The B.C. Lions only needed two of their three phases to show up on Friday night, knocking off the Calgary Stampeders 32-15 without the benefit of an offensive touchdown.
Here are my thoughts on the game.
Timely takeaways
Entering Friday’s game, the B.C. Lions were the easiest defence in the CFL to move the ball against through the air, affording opposing quarterbacks a completion percentage of 73.9 and a passer efficiency rating of 108.5 — a full three percent and five points higher than the next worst franchise. Ryan Phillips’ defence has always been happy to allow the easy stuff underneath but poor tackling and a failure to consistently force turnovers have made that a losing philosophy this year.
The first part of that problem didn’t change at all against the Stampeders, as evidenced by backup running back Peyton Logan gashing them for 89 yards on the ground. However, the takeaways that have been so elusive this season reappeared en masse — with four total, three in the fourth quarter, and two returned for touchdowns.
On a night when the Lions generated just 269 yards of net offence, the defence contributed 221 yards off of interception and fumble returns. They were directly or indirectly responsible for 20 of the team’s 32 points and were the only members of it to find the end zone.
“I had a talk with them before the game as a team and I just told the defence, ‘Guys, it’s really on us,'” veteran defensive back T.J. Lee said after the game. “It doesn’t matter how we get on the field as a defence — the more we’re on the field, the more opportunities we have to make plays. That’s how I broke it down to them and you saw it resonate.”
After an outing like that, it would be easy to stand up and applaud a beleaguered unit’s revival, but the real story is more nuanced. The defence showed as many, if not more, flaws than usual, but made up for them with the timeliness of their takeaways. Even then, the Lions were as lucky as they were good on each of the game-changing plays.
The first came after the Stampeders marched 65 yards on 12 plays and ate up roughly seven minutes of clock on their first drive of the game. Halfback Ronald Kent Jr. brilliantly diagnosed a screen pass to Ishmael Hyman and ripped the ball free — though the forced fumble was originally credited to Jalon Edwards-Cooper for his glancing secondary hit. It was an exceptional play by the rookie but you couldn’t replicate the way the pigskin popped directly up to Ace Eley, allowing him to run 50 yards and set up a short field goal.
All was quiet until the fourth quarter, when star defensive end Mathieu Betts woke up a snoozing stadium by picking off Jake Maier and returning it 70 yards to paydirt. It was the reigning Most Outstanding Defensive Player’s first CFL interception and his first touchdown, but don’t mistake it for him expertly sniffing out a checkdown. Betts admitted in the locker room that he got lazy on the rush and looped inside well out of position before the ball basically smacked him in the face.
“It’s not a good play on my part, to be honest. It wasn’t where I had to be but it’s a good thing that I messed up on that play, I guess,” he shrugged. “People keep asking me in the locker room why I was there and I don’t really have an answer, but I’ll take it.”
T.J. Lee’s 27-yard fumble recovery touchdown was far more skillful, as he recognized a tendency in the Calgary offence to automatically throw bubble screens against a particular alignment and burst through the line untouched to bat down Maier’s backward pass. Even so, the play may have only withstood automatic review because officials opted to call a fumble on the field, giving the Lions the advantage of the CFL’s clear and obvious principle for overturning decisions. Had the refs blown a quick whistle, there may not have been enough to change that either.
Finally, Adrian Greene’s 54-yard interception return was a remarkable diving catch from the Canadian defensive back. He still wouldn’t have had the chance to pull it off had Marken Michel not deflected the ball up into the air like a volleyball setter.
There is no dismissing that B.C.’s defence made the most of their opportunities but the bounces broke their way on every single one. It was the only reason they won this week and gave the team a badly needed jolt, but don’t confuse it with a sustainable path to victory going forward.
Back to the salt mines
While the defence sparked a listless crowd, the Lions’ offence continues to take the fun out of football. By their own admission, the group came out flat and they stayed that way, going zero-for-five in the red zone and settling for six field goals.
