After weeks of speculation and controversy, the B.C. Lions proved on Saturday night that their locker room wasn’t divided between two quarterbacks. They were just waiting for the right one to play.
“We’re just happy to have ‘3’ back,” receiver Keon Hatcher told reporters following the team’s 27-3 victory over the Montreal Alouettes. “We love Nathan, but just happy to have ‘3’ back out there making big plays and taking control of his team.”
A regular-season finale rout was exactly the type of response the Lions were hoping for when they switched their quarterbacks earlier this week, benching struggling Canadian Nathan Rourke and re-inserting his veteran predecessor Vernon Adams Jr. Still, after two and a half months of offensive ineptitude and flagging motivation, the contrast was starker than even the most ardent VA supporters could have anticipated.
Adams exploded from the opening snap, hitting Justin McInnis for a 43-yard gain on the very first play from scrimmage. The fireworks never seemed to stop, as the 31-year-old completed 26-of-36 passes for 385 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. He added five carries for 39 yards and a major along the ground, as the Lions more than doubled Montreal’s offensive output.
“It’s been tough times, just sitting back and watching, how everything unfolded throughout the season,” Adams admitted post-game. “I’m just glad I got an opportunity tonight and my playmakers helped me look better than what I am.”
Few could have predicted that the Lions would find themselves here when Rourke was signed in mid-August. It was hailed as the return of a homegrown hero, as the Victoria-born quarterback was handed a record-setting contract and immediately thrust into the lineup following his return from the NFL. The 26-year-old struggled to re-adjust to the CFL game though and his offensive teammates, very few of whom had been present for his incredible 2022 season, never seemed to get on the same page. The result was a 4:9 touchdown-to-interception ratio through eight starts and a dismal 3-5 record.
Adams was the consensus frontrunner for Most Outstanding Player at the mid-way point of the season but suffered a knee injury before Rourke’s arrival. At first, it necessitated that the Canadian pivot push through his rushed insertion into the lineup and the early gaffes with the whole team behind him. Once VA recovered, however, some wondered why he wasn’t allowed to take back his job, just as Nathan had been allowed to following his Lisfranc sprain two years ago.
“We feel for [Adams]. It’s a business, we all understand that. Nate’s a great quarterback, he’s a great person but I just think this year, it was Vernon’s team,” Hatcher said frankly. “He’s been here since Nathan departed us. I just feel like it was VA’s team and I think you could tell that and sense that tonight.”
Disappointing results and the loss of a desired home playoff game may have forced the Lions’ hand but that didn’t diminish the impact of Adams’ return under centre. After months of toeing the company line and publicly backing his replacement at the cost of a potential career year, he fought back tears post-game when asked about the endorsement of his teammates.
“It means a lot because they know how much I’ve put into this on and off the field,” he said, choking up. “From our mini camps last year, this past offseason, I’ve done nothing but try to give my all to this organization and they see that. It just means a lot that they have my back.”
The fear is that the change came too late to save the Lions’ season. The team’s skid under Rourke means they will need road wins in Winnipeg and Regina to secure a home Grey Cup berth — a monumental test at the best of times. Nevertheless, head coach Rick Campbell dodged any suggestion that he should have made a move at quarterback sooner, reiterating his belief in both players while praising Adams’ resilience.
“I’m always so happy for guys that do things the right way, both Nathan and Vernon, but obviously Vernon today,” he said. “Wise beyond his years as far as not complaining and not feeling sorry for himself, doing things the right way all the time. And it matters. It matters to the team, but also matters that’s how he showed up today.”
In the end, it likely won’t matter enough for Adams to keep his job long-term. With the team set to invest over $800,000 in Rourke next season, not even games like Saturday’s will stop him from being traded away this offseason in favour of the CFL’s most uniquely marketable young player.
Even in the aftermath of victory, the quarterback’s sense of vindication is balanced out by a sad resignation to that fact. His teammates may be behind him but the organization with which he once hoped to put down roots is only using him temporarily.
“I just want to finish this year off right and do what we can do,” he said, trailing off at the end.
He’ll get the opportunity to do that in two weeks in the West Semi-Final, with Campbell confirming that Adams will be at the controls for the opening game of the playoffs. Whether that comes against the Riders or Bombers is still to be determined, but the head coach appears to have come around to the position that his players have held all along.
“I want to give him an opportunity to finish what he started,” Campbell said. “That’s what I’ve talked to him about and so we’ll go from there.”
The West Semi-Final is scheduled for Saturday, November 2 at 6:30 p.m. EDT.
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