Kadie Smith
The Lions (2-3) return to The Den Thursday to take on the 4-1 Edmonton Eskimos in a game that will surely be a battle of the defences. Edmonton, under HC Chris Jones, have made a name for themselves in the CFL this season with a defence that has continually managed to throw opponents off their game. Ranked top in the league, the Eskimos D has allowed just 63 points through five games and has found a sweet-spot scheme by continually rotating players and blitzers.
The Lions look to bounce back from a pair of tough losses over the past two weeks and will need a complete team effort versus an Eskimo squad that’s put together four straight wins. It’s also Edmonton’s only regular season visit of the year and kicks off a trio of important games for the Lions in August.
Led by veteran QB Travis Lulay, the Leos have shown they have the capability of being an elite tea, stringing together a textbook, 14-play, 95-yard touchdown drive on their opening posession against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Week 6. “We know what we’re capable of,” said Lulay.
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Consistency is Key
Watch the Lions’ 14-play touchdown drive in Week 6, their three first-half touchdowns in Week 5, or their 11-point cover in less than three minutes in Week 3, and it’s clear that the offence has some serious weapons and the ability to play at an elite level. For Jeff Tedford, it cannot be said enough: it’s all about putting it all together. The Lions’ head coach says he’s confident in the talent his team has.
BC has been solid through the first 15 minutes of their last three games, blanking opponents and is a +20 in the first quarter. Over the remaining quarters, opponents hold a 72-103 scoring edge. The focus for the Leos remains consistency. They’ll need to find a way to maintain that first-quarter excellence through 60 minutes. As veteran receiver Courtney Taylor says, “We feel like we’re headed in the right direction.“
Taylor, who lead the league in second-down conversion catches last year before being sidelined with an injury, looks to be progressing nicely after two games back. He had four second-down conversion catches in Week 6. Will this trend continue?
Hear from Travis Lulay on the team’s recovery from Week 6 and keeping momentum
Utilize the Offence
Throughout this week’s preparation, one thing that the players are trying to focus on is recognizing the talent they have and utilizng each offensive weapon. The Lions have three players over the 200-yards-receiving mark in Manny Arceneaux, Austin Collie, and Andrew Harris, including another 400+ rushing from Harris. They still have hidden gems in Shawn Gore, Marco Iannuzzi, Courtney Taylor and AC Leonard, who showed what he can do in his two-touchdown game in Week 4 vs the Riders.
Harris, who was solid in Week 6 with a carrer-high 24 carries and his ninth career 100-yard rushing game, knows that a team’s success never comes from just one player. “To place our offensive strategy on a couple games, you can’t say that this early in the season,” says Harris.
“We have great players on offence; we definitely have all the tools we need,” he adds about the confidence on the offence. The Lions will need to keep that confidence levle high as Edmonton’s defence is currently top in the league.
Battle Hard in the Trenches
Adam Bighill says the Lions defence understands that they haven’t been executing well enough. Bighill and Co. are eager to get back to their 2014 top-ranked status and with the return of Ryan Phillips and Ronnie Yell in the secondary, the league leader in tackles tells us that the they’re putting in the work to get there.
Edmonton’s Adarius Bowman could prove a solid challenge for the Lions. The big-bodied receiver is fifth in the league with 381 yards on 27 catches. “We know they’re going to target him,” says Bighill. “We just need to be disciplined and stick to our stuff.”
For Ryan Phillips, the key to nabbing a win at home is finishing the game with the same momentum that the team starts with. “Our defence needs to come and and be the dictators instead of receiving the blows,” he says. “That’s what is taking a toll on us right now.” In his second game back from injury, look for Phillips to bring his brand of veteran awarness to the field. As Bighill tells us, “not much gets by that guy.”
Of Note
For their part, the Edmonton defence is giving up very little to opposing teams. They have given up only 557 yards on 123 first-down plays for an average of 4.5 yards, the lowest in the CFL by a long shot. That will surely be in the back of the minds of the Lions’ offence as they’ll look to make longer passing plays. As Lulay puts it, “you can’t have 14-play drives all game.”
The Eskimos have allowed only one touchdown drive in their last three games, but Lulay is second in the league with eight touchdown passes.
The Lions pass protections continue to top the league with the offensive line giving Lulay plenty of time to throw. They’ve allowed only three all season and just one in their last 58 posessions.
Richie Leone may have another record… The rookie kicker, along with another rookie, Boris Bede of Montreal, has yet to miss a field goal in his 12 career tries. His 50.1-yard punting average is #1 in the league and he’s third in the league for kicking points at 45. The Lions cover team has been strong all season as well. Ask Leone and he’ll be the first to tell you, field position is crucial in the CFL.
We’re all in Thursday! Are you ready?