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From the Stands: Lions 41 Redblacks 3

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How do you spell relief? For the BC Lions and their fan base, relief was spelled O-F-F-E-N-C-E Saturday at BC Place Stadium. Kevin Glenn had arguably his best game as a BC Lion and got support from his receivers as the Lions went on to thrash the Ottawa Redblacks 41-3. Here is how I saw the game, From the Stands.

Rising to the Challenge

When Glenn appeared to injure his throwing hand on the first play of the game, my first thought was, “Sure, why not?” The way Lions have been falling by the wayside of late it only seemed fitting that another player would be added to the pile. But thankfully Glenn not only returned, but went onto a 20-27, 345 yard, 3 touchdown performance.

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Ernest Jackson had plenty to celebrate against the Redblacks. Photo: The Province.com

 

Glenn wasn’t the only performance to be thankful for on Thanksgiving weekend. The Lions receiving corps needed to step up to help a struggling offence and they were led by the 195 yard effort of Ernest Jackson. Jackson was in the zone Saturday, with big plays and timely catches all night long. I’ve often wondered why the Lions haven’t attempted to use Jackson more, and after this performance he may have forced them to consider it, even when injured receivers return.

Jackson wasn’t alone as Lavasier Tuinei turned in a strong game and Shawn Gore made some key catches as well.

The running game also came to life with Keola Antolin looking much more comfortable in his second start and the offensive line opening the holes the diminutive running back needed. Antolin also gets high marks for the surfing routine he did to celebrate his first professional touchdown, a result of a 56 yard run on the same drive. Stefan Logan will likely return after the bye week, but the Lions now have some comfort without Andrew Harris in the running department.

Credit to the Coaches

No one escapes criticism when things aren’t going well and the Lions coaches have received their fair share over the last few weeks. But not only did Mike Benevides and his staff have to find ways to generate offence with so many starters injured, they had to keep the team united as one. They accomplished both. After the game Lions players spoke of the fact that no one believed in them, but as Gore said earlier in the week, that doubt and criticism was deserved from outsiders. So too is the praise they should receive for rallying as an organization, and hopefully this was the tonic the teams needs to play out the final three games of the season and enter the playoffs on a roll.

Special Teams

After a poor outing in Hamilton the Lions did a much better job on special teams. Tim Brown looked maybe a half step behind speed wise coming off his groin injury, but the coverage downfield was solid all night long and gave the Lions much better field position to work with defensively.

Better Call Sol

I spent a lot of time watching Solomon Elimimian Saturday, because not only is he my favourite player, I just wanted to watch and see what makes him so good. His pursuit of the ball on every play is relentless, he’ll go over, through or around any obstacle in his path to make a tackle. Elimimian has really settled into the CFL game and it shows. Solomon became the Lions record holder for tackles in a season, and the league record will be next to fall if Elimimian can stay healthy.

Props to Paul

Paul McCallum was also in the spotlight Saturday as he moved into second place on the all-time CFL scoring list. It’s unlikely that McCallum will catch Lui Passaglia to take over the number one spot, but it’s pretty cool that two BC Lions are one/two on the list.

Speaking of Passaglia, it was great to see him at BC Place on Saturday night as the club’s honorary captain. He’s been in Lions fans’ thoughts since his recent battle with cancer was made public, but Lui looked good and it was great to see the Lions bring him out to a standing ovation and chants of Luuuuu for the coin toss.

Looking Ahead

The Lions were finally able to take advantage of their position and move four points ahead of the Bombers. But the Riders are in a freefall as well and got spanked by the Alouettes, meaning that the Lions are now just two points out of third in the CFL West and they hold the tie breaker over the Riders.

The Lions should be getting some bodies back following the bye week, and now have some confidence in their pocket when they head into Winnipeg in two weeks. That game could be the defining moment of the season for BC, who close out the season versus Edmonton and Calgary.

Going through the West or the East doesn’t matter, because in the end the Lions will have to beat two good teams to get to the Grey Cup. However, travel wise the club would be better off to keep their playoff streak alive by qualifying in the West.

What are your thoughts? Your comments are always welcome. The Pawdcast will be taking a break this week along with the Lions, but we’ll be back with a show before the Lions take on the Bombers.

From the Stands: Lions 26 Blue Bombers 9

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Did Andrew Harris and the BC Lions pull a fast one on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers? After publicly declaring that the goal was to rush for 250 yards on the Bombers, the Lions passing game was the dagger that delivered a 26-9 win for the Leos that gave them some breathing room in the quest for a play-off spot. Here’s how I saw the game, From the Stands.

