Personally the number one thing I think the Lions need to accomplich is opening up or better yet rewrite the offensive playbook!!!
I say this for a number of reasons:
It's old! We have been using the same little 3 to 7 yard throwing plays since the first time Champlaine was here with Burrato. It really drives me wild when we need 8 or 10 yards and we throw the ball short of the first down marker! It is three down football if your going to throw the ball at least throw to the first down marker. (Thats the 2nd marker by the way, not the line of scrimmage marker)
Too many players were traded to other teams on the off season all of those players know our play book! Approx. half the team is new so it stands to reason some new plays are in order. New plays do not have to mean trick plays, lets get back to fundamental Canadian football. (plays that achieve 1st down)
This play book did not work when Champlaine was here with Burrato but also Champlaine used this same playbook in Edmonton the year they did not make the playoffs.. Yet here we are in BC using the same offensive scheme.
Not really understanding why we are continuing to use this book. If it is to late to rewrite then lets at least open up the book to utilise the running game for those short plays and leave the throwing to further then the first down marker. It is ok occasionally to throw in a pitch out or roll and toss play to keep the other team on their toes and tighten up the Defense but it appears that these short plays have become our trademark plays! Geroy and Paris are not designed for these plays. Lets start utilizing the talent that we do have in these awesome recievers!
You have some valid points, but I'm not so sure they are using the same old playbook. When Jarious came into the Edmonton game, he was not using the short passing game. Buck is more likely to do that. I think it is more like they are not executing the plays and their offensive line is not always giving the quarterbacks enough time.
Too funny you don't change the playbook this early unless you get an outsider who has offense wired and can look and tell you why the offense is under performing. That guy is coaching in Calgary, and he won't be helping us anytime soon.
Nope to fix the offense you have to first fix the O line, then stop guys from dropping passes but the bottom line is the OLine. On goal line and a fumble?
The problem with the lions playbook is largely the lack of innovation especially in areas of their greatest failing: the short yardage playbook. Over the past few years, how many times has the JJ been stuffed at the line of scrimmage. The one yard is too predictable for the lions and although normally, it is a gimme with some of the better offensive teams defences around the league have seemed to figure out a way of neutralizing the push needed by our offensive line. Is our offensive line not talented enough to provide the push? Is it because the defensive line dives to undercut the legs of the surging offensive line at the point of attack? Is it because the way the play is executed, there is very little variation available to the offence to vary the point of attack?
When I think back to some of the quarterbacks that I admire, Tom Wilkerson of the old Esk team comes to mind. He would vary the cadence and the snap count to make it more difficult to anticipate the line surge.
Also there were plays where he would yell out audibles as he approached the line as he would vary play but more importantly, he could take the snap and hand off to his fullback Germany who was almost impossible to stop. In addition, there were times when as Wilkerson was barking out his audibles, he was far enough away from the centre that the running back could take a direct snap and catch the defense off guard and then run it off tackle or wide, if the ends can be sealed with a block.
If the lions can expand the playbook to make alternative plays off tackle or wider, then the defence cannot stack the middle and stuff the qb sneak. The alternative plays would have to reliable and well executed to make the defence respect these options.
It would be exciting to insert Lulay in a wildcat formation. I hear this guy can run and throw.
I’m amazed that with the formation the Lions have used the past 2 games, with Lyle Green in motion running down the line between Pierce and the O Line, they haven’t done a direct snap to Green as he is in full motion. I keep waiting for it, but it hasn’t happened, although they almost accidentaly did it at least twice last night.
Well let's see a few years back Jackson led us to a winning season with DD out......hmmmmm he was unleashed and no Drop Jacques to give him dumb plays, Chapdelaine was doing his thing in Edmnonton turning their offence medicore. Last year Jarious was very plain....ooops Drops was back, and this year he will only nash his bit under the reins of Chapdelaine.