CFL.ca Staff
#CFLGameDay
The Lions know what’s at stake as each week on the schedule passes.
Currently sitting a game back of the final playoff spot in the West, the time for BC to leap over the Alouettes is running out as the season enters Week 14.
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The Lions are looking to keep pace in the playoff race while the Eskimos hope to catch up to the Stamps atop the West. Lions at Eskimos » View Lions depth chart
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In this case, the ideal situation would not be to have your third-string quarterback making his first career start under centre against the league’s top defence. Yet that is where the Lions stand with Jonathon Jennings, who filled in following an injury to John Beck as the team prepares to face the Edmonton Eskimos at Commonwealth Stadium.
The last time these two teams met, the Lions shut out the Eskimos in the second half en route to a 26-23 victory. However, both offences are geared much different now as Travis Lulay is on the shelf and Matt Nichols is in Winnipeg.
BC is coming off a tough loss to the Stampeders, one that saw Calgary pull away late in the fourth quarter. After being thrown into the fire in the second quarter, Jennings threw an impressive 252 yards but was also picked off three times.
Jennings showed flashes of his ability as a starting quarterback and his performance did not go unnoticed by his head coach.
“I thought he did a really nice job. When he did escape and use his legs, he kept his eyes downfield. He showed poise,” said Jeff Tedford. “Yeah, there were a couple decisions of forced balls in the end zone, maybe tried to make too much happen. But I thought for the most part he went in there and played with poise and confidence and that’s what we look for.”
Jennings knows he has to play better but the Lions believe his lack of experience is also an advantage when it comes to how the Esks gameplan for the mobile pivot.
“I know I can run around a little bit and escaping defenders is something that I’ve always been decent at so I think sometimes I might leave the pocket a little too early,” said Jennings. “There’s some type of feeling in me that just makes me take off and I shouldn’t take off sometimes. I just need to trust in my reads and trust in my pocket sometimes a little more than I do.”
He has been practicing with the first-team and has grown more confident over the week.
“This is my first start on a professional level. It’s a really big game and it’s big to all the teammates as well. Everyone wants to win, we need to win. Coming out here trying to keep the playoff hopes alive and maintain that position, we just need to come out here and get a W and just play the game.”
While sitting more firmly in a playoff spot, the Eskimos are aware that the heat gets turned up during the last quarter of the season with teams battling for playoff position. The effort level increases as players realize there is less time to turn their seasons around.
“At this point in the season as you get into the final third, each week just gets harder. Each week gets more and more important and it gets more and more difficult because teams are starting to see where the seeding might end up,” said Mike Reilly. “Some teams are going to be fighting for their lives in the playoffs and other teams are going to trying to raise their positioning for the seeds. So every week teams are coming out and giving you their best.”
It was Edmonton’s defence that carried them to a win over the Ticats last week, recording three interceptions and recovering two fumbles. That game, Reilly posted an uncharacteristic 49 yards through the air on 7-of-22 passing and rushed for 72 yards.
The Eskimos insist that they only focus on the new task at hand and don’t dwell too much on what may have gone wrong in previous games.
Chad Simpson will be the lead running back on offence as Shakir Bell sits on the sidelines nursing an injury. But it will be the potential rushing attack from Jennings that the Lions think should be the Esks’ biggest worry.
“The threat of him running and getting outside is definitely there. It opens up bigger holes for me on those certain plays that we do have and it opens up the playbook a lot more,” said Andrew Harris, who is looking forward to the idea for more space.”
Harris thinks that Jennings is beyond his years when it comes to learning and paying attention to the details. He feels confident in the team as he continues to maintain a positive attitude despite what the standings may reflect.
– With files from BCLions.com/Esks.com