Lions could finish in top spot in the West....

The Lions could finish in top spot in the West....IF...[and it's a big if] they don't implode like they did against SSK this past weekend. The Lions meet the Stamps two more times. If the Stamps knock off SSK and beat Edmonton but lose to the Lions in both meetings, the Lions theoretically could still take 1st by winning all 4 of their remaining games. There are likely other ways the Lions could drop a game [or even two] but this would depend on how SSK and Calgary did in their remaining games as well. I've not figured out all of the possibilities.

Let us say it comes down to Calgary and B.C. vying for top spot. They've met twice so far with Calgary holding a slight edge of 8 points in total points scored during those two meetings. Theoretically the Lions could get past Calgary by winning only one out of the remaining two meetings PROVIDED the Lions hold the edge in total points scored over the 4 meetings. In other words if the teams split the 4 meetings but the Lions outscored the Stamps, the Lions would take 1st place. This is assuming it isn't a 3 way tie involving SSK, Calgary and The Lions. That is quite possible. All three of these teams could be deadlocked with 22 points each. Just like last year!

This is going to be a very exciting ending to the regular season for the Lions, Roughriders and Stamps. However, I must say, that if had to predict the order in which these teams finished it would be:

  1. Calgary
  2. SSK
  3. The Lions.

I would predict a Western Final in Calgary between the Stamps and the Roughriders. That would be some contest involving Sheets [SSK] and Cornish [Calgary]! These are two very solid teams! Yes, I am a loyal Lions fan but I'm also a realist. The Lions have had a suspect O-Line all year. The O-Line remains suspect in my opinion. Lulay may or may not return and even if he does get back into the line-up it will take a length of time for him to get back into things. Harris to me has been a disappointment. He can look brilliant at times while at other times he is completely shut down by the defence. Is Harris the problem? Hard to say. Are there holes there and he isn't hitting them fast enough? Are the holes not there because of a suspect O-Line? Maybe a combination of both but again I would lay it on the O-Line.

Harris has looked brilliant, especially in the open field. He is very fast and has got lightning fast moves BUT, he is not as good as either Sheets or Cornish.

The Lions D can be fabulous but if it cannot shut down guys like Sheets or Cornish the Lions are done. Create a potent ground game, which both Sheets and Cornish are able to do and the respective QBs can be as creative in the air as they choose against the Lions.

I congratulate the Lions for getting into the playoffs one more time but I'm predicting an early exit for the Lions in the playoffs whether they finish in 1st or 2nd. I hope I am proved wrong.

One word stands in the way of that happening:

Chapdelaine.

Never have been a big fan of his. Yes, he can wave his Grey Cup rings in front of me, but he lacks offensive imagination. I think the defense won the last Grey Cup....Not the offense.

Yeah Beagle, Paragraph one is a bit of a dream,

We'll see what plays out. Its the CFL, anything can happen.

I say/expect BC to finish in 3rd place in the West.

Richard

"Yeah Beagle, Paragraph one is a bit of a dream"....by Sportsmen

Yep. It is a bit of a dream. :thup:

Yes Beagle some good observations--

To me the LIons need a bigger running back, Harris is not an everyday running back in the CFL- He is too small.

Demarco should be the starter going forward- Demarco already has a much better understanding than LULAY does- Lulay is a QB who just doesent get passing the football - He cannot make fast reads and throw in rythym. Lulay will continue to digress because he is not that good.

The O line needs to be revamped-

A real safety needs to be brought in and for the love of God Wally please find a halfback somewhere so we can move away from RYAN PHILLIPS in the secondary-
Wally has been lazy keeping his core way past the expiry date- These guys are too old and not good enough--

I know you have a hate-on for Harris but if you look at the holes created (and NOT) for Cornish vs Harris the O-line and run-blocking schemes are a bigger concern for me.

