Lulay may get demoted as the Lions continue to struggle but he is not solely to blame.
With the way this season has gone for the B.C. Lions, you wonder if the plan to insert backup quarterback Jarious Jackson into the lineup during the second half against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers last game is a harbinger of a future plan to make him into the starter.
Jackson showed in his limited play that his throwing shoulder, surgically repaired after the 2009 season, is in fine working order and that the one thing he lacked was timing with the first-string offence.
With the way things are going now for the Lions, who are deadlocked with Saskatchewan for last place in the West with a 1-6 record, a change in quarterbacks may be seen as one of those necessary moves to save the season from sliding away. The Lions play host to the Grey Cup and right now show no signs of making it to the final game, let alone qualifying for the post-season.
Following this Friday's game in Edmonton, the Lions will have a bye week and you know there will be an evaluation of the football operations by general manager/head coach Wally Buono, team president Dennis Skulsky (who by the way watches all the team's games in close proximity to Buono on the sidelines) and team owner David Braley.
To be sure, the play of quarterback Travis Lulay will be scrutinized in every which way because he has struggled in his first full season as a starter. It is far too early and extremely unfair to label him as a one-year wonder, even if the numbers would suggest that.
Lulay looked extremely promising when officially anointed as the B.C. Lions' starting quarterback late in the second half of last season. Hopes were high that he would continue his ascent this year, but it has not worked out as planned. But it would be wrong to pin the burden of blame solely on Lulay.
A quarterback may touch the ball more than any other player and could have a major impact on his team's success if he plays well. But sometimes a record is not truly indicative of the individual. Last year Cleo Lemon had a record of 9-8 with the Argos in his rookie season, but anybody who watched him play would suggest that had more to do with defence and special teams than his personal performance.
Lulay's numbers this year are anything but impressive. He has seven touchdown passes and six interceptions. Lulay has only one game this year in which he has thrown more touchdowns than interceptions. He's had two games in which he hasn't thrown a touchdown, albeit he didn't throw an interception either. His highest quarterback rating this year is 94.2, which is below the general quality standard of 100 or more.
But if you blend all the statistical evidence together it doesn't truly show an accurate reflection of what has happened to Lulay this year. He has made some mistakes, to be sure, but he has been the victim of too many dropped balls that could easily have a difference in the team's record and his own personal performance and production. It is hard to quantify how much a team loses its energy and momentum following a play that is drawn up to succeed, in particular a touchdown pass, but falls short when the execution fails because of a lapse in concentration by the receiver. Too many times this year, Lions' receivers have failed to secure the ball, thinking one step ahead, and the play goes down as an incomplete pass.
In his last game, it appeared as if Lulay had become emotionally upset, possibly even angry, with his team's performance. You would expect a player to feel that way, yet Lulay didn't direct his angst at a player, which happened last year with quarterback Casey Printers, who worked his way up from fifth on the depth chart to starter and subsequently released for his inefficiency and attitude.
Buono, it says here, made the right move to relieve Lulay to allow him time to cool off and get settled. Facing the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who won the game 30-17, Lulay became like blood in the water for the proverbial shark. The Bombers are the most dominant defensive team in the league. While Buono could have inserted Lulay back into the lineup, he decided to stick with Jackson for the remainder of the game.
At 27 years of age, Lulay is in the early stages of his development, and this could be a time for him to learn through adversity, or Buono may decide the time is now and go for experience, which Jackson has, along with the strongest arm in the league and an ability to stretch the defence. The backup quarterback in times of struggle is always seen as an option. This is how Lulay evolved from a third-stringer to the starter last year. He became the go-to option in a season which started out 1-7. He was the youngest member of the available quarterbacks, so youth was served and he truly brought an exuberance and flair to the Lions.
If the Lions lose on Friday, they will be in the exact same a situation as a year ago.
But there is much more at stake this year. The Lions will soon move back to B.C. Place after a year and a half of renovations, but if the team doesn't show improved performance there won't be any added incentive for fans to check out the new stadium.
Unless the team starts to win, you know the quarterback situation will be examined and Jackson may be seen as the option. He was once the starter for the Lions and it's an option the Lions will surely consider when they look up and down the lineup for ways to turn around a losing season if the team fails to respond to the current starter, even if it's not entirely his fault.
