2024 CFL Week 15: BC Lions vs. Toronto Argonauts. Steven Chang/BC Lions
It will have been 267 days since the BC Lions last suited up in their home stadium. And while plenty seems to have changed since the thrilling victory over Calgary in last year’s Western Semi-Final, the squad returns to Downtown Vancouver with the same expectations they had following the playoff barnburner. Even with the team sitting in the West Division basement at 1-4 and with star quarterback Nathan Rourke on the shelf for at least this week, the prevailing wisdom is they are ready to break out. But that time has to be now. With an equally desperate Toronto Argonauts squad looking to spoil the party, this Saturday night matchup has its share of juicy storylines. Short-term setback for a long-term comeback? We’ll know soon enough. With more, we present our 5 Things To Know Game Preview for Week 8.
Game 6: BC Lions (1-4) vs. Toronto Argonauts (2-4).
Saturday, July 25.
4:00 pm, Save-On-Foods Field at BC Place
TV: Canada: TSN/RDS2
Stream: CFL+ (U.S. & International).
Radio: 730 CKNW/Lions Audio Network/Sher-E- Punjab Radio AM 600.
Chase Is On The Case
Excuse us for the Paw Patrol reference. But it is Brice’s offence for now, as Rourke’s left shoulder injury will keep him out on a week-to-week basis. Brice, the former Appalachian State standout and National Champion as a backup to Trevor Lawrence at Clemson, enters this week having dressed in 48 games with the Lions with some occasional relief duty since his 2023 arrival. After taking over on the second series of the game in Edmonton, Brice got comfortable as the game went on and, despite tossing four interceptions, nearly led the squad off the mat to an improbable road victory. With a full practice week and game plan installed for him as the starter, expect Brice to be more accustomed to the role this week. It will be interesting to see how Buck Pierce and the offensive coaches approach their attack. Having James Butler, Zander Horvath and the ground game more established will be a big bonus.
That Being Said… Time to Attack?
Toronto’s defence enters this week averaging a CFL-worst 348.8 passing yards per game. How much of that will be incorporated into the game plan for Brice and company remains to be seen. If there ever was a week where a couple of the big-game receivers could break out, maybe this is it. After a monster 129-yard performance in week one at Saskatchewan, Justin McInnis might be due to break out again. Number 18 has battled injury that hampered his performance, but won’t stay quiet for long. Those big plays that flip field position and get the team and crowd going will certainly ease Brice’s transition into the starting role. Look for the Lions to exploit the Argonauts’ back end.
Harris Steps Up
With Rourke’s injury and a few moving pieces on the defensive line throughout these first six weeks, 2025 second-round draft pick Hayden Harris will be elevated to a starting role. No longer counted on as just a rotational piece behind Mathieu Betts, the Montana Grizzlies product is just another example of the Lions’ growing quality of Canadian content. When they can bring more pressure up front, the entire defence benefits. It was almost enough to help will the team to comeback win in Edmonton last week. Harris, Betts and the interior play of both Casey Sayles and Jonah Tavai will be counted on to make Chad Kelly uncomfortable. The Argonauts quarterback is another one who loves to air it out.
Home Cookin’
If there is a silver lining to these early-season shenanigans that have led to a 1-4 start, it’s that they should get a boost from returning to their real home. The Lions have seven games to play at BC Place and the message percolating throughout the training facility all week is the fact that there is a real chance to reclaim home-field advantage as part of another storybook turnaround. The Lions play three of their next five at BC Place before an extended road trip out east. Stacking wins before the post-Labour Day stretch drive will tell a big story on how 2026 plays out. Including the West Semi-Final, the 2025 Lions boasted a home record of seven wins and three losses.
What They’re Saying
“We’re anxious to play in front of our fans, back in our home stadium in familiar territory where we have the utmost support. We’re excited for this game. We’re just driven and we’re doing whatever we need to do. We’re taking extra meetings and making every effort to secure a win for our fans and the entire organization.”- veteran T.J. Lee on the urgency this week and excitement to be back home.
“There’s always pressure. That’s the nature of pro ball. We’re blessed to be out here to have the opportunity to play.”- Brice on the approach of starting with the Lions at 1-4.
Your BC Lions depth chart ahead of Saturday’s game against the Toronto Argonauts 🏈 pic.twitter.com/O0y87LdPaj
— BC LIONS (@BCLions) July 24, 2026
Extra Points
Saturday marks the 107th all-time regular season meetings between the Lions and Argonauts. The Lions hold the edge wth 61 victories, 43 losses and a pair of ties. BC is also 33-17 all-time at home against the Boatmen.
For his Lions career thus far, Brice has completed 51 of 74 passes for 574 yards and three touchdowns. The four interceptions in Edmonton were the first of his pro career. You have to go back to August of 2022 to find the last time a Lions quarterback made his first CFL start: that was when Michael O’Connor was behind centre in a home game against Saskatchewan, occurring one week before the club made a trade with Montreal for Vernon Adams Jr.
On the other side, Kelly has fared well after missing all of 2025 with his broken leg. He has eclipsed 300 passing yards in five of Toronto’s six games. The Argonauts enter this week with the CFL’s best passing attack (370.8 yards per game) and second-best offensive output (434.5 yards per game), meaning it will be a stiff test for the improved Lions defence. The Toronto offence also boasts three of the league’s top eight receivers: Kevin Mital, Demontai Coxie and Makai Polk.
Joshua Donovan makes his return at right tackle in place of the released Dejon Allen. Training camp standout Ralen Goforth makes his first CFL appearance in a backup role behind Parker McKenna. The brass was excited about some of the American talent brought into Kamloops. McKenna has come as advertised and it will be interesting to see Goforth in any type of defensive packages.
Jackson Findlay enters this game tied with Darnell Sankey for the team lead in tackles with 26. He registered a career-high seven defensive stops last week.