I fully expected the Lions to win the show down against Saskatchewan but given the Lions miscues, the Rough Riders are fully deserving of the win.
Had McCallum kicked the 40 yarder to tie the game, when all was said and done after the Lions last TD] the Lions should have come out on top 23-16. Instead they fell behind by 10 points after the missed 40 yard field goal. Still, the Lions pulled within 3 with 3:44 left on the clock.
I take nothing away from Saskatchewan. Durant was razor sharp and the Roughies appeared to be at the top of their game. The Lions simply were not. And that has me puzzled. McCallum punted well but 40 yard field goals are common place with him. And he blew it. Was he simply off? Was it the fact that Reilly who was holding for him and not Jarious Jackson? Were the Roughie fans getting inside McCallum's head? A 45 yarder is well within McCallum's range for a guy who has been known to kick 50+ yarders. And yet he missed both the 45 and the easier 40 yarder!
Travis was not on his game in my opinion. He often over threw his targets by a significant amount. There were moments of brilliance but the way the game was going you just had a feeling Saskatchewan could do something whenever it got hold of the ball. I can't say the same about the Lions.
A Team is not going to win too many games when it is trying to kick a routine field goal to tie the game, miss it and allow a 120+ yard return for a major by the opposition.
Despite the miscues, the Lions could have tied the game or better still gone ahead. After the team scored it's last TD and pulled to within 3 points, 3:44 remained on the clock. That was oodles of time to get the job done. Just hold Durant and is offence and get the ball back .....but they couldn't. Durant and the Roughies ate up the clock getting 1st down after 1st down. Still with 58 seconds left the Lions did get the ball back albeit deep in their own end but it was not too late for a come from behind victory or at least a chance to force over-time. It was not to be but it should have worked out differently in my opinion.
Saskatchewan is a much improved team and they proved it today BUT I believe the Lions are better. Regardless, the Rough Riders did what they needed to do to win the game.
The Lions and Rough Riders meet a total of 4x this season. They are now 0-1 against the Roughies. I'm sure the Rider fans are revelling in the victory. Let's hope the Lions even the score on August 19 at B.C. Place cause I'm sure the Rough Riders will be strutting into B.C. Place with a certain swagger. It will be interesting to see what the standings will be at kick off time.
I notice this year its been our special teams thats been struggling this year. And it finally bite us in the butt. Nothing to take away from Sask win. They deserved it.
IMO the offense hasn't been nearly as sharp. That includes mr Lulay. He's been only okay so far this season. Saskatchewan executed far better than BC. They dominated ball posession and as a result were able to neutralize the Lions offense for large amounts of time.
The Lions haven't looked that good the last two games and beating Winnipeg doesn't mean much. The Bombers are currently the worse team in the league by far.
I thought the Lions started becoming unglued in the second quarter, when a series of special teams blunders cost them points and allowed the Riders to pin them deep several series in a row. First Tim Brown runs a punt out of the end zone rather that giving up the single point. That cost us 27 yards of field position. After the O stalled Paul MacCallum, who certainly aught to know better, had a chance to change the field position again by giving up a safety but unbelievably decided to delay his punt and then shanked it , leaving the D to work from their own 30 yard line. Brown couldn't get any long returns and later in the game MacCallum inexplicably shanked yet another kick, a 40 yard field goal attempt. That kick was brought back about 125 yards for a TD and we never lead after that. All day our cover teams couldn't contain the returners as well as they are capable, this now three weeks in a row. Missing a field goal and immediately getting scored on is a ten point differential, a spread the Lions never challenged until late in the fourth quarter. Too little; too late!
The offence couldn't run the ball or win the line of scrimmage and didn't bother to try other things like flaring it to the back in the flat or running screens or draws or misdirection. Sometimes coaches get stubborn and keep trying something the other team is already shutting down. And talk about your bad luck. Kierre Johnson falls after scoring a TD and breaks his forearm? Geroy boots a a ball over the middle late in the game and dislocates one of his fingers. Great. And Lulay for perhaps the first time looked befuddled and confused at times. He needs to get better against zone defence, throw more accurately on deep throws and make his decisions quicker. Nice job by Paris Jackson in relief of Johnson: 4 catches for 50 yards. His reward? Ride the pine with Courtney Taylor gets his first CFL start.
Our D looked pretty average. We couldn't stop a beachball on the ground all day ( okay they got a few stops) and couldn't get any sustained pressure on Durant. Sheets, the Riders tailback, looked like he was waiting on our blitzes by Shell and Reddick and the front four were dominated at the line of scrimmage for most of the afternoon. We miss the explosiveness of Elimimian and the big play capability and experience of Aaron Hunt.
So, plenty to work on this week. Coach Bene said in the paper yesterday that another missed field goal return for a TD "...won't happen again this year." Let's hope so, or heads will roll.
Injuries are starting to pile up: Valli, Neuman, Mackenzie, Parker, Simon and Johnson. Probably a couple more we don'tknow about. Hamiester Ries is paying with a bum knee and Phillips played with a gimpy ankle. That's a lot of starters out.. This might get worse before it gets better. The good news is that we're playing Edmonton at home this week, with their second rate QB (Jyles). How Tillman ever thought a career loser li9ke Jyles would be a replacement for Ricky Ray defies logic, and I'm sure Toronto was delighted to jettison the perpetually underachieving Jyles for an expensive future hall of fame QB. Edmonton also gave up Barnes, a proven veteran receiver who has good chemistry with Ray.
So far Fred Stamps is underachieving in Edmonton, so why shouldn't he do the same here on Friday? Go Leos.