With a historic rainstorm pounding the world outside, the B.C. Lions took comfort in their domed stadium on Saturday night and washed away the Montreal Alouettes by a score of 27-3.
Here are my thoughts on the regular-season finale.
It’s alive! It’s alive!
The B.C. Lions were looking for a spark when they swapped their quarterbacks this week. Instead, they got a lightning bolt — the type that comes from the heavens and resurrects a desiccated corpse while Victor Frankenstein screams in the background.
From the moment Vernon Adams Jr. stepped onto the field, it was as if the clocks had turned back to Week 6. A potent offence once dead and buried surged to life under the power of his right arm and the electricity of his two feet. He found Justin McInnis streaking down the field for 43 yards on the very first throw of the game and the synopsis of the evening could have been written right there.
“I’m always so happy for guys that do things the right way, both Nathan and Vernon, but obviously Vernon today,” head coach Rick Campbell said of his quarterback. “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.”
Make no mistake, Adams wasn’t perfect. His first interception was an overthrow in the direction of Alexander Hollins, regardless of whether the receiver was obstructed earlier in the route. While the second turnover wasn’t his fault due to a quadruple bobble from Ayden Eberhardt, the play immediately preceding it would have been a 105-yard pick-six from Kabion Ento if he hadn’t dropped the ball. However, except for those two errors, the QB’s ball placement and clarity of decision-making were something to behold.
VA took everything the defence gave him and they gave him a lot. Alouettes’ defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe sent pressure into the quarterback’s face early and he expected it, railing him with deep shots time after time. The ball came out exactly when it needed to and landed right where it had to. When the throws weren’t there, he took off without hesitation and burnt the defence with his legs.
The final statline was impressive — 26-of-36 for 385 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions through the air, plus five runs for 39 yards and a major along the ground — but it wasn’t without context. The Alouettes were a team with nothing to play for and they looked like it. We also can’t forget that this same defence was also torched by Nathan Rourke in his best game just a few weeks ago.
Even with those caveats, it is clear that Adams was seeing the field and processing the defence in a way that Rourke simply hasn’t been able to since returning from the NFL. If there was any debate as to whether he is the superior option to lead this team into the playoffs, it is gone now.
“I want to give him an opportunity to finish what he started,” Campbell confirmed. “That’s what I’ve talked to him about and so we’ll go from there.”
Democracy in action
As good as Adams played, the true revelation of the night was the return of the receiving corps to their early season form. After weeks of lacklustre route running and minimal separation, they sprang to life in dominant fashion against Montreal.
As much as the opening pass foreshadowed VA’s performance, Justin McInnis battling back to the ball in tight coverage from Marc-Antoine Dequoy was something we just haven’t seen lately. The big-time catches kept coming from all parties and if it felt to you like a referendum on the quarterbacking, that’s because it was.
“Just happy to have ‘3’ back. We love Nathan, but just happy to have ‘3’ back out there making big plays and taking control of his team,” Keon Hatcher said post-game.
“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. 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.”
Hatcher saying the quiet part out loud is something of a surprise but the numbers bear it out. The 30-year-old crossed the century mark for the first time since returning from an Achilles tear, hauling in eight catches for 117 yards, while McInnis caught seven passes for 106 yards. Even rookie Stanley Berryhill III became the deep threat we all hoped he could be, blazing past Dionte Ruffin for a 52-yard score. The difference was clear: they were rallying around VA.
Adams acknowledged that the game felt vindicating for him and became emotional at the podium when asked about the way his teammates responded to him.
“It means a lot because they know how much I’ve put into this on and off the field,” he said, fighting back tears. “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.”
Rick Campbell continued to dance around the question when asked if Adams should have been inserted into the lineup sooner, but it’s clear that the men in the locker room believe he made a mistake by not giving VA back his job after his knee injury. It’s hard not to wonder how much different a situation the Lions could have been in heading into the playoffs had the plug been pulled on Rourke a little sooner.
Ain’t no luck
Ryan Phillips can put down his cell phone because luck had nothing to do with this defensive performance by the B.C. Lions.
Now, it needs to be said that they weren’t exactly facing the best version of the Alouettes. Receiver Austin Mack and running back Walter Fletcher both took the night off, while Cody Fajardo was given the start at quarterback despite not being with the team in two weeks due to the birth of his second child. Backup Davis Alexander was also given the second half to continue his development, as head coach Jason Maas promised he would.
Nevertheless, holding any professional team to just three points and 216 yards of net offence is a major accomplishment. B.C. played a complete game, never allowing a pass of more than 20 yards down the field and holding Montreal’s two running backs to a combined 3.8 yards per carry. Along the way, they made a whopping three goal-line stands to keep the Alouettes without a touchdown.
