3 Keys to the Game: Sinking the Argos

Staff

Kadie Smith

The Lions return to The Den this Friday for their first tangle with the Toronto Argonauts. The two teams have been back and forth on Twitter this week with some key chirping, and if that’s any indication of Week 5’s tilt, it’s sure to be a hard-fought battle!

Here your Week 5 3 Keys to the Game:

Tight grips sink ships

The BC Lions offence has been firing on all cylinders, from Travis Lulay’s 400+ yards passing in Week 3 to Andrew Harris’ 118-yard night in Week 4, the Lions have been able to adjust their offensive strategy on a game-by-game basis. As Travis Lulay says, it’s just about playing smart football. The pivot seems to be getting back to his old form and is making confident plays.

Jeff Tedford agrees. The Lions’ head coach has been impressed with his QB through the first three games, and points to Lulay’s intelligence of the game as his biggest strength: “I think he’s done a nice job of reading the field and making the plays neccessary.”

Speaking of confidence, the Lions’ QB says it’s high in The Den, and he knows just how important that is against a tough Argos defence: “You can make all the right plays, but if you’re hesitant, it just doesn’t happen.”

Another strong point for the Leos is the chemistry between Lulay and star running back Andrew Harris who looked on fire in Week 4 at Mosaic, breaking blocks on his way to a 94-yard rushing night. Harris, who missed the last half of 2014 due to an ankle injury, has been steadily regaining his confidence on the field and if his play in Regina is any indication, look for him to romp and rumble for each yard Friday vs the Argos with even more intensity. Harris believes that the Lions’ are improving each week, and says they know the mistakes they need to correct.

The two returning Lions have a comfortability between them that was evident in Week 4 where their on-field communication helped Lulay himself rush for over 100 yards for the first time in his CFL career. As Harris tells us, “it’s pretty special when you have someone you can communicate with without talking.” Look for this combo to come up big again in Week 5.

A solid rookie for the BC Lions has been A.C. Leonard. With Cam Morrah out with an injury suffered in Week 3, the former NFL tight end stepped in, and stepped up. In just his first CFL game, the big man scored two touchdowns, including one where some quick-footed route running left him wide open in the end zone. At 6’02”, and 252lbs, Leonard should prove to be a puzzle for opposing defences. As Travis Lulay puts it, “teams will have to decide how they can cover him as a tight end or wide receiver.”

For his part, Leonard says that his speed is his biggest asset: “I’m able to beat defenders; they don’t expect it becasue of my size.” Watch him take it to the house for his second major of the night in Week 4 to see just what we mean about speed!

The O-Line cometh

The BC Lions offensive line has had a stellar season so far. With 60 sacks in the league through five weeks, the Lions have allowed just two on 97 pass attempts and have not allowed any in their last 31 attempts.

They’ve been so good that Travis Lulay gave the entire line the game ball after he rushed for over 100 yards against the Riders last week. Add to that, Ahdrew Harris’ 94 yards on the ground, and Shaq Murray-Lawrence’s huge 66-yard kickoff return, and it’s clear that the o-line was on their game that night.

Veteran Dean Valli says the difference this season has been the fresh attitude and approach from the rookies that has really motivated the line. Also…he would like you to know that “Travis is THE MAN!”

Offensive line coach Doug Malone is impressed with his group and with rookie tackle Tommie Draheim, who’s been taking lead block duties on rushing plays. At 6’04”, Draheim may be a smaller tackle, but he says it’s his size that actually works to his advantage. “I have some speed and athleticism,” he says. The 2015 Lions o-line looks to be a more physical group than past years, and Draheim says that when it comes to the Argos, they won’t be afraid to “take them to the ground if we have to.” That mentality will come in handy against a fast and physical Toronto defence.

Hey, Richie!

The Lions made the decision in Training Camp to amalgamate kicking, punting and field goal duties into one based on the leg strength of rookie kicker Richie Leone, and the 23 year old has not dissappointed. Some people have taken to calling him Thunderfoot. Feel free to join in if you like…

Leone leads the league with a 49-yard punt average and was 5/5 in field goals in Week 3 against the Riders, and then helped his team again in the Week 4 rematch with two singles on punts and another on a kickoff. His kickoffs have averaged 66.1 yards. He made his way into fans’ hearts though in the Lions home opener when he kicked a 56-yard, game-tying field goal in the Lions’ home opener, the longest field goal made this season, and a BC team record.

Of note:

Defence defence defence! BC has allowed the fewest giveaways in the league and remains the only team tha has yet to lose a fumble. One of Mark Washington’s biggest focuses this season has been reducing turnovers, and it looks to be working so far.

One more MOP? Adam Bighill and Solomon Elimimian have combined for 44 tackles and are each ranked in the top four in the league despite playing one less game than their counterparts. Bighill’s 7.7 tackles per game is ranked #1 in the league and both are on pace for 120+ in 2015. Bighill says the Argonauts’ offence will provide a good challenge for the Lions’ defence, but they’re ready!

They’ll need to come up big Friday night as Trevor Harris is no slouch in the pocket with a passer rating of 121.5 through three games. The Argos also have the league’s best stats in the red zone, pikcing up eight touchdowns on 10 trips inside the 20 helped by the standout play of their leading receiver Chad Owens.

The Lions second-best record against any team in club history? Toronto! BC is 53-33-2, but the Argos snapped an 11-game losing streak in the team’s last meeting when they bested the Lions 40-23.

Travis Lulay runnin’ wild! The Lions pivot is looking like a serious playmaker this season. Lulay reached 105 yards rusing on just six carries against Saskatchewan last week. The only other Lions QB to reach that mark was Jim Walden back in 1960.

It should be a good tilt Friday at BC Place as your Lions tangle with the Argos. Fans will surely be keeping Lulay’s 18-1 record in the backs of their minds as the veteran goes head to head with the rookie Toronto QB Harris.

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