the most popular guys on the field.

Hot as…

The Lions practiced Saturday under baking hot conditions Saturday in Kamloops. Jeff Tedford chose to make the afternoon session a walk through, and it lasted just over an hour, which was no doubt just fine with the players.

Sunday is supposed to be even hotter, and the Lions will have another light day, as the club’s annual Fan Fest takes place at Hillside Stadium. It’s free for all and the gates open at 12:30. We’ll have photos and other tidbits from the event here on 3DownNation.com.

Great CFL Resources

CFL West Fan Sites

CFL East Fan Sites

Creative Commons Licence
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Canada License.

Privacy Policy