Canadian Press

It's routine for players to say that every football game is important.

Maybe what they really mean is there are some losses a team desperately wants to avoid.

It's only the second week of the CFL season but already the BC Lions and Calgary Stampeders meet in a game where a loss could have ramifications down the road. The Lions and Stamps are both coming off defeats in the opening week of the season and don't want to be 0-2 heading into week three.

While getting back to .500 is important for the Lions, veteran cornerback Davis Sanchez likes the idea of putting Calgary in an early hole.
 
"It's huge,'' Sanchez said after the Lions went through a brief workout at their practice facility.

"Calgary has already lost a game. If we can get them to 0-2 against us, it might mean a lot come November. It's two teams that at the end of the day could be fighting for the West championship. It's important to jump on them now.''

Calgary lost 23-21 to the Toronto Argonauts last week at McMahon Stadium while BC fell 30-26 to the Alouettes in Montreal.

Stampeder quarterback Henry Burris said both teams will be in a foul mood.

"They are going to be angry,'' said Burris. "We are angry as well.
 
"We know for us to get back to where we want to be, this is a team we have to beat. For us to get a big win on the road would really mean a lot to get that momentum back on our side.''

The Lions gave up 20 second-quarter points to the Als but battled back in the second half, outscoring Montreal 16-3.

Sanchez said BC's defence needs to start strong in the regular-season, home-opening game at Empire Field.

"The offence played pretty well last week but we put them in a bad situation getting down early,'' said Sanchez. "There is nothing from an X's and O's standpoint we are going to do differently.

"We just have to come out with a little more energy and not be flat coming out of the gate, which I think we were last week.''

The Lions took some undisciplined penalties last week and quarterback Travis Lulay was the victim of several dropped passes.

Lulay said what hurt the most was having drives stall, resulting in Paul McCallum field goals.

"We need to score touchdowns when we get those opportunities down in the red zone,'' said Lulay, who threw for 366 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions against the Als.

"There was a couple of times we came away with field goals.''

Wally Buono, the Lions coach and general manager, expects a better performance from his team this week.

"The thing about the early part of the season is you have to work through a lot of different issues,'' said Buono, who leads all CFL coaches with 243 victories. "This has been a good week of practice for us.''

During the week Buono apologized to his players for a decision he made late in last week's game.
 
Trailing by seven points, and facing a third-and-five, Buono decided to have McCallum kick 38-yard field goal instead of gambling or punting the ball deep.

Montreal scrimmaged at their 35-yard line and run out the remaining 1:42 to win the game.

The decision has been criticized by callers to radio sports programs and in comments on the Internet.

"I was wrong,'' Buono said. "It's a decision you make.

"At the end of the day you can't be afraid to make a decision based on what criticism or praise you are going to get.''

On Thursday, the Lions announced a partnership with the Ending Violence Association of BC to battle violence against women. The goal of the Be More Than a Bystander project is to encourage men to speak up and prevent abuse against women and girls.

An emotional Buono choked back tears when he alluded to an incident in his own home growing up as a child.

"These ladies who are being abused, they are our daughters and mothers,'' he said.

The Stampeders have enjoyed success in Vancouver. The last time the Lions enjoyed a home win over Calgary was Nov. 7, 2007.

"Calgary has been a team that has had some sort of game plan for us every single time we have played them,'' said Lulay. "They play fast and aggressive on defence. We know they are going to give us a few different looks. When we get opportunities we are just going to have to take advantage of them.''

John Hufnagel, Calgary's head coach and GM, said it's simple to explain what his team needs to do better this week. The trick will be executing the plan.

"We need to stay on the field and convert more second downs,'' he said. "And then take advantage of our scoring opportunities.''

The Stampeders come into the game with some key injuries. Not expected to play are kicker Bob Maver (tear in his quadriceps muscle in his kicking leg); linebacker Malik Jackson (concussion); receiver Ken-Yon Rambo (hamstring); and defensive lineman Corey Mace (Achilles).

Calgary has brought in Rene Paredes who played four years at Concordia University.

"The guys who are replacing the guys who are injured, I am extremely confident,'' said linebacker Juwan Simpson. "I think they will do a great job.

"They don't have to do it by themselves. That's why we are called a team.''