“To play the way that we did offensively and to win, it’s a very odd feeling,” quarterback Nathan Rourke acknowledged. “There’s a lot to get better at, a lot of things that are glaring.”
The Canadian pivot continues to grimly bring his hard hat and pickaxe to BC Place, going a workman-like 20-of-24 for 218 yards but finishing without a passing touchdown for a third-straight game. The best plays keep coming with his legs but three scrambles for 23 yards still wasn’t enough to get anyone around him energetic.
Little of Friday’s struggles fell at Rourke’s feet and he made mostly smart decisions as those supporting him continued to limit the offence’s ceiling. Critical mental errors, including several misalignments, ill-timed sacks, and the failure of a makeshift receiving corps to open up chances down the field left even the head coach feeling underwhelmed.
“I would call it ‘meh,'” Rick Campbell said of his offence. “We used to be a team that could throw the ball all over the place, and right now, we’re not in that groove.”
“I don’t feel good about (the lack of touchdowns). We talked about a killer instinct in the red zone of ‘Let’s go after ’em and go get ’em.’ That didn’t materialize tonight.”
Right now, the Lions are like those generic clickbait articles you scroll past on Facebook. They may say “Explosive Revelation” in the title, but the text inside is just something you have heard hundreds of times before written in a way that makes you feel dumber for reading. Some of that is a lack of creativity from Jordan Maksymic but more of it is limited personnel that can’t perform the things necessary to make this attack run again.
Lost and found?
Despite playing the role of adversary for more than 15 years, Dave Dickenson still has plenty of fans in B.C. from his days as a Grey Cup-winning quarterback. For anyone rooting for him, the last few years have been tough to watch and the decline of the Stampeders has left him snapping at reporters over questions about his job security.
It feels somewhat fitting that Calgary was in town this week, as the last coach that Dickenson beat in the playoffs was starting to receive similar queries. In response to my article last week, several fans asked whether Rick Campbell had lost the Lions’ locker room. It’s an idea that would have seemed ludicrous mere months ago but suddenly merited serious discussion.
This week’s win will quell those murmurs for a time, as at least one side of the ball finally responded to adversity in the way he has been begging for weeks. However, it’s fair to say that Campbell isn’t the type of ‘rah-rah’ coach who excels in motivating a team under adverse conditions. Instead, he is someone who leans on veteran leaders to bring the energy and hopes that the trust he places in players — sometimes to a fault — will give them the freedom to perform above their abilities.
Nobody will admit this publicly but I do think that trust was undermined by the timing of Rourke’s acquisition, which coincided with the team’s first missteps. It was further harmed when Rourke was pulled at halftime in the loss to Toronto and Campbell’s tendency toward conservative game management has not afforded many chances for him to repair that erosion by proving his confidence in the offence.
To his credit, the veteran bench boss was completely willing to buck that trend this week and kept the offence out on the field on third-and-goal from the Calgary three-yard line early in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately for him and everyone else watching, a player that Campbell declined to name lined up incorrectly and forced the team to take a delay of game penalty.
For me, the difference between Dickenson’s and Campbell’s situation is stark. For one, none of the very real problems in B.C. feel quite as fracturous or fatal as they do in Calgary. Frankly, given the nature of some of the decisions, it’s a wonder that the internal relationships aren’t more toxic and I don’t think any current resentment will linger. Furthermore, Campbell’s recent resume demands that he be given every opportunity to right the ship, while Dickenson has presided over five years of steady and precipitous decline.
With that said, Campbell’s contract is set to expire at the end of this season. That will present an awkward choice for owner Amar Doman if the team continues to underperform in a home Grey Cup year — especially after making such a significant personal investment. My belief is that the current staff deserves to stick around regardless of how the team finishes but the situation makes for compelling debate fodder.
Duelling unicorns
It isn’t very often that you see rookie Canadian defensive backs starting in the CFL but this game featured two of them, neither of whom have earned their position by default.
