Casey Printers? Jarious Jackson? Travis Lulay?

Who will the British Columbia Lions start at quarterback in their game against Calgary after their bye week? That decision will be up to head coach/general manager Wally Buono, who is in the unenviable position of trying to fix something that is clearly broken.

You could blame a number of things for BC’s poor start – the drop-off in the run game, the poor run defence, the shaky offensive line, or the struggles of Paris Jackson – but it is pretty clear that the inconsistent play of the quarterbacks has been a major factor in the Lions shocking 1-6-0 start.

"Printers has not played like his 2004-self just yet"

First their is Printers, who was basically named ‘the saviour’ after returning to the Lions last season. This was the man who, in 2004, threw for 35 touchdowns, over 5,000 yards and rushed for 469 yards and nine touchdowns en route to being named the most outstanding player. Though he lost all three of the regular season games he played in 2009, a 34-27 victory over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East semifinal, during which Printers threw for 360 yards and one touchdown, gave fans hope for 2010. Though Montreal devoured BC 56-18 in the East final, fans hoped that Printers could captain the ship in 2010.

Printers, who hasn’t played since Week 3 but could return after the bye week, didn’t exactly dazzle when he was the starter. In the 25-10 victory over Edmonton in Week 1, it was the running game and the defence that secured victory for the Lions. Printers was 20/34 for 218 yards. Nothing spectacular. Before he was injured in BC’s 37-18 loss to Saskatchewan in Week 2, Printers was putting a decent game together statistically, but wasn’t generating many points against the Saskatchewan Roughriders defence. Finally, in the ugly 16-12 loss to Montreal at home in Week 3, Printers completed only 50 percent of his passes and threw two interceptions.

While he may have improved his attitude a bit, Printers has not played like his 2004-self just yet. His running abilities – which have been dazzling in the past – have not been utilized this season. He has been OK in the passing game, but is not dominating like he once did.

So far this season, Printers has gone 50/88 for 591 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Then there is Jarious Jackson, a quarterback who has struggled with inconsistency and, more recently, injuries. The fact that he has never had a quarterback rating over 90 shows that he isn’t a top level quarterback. Throughout his career, Jackson has been battling with quarterbacks like Dave Dickenson, Buck Pierce, Printers and Lulay for playing time.

"The major concern with Jackson has always been his accuracy"

After battling through an injury this season, Jackson saw his first bit of playing time in Week 6, when the Calgary Stampeders defeated BC 27-22. Coming on for an ineffective Lulay, Jackson went 8/17 for 99 yards and one interception. He seemed very interested in testing his arm strength, as he threw deep ball after deep ball, many of these falling harmlessly to the turf. Then, in his first start of the season the next week against Saskatchewan, Jackson did not test the defence deep and threw two interceptions in a 37-13 loss.

The major concern with Jackson has always been his accuracy, especially in the short/mid-range game. While he does throw a decent deep ball, he seems to rely on long throws far too often. Against Saskatchewan, he tried not to rely on the deep game and was highly ineffective. For a quarterback to be successful in this league, he needs to be well-rounded.

So far this season, Jackson has gone 26/48 for 293 yards and three interceptions.

Finally, there is Lulay. Though his career has just begun, the pivot has been compared to former greats Jeff Garcia and Dave Dickenson. In his first start in the CFL last season against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Lulay went 13/24 for 177 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, leading the Lions to a 24-21 victory. BC had enough confidence in him to get rid of Pierce this season.

Lulay got a chance to start this season much sooner than he likely expected. Following the injury to Printers, and with Jackson injured, Lulay got a couple of starts. In his first start this season against the Toronto Argonauts, Lulay went 26/40 for 330 yards and two interceptions. Unfortunately, one of those interceptions was returned for a touchdown and cost the Lions the game. The next week, Lulay threw for under 150 yards and two interceptions as BC fell 28-25 to the Eskimos. Before he was pulled in Week 6, Lulay threw for only 159 yards and one interception.

Does Lulay have potential? Sure, but for now that’s all it is. The fact is Lulay is throwing too many interceptions, not enough touchdowns, and has failed to lead the Lions to a victory during his time under centre. Perhaps Lulay needs to mature further before being a starter.

