Tedford touch oxidizes offence
Lulay credits bench boss, Cortez for adding options to B.C.’s attack
Thanks to a quarterback who can run as well as he can throw, head coach Jeff Tedford can go through life with the sly smile of somebody who knows something.
Or is it Travis Lulay who should be crediting Tedford with offensive alternatives that have him back at the top of his game?
After years of being mentored by head coaches with a defensive background, the B.C. Lions have one who knows the quarterback position, because he played it, and prowls the sideline with the laminated sheet of plays that go with it.
“I think, definitely, he’s (Tedford) made a big difference to our offence,” says running back Andrew Harris. “He’s an offensive guy. He points out little details, anything from hand placement, to catching the ball, to the reads we’re making, to the routes we’re running — every little detail. We haven’t had that before. Our previous coaches (Wally Buono, Mike Benevides) were defensive-minded. It’s made a big difference how we do things. The offence is being highlighted now.”
The Lions go into tonight’s game against the Toronto Argonauts at BC Place Stadium with the Canadian Football League’s second-ranked offence (362 average yards net per game), trailing only the Saskatchewan Roughriders (503.5).
The take-away from that stat in Saskatchewan: Who cares? The Riders are 0-4, entering Week 5, proving that when you wave goodbye to defence, not a lot of good comes of it.
Indeed, there is grumbling among Lions fans that the team has become defensively weaker with the goal of muscling up on offence. B.C.’s defence has allowed an average of 448.6 yards — the worst in the league — and has had trouble getting pressure on rival quarterbacks, never mind sacks (five in three games).
“Not everything’s about stats,” Tedford said Thursday. “The bottom line is winning games. And we’re making them work for everything they get. If we can do the same on offence, and not turn the ball over, then you have chances to win some games.”
Lulay’s return to form has been the biggest shot in the arm for a resurgent offence, but he typically passes credit to his surrounding cast and coaches.
“The offence we’ve put together, between Coach Tedford’s influence and (offensive coordinator) George Cortez’s influence ... there’s a lot of history there,” Lulay says.
“Everything is calculated. Those guys deserve credit for putting us in positions to make plays, especially in the early going, when it takes a while to get in sync. So far, we (players) have executed on a pretty consistent basis. Just the overall philosophy of attention to detail, discipline and playing smart (Tedford’s mantra) gives us a chance to stay out of negative plays and play with confidence.”
Last season, the Lions’ offensive line was in a state of flux from the opening game, when starting left tackle Andre Ramsey was injured and the position became a game of musical chairs.
“We need that camaraderie as offensive linemen,” says right tackle Jovan Olafioye. “It was tough last year when they were bringing in new guys every week. We had five or six different left tackles.”
B.C. got a scare last Friday against the Roughriders when centre Jason Foster — the man whose complicated circuitry processes defensive formations, alignments and how to attack them — had to be aided off the field with an apparent knee injury. He later returned, and the O-line stayed intact.
The Lions, with three experienced Americans up front bolstering two improving Canadian guards, Kirby Fabien and T-Dre Player, have given up only two sacks in three games. Having a mobile quarterback, one rarely caught with the deer-in-theheadlights look, certainly helps. But preserving the continuity of the behemoths on the offensive line also plays to Lulay’s advantage.
“Him (Lulay) being a dualthreat quarterback gets us out of situations,” Olafioye says. “Even if we get beat one time, he can make the defensive lineman miss. That’s always great to have a quarterback who can get us out of tough situations. He’s smart, too. He gets the ball out quick. We really appreciate that.”
Defending Lulay comes down to basic math. With a pocket passer such as Kevin Glenn, who started 17 of the Lions’ 18 games last season, the defence doesn’t have to account for the quarterback’s ability to run. That makes it 12 defenders against 11 on offence. But if the quarterback is a capable sprinter — Lulay had a personal-best 105 yards rushing last time out — it’s 12 against 12. He benefited last week with the surprise factor.
“That’s the beauty of the ‘read offence,’” Harris says. “Is he looking to pass, run himself, hand off to me? There are just so many options. Now, after last week, the Argos are going to have to have a guy there to cover Travis. It’s going to open bigger holes and make it easy for the O-line. It makes it easier for me, too.’
After that two-game sweep over the Roughriders, there are three questions to be asked. The first: Does the lean toward offence represent a lasting philosophical shift for the Lions? The second: Will it have staying power?
Lastly, and perhaps most important: Will the quarterback integral to its success be around to run it?