Lions' Emmanuel Arceneaux celebrates his touchdown over the Ticats' during first quarter CFL action in Hamilton on Friday, July 1st, 2016. (CFL PHOTO - Dave Chidley)
It was an exciting and upbeat flight home that touched down at YVR just before 3:00 am, for the BC Lions after Friday’s 28-3 dismantling of the Tiger-Cats at Tim Horton’s Field in Hamilton. The Lions are 2-0 for the first time since 2012 when Wally Buono was just beginning his four-year hiatus from the sidelines. Check out this week’s Roar Report for all of the key stats from the victory over the Ticats:
The presence of the CFL’s all-time winningest coach has no doubt played a huge role in the team’s excellent start. BCLions.com caught up him and a few key contributors of the last two games to get their sense on both the start and the exciting vibes in the locker room.
“There’s lots to build on. A lot of people are on the fence wanting to see what kind of football club this is. Hopefully they’ve seen that this club is going to play hard, play physical and hopefully is going to play enough exciting football to get BC Place full again.”
“We’re not surprised. Other people are surprised, but we’re not surprised. We know we have a good team and it’s just a tipping point. We’re going to keep getting better, stay humble, stay hungry and just keep getting better. ”
On returning to the scene where he was injured last year:
“For me it was personal. Ten months ago I hurt my Achilles here. I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to play again but I pushed through it and I told myself if God blessed me with an opportunity I would make it count.”
“It’s a confidence builder. A lot of people counted us out. This is a great team win and there’s still lots of room for improvement, but as a locker room things are starting to click. When we decide to play, this team is going to be explosive because the main thing is it’s about us, it’s never about the other team. As long as we execute, this team is going to be something special.”
“It’s great man, being 2-0. It’s been a while since we were 2-0 here so it’s just great to get a good start. Good team wins last week and this week and we’re just looking to build off of it. We’ve clicked as on offence, we’ve moved the ball up and down the field. Starting on Monday, we get back to work and on to Toronto.”
“We got a complete team win. Coach Washington called a great game plan and we just went out there and executed and made plays. We wanted to play fast and physical. We want to be a defence that hits people in the mouth. The sky is the limit for this team. The ceiling is high for us and we can go as far as we want to. We’re taking it one week at a time. To be honest, I couldn’t even tell you who we’re playing next week.”
Bake’s Takes:
You could tell the Lions special teams unit was tired of being second guessed all week. They held electrifying return man Brandon Banks to just 48 yards on five total returns, the longest of which was 24. Hat tip to Richie Leone, the windy conditions were not ideal for kicking field goals, but he recovered nicely after an early miss, ending his night 3 for 5, and was backed up by the excellent kick coverage that held Banks at bay. Leone also makes an unreal stadium tour guide:
Ryan Phillips‘ interception was the 47th of his career, leaving him four shy of Larry Crawford’s all-time Lions record. He also looks like he could still play another ten years. Phillips is also part of a fast, explosive secondary that the club feels is the deepest they have had in years. Seeing rookies like Loucheiz Purifoy and Anthony Thompson also come up with key interceptions certainly validates that belief.
Speaking of veterans, one guy whose accomplishments through two games that cannot be ignored: Shawn Gore. After leading the team in receptions last week, he made a huge statement with his 60-yard grab in the second quarter last night. Although they would not score on the drive, it played a pivotal role in flipping the field position.
The Lions and Argonauts clash at 7:00PM Thursday night at BC Place. The visitors will also be riding high after they spoiled the Roughriders home opener in Regina 31-17 to improve their record to 1-1.
Matt Baker: mbaker@bclions.com