Embracing The Underdog Role

Calgary, AB– Realistically, there are not many reasons to pick against the Calgary Stampeders in Sunday’s Western Final. From beginning to end, they were the CFL’s best team in the regular season. They enjoyed a remarkable 16-game unbeaten streak following their season-opening loss to your BC Lions on June 25th and also held sole possession of first in the division since a thrilling 44-41 overtime victory over Adam Bighill and company on July 29th. Simply put: they’re the class of the league. That being said, it was mildly surprising that not one of the CFL’s staff writers are picking the Leos to punch their tickets to the Grey Cup. As you can see below, it provided a little motivation in the club’s locker room before they departed to the airport to catch their flight to Cowtown Friday afternoon.

For Bighill, this is simply par for the course in 2016 and ever since training camp; number 44 has cared little of what people say outside Lions’ headquarters.

“It’s good because no one picked us to be here in the first place. At the beginning we were picked to be dead last. We’re all we need in this locker room, we believe in each other and it’s been that way all year. Sunday is going to be no different.”

Adam Bighill

“We worked too hard, too long not to relish this opportunity.”

It is indeed a championship mindset throughout that locker room. At the same time, there are no cutting corners and everyone realizes they will need their best game and then some to take down Bo Levi Mitchell and the Stampeders. The fact the Stamps’ starting QB has not thrown a pass in game action since October 21st may be a factor. The defence will look to feed off that and make a big statement early and often.

“That’s going to be the key. You can’t allow a guy who is that good a quarterback time to throw the football,” TSN 1040’s Giulio Caravatta told BCLions.com. “The only thing for me with the long layoff is for both sides of the ball it’s going to take them a little bit time to kind of get going. That’s why it’s a critical part of the game is to get off to a good start.”

Lions Meet Media In Calgary

The Lions held their final walk through and preparations at McMahon Stadium on Saturday. Although the mood and excitement has been creeping higher as the week has gone on, the day before mentality had a business approach to it as well. The players know they have not accomplished anything yet and that a loss to the Stampeders makes last week’s 4th quarter heroics a little less significant. Jonathon Jennings and Solomon Elimimian are interesting studies heading into this one. Jennings is far and away a better player than last year when he and the Lions lost a forgettable 35-9 playoff result against these same Stampeders. Jennings admits dealing with all of the pre-game hype, media obligations and other distractions is much easier than when he was a raw rookie in 2015.

“I’m just a little more comfortable,” Jennings admitted. “Even being in this room right now (media conference room), last year it was just a new experience. I wasn’t ready for it. This year it has been a long season, I’ve learned a lot and went through a lot of ups and downs but I have gotten so much better. I am prepared for this, I am ready for it and I’m excited.”

Wally Buono has seen his fair share of young quarterbacks. Before Jennings, the names include Jeff Garcia and Mike Reilly, both of whom the coach admitted he came real close to cutting in 1995 and 2011 respectively.

“You never ever know until you put them in the game. The quarterbacks need that pressure, need that ability to be who they are and you can only bring that out in a game. Practice doesn’t bring that out in them,” Buono said.

So if Jennings, Garcia and Reilly were judged on their practice habits alone, perhaps Buono’s coaching history turns out a bit different. As far as Jennings’ development goes, Buono sees a lot of the other two QBs’ traits in him and you can see those comments below.

Elimimian wasn’t in the lineup after suffering his achilles injury in August and now has come to the realization these championship opportunities won’t come around forever.

“Every year you realize how hard it is to win a Grey Cup,” Elimimian said. “I was fortunate to win it in 2011 and I remember telling guys we had the team to make a run for it the next 3-4 years and we haven’t been back since. I just told the guys when you have an opportunity in front of you, you really want to hold on to it. We feel like this is our moment and we have to seize it.”

Buckle up. The latest chapter opens at 1:30PM PT on Sunday. Let’s see if all six of those predictions hold true.

Matt Baker: mbaker@bclions.com