"Does Lulay have potential? Sure, but for now that’s all it is"

So far this season, Lulay has gone 66/109 with 820 yards, one touchdown and five interceptions.

If you look at the total numbers for all three quarterbacks, it is 142/245 for 1,704 yards, three touchdowns and 10 interceptions. I think those numbers pretty much sum up the quarterback situation in BC.

So, who gets the start for the Lions? While none of those options look appealing, Printers will likely get the nod. He was the starter going into the season and Lulay and Jackson have looked brutal in relief. Still, one has to wonder when the Lions will pursue other options at the quarterback position. Kerry Joseph, perhaps?

Of course, the quarterbacks can’t solely be blamed for Lions struggles. The running game, which was so effective in Week 1, has cooled down, the offensive line has allowed 20 sacks and has hung the quarterback out to dry in basically every game, Jackson is on pace for only 732 receiving yards after two consecutive 1,000-yard campaigns and the defence is giving up 139 rushing yards a game.

Still, the quarterback is responsible for helping his team win games. It hasn’t been happening for BC. Buono, who has suffered through quarterback problems for most of his tenure in BC, has got to be scratching his head wondering how to fix the problem under centre.

At 1-6-0, there isn’t a whole lot of time to figure it out.

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Empire Field in British Columbia will be rockin’ Saturday night for a CFL battle between West Division rivals when the Lions host Henry Burris and the Calgary Stampeders

The Stampeders won all four meetings against the Lions last season.

Going into the sixth week of the season, the Stampeders are tied for first place in the West Division at 4-1-0, while the Lions are in the gutter with the Edmonton Eskimos at 1-4-0.

On paper, the Stampeders should be one of the best offensive teams in the CFL. However, with 140 points scored, they are just a middle of the road team in terms of point production. The team is averaging 24.4 first downs per game, the second highest mark in the league. As a result, they Calgary is one of the best time of possession teams in the league.

The Stampeders’ biggest drawback is that they are just flat out turning the ball over too much. Seven fumbles lost is tied for the league lead coming into Week 6, while quarterback Henry Burris has tossed a league worst eight interceptions.

The good news for Burris is that his numbers are starting to recover from a horrid start to the year. Without Ryan Thelwell (injured), Ken-Yon Rambo (injured) and Jeremaine Copeland (now in Toronto) to start the season, Calgary’s signal caller has looked uncomfortable in the pocket at times. However, the Stampeders are now at full strength with both Thelwell and Rambo returning in last week’s 23-20 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. As a result, Burris was 28/38 for 340 yards, two touchdowns and more importantly, no picks.

The Calgary defence has given up the fewest touchdowns in the league (Seven) and is averaging allowing a league best 21.0 points per game.

As for the boys from British Columbia, they need a real shot in the arm and quickly. The Lions are coming off of a bad 28-25 loss at Commonwealth Stadium to the Edmonton Eskimos in a game that they really accomplished nothing through the air.

"As of Thursday morning, there is still a question as to who will be taking the first snap under center for head coach Wally Buono"

Backup QB Travis Lulay, playing in place of the injured Casey Printers, only went 16/26 for 134 yards and two interceptions. He did run for 62 yards and the team’s lone offensive score.

BC’s rushing attack has had some awful outings this year and though the Lions are averaging 105.8 YPG on the ground (Sixth in the CFL), a good chunk of those yards have come on huge runs. They average just 15.8 rushing attempts per game, the lowest in the CFL.

Running back Jamal Robertson was considered one of the top weapons on this team at the outset of the season, but he just hasn’t been deployed enough to make a huge difference. Though Robertson leads all backs in the CFL in rushing average (7.9 YPC), he has only handled the rock 46 times all year, easily the lowest in the league for starters.

As of Thursday morning, there is still a question as to who will be taking the first snap under center for head coach Wally Buono. Lulay is clearly the only healthy option he has at his disposal, as Printers is listed as doubtful for the game. Don’t count out the prospects of seeing Jarious Jackson, last year’s starting quarterback, for a good chunk of the season, either.

Calgary is simply on a roll in this series. The Stampeders won all four meetings with the Lions last year, taking 28-26 and 48-10 decisions at BC Place while winning 27-18 and 37-30 at home. In fact, you have to go back to the very first meeting of the 2008 season between these teams to find the last BC victory. Since then, the Stampeders have taken down eight straight SU and are 7-0-1 ATS.

