Jeremiah Johnson

Nicole

Week 6 Picks

I have no comment on this, except to say that I hope Milt Stegall is ready to come out of retirement.

(I do not know what #PAPERPLATES means.)

Let’s see what our Week 6 match ups are:

Saskatchewan (2-2) at Hamilton (2-2)

Welcome back to the ongoing saga of the 2018 Saskatchewan Roughriders!

What did the Riders do over the bye week?  Nothing, it seems.  Apparently nothing is wrong on offense, because Duron Carter is still starting at cornerback.  Only one offensive lineman is listed as a backup.  And yet we’re carrying eight defensive linemen and eight linebackers!

The Riders surprised the Tiger-Cats’ offense on July 5th.  I do not expect it to happen again.  And, based on the quote from Rider OL Brendon Labatte, I do not think the Rider offense is prepared.  Therefore, expect Hamilton to win this game.  By a lot.

PICK: Hamilton by 12

BC (2-2) at Ottawa (2-2)

I don’t understand why this is even a question.  The REDBLACKS are 2-2, and those two losses were to the Stampeders.  Yes, last week Trevor Harris had a terrible game, but that Calgary defense is something else.  It is just way too early in the season for this question.  Let’s see where the REDBLACKS sit after Week 9 and then we’ll talk.

That same question, though, could be asked of Jonathon Jennings of the BC Lions, who has been supplanted by Travis Lulay.

The Lions are coming off a high after their implausible comeback win against Winnipeg last week.  Their defense got going in the second half and their offense managed to put enough drives together to win.  Can they keep it going?

The big negatives for BC this week are the fact that star LB Solomon Elimimian is out because of wrist surgery – which will sideline him for up to eight weeks – and that RB Jeremiah Johnson is doubtful.  Johnson’s loss is not as critical since Chris Rainey is on the roster, but the loss of Elimimian – the leader of the BC defense – is a big blow.  Expect the REDBLACKS to attack the middle and not let up.

Ottawa has more to prove right now, especially since they were booed on their home field last week.  I think Ottawa’s defense is a bit better than Winnipeg’s, and its offense has explosive play-making ability.  While BC took an important step last week, with the injuries and Ottawa’s need to rebound, I don’t think they’ll be able to make it two in a row.

PICK: Ottawa by 4

Winnipeg (2-3) at Toronto (1-3)

I will argue that the Toronto Argonauts are better than their record shows.  They came within one point of beating Edmonton last week, and stifled Edmonton’s big play offense two weeks in a row.  They were humiliated by Calgary in Week 2, which was not all that unexpected, and also lost their opening game to the Riders.  But that was prior to losing QB Ricky Ray to a likely season-ending injury.  Since that time, the Argos have been better.

Why?  You could maybe argue that it’s because of QB James Franklin, but I’m not ready to concede that yet.

Winnipeg has been up and down through the first five weeks.  They lost QB Matt Nichols for the first three weeks, but still managed to beat Montreal 56-10.  The Blue Bombers narrowly lost to Edmonton the first week out – when there wasn’t any film on QB Chris Streveler – lost to Hamilton, tore BC apart in Week 4, and then lost to BC in Week 5 in a fairly humiliating loss.  They will be looking to get ahead early and not let up.

I think this game will be closer than people think, but Winnipeg should pull out the win at home.

PICK: Winnipeg by 4

Montreal (1-3) at Calgary (4-0)

If I was a betting person – and I am – I would bet that Stampeders QB Bo Levi Mitchell will not play on Friday.  His team is 4-0, they’re playing at home, and the Stamps’ defense nearly pitched a shutout last week.

Montreal is coming off a bye week where they released their left offensive left tackle, and that was about it.  QB Drew Willy will start again since QB Jeff Matthews is going to be out for four to six weeks.  But it won’t matter, because this Calgary defense is smothering.

The Stampeders should win this one fairly easily.  So why should you tune in and watch?  To see if Mike Sherman has trouble with his headset again.

PICK: Calgary by 9

Nicole

Week 4 Recap

Milt still has allllllllllllll the moves.

I’ve enjoyed the panel this year – for the most part. But this past weekend the guys were talking out of both sides of their mouths. With a straight face, they said that James Franklin did a good job of protecting the football and being patient, even though he threw two interceptions, while the Riders had pretty much the exact same game and got roasted for it – and rightfully so.

