The 1-3 BC Lions are getting a couple of much-needed reinforcements for a Saturday battle with the 3-1 Montreal Alouettes at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium. They’ve had to play the long game with a couple of their key injuries, but light appears to be at the end of the tunnel.
No matter who suits up, consensus across the board is that they simply need to be better to avoid falling out of the Western Division race before too long. It is indeed early in the campaign. Making a statement against the Eastern Division leaders would no doubt get some people talking as the summer schedule heats up.
Kickoff: 4:00 pm
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Stream: CFL+
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1. Rourke Returns
The Lions’ number one pivot is on track to start for the first time in four weeks as he took the vast majority of starting reps with the offence this week in practice. All along, Buck Pierce and the brass maintained they’d play the long game if necessary and Rourke hasn’t appeared to endure any setbacks. His return will be a welcome sign for an offence that has done good things in his absence with the lack of finish being their biggest Achilles heel.
“I feel good. I think the goal has always been to play. That was the goal last week as well. I just did a little bit too much, too soon,” said Rourke on Thursday.
“Hopefully, we’re not at that point this time around. Shout out to our athletic staff for getting me right, Tanner Care and his team as well. I’m just really trying to get back as soon as possible, but not trying to skip a beat and be 100 per cent.”
You could sense from day one of the practice week that the 2022 Most Outstanding Canadian was moving a lot better and not afraid to resort to the deep ball. Rourke also stated that the entire timeline was based on how Major League Baseball pitchers handle their recovery. A typical timeline is at least 20 days and Saturday will mark 22 days since Rourke appeared in game action.
On the other side, Montreal will start McLeod Bethel-Thompson for a second straight week. Davis Alexander has had his hot start to the season slowed down due to a hamstring injury.
Kid Canada is back 🇨🇦#BCLions | #RoarAsOne pic.twitter.com/2G56pRc8M2
— BC LIONS (@BCLions) July 3, 2025
2. The Injury News Gets Better
What looked to be a scary moment with Mathieu Betts having his elbow wrapped up following his departure in Saskatchewan last week appears to be a dodged bullet as Betts is listed on the depth chart in his usual spot. The 2023 Most Outstanding Defensive Player was limited in the majority of practice this week and likely will be monitored closely in his hometown on Saturday, but the fact that Betts won’t miss any real time is huge after he picked up his first two sacks of the campaign. Linebacker Josh Woods is primed to make his regular season debut over a year following his ACL injury that cut his 2024 season short. Woods was primed for a big breakout and will do wonders for a run defence that has struggled to get off the field in key situations. Defensive tackle Duane Hendrix and defensive back Tyler Coyle (both with thigh injuries) are unavailable this week. Newcomer Tomasi Laulile starts in place of Hendrix at defensive tackle. Hampered by his own injuries throughout training camp, Laulile makes his CFL debut after stints down south with the Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos.
3. Turnover Battle
A deep dive into the league-wide statistics will explain a big reason for their early-season slump. The Lions have committed a CFL-high 14 turnovers through four games, six more than the second-highest total by Calgary and Ottawa, while their turnover ratio sits at a CFL-worst minus-eight. The Alouettes are tops in the CFL with a plus-five ratio. Last week’s loss in Saskatchewan turned on the interception return touchdown right before halftime with the Lions offence knocking on the door to take a lead into the break. In the two losses to the Blue Bombers, they committed a combined eight turnovers. You get the picture by now: ball security and some clutch on defence are major factors on the path to a road upset.
4. Big Play Strikes Loom Large
On the topic of statistical nuggets, the Lions can hang their hat on a few key areas. They entered this week second overall in the following areas: net offence, passing touchdowns, first downs and boasted the CFL’s leading receiver in Keon Hatcher Sr. at 338 yards. Big plays can change the course of a series or game entirely and they showed flashes of that on Hatcher’s major to give them a lead in Regina. Utilizing the big play and attacking the aggressive Montreal defence will be something to keep an eye on. What playmaker will step up big? We have a hunch Justin McInnis could be due for a big breakout.
Your Week 5 Lions Depth Chart is in! 🏈
Here’s how we are lining up against the Alouettes tomorrow night in Montreal#BCLions | @PlayNowSports pic.twitter.com/uJK3oVZ0Cr
— BC LIONS (@BCLions) July 4, 2025
5. The Final Say
Pierce on getting Rourke back into the starting lineup: “I think our group has confidence, I think the mistakes in the previous weeks we’ve used that fuel as learning lessons and hopefully, it’s making us stronger. Obviously, with Nathan out there and his operation and what he does, I think it looks like it should right now.”
Pierce on the need to turn things around: “The reality is, lessons throughout the course of a season have to be learned. But we also have to have a sense of urgency about it. That needs to get fixed now; we can’t get to where we want to go if we’re not taking care of our business. And that’s the message. We have to focus on us and clean up lots of things.”