Offence

It wasn’t the dominating rushing attack that Harris set goals for prior to the game, but instead a fairly balanced attack that got the job done for the Lions. Kevin Glenn didn’t put up huge numbers but make key completions at various points in the game, and more importantly, protected the ball well.

kevin_glen_740x300Glenn spread the ball around to no fewer than nine targets on the way to a 20-27, 261 yard, two-touchdown night. There were still breakdowns on the offensive line and penalties that killed drives, but for the most part Glenn was efficient at getting rid of the ball quickly and showed what he can provide as the starter.

Emmanuel Arceneaux and Shawn Gore had nice games for the Lions, the former with a big third quarter catch and a fourth quarter touchdown that put the exclamation point on the win.

The running game was much better than a week ago, especially in the fourth quarter where the Lions were able to kill some clock with key runs from Harris and Stefan Logan. They fell 90 yards short of Harris’ goal, but there was no doubt the offensive line responded to Harris’ challenge and gave the running game a chance against the Bombers suspect run defence.

There is still room for improvement of course with the offence managing just a single in the third quarter, but there were some positive steps taken. Not taking a step backwards against Toronto next week will be key to ensure the Lions keep the teams in front of them close, while putting Winnipeg in a tough spot in the West.

Defence

There haven’t been too many games this season where you could really question the effort of the defence and Saturday was just another day at the offence for the Lions, who for the second game in a row denied their opposition a touchdown.

elimimian_homeThe tandem of Adam Bighill and Solomon Elimimian were punishing in leading the way for the Lions. The secondary bent on some medium range passes before Drew Willy left the game, but didn’t break.

Elimimian is simply the best player on this Lions team right now and it’s shocking how many people are just handing the most outstanding defensive player award to John Chick. There is no escaping the pursuit of Elimimian this year and while Chick’s sack stats are sexy, Elimimian is the complete package and can hurt you in multiple ways.

The Lions inside run game was outstanding, holding Nic Grigsby to just 27 yards on seven carries and the defensive line was effective picking up three sacks. Khalif Mitchell may have had his best game of the season picking up a sack and getting a big push at the line of scrimmage.

Special Teams

Lions fans got a glimpse of the talent that the Bombers’ Troy Stoudermire brings to the table, but the Lions stopped him from doing too much damage and leading the way was Bighill with five special teams tackles, including a beauty in the fourth quarter when he came from a long way away to drag down Stoudermire when it looked like the speedster had an open sideline staring him in the face.

It’s been mentioned earlier this season, but it’s worth mentioning again what a valuable addition that Ricky Schmitt has been kicking off and punting for the Lions. His kicks allow the cover teams to get downfield, while also sparing mileage on the leg of Paul McCallum. McCallum had his field goal streaked snapped but he’s also trying field goals he may not have at times last season, and a fresher leg could be the reason why.

Random Rambles

Is a football culture finally settling in at BC Place? It seems to me that over the last couple of games fans have been a lot more involved and willing to participate. Even the old BC chant is starting to become noticeable and you have to give some credit to the Lions game day ops team for working hard at this the last couple of seasons. Here’s to a day when the blaring music and make some noise prompting is a thing of the past.

Want some evidence that there was a method behind the madness of Dennis Skulsky’s “guarantee” against the Riders a couple of weeks ago?   Using my minimal math skills, the Lions averaged 24,808 fans over their first four home games before the Saskatchewan game bumped that up to 26,484. Saturday night on a beautiful bonus summer night in Vancouver, and following a week where the Lions laid a big egg on the offensive side of the ball, 27,784 took in a game that didn’t involve the Riders. Many of those were probably fans that took advantage of the Lions offering. The game was entertaining enough that a few of them might decide to come back on their own dime.

There’s a long way to go, but all of a sudden the Lions are one game behind Saskatchewan and Edmonton. They’ve passed the Bombers, and the Riders have yet to play the Eskimos or Stampeders and won’t have Darian Durant when they do. The Lions have a lot to work to do themselves but all of a sudden, things are looking a lot better for BC then they did even a week ago.

What are your thoughts? Did you see positive signs from the Lions performance on Saturday night? More thoughts this week on the BCLionsDen.ca Pawdcast.

Kevin Glenn’s longevity to be admired and respected

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Special to BCLionsDen.ca by Jann Shreve

Kevin Glenn’s performance in week six to pull off the win against Calgary was a good summary and example for anybody who could think to ask, “How is Kevin Glenn still around?” He’s still around because he’s being doing things like that, for a long time in quarterback-years and in football-years in general.

