The B.C. Lions treated fans to a game for the ages on Thursday night, walking into a sold-out Hamilton Stadium and exacting revenge on the Tiger-Cats with a 41-38 overtime victory.
Here are my thoughts on the game.
Redemption song
Oh, what a difference a bye week can make.
The B.C. Lions have spent the past 11 days marinating in the misery of their fourth-quarter collapse at BC Place, and Mike Benevides’ defensive unit deserves a massive amount of credit for how they responded in the rematch against Hamilton. While the results were far from perfect, a dramatically altered approach to both scheme and personnel challenged the Ticats in ways they never were in the first half of the home-and-home.
Victory may have come off the foot of Sean Whyte, but it was the defence that came up clutch to secure the win. After playing soft when the chips were down two weeks ago, Benevides was unafraid to send Patrice Rene on a blitz in overtime and the resulting tipped pass allowed half the players on the field time to rally to Tim White underneath. Cristophe Beaulieu punched the ball loose, and DeWayne Hendrix hustled for the recovery, effectively deciding the outcome. That was a far cry from their late-game mistakes last time out.
Not every hole was patched, and critics will rightfully point out that the Hamilton offence had tremendous success moving the ball in the second half, as Bo Levi Mitchell finished with 305 yards and three majors. One big bust that allowed White free for 54 yards at the start of the third quarter looms especially large, setting the stage for three straight touchdown drives. But even the best units can only be so effective against such a potent attack, and B.C. did better than most.
The defence consistently gave the Lions a chance at the end, holding the Ticats to four field goal attempts in the fourth quarter, even when the offence coughed up the football late. They were far more aggressive, especially at the start, and a statline of one sack, which was secured on the opening drive, does not properly quantify the improved pressure on Mitchell. Kenny Lawler may have been a much larger factor in this game, catching four passes for 82 yards, but he still never truly broke out.
This was a decisive, if flawed, step in the right direction for a group that has yet to find consistency. Hopefully, this can be a catalyst.
Did ya miss me?
Good news, everyone! We have finally located Justin McInnis!
After three straight games of functional invisibility, last season’s leading receiver returned to prominence with a game-high eight receptions for 159 yards. For such an impressive statline, it still felt like a quiet return to form rather than an outright display of dominance, but we’ll take it.
Head coach Buck Pierce told me this week that the Lions had a plan to get the lanky Canadian target involved early, so it was no coincidence that Nathan Rourke delivered him a back-shoulder fade on his very first throw to kickstart the resurgence. McInnis made a great catch on that throw, but his finest moment came nearly 58 minutes later when Rourke found him bending across the field on a potentially game-deciding third-and-12. It was exactly the type of route that the Pierrefonds, Que. native made his money on last year and provided a pivotal 43 yards to the offence when they needed a touchdown.
Unfortunately, the Lions were unable to get both of their star receivers going simultaneously. While McInnis switched on, Keon Hatcher struggled to get into a rhythm with Rourke, catching just three of the 10 targets sent his way for 31 yards. While some of that was on the QB, a couple of those incompletions count as drops in my book.
Pick a limb, any limb
Nathan Rourke delivered when it mattered most with a couple of excellent throws to spur touchdown drives, but I doubt he’ll be particularly pleased with his performance as a passer in Hamilton. Yes, he amassed 408 yards and two touchdowns, but his night was riddled with inefficiency. At times, it felt like his internal clock was moving at double time, resulting in missed throws and a completion rate of 60 percent that is far below what he is capable of.
I won’t dwell on the Canadian quarterback’s ill-timed fourth-quarter interception, which came after he seemed to dismiss defensive end Julian Howsare as a coverage threat despite his alignment as a linebacker. What bugged me far more were the times he put the ball at risk and didn’t get burned. He could easily have been pick-sixed early in this game, has become a little too comfortable blindly chucking the ball away during a scramble, and would have been better off just eating the sack on a couple of occasions.
At the same time, it was Rourke’s legs, far more than his arm, that wowed in this contest. The B.C. offensive line did not have a strong game in pass protection, but will be credited with just two sacks allowed because the man behind them performs more shocking feats than David Blaine. Rourke side-stepped, spun away from, busted through, and drug a continuing onslaught of would-be tacklers, but only went down once at the behest of an opponent. It was equal parts thrilling and terrifying to watch.
