Kadie Smith
The BC Lions head to Montreal Thursday for a rematch with the Alouettes with a bad taste in their mouths that they’re eager to get rid of.
The Lions are coming of a bye week spent doing some self-scouting and re-evaluation after a dissappointing loss to Montreal at home in Week 9 where, despite another strong start by the Leos, the Alouettes quickly came back, beating BC 23-13. “We’ve been too inconsistent through the first eight weeks,” said Travis Lulay. “We’ve had a good chance now to evaluate things, do a self-scout and move forward.”
It won’t be an easy task in Montreal for the Lions. The streak-breaker Alouettes are riding high after slaying the dragon known as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on their own turf, the only team to do so in 10 consecutive games.
Montreal might be without their QB Thursday though. GM and head coach Jim Popp, who took over head-coaching duties after the Als parted ways with Tom Higgins following the Week 9 win over BC, told the Montreal media that Rakeem Cato would dress but likely not start against the Lions. That job will go to Tanner Marsh, who stepped in for Cato mid-way through the Hamilton game.
It should be a hard-fought and exciting rematch between these two teams! Here are your 3 keys to the game as the Lions look to be streak busters of their own.
Consistency above all
The Lions had another strong early start in their first meeting with Montreal in Week 9 when Ryan Phillips ran back a Pick-6 on Montreal’s opening drive, but seemed to stall after that. While Manny Arceneaux did find the end zone again for BC late in the third quarter, they couldn’t muster enough offensive strength to counter Montreal’s tough defence.
“There’s sparks of what we know we can be. We have to see if we’re ready to give it our all, or go home,” said Shawn Gore, matter-of-factly. This is, as Gore puts it, a do-or-die game for the Leos, and the team is confident that they’ve put in the work this week to get a win.
Collectively, the team knows they have the players, the personnel, and the talent to get it done; what’s standing in their way is execution. “Our attitudes are right,” said Manny Arceneaux, on the Lions’ mindset. “I like the way the team is headed.”
The team spent the bye week doing some quality internal evaluation and the they’re confident that when push comes to shove, they can get it done. “People want to point to one thing, and I don’t think you can do that,” said head coach Jeff Tedford, echoing the sentiment from players that the Lions have the talent needed; it’s just about putting it together.
They’ll need to look deep within themselves and communicate on field to combat Montreal’s abilty to mix up strategy and plays on the fly. “They’re a good team,” added Phillips.
The run game
“Let big 33 do his thing.” DB Eric Fraser was, of course, referring to BC’s star running back Andrew Harris who, despite playing only eight games this season, leads the league in rushing yards with 565 yards on 113 carries, and yards from scrimmage with another 340 yards receiving. However, in Week 9 against Montreal, Harris was held to just 10 yards on eight carries while Montreal’s Tyrell Sutton burned the Lions’ defence for 111 yards on 14 carries.
“We have to find a way to get the run going,” said Harris. “This second half is where we can turn things around.” The key for the Lions will be recognizing that they can’t do the same things again. As Travis Lulay puts it, “we’re facing a team that’s probably even more confident this time. We have to mix it up.”
“Mix it up” could mean a number of things for the Lions run game as they look to combat the fast-paced Montreal defence and win the battle at the line of scrimmage, where Jeff Tedford notes they fell far short in the previous meeting. Look for Harris to come out fast and early to establish the all-important momentum.
A new direction
The Lions made a few moves over the bye week, releasing receiver A.C. Leonard. Jeff Tedford told the media that the team had decided to go in another direction: “we re-evaluated and decided we weren’t getting enough from that position.” With the release of Leonard, Tedford said he hopes to stretch the field vertically and the Lions are in an advantageous position in the regard with a couple big-bodied receivers including Manny Arceneaux.
“He’ll be moved around a lot,” Tedford said. “Manny understands what we’re doing well enough to play a lot of postitions.”
Another change for the Lions is the return of NFL vet Lavelle Hawkins. After suffering a broken arm in training camp, the receiver is jumping at the chance to make his CFL debut and show the Lions faithful what he can do. “It was the first camp I’ve ever missed in seven years,” Hawkins said. “I didn’t like being on the sidelines.”
On the defensive side of things, the Lions have had some time to adjust to life without Solomon Elimimian with Alex Hoffman-Ellis stepping up in a big way at the position. The LB led the team in tackles in Week 9 with a whopping 10 tackles. “Hoff’s a beast,” Adam Bighill said of his new partner.
Adding another new dimension will be DB Eric Fraser who gets the starting spot at safety. “We need to come at them with an attitude,” said Fraser of his first start as a Leo.
The defence’s focus this week continues to be upping their physicality. The veterans are stepping up their leadership roles and really setting the no-nonsense tone in the locker room. “This is a crucial part of the season,” said Ryan Phillips. “We understand the position we’re in.”
Adam Bighill seconds that sentiment, noting that there has been a greater sense of accountability among the team in practice. “Every guy here knows that he has to put the pressure on himself,” Bighll said. “It can’t come from anywhere else.”
After a long bye week, the Lions are eager to get back on the field and take back the win they let slip in Week 9. Sit back, strap yourself in, and get ready for some Thursday Night Football!