Finding a worthwhile CFL quarterback is a daunting task at best for head offices as the balance between potential and experience is watched under a microscope.  Some teams can just find the right new Import International (because that’s a better word) QB and develop him into everything they need or keep bringing good new guys in and go through the ringers until they do. Other teams opt to fish from the pond of quarterbacks with CFL game experience, a pond that is notoriously shallow. The logic is sound for both approaches, which is why both approaches have worked.

Those looking for the experienced QB would be remiss not to consider Kevin Glenn a good fish in the pond. He’s a good player who has won big games (and lost others). Say what you will, he’s been at this a long time. Even without winning on the big stage, he’s outlasted a lot of players, some of them Grey Cup winners, in terms of time spent in the CFL. Glenn has been on five teams, traded twice, come back from a broken arm and a partial ACL tear (no easy task). He’s constantly going from starting to playing backup, missing playoffs, playoff wins and losses, and Kevin Glenn in his 14th season, keeps trucking along. He endures it all and manages, above all, to stay employed where others don’t. The formula seems like it would be a simple one but it proves difficult enough to replicate. He’s one of the few players who can manage to stay off the radar by attracting negative attention or publicity. Imagine that! Advice to would-be CFL players:  Show up to camp on time, in shape, cause little to no trouble to coaches, bring on no negative publicity and produce. Maybe your career won’t be full of glory and records, but evidence shows, it can be a long one.

While the analysts aren’t likely to call Kevin Glenn exceptional or describe him as such, he’s definitely been clutch (see 2012 Calgary playoff run) but has fallen short of the big prize. He’s had nine seasons with 3000+ passing yards, five seasons with 20+ touchdowns, those are pretty good reminders why coaches continue to choose him to manage their offenses either while the young gun or incumbent starter deals with an injury, or as the chosen starter. He’s reliable enough to assume that he won’t lose every game. The exceptional thing about Glenn is his ability to survive and adapt.

Glenn is that guy who just won’t give up or go away, but what keeps any CFL quarterback out of the elite quarterback conversation: he’s yet to win the big one.  Travis Lulay will be back to start any week now, and Glenn will be back in the backup role again, not kicking up a fuss, ready to go when he’s called on.  Will this be the year this nice guy finishes in first? If not, he doesn’t seem to show many signs of stopping anytime soon.

2014 BC Lions CFL Draft Selection Recap

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It was a crazy afternoon with several trades coming down and the Lions were front and centre, trading their 5th overall pick for QB Kevin Glenn. And while the first round was on TSN, the later rounds were carried on TSN.ca and TSN GO. If you were a Bell or Rogers subscriber that is. The league and their “National” broadcast partner need to realize there are football fans outside of eastern Canada.

But enough whining by me, here is a round-up of the BC Lions eight selections in today’s CFL Draft.

Round 1: 5th Overall: BC trades the 5th overall pick to Ottawa for QB Kevin Glenn

glennGlenn is coming to a team that should contend for a Grey Cup and he’s likely to play a role in that effort in a Western division he is very familiar with. The Lions have questions with Travis Lulay and until he resumes full training and shows the shoulder is no longer an issue, they needed some experienced insurance. Even if Lulay returns without problems Glenn will be needed and the team can’t afford a slow start in a tough division, so this addition was a no brainer. The Lions also had to pick in their back pocket for the 2nd round.With two picks in the 2nd round waiting for them.

Earlier in the day it was rumoured that the Lions were trying to move up to the top two picks. After Calgary managed to secure the number one pick from Ottawa and Winnipeg kept their pick the Lions decided to use their 5th overall choice to address their depth at quarterback. In acquiring Kevin Glenn the Lions now have a solid one two punch at the pivot spot.

“We tried to make some trades to try to move up in the draft that didn’t occur,” said GM Wally Buono. “And then we made an evaluation of the fifth pick in comparison to a veteran quarterback who could help us win. When it was all said and done, we decided the best for this football club at this time is to get Kevin Glenn.”

Round 2: 12th Overall (Via Edmonton): Tchissakid Player (Offensive Guard, Northwestern State)

At 6’6, 300 lbs, Player has the size and was the only NCAA Division 1 player in the entire draft class. Born in Winnipeg but raised in Texas, Player was a three-year starter at Northwestern State. His ranking might have been higher if not for a hamstring injury that kept him from auditioning at the CFL Combine.


As Lowell Ullrich pointed out, Lions play by play man Rick Ball has got some practicing to do with the name:

Round 2: 14th Overall: Pascal Lochard (Running Back, Laval)

Lochard comes to the Lions after an RSEQ All-conference selection in 2013. In 33 college games he posted 301 carries for 1749yds and 17 touchdowns. He also chipped in 24 receptions for 190 yards and 2 touchdowns. He stands 6’0, 215 pounds and is described as a shift back who makes people miss. He has strong special teams skills as well.

