Nathan Rourke and the offence may not have found in the end zone in last Friday’s gritty win over Calgary, yet that didn’t prevent the starting quarterback from earning recognition as the CFL unveiled its week 18 Honour Roll selections powered by Pro Football Focus (PFF). Rourke emerged as the top-graded offensive player for his efforts as the BC Lions officially punched their playoff tickets with the victory and losses by Hamilton and Edmonton to close out the week.
Rourke (89.7 PFF Grade)- completed a season-best 83.3 per cent of his passes (20/24) and threw for 218 yards while adding three carries for 23 yards in the 32-15 victory. Rourke’s longest completion of the night was also a season-high as he connected on a 50-yard dart to Keon Hatcher Sr., setting them up for a Sean Whyte field goal that put the home side ahead 12-8 early in the fourth quarter. Rourke finished the contest with a 109.4 passer efficiency rating.
The 8-8 Lions return to practice on Tuesday ahead of a critical showdown with the 8-7-1 Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday at Regina’s Mosaic Stadium. A win for the Leos would move them to within one point of locking up second in the West and home-field advantage for the Western Semi-Final on Saturday, November 2.