The sample size wasn’t big enough to draw any definite conclusions, but if there’s one piece of information we can take from Travis Lulay’s brief appearance on Friday night, it’s that his head coach is happy to have him back.
“Based on what I saw it was pretty darn exciting. We will see how he recovers and see how he feels, but certainly stay tuned I will definitely figure that out before we get back to work on Tuesday,” said Mike Benevides about his start quarterback’s status heading into Sunday’s Western Semi-Final.
Playing for the first time since suffering a shoulder injury in Week 12 against the Alouettes, Lulay completed three of his four passes for 54 yards and ran in a touchdown, as the Lions downed the Stampeders 26-7 in what was the season finale for both teams.
While his limited time under centre was encouraging, Lulay admits that there are no guarantees when it comes to his status this Sunday.
“Obviously I wanted to go out there and make a few throws and feel comfortable coming in and out of the huddle and I did that tonight,” he told BCLions.com.
“I was pleased with the way it felt; hopefully it recovers well and continues to get better. Adrenaline is a pretty good drug, but it felt good tonight.”
Offensively, it’s been an up and down year for the Lions. Along with Lulay’s injury, there were the issues on the ground, where Andrew Harris’ decrease in production raised some eyebrows both inside and outside the organization.
As a result, GM Wally Buono went out and brought tailback Stefan Logan back into the fold, in hopes that his presence would help revitalize a once powerful BC attack.
It’s taken some time, but the move has started paying off for the Lions.
Last week, a seemingly refreshed Harris ran for 102 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, his best performance since a July 30th matchup with the Argonauts.
The Winnipeg native couldn’t be happier with BC’s new-look running game.
“First off the one-two-punch between me and (Stefan Logan) is absolutely crucial, we feed off each other. Having two different running styles is amazing to have and the O-line is just playing outstanding right now,” he said.
“Having a guy that has been in the NFL, you obviously take some tips off of him. I have been in the offence for two years now and understand everything about it. We feed off each other that way and it is just good to have him.”
Harris will now shift his focus on carrying his recent success into the playoffs, where he has enjoyed some success.
In three career post-season games, Harris has racked up 249 total yards and three touchdowns.
With his confidence now at a sturdy level, there’s no reason to believe why that success shouldn’t continue into what will be his third-straight appearance in the playoffs.
“They are getting down field on guys and creating lanes and even when they don’t we have the ability to cut-back on these new schemes,” Harris said of his offensive line.
“So it’s working out great and there is absolute full confidence in this Lions team.”