I’m not too surprised by this, but…

The panel’s disgust with Rider Head Coach Chris Jones’ decision-making was as apparent as ever this week.  But to be fair, EVERYONE was second-guessing his two QB system on Thursday night.  Rider QB Brandon Bridge was pretty clear after that the game that it wasn’t his preference; he had two series to put some drives together, otherwise the switch was on.

As Glen Suitor said, if you’re going to do something unconventional, you’d better win, and Jones did that this week.  But while he won this week’s battle, I don’t think an in game QB carousel is going to be the answer to winning the war.

Despite the Riders winning on Thursday night, I still managed to go 3-1 with my picks.

Hamilton at Saskatchewan

If you’re looking for highlights from this game, you’re going to be looking for a long time.  On the other hand, if you’re looking for the low points from the game, just check out each and every time the Rider offense had the ball for the first 56 minutes of this game.

Coming in, I, and everyone else, thought Hamilton’s offense would absolutely dominate the Riders.  But after getting shellacked by the Alouettes last week, the Riders brought their ‘A’ game to an epic defensive battle against the league’s current top offense.  The Rider D managed to keep the Tiger-Cats out of the end zone for 60 minutes, which I didn’t think was possible.

On offensive, the Riders continued their streak of ineptitude.  It began with the asinine QB rotation I mentioned above, and continued with the ridiculous play calls.  Calling for a hand off to a running back on 2nd and 19 should result in an automatic firing of the offensive co-ordinator.  As usual, McAdoo seemed to completely hamstring his QBs, calling more runs than usual in order to minimize mistakes.  It made for a boring and predictable game until Bridge let loose with a couple of minutes to play and connected with WR Joshua Stanford on a great pump and go.  Bridge made a great toss with defenders in his face by putting the ball only where Stanford could catch it.  And Stanford made an excellent adjustment to the ball and secured it with a defender draped all over him.  RB Marcus Thigpen FINALLY showed his breakaway speed and ran the ball to the outside and down the sideline for the winning TD.

(Why the CFL on TSN Twitter feed doesn’t have a clip of this one good play I do not understand.)

While the Riders kept the Tiger-Cats out of the end zone, they still let them amass 300+ yards of offense.  Plays like these drove me CRAZY!

CB/WR Duron Carter had a much better game on Thursday night, mostly because he was kept to the wide side of the field and wasn’t matched up with speedy WR Brandon Banks.  That match up was left for DB Ed Gainey, and while he didn’t have his best game, he made enough plays on the last drive of the game to ensure Hamilton didn’t score.

The Riders go into the bye week with a 2-2 record, as to the Tiger-Cats.  And while the Riders are happy to have escaped with a win on Thursday night, they have a lot of work to do this week to try and solve their offensive woes.

FINAL: Hamilton (2-2) 13, Saskatchewan (2-2) 18

Ottawa at Montreal

Apropos of nothing, I would like to mention that the REDBLACKS’ Twitter feed is the snarkiest in the CFL.  Par exemple:

But I am kind of ticked I took WR Greg Ellingson instead of WR Brad Sinopoli this week.  As a result, my fantasy team got rolled over this week.

With William Powell’s effort, the REDBLACKS should’ve put the Alouettes away a lot sooner than they did.  Instead, they let Montreal hang around and make a game of it – sort of.

Ottawa did no help itself by taking 100+ yards in penalties.  It settled for field goals instead of TDs, but it owned the time of possession and Montreal could not come back.

The good news for the Alouettes is that after beating the Riders last week, they hung around with a team that everyone thought would beat them by at least a dozen.  Even better, starting QB Jeff Matthews was better than the combined Rider duo of Brandon Bridge and David Watford.  What the Alouettes need to do is use RB Tyrell Sutton more.  He got into a groove in the 4th quarter, but it was far too late.  Integrating him into the offense in a game right from the start should pay dividends for the Alouettes later on.

Whatever the Alouettes do next, they need to focus on getting fans in the stands.  Attendance at this game was just north of 16,000 – and that was with a lot of REDBLACKS fans in the stands.  It’s a worrying trend.

FINAL: Ottawa (2-1) 28, Montreal (1-3) 18

Edmonton at Toronto

Mike Reilly versus James Franklin.  The teacher versus the student.  Mentor vs. mentee. It was the same blessed thing all week long.  After all of the build up, you think it would’ve been a great game!  Instead, it was a complete snoozefest.

Toronto went up early, Edmonton took the lead in the second half, and in the last couple of minutes, Toronto scored a TD, got a two and out from its defense, and James Wilder Jr. ran out the clock.