The good news for the Lions is that they are typically a strong team in the second full month of the season. They are 20-7 ATS in their last 27 matchups played in August. However, Calgary is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games played against teams with a losing record.

The CFL betting lines for this crucial duel feature the Stampeders as 2.5 point favorites. The ‘total’ can be found at 49.5.

Courtesy of SBRForum.com.

The British Columbia Lions head to Rogers Centre in Toronto on Friday with two straight losses on their ledger while the Argonauts are looking to extend their two-game winning streak.

"Last season, the Lions swept this series, winning 23-17 at home and 36-28 at Rogers Centre"

With the road team playing so poorly and the home team having already exceeded most expectations for the 2010 campaign, the oddsmakers have come up with a puzzling line of BC -1½ and a ‘total’ of 47 in this one.

The offence for the Lions has been quite embarrassing so far this season, scoring just 55 total points in three games. Only the Edmonton Eskimos (53) have scored less. On the bright side, BC does have the top scoring defence in the CFL at just 21.0 points- per-game allowed. The Lions can also rest easier knowing that they are undefeated this year on the road having won at Edmonton in Week 1, while they are still winless in their new temporary home at Empire Field.

Change could be on its way at the quarterback position for head coach Wally Buono. The legendary CFL coach has to be unhappy with the way Casey Printers has handled the starting job this year. He ranks seventh amongst eight CFL starting quarterbacks in completions (50) and passing yards (591). His two touchdown passes are third fewest in the league, while his quarterback rating of 75.5 is pathetically low.

Jackson is also nursing injuries to his knee and elbow, which could put Travis Lulay under center. Another possibility is Jarious Jackson, who has been held out of action all season due to offseason shoulder surgery.

If the rushing game performs as it did last week, the Lions are in a heck of a lot of trouble. Running back Jamal Robertson, a man who Buono speaks highly of, only rushed for four yards on six carries and fumbled twice against the Alouettes. It was all part of a disappointing game on the ground for BC, which mustered just seven yards on nine carries.

For the Argos, the numbers aren’t overly pretty, but they’re on the right side of .500 now, something that no one would have predicted even three games into the season. Toronto was tabbed by the oddsmakers to win just 4.5 games this season.

The Boatmen might be winning games, but it certainly isn’t happening due to the play of the quarterback position. The Cleo Lemon experiment probably needs to come to a close. The offence has still only scored four majors all season long, just one of which has come through the air. Lemon is only completing 56.3 percent of his passes, is averaging 180.3 passing yards-per-game and has a 69.2 quarterback rating. All three numbers are worst in the CFL amongst starting quarterbacks.

Ironically, if you add up the numbers, Toronto has accounted for over double the points on special teams and defence (55) than it has on offense (24). A scoring average of 26.3 points-per-game might be tied with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for worst in the East Division, but only the Saskatchewan Roughriders out West have a better mean points per game mark.

The one superstar for Toronto this season has been running back Cory Boyd. No one in the CFL has carried the ball more times than Boyd, as he has handled the rock 47 times. His 283 rushing yards ranks second in the CFL and there is no shame in averaging 6.0 yards-per-carry.

Last season, the Lions swept this series, winning 23-17 at home and 36-28 at Rogers Centre. They have won five straight visits to Toronto, going 3-2 ATS in that stretch. BC has scored at least 24 points in all of those games, while the Double Blue have only met that point total once in five tries. Needless to say, four of the five stayed ‘under’ the ‘total.’

The Argonauts might be just 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games against teams with a losing record, but BC is only 3-7-1 ATS in its last 11 games played in the month of July.

Courtesy of SBRForum.com

After taking a look at the CFL East last week, it’s time to take a look at the CFL West and see how close this division will be this year.

