Lions/Bombers PreGame Discussion - Noise Welcome to the Lions

[GOLDMEMBER]

The key point is make noise even when BC is in the huddle and keep it loud until the ball is snapped. Make it difficult while in the huddle to hear the play call and the snap count and then make them take procedure calls all game. BE LOUD LIKE NEVER BEFORE, LET'S BREAK THE DECIBEL METER.

^ this so accurately depicted. Must get early in the process of receiving the play call from coaching.

[Jesse]

Worried about Kramdi being in coverage / chase mode...BC will pick on him. 

Meh.

Throughout the year, posters have changed who the whipping boy is, but we are fist in pretty much every defensive stat.

The CFL is a wide open game, teams are going to get some yards, but no one has been able to "pick on" our team.

[dd]

I expect a lower scoring game. The cold weather games tend to be lower scoring as the ball doesn't carry as far and teams depend more on the running game so it takes longer to score.

Agree, it will be low scoring. The Lions will be playing outdoors, not in the warm confines of the wind eliminated domed stadium.

BC has no run game to speak of and choose to use Mizelle out of the backfield as a pass target. Think that will change this week, expect more running, if anything just to setup the play action passing game. And yes, lots of dink and dunk this game as well. Little curl patterns on short 10-15 yd gains.

The team that commits the least amount of turnoevers wins this game. Hopefully Zack has got all the pick 6's out of his system, protect the ball, take what you can get, be patient.

[TecnoGenius]

BC takes a lot of holding OL penalties so I think our troops can exploit that.

That's why VAJ has all day behind that upper-middling OL: they are a hold factory.  But it's the smart scheme as the farther we get in the playoffs, the more the refs will let holding go uncalled.  Even the holds on Saturday I bet Proulx gave them warnings before finally throwing the flag.

Come the divisional finals we'll only see the most egregious holds flagged.

So we need to also hold to the level the refs are allowing.  Thankfully that fits in with our "bully ball" approach and only makes us harder to defend.

[TecnoGenius]

IF VA gets in a rhythm like that no team will beat him. We need to figure it out and not let him get in a rhythm like that. He played one of the best QB performances I can remember yesterday. He also has some real play.akers in his receiving core and Mizel was used as a safety valve all game.

He had a rhythm, but it wasn't a great QB performance for 90% of the passes.  Why?  Because CGY was in soft zone 80% of the night: As in leaving a receiver or two wide open with massive open lanes and no one to contest the catches.  That's what the booth guys would call "pitch and catch".  And they were all 5-20Y, with almost no deep shots.  These are literally the easiest throw to make in football.  Add in CGY's pathetic "pass rush", and any QB would look good back there.

The only "great QB" things I saw from VAJ were the 2-3 times he "pulled a Mike Reilly" and escape the collapsing pocket to scramble and make a great downfield pass.  Those were definitely "great QB" things.  And his rushing TDs, but that's partly on CGY forgetting about QB contain.

Which reminds me: we'll have to treat VAJ like Ford/Crum and ensure we have QB contain.  This is important as we've sucked at this at times this season.  And if VAJ rushes we need to make sure he takes a legit hit as a RB and not just a hookslide.  That means having defenders near him.  Lucky for us it'll be harder for VAJ to step around the 2 J's than those CGY chumps...

[Waffler]

So we need to also hold to the level the refs are allowing.  Thankfully that fits in with our "bully ball" approach and only makes us harder to defend.

Agree. Each officiating team calls it a bit differently. Letting a lot go favors BC. I hope for a more strictly called game.

[TecnoGenius]

Agree. Each officiating team calls it a bit differently. Letting a lot go favors BC. I hope for a more strictly called game.

Well, since the W got Proulx last night, almost certainly the E gets Proulx for next week.  Proulx is the best, and he lets them play.  Who will we get?  Kroeker?  He's ok.  If it's Valesi then it could be a poopshow.

No way they call a stricter game in the d-finals.  The refs are under instruction to loosen up the deeper the playoffs go.  By the time they get to the GC they barely call anything.  We don't want to give our biggest football export product seen by many in the USA/Intl the look that it's a boring slow flag-fest.

[Blueforlife]

Meh.

Throughout the year, posters have changed who the whipping boy is, but we are fist in pretty much every defensive stat.

The CFL is a wide open game, teams are going to get some yards, but no one has been able to "pick on" our team.

