Kadie Smith
Kickoff: 4:00pm PT
Radio Play-by-Play: TSN 1040 (pre game starts at 2pm)
Broadcast: TSN and ESPN3 in the US
It’s going to be a tough defensive battle Saturday as the 5-9 Lions head to Edmonton to take on the 11-4 Eskimos, and we mean tough. Edmonton boasts one the strongest defence in the league, topping the stats sheet in a number of categories. While the Lions have struggled on defence in parts of this season, the unit seems to have found their stride as of late.
The last time these two teams met, BC led until late in the fourth quarter, but Edmonton managed to come back to win 27-23. “We’ve beaten them before,” said quarterback Jonathon Jennings. “We have the skill to do it again.”
Watch: Jeff Tedford previews all you need to know for Saturday in this week’s 3 Pregame Rundown.
Here are your Week 17 Three Keys to the Game!
Defence running wild
Craig Roh and Mic’hael Brooks have brought a kind of speed and athleticism to the defensive line that makes it tough for any QB, while Adam Bighill continues his reign of terror, racking up 94 tackles, one behind league-leader Jeff Knox Jr., with a game in hand. His 6.7 defensive tackles per game is top in the league and he’s on pace for 121 this season.
In his 11th season, Ryan Phillips is playing the kind of football that led him to four CFL and West Division All-Star nods. The speedy DB has 24 tackles on the season and leads the Lions in interceptions with three, returning one for a touchdown.
Last week against the Bombers, the Lions defence did not allow an offensive touchdown until late in the fourth quarter. In Week 15 against Saskatchewan, they recorded five sacks and three interceptions, again preventing an offensive TD until late in the fourth.
For their part, the Eskimos are coming off a big win over the Stampeders where their defence did not allow Calgary to run a single play from scrimmage inside the Red Zone. “We expect this to be a defensive battle with them,” said Adam Bighill. “We’re executing at a higher level now.”
Finish strong
Over their last two losses (including a nail-biter to Edmonton), the Lions have seen leads erased in the fourth quarter. The focus this week has been finishing as strong as they start. The Lions have led eight times heading into the fourth this season, but have managed just three wins in those games.
“I know we can stick with these teams,” said Andrew Harris. “We’re not getting beat by teams right now; we’re beating ourselves.”
Offensively, the team is putting up bigger numbers than in the beginning of the season, posting an average of 343 yards per game with 10 TDs. They’ve have started strong in their last four games, tying Calgary in Week 13 late in the fourth. Jennings has had a stellar start to his career, throwing for 1,1017 yards and nine TDs in his first three starts, only two other QBs have thrown for more yards in their first three CFL starts.
“Jonathon’s playing as well as any QB in the league right now,” said Coach Tedford of his rookie pivot. In the Lions’ loss to the Bombers, Jennings went into halftime with an impressive 307 yards on 16 of 17 attempts with three TDs.
For his part, Jennings says he’s confident in the talent and skill on the Lions, and seconds Harris’ assessment that the biggest obstacle standing in the team’s way is maintaining momentum. “We’ve been studying the last game against them, making note of how they adjusted in the second half,” he said.
Utilize the offence
There’s no denying what Manny Arcneneaux has done over his last four games. The big-bodied receiver is averaging 119.3 yards per game, totalling 477 yards and four TDs in that stretch. Last week he exploded not only on the stats sheet, but on blockign as well, laying down a DB to give Lavelle Hawkins room, and demolishing Demond Washington with a stiff arm to end all stiff arms.
Lavelle Hawkins has been pivotal to the Lions offence as well. In the six games since his return from injury, the former Tennessee Titan has amassed 441 yards on 24 receptions and two TDs, averaging 74 yards per game. In his last four, he’s averaging 95 yards per game.
“I think I bring passion,” said Hawkins. “I love the game. I just want to be out there making plays for my guys.”
Bryan Burnham has also been making his mark for the Lions offence. The athletic receiver is no stranger to the end zone, but where the Tulsa alum has been most impressive is in yards after the catch. “He’s been very productive,” said Coach Tedford. “He has range and he has the speed to make plays after a catch. We hope to have anotehr big game from him this week”
“Catch the ball and act like a pack of wolves is coming after you,” said the second-year Lion on his game-day mentality. Whatever it is, it seems to be working!
With the some key performances on offence over the last few games, and veteran talents in the likes of Andrew Harris, Marco Iannuzzi, and Shawn Gore, not to mention former NFLer Austin Collie, the Lions have the versatility needed to make some big plays against a stout Edmonton defence.