Round 3: 27th Overall (Via Saskatchewan): Casey Chin (Linebacker, SFU)

Casey Chin is a local product who played his high school football with the New Westminster Hyacks before completing a college career at SFU. Chin was ranked 12th in the final Central Scouting Bureau rankings so getting the talented local player was a bonus for the Lions with the 27th pick.

A linebacker in college, Chin may originally find himself on the Lions roster as a special teams contributor and a possible long snapper. A valuable position for a non-import on any CFL roster.

Chin had a stong showing at the CFL Combine, Chin had 25 bench press reps, putting him in a tie for ninth overall and second among linebackers. He posted a 35.5″ vertical jump, placing him second among linebackers and sixth overall. On day two, Chin finished the 40-yard dash in 4.716 seconds which placed him third among linebackers. He finished first among his group in the shuttle and 3-cone segments of the combine.

In nine games with SFU last season, chin posted 119 tackles (which led the GNAC for the third straight year), with 68 solo efforts. He added three sacks, three interceptions and a fumble recovery as well.

Round 4: 32nd Overall: David Menard (Defensive Line, Montreal)

David Menard adds some Canadian depth to the defensive line. He was ranked 13th in the final Scouting Bureau rankings. He posted a Combine best 33 reps on the bench press.

Ridley Scouting says:

A stout, gap plugging strongman clad in the Carabins uniform. David had 33 reps on the bench at the Combine. He was the RSEQ Rookie of the Year in 2010, All-RSEQ honers along with being named All-Canadian. Since then he has been All-RSEQ 2 more times & in his SR season averaged a QB sack a game. Recovered 5 career fumbles.

Round 5: 41st Overall: Alexander Fox (Receiver, Bishops)

The 5’8 180 pound fox comes to the Lions as the leading receiver in the CIS in both yards and receiving touchdowns in 2013, including 5 games over 100 yards and a 256 yard game against McGill.

Ridley Scouting says:

He is the most productive receiver in the draft class with over 2500 yards. Also returned punts, except his SR year when he was a force on offense.

Round 6: 50th Overall: Dylan Roper (Defensive Line, SFU)

When you saw this name you might have had a light go on in your head if you’re a long time Lions fan. Dylan Roper is the nephew of former Leos offensive lineman Gerald Roper.

Roper measures up at 6’2″ and 222 pounds and is another local kid from North Vancouver who went to high school at the football factory of Carson Graham where he was a two-time North Shore all-star, two-time BCHSFA Western Conference all-star, BCHSFA Provincial all-star, and the 2010 Senior Bowl Defensive MVP.

In 2013 for SFU he posted 37 tackles, 6 sacks and forced a fumble, while adding a fumble recovery. Ridley Scouting describes him as an undersized but tough defensive end. He earned an invite to the CFL Combine after a strong showing at the Edmonton Regional.

Round 7: 59th Overall: Guillaume Bourassa (Running Back, Laval)

The Lions added a second running back from Laval with the pick of 5’11, 200 pound Guillaume Bourassa. Bourassa also returned kicks for Laval and capped his four-year career with his third Vanier Cup ring in four years. As shown on his YouTube recruiting video, he can also contribute as a receiver out of the back field and on special teams.

Eastern Semi Final Preview: BC at Hamilton

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When: 10:00AM Pacific, Sunday November 15th, 2009
Where: Ivor Wynne Stadium, Hamilton, ON
TV: TSN, TSNHD
Radio: TEAM 1410 AM

The BC Lions were the Hamilton Tiger Cats biggest fans last Sunday, but seven days later they will be enemies in the CFL’s Eastern division semi-final playoff game in Hamilton. The Lions were on playoff life support after losing the final western spot to the Edmonton Eskimos in devastating fashion two days earlier, and the Tiger Cats gave them what they needed to play again by defeating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers convincingly in Winnipeg.

Hamilton will be hosting their first playoff game since 2001 and have been a rejuvenated franchise in 2009. Under the guidance of former Lions personnel guru Bob O’Billovich and head coach Marcel Bellefeuille, the Ticats captured second place in the CFL East with a 9-9 record, including two wins over the Lions.

Let’s take a look at some of the key issues for this game on both sides of the field, starting with the Lions.