Agree all, Kramdi will be fine
Trust in the system and trust Hall
We will get them but we need to play clean ball

[Big Daddy]

Well, since the W got Proulx last night, almost certainly the E gets Proulx for next week.  Proulx is the best, and he lets them play.  Who will we get?  Kroeker?  He's ok.  If it's Valesi then it could be a poopshow.

No way they call a stricter game in the d-finals.  The refs are under instruction to loosen up the deeper the playoffs go.  By the time they get to the GC they barely call anything.  We don't want to give our biggest football export product seen by many in the USA/Intl the look that it's a boring slow flag-fest.

I figured we would get Proulx - keep him away from the East where he could appear biased.  I don't know why I thought that, probably because I cringe at the thought of getting Proulx for any bomber games and assume we will draw the short straw.

But to be totally honest, while I recall him being very questionable in the past, I don't remember him being so bad the last while.

[dd]

Well, since the W got Proulx last night, almost certainly the E gets Proulx for next week.  Proulx is the best, and he lets them play.  Who will we get?  Kroeker?  He's ok.  If it's Valesi then it could be a poopshow.

No way they call a stricter game in the d-finals.  The refs are under instruction to loosen up the deeper the playoffs go.  By the time they get to the GC they barely call anything.  We don't want to give our biggest football export product seen by many in the USA/Intl the look that it's a boring slow flag-fest.

The refs are under instruction to loosen up on the calls??? What factual information do you have to back up that bogus statement?? I ve reffed since 1988, and in any playoff or championship game the pregame discussion has always/will always be the same?-make sure the call impacts the play. Holding play side will always get called, same with PI and UR, always. And if by chance the the on field officials miss it, there?s always the challenge and CC , while not fool proof, at least give an avenue to appeal missed calls.

Your claim is absolute speculative bunk.

Next up?the conspiracy theory!!

[TecnoGenius]

The refs are under instruction to loosen up on the calls??? What factual information do you have to back up that bogus statement?? I ve reffed since 1988, and in any playoff or championship game the pregame discussion has always/will always be the same?-make sure the call impacts the play. Holding play side will always get called, same with PI and UR, always. And if by chance the the on field officials miss it, there?s always the challenge and CC , while not fool proof, at least give an avenue to appeal missed calls.

Watching every CFL game for the last 10 years is my source.  YMMV and you're welcome to your opinion.  They let everything go a bit looser in the big games.  They just do.  I study & slow-mo all potential off-sides, and they call them looser in playoffs.  I study & slow-mo all potential IPs, and they call them looser in the playoffs.  They definitely allow more hand-fighting and contact by the DBs.  Holds are allowed just that little bit longer than normal before being flagged.

Everything just gets that little bit more leeway.  The booth will say more of their patented "it's good they're just letting the boys play".

Maybe compare the flag count in DF and GC games compared to the reg-season games?  That would be non-anecdotal evidence.

I'm not saying Ambrosie calls the refs ahead of time and says "less flags guys" (though that is possible as a hint/nudge): what I'm saying is each ref crew talks amongst themselves ahead of each game and has a little chat.  Can the head ref say "guys this is an important game and we want to be absolutely sure before we call a game-changing penalty"?  Absolutely.  Do I have any inside source and know this for a fact?  Absolutely not.  The good refs take pride in what they do, and they don't want to look like fools throwing chintzy flags in a GC.

[Tiger]

What type of scheme do you run if you are the DC Hall?

I really don?t expect Hall to change it much.

I would make them run. They don?t do it well, but as we saw VAJ can run when need be.

We have not run and I don?t think we have the personnel for a 3-4 like Calgary did effectively the game before the semis. 

I might consider Cover 2 with a spy on VAJ. 

Thoughts?

[Horseman]

Do NOT go with a 3 man front, it gives VAJ too much time to look for an open receiver. We need to rush at least 4 and I would bring a 5th numerous times.

[Jesse]

Do NOT go with a 3 man front, it gives VAJ too much time to look for an open receiver. We need to rush at least 4 and I would bring a 5th numerous times.

Gonna see all of the above.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

Do NOT go with a 3 man front, it gives VAJ too much time to look for an open receiver. We need to rush at least 4 and I would bring a 5th numerous times.

Not likely to see a bare bones 3 man front, there will always be a mix of an extra player or two blitzing, Biggie, Clements, Cole or Wilson often line up on the O-line either as a spy or to find a gap to slip through.  Plenty of action off the edge with smaller DB's and Kramdi can also be expected to supplement the 3 D-lineman front.  We'll see more of these formation as the game goes along but most likely they'll start off the game rushing 4.