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July 27, 2016

‘Best In West’ At Stake Tonight in Cowtown

It is likely too early to be talking about playoff implications in late July, but the stakes are mighty high for this evening’s tilt between the Lions and Stampeders at Calgary’s McMahon Stadium; the winner will wake up Saturday in sole possession of first in the West Division. For Wally Buono and company, it’s also a chance to move three points ahead in the standings, and most importantly, assure themselves of winning the season series. “I think everybody understands the next challenge,” Buono said. “Calgary has been an elite team for a lot of years and going into McMahon is never easy. If you want to be an elite team, you have to beat the elite teams.” While the Lions can be happy with starting 3-1 and sitting atop the division, Buono says a big positive for him is the fact they have not become too complacent after starting the year off with a couple of big victories. “Coming out of camp I felt we had a good team, I felt we needed to steadily improve every game which I think we’re doing. From week one to week four, we are a better football team and the only way you prove that is by going out and winning.”

 

B.C. Lions' head coach Wally Buono carries a challenge flag after throwing it during the first half of a pre-season CFL football game against the Calgary Stampeders in Vancouver, B.C., on Friday June 17, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

A few other storylines to watch out for on Friday:

Jennings vs. Mitchell:

Jonathon Jennings deserves full kudos for a nice bounce back game against the Roughriders, one week after being pulled for the first time in his young career. Now the dynamic QB looks forward to going toe-to-toe with Bo Levi Mitchell, one of the CFL’s most prolific passers and Most Outstanding Player in the Stampeders’ 2014 victory. The Eastern Washington product has passed for 1220 yards and eight touchdowns for the 2-1-1 Stampeders in 2016. “You want to emulate guys like that,” Jennings said. “I don’t really see myself competing directly against that person, but Bo Levi is a great quarterback. His numbers and record have proven it. I always look to learn from guys like that.”

Out for blood:

The Lions know one thing: They are facing an angry opponent this week. Consensus from a few across the Rockies was the Stampeders gave one away in the season opener at BC Place, a 20-18 triumph for the Lions. While Mitchell and company may have missed out on a few opportunities, you cannot take away a couple of the big plays made by the Leos, most notably a 72-yard punt return touchdown by Chris Rainey that put them ahead for good in the 4th quarter, and Mic’hael Brooks stopping Drew Tate shy of the goal line on 3rd and inches. That brilliant tackle prevented the Stampeders from potentially being ahead 17-3 at the half.

Warranted or notRonnie Yell says any bulletin board material need not apply. “Whatever they say has nothing to do with us,” Yell said. “We’re worried about ourselves, we’re worried about going out and beating them. We’ll just go out there, play our game and get the win.” The cagey cornerback also says it’s never hard to get up for facing the red-clad foes from Calgary.

“It’s one of our biggest rivalries. When we face Calgary, we know it’s going to be a big challenge but it makes us bring the intensity a little more, be a little nastier and hit a little harder.”

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Newcomer’s club:

Receiver Geraldo Boldewijn and defensive back Steven Clarke will make their regular season debuts in place of Nick Moore and TJ Lee respectively, after the latter two suffered season-ending injuries in the July 16th win at Saskatchewan. Boldewijn could prove to be a major wild card after a hamstring injury and stomach virus cut his training camp short. As a result, he missed both pre-season contests and was unable to secure a spot on the active roster until now.

“That’s the most exciting part about it, just being able to get on the field and show everybody what I can do out there. I’m very excited,” said the Amsterdam-born receiver. “It’s been fun watching those guys make plays. Now I finally get a piece of that too. I can’t wait to just be out there and celebrate with my teammates in the end zone.”

Boldewijn’s lone CFL start came in the 2015 regular season finale against these same Stampeders. He contributed by hauling in three catches for 64 yards, including a 50-yard dart from Travis Lulay, which was the third longest completion by the club all year. In Kamloops he turned quite a few heads with his speed and wingspan. Now he will look to cause fits for the Stampeders defence. In Clarke, the Lions have a versatile DB capable of playing multiple positions. He got his first taste of real CFL exposure last season when Ryan Phillips tweaked a hamstring in the Lions’ opener. The Vanderbilt product is motivated to once again prove he belongs.

3 Keys To Victory:

Stop the run: Brooks and company know they once again have their hands full with Jerome Messam rounding into form in the Calgary backfield. The former Lion is averaging 5.7 yards per carry in 2016, but was held to just 16 on seven attempts running the ball in week one. If they can take the bruising back out of the equation and force Mitchell to test the Lions’ deep secondary, it will go a long way in helping them escape Calgary with a victory.

Stay Disciplined: First half penalties nearly killed the Lions in Saskatchewan, but with all due respect to the Roughriders, it will not be easy to dig themselves out of a similar hole this week. With the field position battle so crucial, especially early on, they know those issues will need to be cleaned up from the opening kickoff. Expect them to deliver.

Continue To Spread It Out: Perhaps Jennings’ biggest strength this season has been his ability to rely on multiple targets as four of his receivers have already eclipsed the 200-yard mark through four games. Getting everyone involved will be a big part of the recipe.

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Extra Yardage:

The Lions’ last victory at McMahon came on August 1st, 2014 when they handed the Stampeders one of only three losses overall that season, a 25-24 squeaker….. Buono returns to the place he called home from 1990-2003. His most recent appearance in Calgary as Lions head coach was September 24th, 2011 when the Lions prevailed 32-19 en route to first place and the sixth Grey Cup win in franchise history…. Friday’s tilt can be heard on TSN 1040 with Scott Rintoul and Giulio Caravatta. The extended pregame show begins at 2:00PM with Barry Macdonald, Don Taylor and Bob Marjanovich live from McMahon. The game can be viewed on TSN and viewers south of the border can tune in on ESPN 2.

You can download tonight’s Lions Depth Chart Here.

Fan Poll
What is the number one key to winning in Calgary?
Stopping Jerome Messam
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Avoiding Penalty Trouble
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Spreading It Out Offensively
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Owning The Line Of Scrimmage
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Jonathon Jennings Outplaying Bo Levi Mitchell
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Other
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