Robsawatsky:

I think we are all agreed that the O-Line has had its problems and maybe Chapdelaine has to change his approach. I’ve not gotten the impression that Gridiron has a “hate-on” for Harris. Whether his perception of Harris is right or wrong he is calling it the way he sees it. And that’s fair enough. He’s come to the conclusion that Harris is not suitable for this position given the O-Line that the Lions presently have. He may be right. This doesn’t mean he “hates” Harris. What we may never know is whether or not guys like Sheets or Cornish, if running for the Lions, would be stuffed as often as Harris appears to be. Would Harris fair better if he were running for SSK or Calgary where Sheets and Cornish are very potent? Maybe. Then again maybe not. He certainly has the athleticism. I mentioned earlier that Harris had broken some plays wide open for huge gains but over all I would not put Harris up there with Sheets or Cornish or some of the other CFL running backs. Maybe he will improve. Maybe it would not matter who they brought in to play Harris’s position given the O-Line Chapdelaine has to work with.

With the retirement of Hameister Ries and serious, perhaps season ending injuries to Reed, Baboulis and Fabian, for almost the entire season BC has used second stringers (Kabongo, Norman, Valli and recently Myddleton) to protect their QB and open holes for Harris and Brown. All you have to do to see how well those four have, or haven’t played is look at the Lions’ sack totals against last year, versus this year after 14 games. With the CFL trade deadline coming up on Wednesday, Buono has little or no time to make a deal to find one or two competent linemen. Maybe he can pull a rabbit out of his hat by dealing away some future to find a decent right guard from teams which are out of contention, ie the Bombers and Eskimos.

The question becomes, is such a deal the best thing for the team? Maybe it is better in the short term, but probably not in the medium or long term. Non-import offensive linemen who can compete at the highest level are the most difficult kind of players to find, usually teams get them via the draft and require several years of seasoning before they can learn the league and be consistently productive.

Another option might be to find one or two good import guards from late NFL cut. Well, I’m afraid that ship has already sailed about six weeks ago. And remember, adding another import to the o-line will force the team to take an import receiver out of the lineup somewhere else. So which receiver should they drop: Arcenaeux, Taylor or Moore?

So the end result is that we’ll probably have to put up with a less than ideal front line and address it during the offseason, when Fabien and Reed are healthy.

Life doesn’t get any easier this week, with the Lions meeting Charleston Hughes and his Stamps buddies in McMahon stadium. At least Courtney Taylor and Marco Ianuzzi will be good to go, giving Demarco more weapons to use. I hope Chappy tries some six or seven man fronts on offence, keep changing it up, maybe Harris and either Brown or Lumbala in the backfield. Don’t make it easy for the Stamps D to get in a groove rushing Demarco.

While I have in the past criticized Chappy for calling overly predictable plays, especially on first down, this year he’s been attempting to get first team production from second string linemen. So cut him some slack. If the team felt he was inadequate they’d have gassed him years ago. When BC has had the best offensive success in past years (2006, 2001), it started with having consistent, high quality pass and blocking. The quarterback, running backs and receivers get the glory and recognition for making big plays and scoring TDs. But its the hoggies, the fat guys, who each week win or lose games in the trenches.

Last Friday the Saskatchewan defensive front seven overwhelmed the BC offensive line. Given how tough the rest of the Lions’ schedule appears, I predict they’ll get no more than 10 or 11 wins, probably good only for third place and a road playoff game in Regina.

Dooger in Surrey :cowboy:

I love your enthusiasm, Beag.

I believe BC can only finish first if we beat Calgary in both of the last two games the teams play, Oct. 11th and Nov. 1st. And win the third meeting against Saskatchewan next weekend and the Edmonton game on October 25th. That is extra tough, because we still don't know when Lulay will be back and Calgary leads BC and Saskatchewan by 4 points going into this week.Calgary need only to win twice more to guarantee no worse than a tie with BC and Saskatchewan, even if both clubs will all their remaining games. That seems unlikely to me. Win three and Calgary locks up first place and get to rest up all their bumps and bruises and watch BC and Saskatchewan beat the tar out of each other in the western semifinal.

I think it's more likely that the winner of BC's game against Saskatchewan in Regina on October 19th will go a long ways toward determining which of the two teams starts the post-season at home. Hopefully by then we'll have a healthy Travis Lulay, maybe with some added run support from a new, or is it an old, face: Joystick? Better known as Stephan Logan, who lit up the league in the first half of the 2008 season before getting hurt. He should appear on the Lions' practice roster early next week and could also breath some life into BC's mediocre return game, which takes a penalty on at least half their punt and kickoff returns.

Dooger in Surrey :cowboy: