Lions-Stampeders: B.C. prepared to vary the narrative

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They’ve heard the storylines, the identical outdated tropes trotted out all season. Vernon Adams Jr. throws too many picks. They’re weak on the again finish to the deep ball. They will’t run the ball nor cease the run.

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The B.C. Lions host the Calgary Stampeders in Saturday’s West Division Semifinal, and so they say they’re prepared for the sport, and able to reply these questions.

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The Stamps performed bully ball of their final assembly, dashing the ball 31 instances for 213 yards, with Peyton Logan logging 105 of these, and Ka’Deem Carey one other 88.

“No matter regardless of the narratives could also be, the primary factor for us is to deal with ourselves,” stated Lions defensive coordinator Ryan Phillips. “The narrative will be folks say the offence will ‘permit’ us to do and issues like that. We’ve by no means preached that. We’re going to go on the market and dictate. We’re gonna let you know what you may and might’t do.

“We’re gonna go and persist with the items that received us right here. We’re 12-6 for a motive, they’re 6-12 for a motive. I don’t care the way you map it up.

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“Don’t attempt to make this faux factor up that as a result of they received two video games within the final six, they’re sizzling. I’m not shopping for it. We’re gonna go on the market and do what we’ve been doing. We’ve been dominant towards them earlier than and I count on nothing completely different from this recreation.”

Right here’s three issues to look at …

RELEASE THE BETTS

Mathieu Betts simply desires to have enjoyable.

“It’s enjoyable, clearly,” stated the Leos’ rush finish who led the league with 18 sacks, a 3rd of B.C.’s West-topping whole of 55. “It’s an extended season. Coming into this yr’s coaching camp, my entire factor was to remain constant all year long and hopefully stack up sufficient wins to have the prospect to play within the playoffs. That’s what we play for … for when it’s significant.

“We’re right here now, so it’s not the time to look again at what we did good this season, what we did unsuitable — it’s time to play good soccer proper now.

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“I’m going to benefit from the day tomorrow, play laborious soccer and hopefully if all of us try this, and stick collectively … we’ll have the outcomes we would like.”

Enjoyable apart, attending to Calgary quarterback Jake Maier performs an enormous element of the Lions’ defensive schemes. Strain up entrance results in compelled passes, incompletions or sacks. That they had one sack of their 41-16 loss of their closing regular-season recreation towards Calgary; they’d 5 of their two dominant wins in Weeks 1 and 10.

And it’s not nearly Betts and Co. up entrance, it means having good protection within the defensive backfield.

“Our capability to pass-rush has positively been one of many high issues we’ve been ready to do that yr,” stated Phillips. “I feel our veteran savvy and our veteran presence is gonna come out. We received guys on the again finish that I really feel like are as much as the duty and need to show some extent that we could possibly be dominant … no matter no matter we play again there, to allow our entrance line to go forward and get after the quarterback. And that’s the most important factor for us.”

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FAMILIARITY BREEDS CONTEMPT

The CFL is simply too small, too migratory, for gamers to construct up true animosity towards one another, however the Lions and the Stamps appear to have executed their finest.

Of their final assembly there have been loads of flags, post-play pushing matches, uppercuts that have been caught on tape and (alleged) loogies that weren’t. Sione Teuhema misplaced his enchantment for punching Calgary’s D’Antne Demery, the accused spitter of a “nasty” ball of phlegm and saliva, and can miss Saturday’s recreation.

And we’re not far faraway from Cam Decide’s post-game pugilism on Fortunate Whitehead in 2022, that precipitated a heated parking-lot showdown.

However there was no locker-room materials to be gleaned forward of the most important recreation of the season for each groups.

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Requested his opinion of Calgary, Lions receiver Alex Hollins answered thusly:

“How do I really feel about Calgary?”

Pause.

Lengthy pause.

Pauses some extra.

“I’ve received nothing private towards them. I’m simply able to play soccer.”

SECOND AND FOREVER

The ebook on Adams, or at the least the newest chapter, appears to be rush with three, cowl effectively downfield and ultimately stress will get to him. The Stamps used that method within the final recreation, and it labored. The Lions had three first-half factors, and solely two drives longer than 15 yards — one among which went for 33.

“They dropped eight or 9 just a few instances and had us in second-and-long, second-and-10 fairly a bit. We are able to’t reside in that down and distance towards an excellent defence like that,” stated Adams. “They have been simply taking (my) first reads away, and I simply should be higher at my resets and stepping into my second, third learn, working again into the flat, use my ft, no matter.

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“That they had an excellent recreation plan and I’m simply excited for the competitors tomorrow.”

With the run recreation virtually an afterthought within the Lions’ offence — they common a CFL-low in makes an attempt (16.5 per) and yards (77.3) — B.C. has to proceed to attach on their first-down cross makes an attempt in an effort to keep on the sphere.

“We are able to’t reside in second-and-long. We now have to get yards,” stated Adams. “I made that clear to the offence this week that we’ve to get yards on first down. Dwell within the second and manageable … in order that means we will have an opportunity to actually transfer the chains.”

Adams is finest when hitting on fast passes, however when he did take his time, he wasn’t shy to go deep — loads. He was 53-of-118 for 1,615 yards and 20 touchdowns on passes over 20 yards this yr. The subsequent closest QB was Zach Collaros, at 41-of-91, 1,505 yards and 16 TDs.

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