No. 4—BC Lions

Even though the Lions will be starting a Quarterback they intend to stick with, for the first time in a while, the BC Lions will have some troubles that may not be overcome. I think it was a positive for Javier Glatt to leave BC, but I don’t know if they have anyone significant to replace him, and while the D-Line is capable of putting up sacks, that could leave them open for lots of rushing yards against.
Casey Printers made people think he was back to his old form last year, but the Lions O-Line does look suspect and could be a problem for Printers. Printers did well for BC Originally, and again last year. What about Hamilton? That’s right, he didn’t have an O-Line. That could leave some problems for Casey up against a good defence.
BC won’t be far behind the pack in the West, but the rest of the West is just a step ahead, leaving the Lions in the back. Unfortunately I don’t think the East will leave an opening for a crossover, so it will be an early exit for BC.

No. 3 —Edmonton Eskimos

The Eskimos look like they could be making a push back to contention in the West. The offence will be strong once agin with Ricky Ray still in his prime, and having some great receivers back to throw to. Fred Stamps will be back, and Kelly Campbell will also be back after a small hiatus. Stamps was last year’s leading receiver, and Campbell has a lot of speed, and showed he can be an elite level receiver. Kamau Peterson will be back, and even though he didn’t repeat his stats of 2008, he had a solid year, and should be in the mix.
If Arkee Whitlock stays healthy, he could be in the top 5 running backs this year after some confidence, and a full season to compete in. The O-Line isn’t bad, but could be a bit of a weak spot for the Esks.
The defence did get better this year, and although Lenny Walls was added to the secondary, I’m not sure they will be able to consistently shut down opposing Quarterbacks and Receivers leaving Ricky Ray to fight for Shootout victories.

No. 2 —Saskatchewan Roughriders

Saskatchewan is coming off the most disappointing loss to a Championship game ever. The motivation to avenge the loss and show they were worthy of winning the big game, will take them a long way in the 2010 season.
Darian Durant has come into his own and has become very calm, cool and collected sitting in the pocket, and doesn’t tend to get happy feet. Durant runs when he needs to, and is really playing smart possession football not giving up the ball as much as he did earlier last year.
Durant, along with a very solid O-Line and Receiving core, will make the Riders contenders in every game they play. The only question mark on the offence is the running game. If Cates is the man, and can stay healthy, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem, but health has been an issue with Cates. Hugh Charles has potential, but I don’t know if he can be the feature back. Only time will tell.
The way the Riders can put points up with the passing game will win them a lot of games. But if any team can control the pass and corral the limited run they will have troubles, especially since the defense will have troubles in many areas this season. Adding Barrin Simpson helps, but it can’t replace the loss of Chick, Baggs and Eddie Davis.

No. 1—Calgary Stampeders

The Calgary Stampeders didn’t get a whole lot better in 2010, if at all. They will however play back to what was expected of them last year. There were many players that left for many interesting reasons which had many people questioning how bad the team would hurt by the losses, and if there was an underlying issue with the Stampeders organization.
The addition of some veteran and youthful Offensive Linemen has brought a whole new face to the front five, but with Henry Burris and his ability to avoid pressure, a weaker O-Line will not have as big an impact as it would a Ricky Ray or Anthony Calvillo.
Burris and Joffrey Reynolds anchor a very strong offense that will see Ken Yon Rambo back after week one, Nik Lewis who will be looking for his seventh consecutive 1000 yard receiving season, and Romby Bryant who can thrive with a Quarterback who can get him the ball deep.
The offense combined with a defense that is seeing a lot of players return, and return to shape in the case of Mike Labinjo, will give them an edge on all the other teams in the CFL West.

Final Standings
West
Calgary 12-6
Sask 11-7
Edmonton 9-9
BC 8-10

East
Montreal 11-7
Hamilton 9-9
Winnipeg 8-10
Toronto 4-14

Dear Wally Buono,

I write to you suggesting, nay imploring, that you avoid any potential quarterback controversy amongst your B.C. Lions squad this season by releasing either Jarious Jackson or Casey Printers before the season starts.

"You’ve already fought high cholesterol, Wally, and now it's time to fight your apparent urge to create quarterback controversies."

Now, it may not be my place to give you advice. You are, as you so often remind everyone, the CFL’s all-time winningest coach. However, you have not dealt with quarterback controversies perfectly, especially in your time with the Lions.

Quarterback controversies like the one between Printers and Dave Dickenson, or between Jackson and Buck Pierce have been detrimental to your team for the most part.