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The Lions will hope Csey Printers can play Sunday
The Lions will hope Casey Printers can play Sunday

BC will enter the game as underdogs, and under a little mystery as well. Just how healthy their quarterbacks are will likely be a closely guarded secret this week. The latest reports at the time of this preview were that Casey Printers was throwing the ball at the club’s practice facility on Sunday. But according to Printers, that didn’t take place and that he’s taking a wait and see attitude. Wally Buono is confident that Printers will start the game under centre. Travis Lulay is also reportedly ready to begin practicing this week, and should be available as the backup, along with Zac Champion. Buck Pierce may be available as the third option, but it would seem unlikely and a little to foolish to have a player dressed that won’t be able to be effective. Jarious Jackson will not be available.

If the Lions can get some consistency at QB in the game, the rest of the offense can be dangerous. Martell Mallett returned last week, and when he was used he was effective. Newcomers Dean Valli and Justin Sorensen need to step up along with the rest of the offensive line to produce an effective ground game, and keep the QB’s out of the first aid room and on the field.

The Lions are going to need a big game from their receivers as well, who were rendered ineffective last by the Eskimos and the QB situation. Geroy Simon and Paris Jackson both had 1000 yard seasons, and newcomer Emmanuel Arceneaux proved to be a valuable addition. Assuming there is someone to throw them the ball, they will all need a big game Sunday.

On special teams, Ryan Grice-Mullen had a strong game for the Lions last week, one of the few bright spots, and he’ll have to be sharp again. But the Lions will need to do a little better job and focus on not allowing the Ticats a short field by allowing big returns against from the likes of Marquay McDaniel.

The bigger concern by far is on defense, where the Lions were really struggled to stop the run all year, and that included 267 yards to the Ticats DeAndra’ Cobb in the two times they faced him this year. Coming off a disastrous game last week against the Eskimos, this is a serious area of worry heading into the playoffs. The Lions led the league in sacks with 42, and the front four will really need to try and pressure Kevin Glenn in addition to shutting down the run. The club needs much better production from linebackers Jojuan Armour, Javier Glatt and Anton McKenzie, who were clearly frustrated last week against the Eskimos to the point of shouting matches on the bench.

The defense appeared deflated and lifeless against the Eskimos, and their pride will have to be a motivating factor this week against Hamilton, who will be ready to play in front of an amped up Ivor Wynne crowd come game time.

Finally the Lions have to stop taking bad penalties. Procedure, offside, two many men, you name it the Lions are doing it. Discipline and focus have to be present for the Lions to have a shot at success.

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Hamilton enters the game coming off of impressive wins over Saskatchewan and Winnipeg. Kevin Glenn, who took over the QB spot from Quinton Porter has provided leadership and experience guiding the Winnipeg attack, passing for over 3000 yards and 18 touchdowns. When Glenn is on he can play with anyone, but consistency has plagued him as well.

DeAndra’ Cobb had his coming out party against the Lions in the first few weeks of the season, He finished third in rushing with 1,294 yards and added over 500 yards receiving. In two games against the Lions, he rushed for 267 yards and two touchdowns, while adding another 102 in thru the air. Of course the Lions will also have to contend with the likes of Arland Bruce, Prechae Rodriguez, Dave Stala and Marqauy McDaniel.

The Cat’s offensive line was a huge part of their rebuilding process and is anchored by Dan Goodspeed and Alexandre. Still though they allowed 40 sacks as a unit, and the Lions will look to pressure Glenn as much as possible.

Otis Floyd will be licking his chops and flapping the gums when the Lions are in town.
Otis Floyd will be licking his chops and flapping the gums when the Lions are in town.

On defense, the Cats average of 24 points/game was second only to the Montreal Alouettes, and they will look to continue that stinginess led by three former BC Lions in Otis Floyd, Markeith Knowlton and Jamal Johnson. You know Floyd in particular would love to stick it to his former club after not being re-signed by the Lions in the offseason. Johnson wanted to return to BC after a failed NFL tryout, but couldn’t get the guarantee of playing time when the Lions were settled on a new defensive scheme using Javier Glatt and Anton McKenzie. Johnson only went on to lead the Ticats in tackles, setting a club record in the process with 109.

On special teams the Cats may enter the game with Jeremy Ito handling the kicking duties which would be just his second CFL game, his first coming last week in Winnipeg. Injured kicker Nick Setta’s status (Quadricep) is unknown.

The Numbers:

BC Team Stats

Hamilton Team Stats

2009 results:

Friday July 10th: Hamilton 31 at BC 28 :: Recap :: Game Stats :: Highlights

Friday July 31st: BC 18 at Hamilton 30 :: Recap :: Game Stats :: Highlights

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