“I think it shows character more than skills or scheme. It’s really about going out there and playing hard, so that’s really good on our part,” defensive end Mathieu Betts said of those stops.
“It’s good when you only let three points on the board and we really feel like we played as a unit, where the d-line, linebackers, and the secondary all did their part.”
Ryder Varga and Jalon Edwards-Cooper finished with gaudier stat lines, but Ben Hladik made the two most memorable defensive plays of the game. On the first, the Canadian linebacker sniffed out an attempt by short-yardage QB Dominique Davis to sneak around the edge near the goal line late in the second quarter, finishing with a vicious dump tackle that drew gasps from the crowd. That set up a third-down gamble from Montreal that Cody Fajardo threw just out of the reach of Charleston Rambo in the end zone, thanks in part to great coverage from T.J. Lee.
It was also Hladik who rose out from behind the pile like a breaching sea monster to punch the ball out of Davis Alexander’s hands on a goal-line plunge in the fourth quarter. Christian Covington recovered the ball and Montreal’s touchdown-less fate was sealed.
The Lions seem to have the Alouettes number lately and it remains to be seen if they can replicate this type of performance against a full-strength opponent. Either way, it was an unexpected ray of hope for a fanbase that has become accustomed to getting out-gained this year.
Fight for your right
Among all the other positive changes that he brought to the table, the offence seemed to have a lot more fun with Vernon Adams Jr. at the helm. The veteran quarterback was jumping around like a madman in the end zone after his touchdown run and he wasn’t alone in partying it up. Nearly every first down was accompanied by some sort of choreographed celebration and that was by design.
“I brought us in after the [Saskatchewan] game as an offence to watch the film together, just us, and I told the receivers, ‘When Lucky and Rhymes were here, you guys used to get hyped. You guys used to do fun stuff throughout the week and plan celebrations,’” VA explained after the game.
If the Beastie Boys are right and you have to fight for your right to party, then Adams picked up the sword. Like good soldiers, his receivers fell in line behind him and the results were felt. It was a refreshing change of pace.
“You could tell we were out there having fun,” Hatcher said. “We were doing what we do but even with that, we were putting a little extra on it. Giving you a little flavour and having a good time and playing ball like we used to.”
Nailing the interview
Mathieu Betts is one of my favourite players to talk to after games because of his humility and frankness. He must be pretty good in job interviews too, because on Saturday night he was able to spin one of his biggest weaknesses into his greatest strength.
The reigning Most Outstanding Defensive Player had his best game since returning from the NFL and, remarkably, the biggest highlights didn’t come as a pass rusher. Sure, Betts was disruptive off the edge and got his second sack of the season, but he was also outstanding against the run. That’s usually the aspect of his game that you write off as a loss in exchange for what he can do pressuring the quarterback.
Speaking after the game, Betts chalked that success up to luck of the draw, saying that the Alouettes’ two backs just happened to bounce outside when he was in the area. I think the film will show he was setting a much better edge than usual to make those plays happen, making one impressive tackle-for-loss himself and setting up another for Josh Banks to mop up.
Good run defence can only happen if all 12 players are performing in unison and that happened on Saturday. A 26-yard scramble by Davis Alexander was the only substantial rushing gain allowed on the night.
Getting re-acquainted
When Canadian running back Jeshrun Antwi was dealt to the B.C. Lions at the CFL trade deadline earlier this month, he was frank about his disappointment in how the Montreal Alouettes used him this year. Following William Stanback’s departure for the West Coast, he was expecting to be used in tandem with starter Walter Fletcher but instead hit a new career low in touches.
It had to feel awfully good for the 27-year-old to get some second-half play in his first game against his former team and help ice the victory. Antwi carried the ball just six times but generated 71 yards, including three rushes of more than 10 yards in the fourth quarter. The Alouettes’ tandem of Sean Thomas-Erlington and Stevie Scott III produced just 50 yards combined.
Bumps and bruises
The Lions suffered a slew of minor injuries in this game but operated with an abundance of caution due to the meaningless nature of the contest. Linebacker Ace Eley was sat down early with back spasms, while running back William Stanback and cornerback Garry Peters did not play in the second half due to their own ailments.
Campbell was optimistic post-game about the statuses of all three players, indicating that he felt they were unlikely to miss time. The one exception was right tackle Kent Perkins, who exited the game with a suspected head injury, the severity of which was not known by the coach.
Peek into the voting booth
Millions of British Columbians headed to the polls on Saturday to cast their votes in the provincial election, but I entered the voting booth a little earlier in the week when the CFL sent out their team awards ballot.
