BC Lions Football :: BCLionsDen.ca

  • Home
  • Pawdcasts
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • CFPN
    • BCLionsDen (Apple Music)
    • Horsemen Radio
    • Eskimo Empire Podcast
    • Piffles Podcast
    • Blue Bomber Talk
    • Podskee Wee Wee
    • Alouettes Flightdeck
    • 2 and Out CFL Podcast
    • Rouge Radio
    • Rouge White and Blue
    • Tokyo Unofficial CFL Podcast
  • BC Lions Official
    • 20218 Schedule
    • Current Roster
    • Transactions
You are here: Home / Archives for Running game

Harris gives Lions options heading into 2012 and beyond.

December 29, 2011 By Brian Wawryshyn

The new contract extension for non-import running back Andrew Harris is great news for fans of the Lions and of course the team itself. Considering the fact that the Lions may not have ended up with Harris had he made the grades to get into University, his emergence has been the result of some good fortune by the reigning Grey Cup champions.

Having attended all the training camps that Harris has been a part of, I’ve often left with the belief he was the most talented running back in the Lions system. However, age and experience were against him when it came time to cracking the lineup. Since Harris was in junior and not the CIS, the Lions had the luxury of using a territorial exemption on Harris which kept him from being exposed to other teams. That clause to allow Harris to practice with the team and groom him into the player he’s become today.

Not that he needed a lot of grooming; he just needed the chance and the experience at the pro level. As pointed out in this piece by Ed Willes of The Province, his junior numbers from his days with Vancouver Island Raiders in the CJFL are jaw dropping. The most impressive of all, a 14.5 yards per carry average in his final season in 2009.

Heading into last season the club had designs on an all-Canadian backfield with Jerome Messam and Jamall Lee, who was coming off a major knee injury, in the picture. After making the team in 2010 and seeing primarily special teams work, Harris himself was recovering from a torn pectoral muscle as training camp began. But during camp he showed signs that he had healed well and was likely ahead of schedule. Another training camp incident for Messam saw him dealt to the Eskimos, while Lee’s recovery hampered his ability to have an impact early forcing the Lions to abandon the non-import idea.

When the Lions struggled out of the gate, Harris eventually replaced veteran Jamal Robertson. He got his chance to shine and never looked back and his emergence as the starter coincided with the turnaround of the club. Where Harris’ age and experience were once a negative factor when it came to getting him into the lineup, those factors have become huge positives for the Lions moving forward. He’ll be 25 years of age at the start of camp and hasn’t even hit his prime yet. The experience he gained last year may have set the table  for him to have a dominant season in 2012.

A healthy Harris and Lee combined with the option of using Rolly Lumbala more, means the Lions could take another look at the non-import backfield scenario entering 2012. They’ll have to sign Jamall Lee for that chance though, as he’s eligible for free agency and may get some offers with his yet to be realized potential, strong special teams work and his birth certificate.

In the meantime, the Lions at least have Harris in their back pocket and the best thing is he’s just getting started.

Filed Under: Den Talk, Featured Tagged With: Andrew Harris, BC Lions, CFL, Jamall Lee, Rolly Lumbala, Running game

Establishing the run a key for the Lions. Lee should be used more.

July 22, 2010 By Brian Wawryshyn

In the lone BC Lions win so far this season, running back Jamal Robertson rushed for 168 yards in a 25-10 win over the Edmonton Eskimos. In the two games since then, he’s rushed for just 58. Add to the equation some of the talent the Lions have assembled at the back position and you have to wonder why the club isn’t rushing the ball more.

The offensive line has been under siege this season, and were badly abused by Saskatchewan in game 2. If you’re constantly getting blitzed and don’t have time to set up routes, you have to establish a running and short passing attack. They may be unproven but the likes of Jamall Lee, Andrew Harris and Jerome Messam have the talent to contribute, giving the Lions the luxury of keeping guys fresh. But the Lions have yet to try and tap into that talent in any big way.

Jamall Lee - Photo: BCLionsDen.caAfter three games the trio of Lee, Harris and Messam had zero rushes to their credit. Harris has been moved to receiver and Lee and Messam have seen action in blocking rolls. Lee in particular possesses great speed and the Lions really need to find a way to get him involved and see what he can do.

We heard rumblings in the off-season that the Lions wanted to be an attacking team and that they wanted to go down field more often than not with their offense. But even Angus Reid admitted the club needed to run the ball more in this piece by Lowell Ullrich of The Province:

It was not a game in which the Lions had fallen so far behind they were forced to abandon the run — but they did, and produced a rushing total as bleak as nearly anything seen in a generation.

“I’m sure the two [Robertson] fumbles scared people,” centre Angus Reid said. “But we do have a great running back. We should use him more.”

And it sparked a belief if Robertson is unable to deliver, the Lions might be better served with rookie non-import Jerome Messam or sophomore Canadian Jamall Lee in the backfield.

Right now teams are just lining up and blitzing the Lions, and they’re having a lot of success. If the Lions can keep them more honest and on their heels with more rushing attempts designed to beat the blitz, and some screen passes and shorter routes over the middle to these talented backs, perhaps they can get their offense on track.

The offensive line has to step up either way. Either to protect the QB’s and allow them the time for routes to develop, or to open holes for the run.  Angus Reid will return at centre, perhaps adding some much needed experience on a very inexperienced line.

Of course the coaches have to call plays that put these players in a position to utilize their skill sets. It would be nice to see a player like Jamall Lee have a chance to showcase his.

[tweetmeme]

Filed Under: Den Talk, Featured Tagged With: Andrew Harris, BC Lions, CFL, Jamal Lee, Jamall Robertson, Jermoe Messam, Running Back, Running game

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Sponsor: RenfrowFootball.com

https://bclionsden.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/RPReplay_Final1575410753.mp4

Sponsor: Metal Rocks

Metal Rocks

Advertisement

Great CFL Resources

  • CFL Database
  • CanadaFootballChat.com

CFL West Fan Sites

  • BCLionsDen.ca
  • Horsemen Radio
  • Eskimo Empire Podcast.com
  • Piffles Podcast

CFL East Fan Sites

  • Friends of the Argonauts
  • Alouettes Flightdeck
  • Redblacks Fan Facebook Page
  • Podskee Wee Wee
Creative Commons Licence
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Canada License.

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 BCLionsDen.ca · BCLionsDen.ca is an independent fan site and is not affiliated with the BC Lions Football club, the Canadian Football League or its partners.