Given how effective he has been when he decides to take off, I wish Rourke would elect to simply run more often instead of making risky passes late. At the very least, I would happily trade a few sacks for improved ball security. Nobody will ever accuse the 27-year-old of giving up on a fight, but sometimes absorbing a jab is better than missing with a haymaker.
State your case
Before making a critical decision, it is good process to write out all the pros and cons. Rarely do you expect to see that list acted out in real time, but that’s exactly what happened to the Lions in the first quarter of Thursday’s game.
When former head coach and co-general manager Rick Campbell let practice roster returner Isaiah Wooden walk out the door last season rather than unseat veteran Terry Williams, he opted for the reliability of experience instead of electric playmaking ability. That decision hasn’t aged well, given that Wooden has become the early front-runner for Most Outstanding Special Teams Player since resurfacing in Hamilton.
The optics only got worse when CFL-leading punter Carl Meyer out-kicked his coverage early in this one, giving Wooden the space he needed to slice 84 yards to the end zone. The nearest tackler was 15 yards away when the Southern Utah speedster caught the ball, and nobody was remotely fast enough to close the gap. It was a painful reminder for Lions fans of exactly what they’ve been missing out on.
However, Campbell received some small redemption on the very next B.C. punt. Wooden rushed to get underneath the ball and watched it bounce off his forearms, allowing Josh Hagerty to recover for the Lions. For all his many flaws, this was exactly the type of mistake that Williams rarely made.
Personally, I’m more than willing to trade a muffed kick or two for consistent plus field position and a few game-changing plays, but unfortunately, any further debate on that topic will have to be delayed. Wooden suffered what appeared to be a serious arm injury while battling for the ball and did not return, with an extended absence entirely possible.
For his part, current Lions returner Seven McGee also committed a costly muffed punt but followed it up with a tremendous return down the left sideline to set up a touchdown. An unnecessary roughness penalty on an earlier return breaks the tie to make it a bad night, but he wasn’t substantially outplayed in this one.
Mr. Freeze
If revenge is a dish best served cold, then James Butler must have packed an industrial freezer with him on the flight to Hamilton.
The veteran running back continued what has been a career trend of sticking it to his former teams at every opportunity, building on a strong outing against the Ticats in Week 8 to produce an even better one in the rematch. He came up clutch in the fourth quarter with a toe-tapping touchdown reception and iced it with hard running in overtime, finishing with 140 all-purpose yards and two majors.
I’ve become well-known as a running back hater, but repatriating Butler was the single best addition that the Lions made this offseason. His ability to grind it out between the tackles or flex out wide as a receiver is unique, and Buck Pierce continues to find compelling ways to get him the ball. At the mid-way point, he’s been the CFL’s best back, and it’s not close.
New addition equals subtraction
Congratulations to linebacker Ben Hladik, who missed this game to attend the birth of his son this morning. That left the Lions playing a man down because they don’t have a single Canadian left on their practice roster to replace him, though it didn’t appear to have a meaningful effect on the team’s performance.
B.C. didn’t need to flip their ratio due to the sudden change because Canadian Patrice Rene was already scheduled to make his first start of the season at nickel. I remain skeptical that this can be a long-term solution for the team, but the Ottawa native’s contributions as a blitzer are always noticeable, even if he isn’t a difference-maker in coverage. The team’s new secondary combination did look more comfortable overall, so kudos to the coaching staff for being willing to change it up.
Hladik’s absence allowed us to see much more of American Josh Woods at linebacker, who finished with three tackles and a knockdown. He certainly doesn’t look out of place, but I’m still not seeing the game-changing ability he showed before his injury. That will return with time — just ask Keon Hatcher — and some extra minutes this week should help that process.
Spinning the wheels
As good as this victory feels, the Lions’ offence can’t lose sight of the fact that they could have made it much easier on themselves.