In 2004, your second season in B.C., the Lions boasted a record of 13-5. This was easily enough to clinch the West division title. Furthermore, you had a solid team led by Printers, the most outstanding player in the league, and slotback Jason Clermont, the most outstanding Canadian. After narrowly defeating the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the West final, you advance to the Grey Cup against the Toronto Argonauts.

Going into the game, Buono, you made a surprising decision when you announced Dickenson would be the starting quarterback. Ever since Dickenson had gone down to injury earlier in the season, Printers had been amazing as the starter. While Printers had been forced to leave the West final due to injury, he was ready to go for the game. Your loyalty to Dickenson forced you to make an unwise decision.

In the game, Dickenson made 18 of 27 pass attempts for 201 yards and a touchdown as the Lions fell 27-19. The result could have been much different if Printers had gotten the nod, Wally. This quarterback controversy forced you to make an unwise decision.

Next season, the controversy between Printers and Dickenson continued. This seemed to affect your team negatively because it was never dealt with. Despite their 11-0 start, they ended up being ousted in the West final by the Edmonton Eskimos.

For the next couple of seasons, it was anyone’s guess who would be the starting quarterback in B.C.: Jackson, Pierce or Dickenson? In fairness, injuries didn’t help. Still, you’re Lions never really found continuity at the quarterback position, largely because you never named a permanent starter.

But, enough living in the past. You have a chance to avoid this reoccurring quarterback controversy this season by naming Jackson or Printers the starter and releasing the other.

Personally, I would suggest keeping Printers. You know there is great potential in the former most outstanding player, while your Lions squad has been average at best under Jackson. Now, don’t get me wrong, if Jackson out performs Printers in camp, keep him and give Printers the heave-ho.

Both Printers and Jackson want to start, and even if you name one the starter and keep the other, there will be talks of quarterback controversy the second the starting quarterback falters. This kind of talk can be bad for team morale, as you have seen in the past.

With Travis Lulay, Wally, you already have a promising backup you can turn to if your starting quarterback really struggles. Yet, with Lulay, there will be little talk of controversy unless things get really bad.

You don’t need both Jackson and Printers. It is time to put your confidence into one quarterback heading into the season. Though you have often said you don’t like a quarterback to get too comfortable, which is why you often have a solid quarterback waiting in the wings, perhaps it is time to try a new tactic.

The rest of your offence looks pretty solid. All that is missing is a permanent starting quarterback to lead your team.

Look, Wally, I am not a fan of the Lions and I am certainly not rooting for you this season. However, your team’s constant quarterback controversies that always take up a lot of the media’s time are boring.

You’ve already fought high cholesterol, Wally, and now it’s time to fight your apparent urge to create quarterback controversies.

Yours truly,
Jonathan Hamelin

The British Columbia Lions have made a pair of moves to improve their running game and defence.

On Sunday, the Lions signed the defensive-minded Rich Stubler as defensive line coach, and added prized free agent running back Jamal Robertson on Monday.

Stubler found his greatest success as defensive coordinator of the Toronto Argonauts. During his time as a defensive coordinator in Toronto from 2003-2007, the Argonauts maintained one of the stingiest bend-but-don’t-break defences in the league. In his second-year with the club, they won the Grey Cup by defeating the B.C. Lions 27-19. Stubler took over the Argonauts head coaching job from Pinball Clemons at the start of the 2008 season, but struggled out to a 4-6 start and was fired.

Robertson enjoyed a breakout season for the Argonauts last season. He rushed for 1,031 yards and nine touchdowns, while accumulating 482 receiving yards. Robertson was traded from the Saskatchewan Roughriders to the Argonauts in 2008. In his first year in Toronto, Robertson gained 645 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Robertson was one of the most prized free agents on the market.

Both acquisitions should definitely strengthen the Lions franchise. At some point, Stubler could very likely replace current defensive coordinator Mike Benevides. Benevides’ defence struggled last season, giving up 138 rush yards and 28 points per game. Robertson could fill the void of Martell Mallett, who signed in the NFL during the off-season.

In other news, the Hamilton Tiger Cats have re-signed linebacker Markeith Knowlton to a contract extension, and the Edmonton Eskimos have signed free agent defensive back Lenny Walls.