Tackle Rob Murphy, centre, was a key cog on the Lions' offensive line that allowed just 33 quarterback sacks this season, second-best in the CFL. (John Sokolowski photo)
Feature
Lions' offensive line front and centre
Durable Reid anchors crew that dominates in trenches
Last Updated Fri., Nov. 16, 2007
Chris Iorfida , CBC Sports
The man under centre may have changed time and again for the B.C. Lions this season, but the centre himself has again been a constant and steadying influence for his club.
Durable centre Angus Reid, in his sixth year as a starter, anchored a group that excelled, especially when injuries to quarterbacks Dave Dickenson and Buck Pierce meant that No. 3 pivot Jarious Jackson was pressed into duty for most of the Canadian Football League season.
B.C. finished with 14 wins and a tie, a franchise record that is reflective of the strength throughout the lineup.
Defensive ends Brent Johnson and rookie Cameron Wake spearheaded a potent pass rush, combining for more sacks (28) than any other duo in the league, ball hawk Ryan Phillips patrolled the secondary with a CFL-best 12 interceptions, and Ian Smart was the diminutive dynamo on special teams.
But it is in large part due to the offensive line that the Lions are in a position to repeat as Grey Cup champions for the first time in franchise history, as well as become the first CFL team to win consecutive titles since Toronto in 1996-97.
"This year's been a little different because I think with the quarterback shuffling that happened due to injuries, I think that we really felt the load shift on our shoulders," Reid told CBCSports.ca.
Along with Reid, starters Jason Jimenez, Sherko Haji-Rasouli, Rob Murphy and Kelly Bates have often dominated foes in the trenches, with the latter two named CFL West all-stars.
With the quarterback injuries, the crew has grabbed more of the spotlight while bucking the conventional wisdom that the same veteran group and position coach (Dan Dorazio) can lead to staleness and declining results.
| Bates: He bails me out, he's my insurance guy.… We call him Corporal because he likes to command the orders to all of us even though we don't ask him to. Haji-Rasouli: Probably the hairiest guy in the world.… He's always the guy in the huddle that will calm everyone down.… He plays because he knows the game is fun. Jimenez: I think [Jimenez] just enjoys destroying people on the field. He's the guy on the sidelines that is just screaming for run plays.… Pass block for him is just a waste of time [because] he wants to get after people. Murphy: A guy you really look to, to see how to do it and how get it done right. Reid on Reid: I'm easy, I just tell everyone what to do and get the hell out of the way. |
The Lions have gone from 74 to 56 to 33 sacks allowed in the last three seasons and this year boasted the least penalties taken of any offence in the league despite the myriad of personnel changes at the so-called skill positions.
Reid credited the preparation of head coach Wally Buono and the offensive coaches.
"Our system doesn't change no matter who's back there," said the Richmond, B.C., native. "[With] a lot of teams, a new guy comes in and it's just a totally different way of playing football.
"Our quarterbacks are expected to buy into our system."
The Lions entered the post-season winners of eight straight, last losing on Sept. 9 to Montreal.
The team has averaged 32 points during the streak, but hasn't quite resembled the aerial attack of past years with quarterbacks Dickenson and Casey Printers, now in Hamilton.
Jackson needed time to settle into the groove as a starter and was more than aided by the play of running back Joe Smith.
The Louisiana Tech product, who finished with 881 yards in his 2006 rookie campaign, racked up league-leading and franchise-best totals of 1,510 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns this season with his big line leading the way.
Reid, for one, is unsurprised the back's numbers have shown such improvement.
"A lot of our run game is basically zone blocking," he said. "Zone blocking can sometimes can take time for the running back to figure us out as individual players … so he can have better anticipation of where the hole is going to be."
While the loquacious Reid has plenty to say about his fellow linemen (see sidebar) he's ecstatic that Bates, with his first all-star nomination, is getting some overdue recognition as one of the game's best.
He also points to the arrival before last season of Murphy as a seminal point for the unit, with the player bringing tons of big game experience from the NFL and Ohio State.
"Savvy's kind of one of those elusive words, but he really brought it to us," Reid said. "Beyond the X's and O's and how to make the block happen, [he showed us] how to carry yourself and be an offensive lineman."
Murphy was named CFL most outstanding lineman in 2006 and the group as a whole helped put their team into scoring position seven times en route to the Grey Cup win.
After such a stellar season this time around, anything less than a repeat will not suffice for Reid.
"You don't want to get this far and play 18 games and go through training camp," the 31-year-old said.
"Once you've been to a Grey Cup and won it, you realize that anything short of that is a disappointing season when you have a team that should be there."
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