As a result, we have this wonderful headline:

Jason Maas’ decision-making under fire again after Esks loss

With about two minutes to go in the game, Maas decided to kick the ball away instead of attempt to get a first down on 3rd and 8.  The Argos got the ball and never gave it back.  Should Maas have tried to get the first down?  In retrospect, sure.  At the time?  He probably should’ve.  As the Eskimos’ defense hasn’t exactly been locking it down this season, I would’ve put the ball in Mike Reilly’s hands.

Too bad, so sad.

FINAL: Edmonton (2-2) 17, Toronto (1-2) 20

BC at Winnipeg

Jock Climie, whom I rarely quote or paraphrase, said it best this weekend: the Lions are a talented team, but for all that talent, that are underperforming.

As a result, when the Bombers went up 21-3, I turned off the TV and did something else.

In my head, I jokingly thought that the TSN panel should question Head Coach Mike O’Shea’s strategy to pull Matt Nichols and let Chris Streveler make a couple of plays from time to time throughout the game.  But unlike the Bridge-Watford tandem that can’t seem to even create decent statistics for ONE QB, the Nichols-Streveler duo was very productive.

Ugh.

As for the Lions, well, 3 interceptions makes it tough on your defense.  The Lions could not get their passing game together.  QB Jonathon Jennings only managed 105 yards, and backup Cody Fajardo had 68 yards.  In other words, they had a Bridge and Watford kind of night – not good.  The only bright light was Jeremiah Johnson with 80 rushing yards.  But it was just not the Lions’ night.  Jennings needs to be much better, as does the Lions defense.  Unfortunately for them, they face the same Winnipeg team again in Vancouver this week.  Oof.

FINAL: BC (1-2) 19, Winnipeg (2-2) 41

Nicole

Week 3 Picks

The world feels like a whirling mess these days.  But this weekend, the CFL will help us all focus on Humboldt, Saskatchewan, and remind us of the importance of community.  At the end of the day, we are all human, and we all feel the same pain when we lose a loved one.  In the spirit of healing, we will come together throughout the weekend and remember those who were lost on April 6, 2018.  Please keep remembering the survivors, their families and friends, and the first responders in the coming months as their recovery continues.

Unfortunately it appears that Ricky Ray’s career may be over, as reports have surfaced indicating that the soon-to-be Hall of Famer has been told by doctors not to play for the rest of the season.  Interestingly, it’s been nearly three years since Anthony Calvillo was forced to retire after a hit from Ricky Foley caused concussion issues.  I suspect the same fate will befall Ray and that he has played his last game in the CFL.

While Ray won’t be going out on his own terms, his long-term health matters a lot more than getting back on the football field.

This week’s games present a challenge, as there are no clear favourites – even in the Montreal/Saskatchewan game.  Why?  Read on.

Ottawa (1-0) at Calgary (2-0)

This could be a shootout.  Both offenses put on a show last week, heavily outscoring their opponents and making use of both the long ball and the running game.  The difference?

The REDBLACKS won’t be facing Chris Jones’ soft defense this week.

The REDBLACKS were never really challenged by the Riders last week – and I write that as a Rider fan.  QB Trevor Harris had allllll dayyyyyyy looooooooong to throw, and William Powell had tons of room to run.  The REDBLACKS will face a much tougher defense in the Stampeders.  There’s also a week of film on the REDBLACKS now, something the Riders didn’t have prior to their game.

Accordingly, this game comes down to the battle between the REDBLACKS’ rookie offensive line versus Calgary’s more experienced and more defensive line, and I don’t see the REDBLACKS having the same success two weeks in a row.

PICK: Calgary by 9

Winnipeg (1-1) at Hamilton (1-1)

I have to eat a bit of crow here, as I did not think QB Jeremiah Masoli would’ve matured into the QB he’s shown since the latter half of the 2017 season.  I honestly thought he was a scrambler without much of an arm who was prone to making silly mistakes.  He is proving me – and everyone else in the CFL – very wrong right now.

What’s been the difference?  I think Coach June Jones has made a huge difference, as he named Masoli as his starter when he took over and never wavered.  He made the same commitment this year, even with that other backup QB people can’t stop talking about.  Jones’ faith in Masoli is being rewarded right now, and while it’s annoying as a Rider fan who can’t understand why the Riders can’t find another starting QB, you can’t help but be happy for Masoli.