Despite the defence pitching a shutout and forcing punts on four straight drives to open the game, including three two-and-outs, B.C. only led 13-7 at the half. Even that came courtesy of a Jevon Cottoy touchdown scored with just 11 seconds remaining before the intermission. The Lions had nearly five times Hamilton’s net yardage at that point — 252 yards to 61 — and almost double the time of possession, but couldn’t get the job done.
The biggest reason was penalties, as the Lions committed seven for 55 yards in the first 30 minutes. False starts and failure to reports killed drives in field goal range, while special teams infractions put the team behind the stick.
To their credit, B.C. was only flagged once in the second half, but this overtime shootout didn’t need to be one. You won’t escape after missing those opportunities very often.
Lynchpin candidate
Consider this my official apology to Ayden Eberhardt. I’ve long questioned whether the third-year receiver has the upside to be a legitimate CFL starter, but over the past few weeks, he’s shown that he’s more than just a feel-good story of guts and grit.
Eyberhardt caught just three passes in this game, but he earned every inch of his 120 yards. Each was a momentum-shifting moment that took both effort and skill, which has been a trend recently. I’m beginning to think that I’ve sold the Wyoming product’s role short due to volume, when the focus should be on the magnitude of the plays he does make. Nobody seems to step up more consistently when this team needs a play.
Tribute to a homegrown hero
The Ticats honoured NBA MVP and proud Hamiltonian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with a rally pre-game, and receiver Brendan O’Leary-Orange paid tribute to him on the field with a blatant pick to spring Shemar Bridges for a touchdown in the third quarter. The play was challenged for offensive pass interference by Buck Pierce, but was ruled legal because the ball was tipped at the line of scrimmage.
In my opinion, this is an egregious loophole in the rulebook. I can understand a tipped ball negating defensive pass interference because defenders rely on precise timing to break up throws, but push-offs and forceful rubs by the offence can never be blamed on altered ball trajectories. This kind of technicality resulting in a score is a bad look and should be addressed.
I don’t blame the referees on the field or the replay officials for that ruling because they followed the letter of the existing law, but it is sure to rankle some Lions fans on a night where Hamilton wasn’t flagged once. However, I do wish the eye in the sky had stepped in after a spectacular “catch” by Kenny Lawler in the third quarter that almost certainly bounced off the turf. Pierce didn’t have time to challenge as the Ticats rushed to the line, but I thought the initial replay was clear enough to merit an official intervention.
Unicorn scores
The process of tracking unique football final scores, also known as Scorigami, has gained a niche following in recent years. While I doubt 41-38 is a unique result in the history of the CFL, the way the Lions put up eight of those points has to be a true first.
Even in a league where they give you a yard, performing a QB sneak from three yards away like the Lions did in the third quarter is almost unheard of — especially when you’re doing it with a 36-year-old veteran with a long injury history instead of some short-yardage specialist. The fact that Jeremiah Masoli scored easily is a testament to the offensive line’s impressive surge.
If that wasn’t a unique enough combination of player and situation, how about fullback Riley Pickett punching in the ensuing two-point conversion on what is likely the first carry of his entire life? The converted defensive end was the team’s long snapper as recently as a year ago and is now being handed the ball on impactful plays. I’ve never seen something like it before, and we may never see it again.
Saaaafe!
In a game full of exciting plays, I doubt anyone came close to the top speed reached by receiver Stanley Berryhill III in the second quarter as he sprinted across the field to avoid a too-many-men penalty on a punt return.
While I’m sure the coaching staff won’t be thrilled if he went out their erroneously in the first place, it was an impressive hustle play complete with a baseball slide at the end to get out of bounds. If he hadn’t beaten the snap, the Ticats would have gotten the ball back in excellent position to extend their one-point lead, and B.C. may have actually trailed at the half.
Spoiled rotten
The Lions’ last two contests have both been game of the year candidates with electric finishes. Regardless of the result, if you haven’t enjoyed them, then may I suggest finding another hobby that is more your speed? Perhaps sky-diving or recreational bomb defusal?
Next week offers an opponent that hasn’t fared quite so well offensively as of late in the Alouettes. With Montreal also facing injuries on defence, there is a real chance for B.C. to sweep that season series and get back to .500. Kickoff is slated for 4:00 p.m. PDT on Saturday, August 16.
