Ottawa Redblacks' Patrick Lavoie (82) jumps to keep B.C. Lions' Adam Bighill (44) and Solomon Elimimian (56) away from the ball during first half CFL action on Thursday, Aug. 25, 2016 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
The BC Lions (8-4) will kick off the month of October by entertaining the Ottawa REDBLACKS (6-5-1) in their second and final regular season meeting on Saturday, presented by Tim Hortons. Jonathon Jennings and company have not lost back to back games all season and are in no mood to reverse that trend, with the fight for both a playoff spot and the right to host a game in November tightening up after last week’s setback in Edmonton. “This is what we play for. We play to compete and play to be the best,” Jennings says of the crucial six-game stretch ahead. “You can’t be the best unless you beat the best and it’s exciting football right now. You want to be in a position to play playoff games and this gives you a good chance to practice for what’s to come.” Jennings and the offence has had no issue starting games fast, but a trend they want to avoid is allowing teams to get back into games. They have blown leads of 14 points or more in two of the four losses this season. “We just got to make sure that we come out, start fast and finish fast,” Jennings adds. “We have to make sure we stop shooting ourselves in the foot on offence.”
Despite being sacked a season-high six times, Jennings and the offence escaped Ottawa with a 29-23 victory on August 25th to give them a 6-3 record at the halfway mark of 2016. Four of their remaining six games will be played at home and following this contest is a huge back to back against Winnipeg. Those two games will likely go a long way in determining who finishes in the top two in the West Division, as the two clubs entered this week tied for second in the division with 16 points. The Lions also hold a game in hand.
Here are some other storylines to watch for on Saturday night:
Allen Takes The Rock:
In keeping with the recent two-game rotation, Anthony Allen goes back in as the starting tailback, in place of Jeremiah Johnson. Look for the fresh legs to give them a big boost: the last time this switch was made, Johnson had three touchdowns and 159 yards, the highest single-game rushing total by any CFL running back the season. “Having fresh legs is the name of the game right now,” Allen says. “I’m very excited because I have never really felt this way going into October, especially my legs. It’s going to be a big game for me, a big game for the team, we’ve got to come out with a win and we’re excited.” The Lions lead the entire league in rushing yards, averaging 106.9 per game, while Ottawa has the number one run defence. Like Jennings indicated, Defensive coordinator Mark Nelson usually has a variety of schemes dialled up, so the ground game will no doubt be a vital match up. “He (Mark) was my special teams coach in college and I have a lot of respect for him. He does a great job of adjusting during the game,” Allen adds. The Georgia Tech alum had 76 yards on 13 carries in the previous meeting against Ottawa. This will also be the running back’s first game at home since a week three loss to Toronto on July 7th.
Defence Looks To Make Amends
A big reason the Eskimos were able to battle back last week was their ability to chew up yardage, particularly on the ground where Shakir Bell ran for 108 yards and QB Mike Reilly carried the ball seven times for 29 yards. Craig Roh knows he and the defensive line need to be better if they want to get back in the win column. “It’s just a few little adjustments, it wasn’t anything big,” Roh says. “I think we’ve got the right personnel in there and we’ll come back and show the run defence we have been playing all year.” Mark Washington’s defence has still allowed just 27 touchdowns this season, one more than that of the Montreal Alouettes, which has given up the least. Along with quarterback Trevor Harris, the REDBLACKS boast some key weapons on offence, including running back Travon Van and a quartet of playmaking receivers in Chris Williams, Greg Ellingson, Brad Sinopoli and former Lion Ernest Jackson. Williams leads the club 1,051 receiving yards. “Honestly, I look more at the O-line,” Roh says of shutting down the opposition’s top players. “If guys are in their gaps doesn’t really matter what running back is there.
Quotable:
“This one definitely is a big one. Obviously we still have a bitter taste in our mouths from last week and the next game is the biggest game. It’s special because it’s at home. We want to give our fans their money’s worth and we want to play and provide an atmosphere when you come to BC Place you have fear in your eyes.”- Solomon Elimimian on the chance to go 9-4.
Three Keys To Victory
Less laundry on the field: The Lions have not shot themselves in the foot with penalties very much this year, but last week in Edmonton was a rare exception. In total, there were flagged 11 times for 110 yards with a few of the infractions snuffing out opportunities to move the ball. Playing a relatively penalty-free game has been a big message at practice throughout the week.
Be Better Up Front: We know the Lions’ offensive line will be ready to reverse what happened against the REDBLACKS the last time out. Although Wally Buono says the six sacks cannot be blamed on the o-line entirely, the group knows it must be better. A carbon copy of how they performed against Montreal two weeks ago would allow Jennings to operate the way he wants. The QB was sacked twice in the Edmonton loss, including on a critical second and goal that forced them to settle for a field goal and only a two-point lead in the late stages.
Utilize Sinkfield: This one may seem a little off the board, but it could prove to be a big one. Terrell Sinkfield Jr. made his highly anticipated Lions debut last week and was only targeted once; a dropped pass on the first play of scrimmage. Now that he has more than three full days of practice under his belt, he can be in an even better position to cause fits for the REDBLACKS’ secondary. The more Jennings uses all his weapons, the more damage he and the offence can inflict on the East Division leaders.
Extra Yardage:
Since the re-birth of football in our nation’s capital to start 2014, the Lions hold a 3-2 edge against the REDBLACKS. Travis Lulay scored two touchdowns on short yardage situations in the August 25th victory, including the winning points with 1:34 left on the clock. Overall, the Lions have dominated Ottawa football over the course of history with a record of 23-6-2 against the Rough Riders, Renegades and REDBLACKS combined.
Much has been made about the breakout season for Bryan Burnham, but perhaps the most impressive stat: He leads the CFL with an average of 18.1 yards per reception and has also hauled in 19 2nd down conversions.
Saturday marks the final regular season contest against an East Division opponent this season. A victory would give the Leos a 7-1 record against Eastern foes, a 25-14 loss to the Argos on July 7th serving as the only setback to date.
The Lions will don their “away” white uniforms with orange pants and helmets. As a result, Ottawa will be in their “home” black look.
Stay in your seats at halftime for a live performance by the University of Washington Husky Marching Band, presented by AMACON!
The contest can be heard on TSN 1040 with Scott Rintoul and Giulio Caravatta. Kickoff is at 7:00PM. Pre-Game coverage begins at 5:00PM with Jeff Paterson, Chris Burns and Lowell Ullrich. Viewers can watch on TSN 1 and those south of the border can see it on ESPN 3.
You can download the Lions roster and depth chart for Saturday here!
Matt Baker: mbaker@bclions.com