Calgary’s Ben Labrosse and B.C.’s Cristophe Beaulieu were the consensus top two DBs in the 2024 CFL Draft. Labrosse, who was selected fourth overall thanks to his NFL calibre measurables, has lived up to the billing by becoming a full-time player at field halfback. Beaulieu, who slipped into the third round, has made starts at half as well but has now seized the starting safety job.
Despite the wide gap in where they were drafted, there were plenty of evaluators — including 3Down‘s Ben Grant — who felt Beaulieu was the more polished product. They’ll be forever tied together as a result, though the edge has to go to Labrosse in this meeting after he recorded four tackles and an impressive knockdown. Beaulieu notched just one tackle on this occasion and was beaten by Ishmael Hyman in man coverage on Calgary’s first touchdown. He also couldn’t get over the top on Reggie Begelton’s 53-yard major in the fourth quarter, though that coverage bust appeared to be the fault of Emmanuel Rugamba.
Unfortunate flashback
My thoughts go out to Stampeders’ receiver Cameron Echols, who was taken to hospital for evaluation after absorbing a massive hit from rookie linebacker Terrence Ganyi while returning a kickoff near the Lions’ bench in the fourth quarter. The tackle was a clean shoulder check, though there appeared to be some glancing helmet-to-helmet contact at the end. It was clear that Echols was out on impact and remained down for some time, before gingerly leaving on the cart.
Changes or reductions to kickoffs in the CFL were a controversial topic this offseason — one which I’m on the record as not being in favour of. The Lions have been their biggest proponent though, after a hit between these two teams in last year’s West Semi-Final ended the career of promising young linebacker Jack Hinsperger due to permanent nerve damage. Stampeders’ running back Peyton Logan also fractured his neck on the play, but thankfully recovered. Another scary incident happening right in front of them is unlikely to soften either team’s advocacy for change.
Playing a man down
To paraphrase Regina George from Mean Girls, stop trying to make Kieran Poissant happen.
I love the feel-good story of a rookie from the CJFL making starts in the CFL but his continued presence on offence offers the Lions nothing of value. Poissant may turn into a player one day but right now the stage is too big for him, with this week’s zero-target outing actually an improvement from a dropped touchdown against Hamilton.
The absence of Jevon Cottoy left a hole this week but B.C. had the requisite seven true Canadian starters without fielding a second homegrown receiver. Surely dressing any of the four young American receivers on the practice roster would have been a better use of resources than having backup running back Jordan Terrell sit on the bench and starting a guy who was less threatening to the defence than the backup centre.
Beefed-up backfield
The Lions were the only team to add a piece prior to the CFL’s trade deadline, which passed on Wednesday with little fanfare. Canadian running back Jeshrun Antwi was acquired from the Montreal Alouettes in exchange for a third-round pick in the upcoming CFL Draft — a fairly steep price for a supplemental depth piece.
On the surface, the timing and cost of this move didn’t make a ton of sense but adding a solid National talent is never a bad move when you are missing as many players as the Lions are. I’ve long been an advocate for the signing of a homegrown RB with special teams upside and Antwi provides that, while also giving them some insurance in the short term while versatile fullback David Mackie nurses an injury.
With the re-signing of training camp cut Dylan St. Pierre, the Lions at least beefed up their Canadian backfield depth this week. Neither player played noticeable minutes or made an impact on the box score, but that could change in the coming weeks.
Lightning strikes twice
For the second time this season, sixth offensive lineman Andrew Peirson was on the receiving end of a pass, converting a first down with a seven-yard reception in the third quarter. A big man catch is the best play in football and the six-year vet didn’t disappoint with his celebration.
Peirson has chipped in with a few tight end reps in every game he’s played this year but his role was considerably larger this week with both David Mackie and Jevon Cottoy sidelined. The short reception was just the tip of the iceberg, as B.C.’s longest play of the day was partially made possible when Calgary’s corner drove to cover the 300-pounder in the flats and left Keon Hatcher wide open in behind for a 50-yard gain.
“I’m glad you saw that. I was running by him saying, ‘See you later’ and that’s kind of the point — they’re wrong both ways,” Peirson grinned post-game. “They have to cover me and then even if they do, then I’ll take that because they’ve got a DB or a linebacker on me and it frees up someone else.”
