It’s gut check time for the B.C. Lions.
After a disappointing 33-27 loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders at BC Place last Saturday, the Lions look to rebound when they host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats this Sunday.
That rebound will be a challenge as the Tiger-Cats come into BC Place on a roll having won four in a row and feature the CFL’s top passer in Bo Levi Mitchell and its top receiver in Kenny Lawler.
Despite all that, Lions head coach Buck Pierce is confident his team can bounce back after a good week of practice.
“I’m happy with what I've seen on the field this week but it has to translate (to the game) this weekend. The guys seem focused with a lot of energy,” said Pierce.
The bottom line is that a loss to Hamilton would drop the Lions to 3-5 in a very competitive Western Division, trailing the Riders, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Calgary Stampeders in the standings.
Sunday’s tilt is also a litmus test to see how this team reacts after losing to the Riders in a game in which the score flattered the Lions.
B.C. needs to come out early and set the tone – just as Saskatchewan did last week after being embarrassed at home by Calgary but that has been a difficult task for B.C. as the Lions have been outscored 48-14 in the first quarter through seven games.
“I think a lot of it is where we are mentally. To start the football game, we have to attack out of the gate. When you step on that field, you have to have the mindset and focus of going down and scoring points offensively and getting them off the field and getting takeaways on defence and special teams,” stated Pierce.
A big key will be stopping the duo of Mitchell and Lawler. Mitchell comes into Week 8 leading the CFL in touchdown passes (12) and yardage (1,812) while Lawler tops the receiver charts with 644 yards and eight touchdowns. Pierce is very familiar with Lawler, having been with him in Winnipeg for five seasons.
“He does a lot of things really well. He's an elite route runner, has good ball skills and is just a great competitor. I think you have to be able to put their offence in situations where you know that they're going to have to throw the ball and force him the football – which is getting them into second and longs. You have to make sure to limit what you can with him. He's going to make plays and we’ve got to be able to overcome those,” explained Pierce.
Lions cornerback Garry Peters thinks playing aggressively is the key in trying to stop Lawler.
“When I watch film, a lot of guys play very timid against him. They're right there in position a lot of time for 50-50 balls. You have to play confident and be aggressive. If we do that, we’ll be fine,” said Peters.
As much as everyone piled on to the Lions secondary for several busts in coverage and the 395 yards passing they gave up against Saskatchewan, that number reflected on the entire defence.
The pass rush was almost non-existent as Harris didn’t take a sack and was barely pressured. That has to improve this week against Hamilton or it could be a long day for the Lions.
What’s even more concerning is that starting halfbacks Ronald Kent Jr. and Jalon Edwards-Cooper didn’t practice on Thursday with Trayvian Blaylock and Cam Stone getting reps in their place. Their status for the game is uncertain but Peters claims that whoever plays will be ready.
“Everyone’s been here most of the season and everyone is prepared. They've (Blaylock and Stone) have been in the meetings every single day. When you're a professional, you know what to expect out there but they're not as experienced as those other guys. So hopefully we can get them (Kent Jr. and Edwards-Cooper) back, but if we don't, we'll be just fine,” said Peters.
As for the offense, a big key to success is staying on schedule by being productive on first downs.
In their last win against Edmonton, the Lions were extremely effective on first down and had the football for a whooping 42:54 – the second highest time of possession total in team history. That was a result of having manageable second downs and converting in 61% of those situations. The Lions second down conversion rate against Saskatchewan last week was 50 per cent.
“I feel like this game will be about controlling the clock and controlling the tempo in our house. In Edmonton, we controlled the tempo a lot. We stayed on the field and we gave the defence a rest. I think that will be a big goal for us this week,” noted Lions running back James Butler, who enters Week 8 as the CFL’s leading rusher with 504 yards.
EXTRA POINTS
* Lions receiver Stanley Berryhill was knocked off his scooter by a vehicle in Surrey earlier this week. The motorist didn’t bother to stop but several other good Samaritans did to assist Berryhill, who came out of the mishap with just a bad case of road rash on his hands that caused him to miss a practice. Berryhill fared better than the CFL’s reigning Outstanding Offensive Lineman, who also was involved in an accident while riding on a scooter. Ryan Hunter of the Toronto Argonauts is out six-to-eight weeks after being hit by a car while taking his scooter to practice.
* Lawler comes into the game on pace to break the single-season touchdown mark held by Winnipeg’s Milt Stegall. Lawler has eight touchdowns in his first six games which is on pace for 24 majors. That is one ahead of the record (23) set by Stegall in 2002. The third best total? That’s held by former Lions running back Cory Philpot, who had 22 touchdowns in 1995.
* Big plays mean seven points. According to CFL stats guru Steve Daniel, a team with an explosive play has scored a touchdown a whopping 61% of the time (71 for 116) compared to 10% when not getting an explosive play (59 for 601) during a drive. An explosive play is defined as a 20-yard-plus rush, a 30-yard-plus pass play, a 30-yard-plus punt return or a kickoff return over 40 yards.
Veteran B.C. sports personality Bob “the Moj” Marjanovich writes about the B.C. sporting scene for Black Press Media. This column is brought to you by:
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