Then there’s Chris Streveler.  Good lord, he was ON FIRE last week.  He threw for 246 yards and 3 TDs, and ran for another 98 yards and 1 TD.  But as with the previous game, I must point out the quality of the Bombers’ opponent, which was the lowly Montreal Alouettes.

The featured match up in this game is Streveler versus the Tiger-Cat defense.  Hamilton must contain Streveler and keep him from using his legs to move the ball.  Keep him in the pocket and let him try to beat you with his arm.  And whatever you do, don’t take him lightly.  He nearly beat the Eskimos in his first start; don’t be surprised if he matches Masoli TD for TD.

That being said, I think the Tiger-Cats will win this one, even though the Tiger-Cats always do the OPPOSITE of what I think they will do.

PICK: Hamilton by 4

BC (1-0) at Edmonton (1-1)

The Esks’ defense sucked last week, giving up nearly 530 yards to the Tiger-Cats. (Yes – injuries were a factor.)  And right now, the Eskimos’ offense consists of QB Mike Reilly throwing the ball as far as he can downfield and hoping one of his receivers catches it.

BC’s first game was against the terrible Alouettes, and they had a bye last week.  It’s hard to know how they’ll play when they face some real competition.

Edmonton’s run defense has been suspect through the first two weeks.  If BC keys on that with RB Jeremiah Johnson and Chris Rainey, they could make this a close game.

But the real match up is at QB: Mike Reilly versus Jonathon Jennings.  This is the type of game where 2017 Jennings would implode.  He has to be smart with the ball and use his legs when necessary.  If he can do that, the Lions just might win this game.

PICK: BC by 2

Montreal (0-2) at Saskatchewan (1-1)

Here’s a picture of most Rider fans these days:

QB Zach Collaros was put on the 6 game injured list earlier his week, which means it’s Brandon Bridge’s team for the next several weeks – if not the season.

Bridge came into a number of games last year when Kevin Glenn was struggling and performed admirably – if you forget the East Final versus the Argos.  He’s a big QB with a cannon for an arm, but he’s never been able to put it all together.  If he gets into trouble in the pocket, his first instinct is to RUN BACKWARDS, which is pretty much the last thing any QB should do in that situation.  Last year he was timid when it came to running the ball.  This year, Coach Jones has given him the green light to pull down the ball and take off with it:

I am praying to Baby Football Jesus that Offensive Co-ordinator Stephen McAdoo is born again and discovers the running game this week, as RB Marcus Thigpen is finally available after serving his two game suspension for failing a CFL drug test.  Thigpen was a revelation late last season, and with RB Jerome Messam slowing down, his quickness is needed to help establish the line of scrimmage, get opposing defenses to respect the run, and move the yardsticks.  If McAdoo doesn’t use Thigpen on Saturday night, I am going to LOSE IT.

Lucky for Bridge and the Riders, their opponent could not be more perfect.  The abysmal Alouettes will be in town after getting kicked up, down, and all around the field last week.  Good job, Kavis!  But it’s the fact that the Alouettes are so bad that scares me, as this is the type of game that the Riders SHOULD win.  But will they?

Defensively, the Riders need to pursue QB Drew Willy all night long.  DO NOT go soft and play zone.  DO NOT rush three guys all night.  DO NOT rush ONE PERSON.  DO YOU HEAR ME, CHRIS JONES?!?!  This defense was a thing of beauty for the first half of the Argos game.  THAT is the defense that will help the Riders win more games than not.

Coaching is what is holding back this team.  I am praying to Baby Football Jesus that after last week’s humiliating display in Ottawa, the coaches will have adjusted accordingly.

PICK: Saskatchewan by 9

Nicole

Week 1 Picks

And so it begins.

Welcome to Week 1 of the CFL season!  We survived the long, long off season, the doldrums of training camp, and the hard-to-endure pre-season games, and now it’s time for football that COUNTS.

Now, if I was to make my own power rankings for Week 1, they would slightly differ from those posted above.  My rankings would be as follows:

  • Edmonton Eskimos
  • Calgary Stampeders
  • Toronto Argonauts
  • Ottawa REDBLACKS
  • Saskatchewan Roughriders
  • Winnipeg Blue Bombers
  • Hamilton Tiger-Cats
  • BC Lions
  • Montreal Alouettes

Why?  Calgary has more questions on offence and defence than Edmonton.  Toronto and Ottawa’s QB situations are solid, while both the Riders and Winnipeg are in flux.  The Tiger-Cats need to take down Ottawa or Toronto before they deserve to move up the ladder, and the same with the Lions.  As for Montreal, well, they put a player on their list of cuts this past weekend and less than an hour later announced that the player hadn’t actually been released.