While the Gannon alum will get most of the notoriety, his was not the most unlikely catch of the night. That distinction belongs to long snapper-turned-fullback Riley Pickett, who snagged an eight-yard gain in the first quarter. The third-year pro slipped out of the stadium before I had a chance to confirm with him but given that he played defensive line at the University of Saskatchewan, Pickett’s last reception had to have been in high school — if not before.
I hereby sentence you…
Sean Whyte kicked six field goals in this game and any one of them could have sent a member of the crowd to jail apparently.
For the first time in my memory, a bolded message appeared on the jumbotron prior to one of B.C.’s kick attempts telling fans that any ball caught following a field goal had to be returned or they would be prosecuted. I get that the team only has a finite number of balls for the game, but seriously? Talk about putting a damper on the game-day atmosphere.
The fact that players are no longer allowed to throw balls into the stands in celebration is already a massive buzzkill, but at least that’s only because each one contains a highly expensive data chip courtesy of Genius Sports. Thanks to Sergio Castillo and company, kicking balls no longer have that technology and there is no reason not to share them with the masses. Don’t want fans taking home a souvenir? Put up a damn net, don’t threaten an over-excited preteen with a criminal investigation.
Here comes the cavalry!
Though he left things up to the medical professionals, Campbell shared post-game that left tackle Jarell Broxton, fullback David Mackie, and receivers Alexander Hollins and Jevon Cottoy could all be in the mix to return next week.
Any and all of the above would be welcome additions to a depleted Lions’ lineup but early returns would also carry financial repercussions for a cap-strapped franchise. Regardless, the head coach is unperturbed by the dollars and cents.
“We need to do what we need to do to win games. We’re trying to manage that (the cap situation) but that’s the fine line you draw,” he said. “We’ll keep Neil (McEvoy) up at night and keep his pencil sharp.”
Good things happen to good people
On a non-Lions-related note, it was a real treat for me to be able to witness the first career start for Stampeders’ strong-side linebacker Bailey Devine-Scott.
I do some side work in the international space with a company called All22 – The Global Scouting Network, focused primarily on evaluating athletes for the CFL’s Global Draft and the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program. Among our initiatives is a partnership with the Tropical Bowl college all-star game, which reserves two spots for foreign-born players we identify. Three years ago, I pounded the table for Devine-Scott and ran point on making him the first-ever invitee — a decision that felt pretty risky at the time given that he played Division III football for Western New England, a team that had never produced a pro player.
That opportunity helped get the Aussie onto the CFL radar and he was eventually taken in the third round of the 2022 Global Draft by Calgary. That phase of the draft no longer exists due to a perceived lack of talent and he may not have even been taken there if it wasn’t for the fact that the Stampeders’ lead Global scout also happens to be the founder of All22. It’s turned out to be a pretty solid selection, as Devine-Scott currently leads his team in special teams tackles with 13. He’s certainly not a long-term solution at SAM but didn’t look out of place when pressed into action due to injuries, making three defensive stops.
I’ll never stop getting a kick out of watching Devine-Scott play and his effort level should be an inspiration to anyone watching. It certainly makes me proud to have hung my hat on him before anyone else did.
Fickle allegiances
The Lions (8-8) will be back in action on Saturday, October 12 when they visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders, but fans of the team will be wearing watermelons before then. A win by the Riders against Edmonton this week would clinch B.C. a playoff spot and set up a battle for home-field advantage in the West Semi-Final.
Those made available to the media all agreed they would be watching Saturday’s game attentively, but were split on how aggressively they would cheer for their rival. Nathan Rourke offered the firmest response of all.
“I don’t think I’d ever want to root for the Roughriders, to be honest,” he said.
Same, Nathan. Same.
J.C. Abbott is a University of British Columbia graduate and high school football coach. He covers the CFL, B.C. Lions, CFL Draft and the three-down league's Global initiative.
