Following a comeback for the ages- one that tied a record for the biggest-ever fourth-quarter rally in club history- to stun Ottawa last week, the 9-4-0 BC Lions can now nail down a spot in the Grey Cup playoffs. Standing in their way: Tre Ford and the resurgent Edmonton Elks who have put together a nice run of four wins in their last five contests following an 0-9 start. The third and final regular season meeting goes down Friday night at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium (6:30 pm PT/TSN/CFL+/AM730).
With five games to play in the regular season, the Lions control their own destiny as they aim to finish atop the Western Division. A win this week ties them with the idle Winnipeg Blue Bombers for first place with a critical showdown still to come on October 6 at BC Place. We now get you primed for Friday’s matchup with the Elks in our game preview.
Ford Tough
It’s no secret the Canadian pivot has changed Edmonton’s fortunes. Since giving Ford the keys, they have gone 4-1 while averaging 29 points per game. They had averaged only 13 per game over the course of their nine-game losing streak. Ford has also been a difference maker on the ground, with at least 50 rushing yards in his six starts and a 135-yard outing in the Labour Day Classic in Calgary. Needless to say, it’s a big challenge for Mathieu Betts and a Lions defence looking to re-establish some dominance.
“Tre Ford has been playing really really well, for sure,” Betts explained.
“His explosiveness is really impressive. I think he’s giving them a chance right now. In my opinion, they play way better than the two times we played them previously this season.”
Perhaps it also helps that the unit got a taste of a scrambling quarterback last week as Ottawa’s Dustin Crumb ran for 46 yards on nine carries with a pair of touchdowns on top of it all. The defensive position groups will be counted on to play complimentary football and not allow Ford and the Elks to finish drives, even if they manage to chew up yardage.
“We have to play all 12 of us together, honestly,” Betts added.
“It’s not one guy that’s going to be Superman. More than ever, it’s going to be for everybody to play responsibly to the best of their ability, obviously to be a little more careful about his running ability and trying to escape the pocket. If we can do a good job of trying to keep him in there as much as possible, stopping the run I think we’ll be in a good position.”
The mornings are getting crisp and we see more leaves falling. A sure sign that playoff football is around the corner.
“We’re down to five games. The formula doesn’t change for us. We want to play good football and to be able to peak when the playoffs arrive,” Betts said.
“Big week, big game for us.”
Added head coach Rick Campbell on facing an improved squad with a dynamic new-look offence:
“This is the broken record speech from me is that it’s another big game and that they’re all going to be big, these last five. Tough task going to Edmonton but we’ve had a good week and our guys are looking forward to it.”
Good morning ☕ It’s Depth Chart day
Here is how we will line up tomorrow at Commonwealth Stadium against the Elks 🏈@PlayNowSports #BCLions pic.twitter.com/O8jQV6HplR
— BC LIONS (@BCLions) September 21, 2023
4 Lions To Watch
KR Terry Williams #87– with his heroics against Ottawa still fresh, ‘Scary Terry’ could play a big impact in this one with field position a key element against Ford and the Elks.
WR Keon Hatcher #4– limited to just one catch for 20 yards last week, Hatcher will be motivated to be a big piece to the puzzle. He is 160 yards away from his second straight 1,000-yard campaign.
DL Mathieu Betts #90- with 13 sacks on the year, Betts remains five shy of the Canadian record shared by Brent Johnson and Jamaal Westerman. As he faces his former team once again, neutralizing Ford and the Elks ground game will be paramount.
LB Ben Hladik # 46– led the defence with nine tackles and had a sack of Dustin Crum in last week’s victory. The UBC product has had a career year and will be counted on to back up the defensive front when the run game reaches that second level.
Extra Yardage
The only roster move to note this week comes by way of a flip on the depth chart. David Knevel gets the start at left guard with Andrew Peirson staying on as the extra offensive lineman. A third-round pick out of Nebraska in 2018, Knevel has had stints at both guard and tackle during his Lion career and had his entire 2022 season wiped out due to ankle and labrum injuries. The 6’6 Knevel has dressed in every game as a spare this season.
While Ford has no doubt given the Elks a shot in the arm, Vernon Adams Jr. has continued his season-long quest for a career year. Now with over 3,000 passing yards on the campaign, Adams Jr. has recorded five straight passing performances of 300-plus yards and eight of those overall. Doug Flutie in 1991 is the only other quarterback in franchise history to accomplish six straight 300-plus yard games. His record as the Lions’ starting quarterback is 11-5-0 dating back to his trade here last September.
The Lions’ pass attack also leads the entire CFL with 309.6 yards per game and is on pace to record 5,564 yards. It would be their highest total since the 2005 campaign.
The Lions will aim for a three-game sweep of Edmonton for a second consecutive season after doing so in convincing fashion in 2022, outscoring them 136-43. Do the extended math and they have outscored the Elks by a margin of 142 points in their last five meetings. Prior to 2022, the last time BC defeated Edmonton three times in one season was their most recent Grey Cup championship season of 2011 (3-1 in the regular season series).