GDT Semi-Finals Nov 4, 2023

[TecnoGenius]

Well that game was kind of a waste of time.  I wonder what happened to BC that they lost to CGY the other week.  I guess they didn't take it seriously.  This game they sure did.

[TecnoGenius]

BC got some boo-boos in this game which may or may not aid our cause next week.

Beat up but returned to the game:
DB Peters
DB Lee
DB Sayles

Likely injured and maybe out for the WDF:
LB Hladik
LB Hinsperger (ouch)

That would make them very thin at MIKE with only Varga.

Teuhuma will return for next week on the DL.

[Blue In BC]

BC got some boo-boos in this game which may or may not aid our cause next week.

Beat up but returned to the game:
DB Peters
DB Lee
DB Sayles

Likely injured and maybe out for the WDF:
LB Hladik
LB Hinsperger (ouch)

That would make them very thin at MIKE with only Varga.

Teuhuma will return for next week on the DL.

There were some very physical hits and scary moments. I was surprised Hinsperger was able to walk off the field. Probably in concussion protocol and might miss next week. Not sure if Hladik will be able to play with a banged up knee.

Players immediately calling for medical assistance after the hit and you know it can be bad.

[3rdand1.5]

Actually amazed to see both those guys get up and mostly walk off under their own power!

[Lincoln Locomotive]

Well that game was kind of a waste of time.  I wonder what happened to BC that they lost to CGY the other week.  I guess they didn't take it seriously.  This game they sure did.

This article puts your question about VA in perspective.     When he's on he's elite plus he still has that escapability and the ability to use his legs....something Zach is extremely reluctant to do.   It sometimes comes down to which quarterback is more dialled in.    VAJ made a giant step in proving his doubters wrong and if he repeats against us we are in for a real Dawg fight!   

https://3downnation.com/2023/11/05/vernon-adams-jr-gets-out-of-his-head-plays-out-of-his-mind-11-thoughts-on-the-b-c-lions-victory-in-the-west-semi-final/

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

This article puts your question about VA in perspective.     When he's on he's elite plus he still has that escapability and the ability to use his legs....something Zach is extremely reluctant to do.   It sometimes comes down to which quarterback is more dialled in.    VAJ made a giant step in proving his doubters wrong and if he repeats against us we are in for a real Dawg fight!   

https://3downnation.com/2023/11/05/vernon-adams-jr-gets-out-of-his-head-plays-out-of-his-mind-11-thoughts-on-the-b-c-lions-victory-in-the-west-semi-final/

Zach has to play smart and keep them in the game, can't stop drives by turning over the ball, especially in the red zone.  It's up to the D and Richie Hall to keep Adams from running up the score, if they can hold them close the offence should be able to control time of possession and grind down the Lion's D with their running game.

[Horseman]

VAJ could be the difference maker, he is so elusive and was very accurate with his throws in the WSF, even while on the run. Us fans will need to bring the noise to make it as hard as possible on the BC O.

[dd]

VAJ is going to run like he's never scrambled before and will give us fits. He will be the difference maker, and I'm thinking his passing game will suffer being outdoors in the cold, so he will rely on his legs to gain yards and keep the chains moving.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

VAJ is going to run like he's never scrambled before and will give us fits. He will be the difference maker, and I'm thinking his passing game will suffer being outdoors in the cold, so he will rely on his legs to gain yards and keep the chains moving.

Agreed the DE's might as well not go for the immediate sack, better to hang back a bit and make sure he's contained, if V.A. sneaks through the LOS he's going to pick up 10-15 yds. everytime.  Maybe go with a 3 man front with Cole or Wilson in hot pursuit, Hall used that formation against Ford and it worked well, so it might be the solution to take the run option away from Adams.

[dd]

I d absolutely use 3 man pressure and a spy to track Adams. BC has zero run game and Jefferson and Jeffcoat will generate pressure off the edge and the spy just sits and waits to see where Adams goes. I d be shocked if we don?t employ that scheme as guaranteed Adams is going to run

[TecnoGenius]

I d absolutely use 3 man pressure and a spy to track Adams. BC has zero run game and Jefferson and Jeffcoat will generate pressure off the edge and the spy just sits and waits to see where Adams goes. I d be shocked if we don?t employ that scheme as guaranteed Adams is going to run

I don't know.  3-man gives more space to VAJ to run, scramble and prolong plays.  Fooling him with blitz looks that turn into 3-man once in a while is ok.  But showing 3 to him is suicide.

The problem with a spy is the fast guys like VAJ can make the spy miss in space.  Awe couldn't make that tackle, so Biggie probably can't either.  Wilson has a better chance.  You need a small shifty DB-type guy, so Kramdi and BA might have a chance.

We rarely use 3-man, and the vast majority of the time go with straight 4-man pressure.  We'll probably stick to that plan unless we try to surprise BC with a blitz-heavy start to see if we can rattle him.  We have to do some innovative things to disrupt.  We can't just sit and give BC the easy 15Y zone read and 10Y wide-out all night.

We have to confuse and disrupt.  VAJ's main weakness is he's not that smart, relatively speaking.  You need to confuse his reads and put defenders in weird places to make him question his choices.  I think that's what we did in the 2nd H of our last game with BC.  He was in total shellshock from having no idea what to do for a whole H.  So that means wacky pre-snap looks and no post-snap reality ever matches the look.  DL dropping back all over the place.  LBers attacking the OL.  DB blitzes from every which way, a different guy every time.

But it has to be different than our last game, as their OC will dissect and mitigate what we used before.

[TecnoGenius]

2Q2:43 in the CGY@BC game CFY passes to a hoggie for a 10Y gain in probably the best moment of the game.

How is this legal?

Ya, hoggies can play TE and declare "eligible", great.  But in this case the hoggie in question is both the RT (i.e. 2nd down from the C), and sealing the end of the line on that side.  How is it legal for the guy in RT position, as in C..RG..RT, to be eligible if the RT is sealing the end of the line?

I thought the hoggie would have to be an "extra", true TE, outside of the normal 5 OL.  I don't recall ever seeing this occur in the CFL before.

I suppose if this is legit that the answer must lie on CGY overloading the other side of the line.  They have a TE outside of the LT and they have a WR outside of the left-side TE wide out on the line.  I suppose you could argue the LG was "really" the C and the whole line is shifted by one; but then you have the "faux RG" snapping the ball!

For some reason I thought the line had to be balanced in relation to the ball/snapper, not in relation to how many players you over-stack on one side.  Proulx let it slide, so it must be legal.  I'm just trying to understand why.  And then why don't more teams fake-out the TE like this to get hoggies open in space?  I'm dying to see this play with Eli...

[Waffler]

VAJ's main weakness is he's not that smart, relatively speaking.  You need to confuse his reads and put defenders in weird places to make him question his choices. 

I wouldn't say he's not smart but I would say he gets emotional easily and that puts him off his game and impairs his thinking. Remember when he ripped off Biggie's helmet and hit him with it? Any kind of frustration would be good to get him off his game.

[Throw Long Bannatyne]

I wouldn't say he's not smart but I would say he gets emotional easily and that puts him off his game and impairs his thinking. Remember when he ripped off Biggie's helmet and hit him with it? Any kind of frustration would be good to get him off his game.

Yep, he doesn't handle adversity well, that's always been his weakness.  Bombers have to push him to his limits.

[blue_gold_84]

Yep, he doesn't handle adversity well, that's always been his weakness.  Bombers have to push him to his limits.

They will. The defense will be fired up to welcome him to IGF. Not to mention the crowd. He won't be playing in the comfy confines of BC Place, either.

Get to him early and it'll be a long day for the Lions, IMO.