I know, I know.  But when Kavis Reed is in charge, anything can happen. #forensic

One more thing before we get to my weekly picks.  I have yet to make my predictions as to where the teams will stands in their respective divisions at the end of the regular season.  I’ve been avoiding it because I can’t figure out to do with the West Division.  But the time has come, so here goes:

West Division

  1. Edmonton Eskimos
  2. Calgary Stampeders
  3. Saskatchewan Roughriders
  4. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
  5. BC Lions

Note: If Winnipeg hadn’t lost its starting quarterback for the first few weeks of the season, I’d likely have placed Winnipeg above Saskatchewan.

East Division

  1. Ottawa REDBLACKS
  2. Toronto Argonauts
  3. Hamilton Tiger-Cats
  4. Montreal Alouettes

There.  Now fire away with your comments about how wrong I am.

And with that, let’s take a look at this week’s games.

Edmonton at Winnipeg

This would be a marquee match up if it weren’t for Chris Streveler being the Bombers’ starting QB.  But, Streveler, a University of South Dakota grad, is following in the footsteps of CFL great Anthony Cavillo in one way:

Here’s some footage of Anthony Calvillio from that year:

Streveler will rely heavily on RB Andrew Harris to not only move the ball, but block and get open when plays break down.

While these defences are fairly evenly matched, Edmonton has the advantage since it’s facing a rookie QB.  Therefore, expect Edmonton to get out to any early lead and never look back.

PICK: Edmonton by 9

Toronto at Saskatchewan

Come on.  Zach Collaros is starting.  He’s making $400,000 a year.  Brandon Bridge is not making $400,000 a year.  Like Kevin Glenn last year, Collaros will be given every opportunity to start.  But, like last year, don’t be surprised if Bridge comes into the game if Collaros struggles early on.

The key for the Riders is their offensive line.  If it cannot protect Collaros, it will be a long, long game.

This will be the first outing for Saskatchewan’s revamped defensive line.  I am really looking forward to watching Charleston Hughes, Willie Jefferson, and Zach Evans get after Ricky Ray.  These three need to get after Ray early and often, because if Ricky Ray gets in a rhythm, he’s very hard to stop.

It would also be nice if they kept James Wilder, Jr. in check.

The Argos’ lineup hasn’t changed all that much since last season.  I expect Collaros to continue to show a bit of rust since it’ll be his first regular season action in nearly a year.  Given the changes on offence for the Riders, the defence will need to keep the game close in order for Collaros and Company to have a chance.

PICK: Toronto by 4

Hamilton at Calgary

Let’s recall what happened last year when the Tiger-Cats visited the Calgary Stampeders.

You read that right.  The Tiger-Cats were beaten by a score of 60-1.

Hamilton has a lot to prove this year.  It wants to prove that the latter half of the 2017 season wasn’t a fluke.  It wants to prove that it can compete with the other top teams in the CFL.  And it wants to prove that its decision to largely stand pat in free agency was the right move.

Calgary, on the other hand, wants to prove that it can win the big game, i.e. the Grey Cup.

Hamilton will be looking to put the bad memory of last year’s humiliation behind it, while Calgary will want a fast start to prove that it’s shaken off what happened in the waning minutes of the 2017 Grey Cup game.  From those perspectives, this game has a lot of meaning for both teams.

The fact of the matter is that Calgary’s roster is solid on both sides of the ball, while Hamilton’s just isn’t.  In my opinion, this will come down to: (a) whether or not Hamilton’s offensive line can keep Calgary’s defensive front seven at bay and allow QB Jeremiah Masoli time to set up; and (b) if Hamilton’s defensive backfield can prevent Calgary QB Bo Levi Mitchell from making big plays.  I think Calgary wins both of those battles.

PICK: Calgary by 10

Montreal at BC

Well this quote inspires confidence, doesn’t it?

Like usual, the Kavis Reed-led Alouettes managed to create problems for themselves this week:

SERIOUSLY, KAVIS?!  GOOD. LORD.