For those not up to date on the inner workings of the CFL awards process, this was the first of three votes that will ultimately culminate in the selection of the six Most Outstanding accolades handed out at the end of the season. At this stage, four members of the Football Reporters of Canada in each market and the head coach of each franchise select the nominees for their respective teams, before a larger group of voters unites to select the Division finalists and then the league winner.
For the Lions, the media voters are me, J.J. Adams of Postmedia, and the radio broadcast crew of Bob ‘The Moj’ Marjanovich and Giulio Caravatta. The ballots are secret but I have no problem sharing mine — and the accompanying logic — with you here.
Most Outstanding Player: William Stanback — The 30-year-old running back has been a model of consistency in his first season in B.C., at times being the only reliable thing on offence. He may not have the same explosive burst as he did as a youngster, but he still set a new career high in yards from scrimmage.
Most Outstanding Defensive Player: Garry Peters — This was a tough selection given the unit’s struggles and extended stints on the injured list from players like Ben Hladik and T.J. Lee. Peters has been quieter than he was last year and isn’t the best corner in the league anymore, but he is still the only person on defence that opponents actively avoid.
Most Outstanding Canadian: Justin McInnis — McInnis’ production has been too hit-and-miss to get my M.O.P. nod, but his numbers are too good to go unrewarded. It has been 14 years since a Canadian led the CFL in receiving and he will likely change that.
Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman: Jarell Broxton — In some rare cases, absence can make a candidate’s award argument stronger. If you didn’t already know Broxton was the team’s best blocker, you certainly realized it while he was out.
Most Outstanding Special Teams Player: Sean Whyte — The buzz around Whyte has quieted since his early season perfect streak, but he’s still been almost automatic. Leading the league in field goal percentage has to be worth something, right?
Most Outstanding Rookie: Ace Eley — The Lions have had a couple of notable rookie contributors this year but Eley is the one who has gone the furthest towards proving he deserves a role going forward. It will be fascinating to see how the team manages him, Hladik, and Woods next year.
The phantom of the red zone
Some weird things were happening in the northeast end of BC Place stadium on the Alouettes’ only scoring drive.
After the Lions rallied to force a third-and-five from their own five-yard line, Mathieu Betts was flagged for unnecessary roughness to give Montreal a fresh set of downs. It wouldn’t be the first time that the Canadian edge rusher has committed a bone-headed mistake but what the call was for remains a mystery to everyone, including the offender himself.
Betts was arcing high around left tackle Nick Callender and was run past the quarterback, only to bump into the back of right tackle Jamar McGloster as he turned to look at the throw to the end zone. That incidental contact is the only explanation for the phantom flag that followed, though the referee offered no justification to anyone.
B.C. held firm at the goal line and forced a chip shot field goal, but that was when spooky season really kicked in for those in attendance. The call went out across the stadium that the kick was no good, a seemingly inexplicable miss by Jose Maltos, then the players enjoyed a TV timeout with a donut still in the Montreal column of the scoreboard. When play resumed, it changed to a three with no explanation given.
I don’t doubt that the field goal should have been awarded but a heads-up would have been nice. I’ve never seen a press box scramble to figure out why points had been awarded before and I’m sure the crowd was equally confused.
Cry me a river
Lions fans get a lot of flack around the CFL for being soft Vancouverites but they showed their true colours on Saturday.
The team announced weeks ago that the upper deck would be open for this game but most of us assumed the crowd would be minimal considering the conditions outside. Roads were flooded across the lower mainland amid a so-called “atmospheric river”, with cars underwater in Burnaby and salmon swimming in the streets in North Van.
Despite the torrential downpour pounding on the roof, a shockingly high percentage of the 28,436 tickets sold actually showed up. Given the way the Lions have performed lately and the fact the game meant nothing for the standings, it was simply an astounding turnout.
“I drove in here today and I drove through a few flooded roads. I’ve always been impressed with the Lions fans and for them to show up on a day like today, to get here is definitely appreciated,” Campbell said of the crowd.
“I’m also appreciative of this building. It was nice to be inside and play a game and not know what the weather was like outside. I’m getting too old for that.”
The long, hard road
The hardest journeys begin with a single step but the Lions’ will start with a bye week, as they watch the other eight CFL teams duke it out in the final week of the regular season. They’ll then need to win road playoff games in both Saskatchewan and Winnipeg if they want to return home for the Grey Cup, though they won’t know the order of those contests until next Saturday.
“We had home games for the past two seasons and didn’t end up where we wanted to be ultimately. I don’t know if it’s a good thing for us to rally and get the tougher task to go on the road,” Betts mused optimistically.
The Lions (9-9) are now a .500 football team but Saturday’s performance has provided renewed hope that they can do the improbable, despite putting every obstacle in their own way.
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