This match up doesn’t usually take place until later in the season.  A part of me wonders if the CFL scheduling gods took pity on the Alouettes and decided to get their annual jaunt to the West Coast out of the way as early as possible.  Historically, Montreal has not done very well when it plays BC in BC.  Alternatively, maybe it was a gift to the soon-to-retire Lions GM Wally Buono to help him start off his season on a winning note.  Goodness knows we’re going to hear every single week about this being Buono’s last season.

At this point, Montreal is just looking to be competitive.  Drew Willy will start, and while I don’t think he’s starting QB material anymore, he has the confidence of his boss, which is really all that matters.  Willy faces a revamped BC defensive line, so his offensive line had better be ready.

Lions QB Jonathon Jennings is going to want to put together a solid, clean performance in order to try and put last season’s issues behind him.  He has more than enough weapons with Emmanuel Arceneaux, Bryan Burnham, Jeremiah Johnson, and Chris Rainey.  If the Lions play mistake-free football, they’ll win this game in a walk.

PICK: BC by 12

Nicole

Jekyll and Hyde

The Canadian Press

You knew that Ed Hervey wasn’t going to be out of football for long.

Unceremoniously fired by the Edmonton Eskimos a mere two months before the beginning of the 2017 season, Hervey found a new home with the BC Lions after the Lions finished with a disappointing 7-11 record and in last place in the West Division.  Hervey was hired as the Lions’ GM when Head Coach Wally Buono stepped down after holding both jobs during the 2017 season.  While Buono announced that the 2018 CFL season would be his last as head coach, he still retains his VP of Football Operations title.  So the Head Coach reports to the GM, who reports to the VP of Football Operations, who is also the Head Coach.  This could be fun.

This not the first time this circular management has occurred in the CFL.  In 2011, Ken Miller was VP of Football Operations for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and was then reinstated as Head Coach following the firing of Greg “You haven’t heard the last of me!” Marshall.  Brendan Taman was the GM caught in the crossfire that season, and yet he outlasted both Miller and Marshall.

Hervey quickly made his mark on the Lions in free agency by focusing on the guys in the trenches.  His biggest signing was likely DE Odell Willis, who joins the Lions after a number of seasons with the Eskimos.  DT Euclid Cummings joins Willis on a revamped defensive line.  The Lions’ offensive line was a problem throughout 2017, so the signings of Chris Greaves, Joel Figeuora, and Jeremy Lewis were no doubt meant to bolster a weak part of the Lions’ roster.  The latter two linemen were with the Tiger-Cats and Alouettes, respectively, so how helpful they will be remains to be seen.

The Lions also added a number of free agents to their defensive backfield, with Otha Foster III and Gary Peters joining a group that was fairly green last year.  MLB Solomon Elimimian remains the heart of the Lions’ defence, although he’s lost his linebacker brother, Adam Bighill, to the NFL and then the Blue Bombers.

The Lions won’t be short of offensive weapons, with star receivers Emmanuel Arceneaux and Bryan Burnham and star running backs Jeremiah Johnson and Chris Rainey.  The question for the Lions is if QB Jonathon Jennings gain regain his 2016 form.

In 2016, Jennings was anointed the Lions’ starting quarterback, and he played like a seasoned pro.  He threw for over 5000 yards, threw 27 TDs compared to 15 interceptions, and he had a rushing average of 5.3 yards per carry.  He led the Lions to a 12-6 record and a come from behind victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the West Semi-Final before being outclassed by the Calgary Stampeders in the West Final.

The 2017 version of Jonathon Jennings was a shadow of the 2016 version.

The 2017 CFL season saw Jennings throw for only 16 TDs while throwing 19 interceptions.  He missed three games with a shoulder injury early on in the season, which seemed to literally throw him off for the rest of the year.  His confidence seemed to disappear, and if not for a season-ending knee injury to backup Travis Lulay, you can’t help but wonder if Jennings might’ve been the backup by the end of the 2017.

This year, Jennings has Jarious Jackson to guide him.  The former Roughriders QB coach is now the Lions’ Offensive Coordinator.  Jackson has sort of come full circle, as he spent nearly all of his time in the CFL as a player with the Lions.

The Lions will be out to show that last year was an aberration, particularly Jennings.  And Buono will want to end his career on a high note.  The Lions could be fun to watch if Buono decides to go through with his pre-season plan to be “a little more reckless“.  Between Jennings’ desire to get back to his 2016 form and Buono’s last kick at the can, the Lions have a lot to prove.  This season, look for the Lions to play spoiler and be right in the mix in an ultra-competitive West Division.