Lions versus Elks: Battle of the 2 finest receiving corps within the CFL?

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Edmonton quarterback Taylor Cornelius had 202 yards passing in opposition to the Saskatchewan Roughriders on the weekend.

And of these, 148 of them landed within the fingers of his $300,000 man, Geno Lewis.

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And of these, 102 got here on one single second-quarter play, when Cornelius noticed Lewis one-on-one with defensive again Jeremy Clark, earlier than trebucheting a rainbow to midfield. The Elks’ free-agent prize did the remaining, plucking the ball out of the air above Clark, then sauntered into the top zone for the landing.

A province away, Dominque Rhymes was watching. After which he was texting.

“I at all times discuss to (Lewis). After our sport and earlier than their sport, I mentioned, ‘I’m coming for you; you gotta do one thing. And he got here with that 102. I used to be like ‘dang … OK, I see you,’ ” laughed the B.C. Lions’ receiver.

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He and Lewis turned buddies within the low season, when Rhymes flew out to Montreal to coach with Lewis and Lions quarterback Vernon Adams Jr., who have been teammates on the Alouettes.

The 2 premier pass-catchers within the CFL will go head-to-head on Saturday, when the Elks go to B.C. Place for the Lions’ home-opener (4 p.m., TSN, AM730).

Rhymes had a 100-yard night time within the Leos’ season-opening highway win over the Calgary Stampeders, however doubled-up on Lewis’s landing whole by catching two — and his crew received. Rhymes additionally had league-highs in targets (13) and catches (eight), however Lewis had the highest catch of the weekend.

“It’s gonna be enjoyable, man,” he mentioned. “We’ve simply acquired to make extra performs, and that’s gonna (result in) an incredible final result. It’s gonna be a great matchup, however I’m letting him know I’m coming.”

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Adams performed with Lewis for 4 seasons in Montreal, serving to his receiver grow to be probably the greatest within the CFL, incomes three East all-star nods and the final two all-CFL groups.

The query, snuck into the scrum with Adams after Lions follow on Tuesday: “So who has the higher fingers?” acquired a smile and snort, however no definitive reply. At first.

“Man, that’s two of my finest buddies within the league,” mentioned the Lions’ QB.

“Man … I feel they’re tied. Each good dudes, man, each super athletes — it’s gonna be an thrilling sport for them this weekend.”

Adams has constructed a powerful rapport with Rhymes, too, within the time he’s been in B.C., and sees his man stepping-up to fill the management void left by the retirement of Bryan Burnham.

“He’s an incredible vocal chief, but in addition off the sphere, too, he’s at all times looking for his teammates, his brothers,” he mentioned. “He’s actually probably the greatest teammates I’ve ever had.”

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Lewis parlayed an enormous season with Montreal — 91 catches, 1,303 yards, 10 TDs, which have been second, third and third general — into the richest non-QB contract within the league when he signed with Edmonton in free company.

The Elks really feel they’ve the very best receiving corps within the league, with the ageless Manny Arceneaux, big-bodied Steve Dunbar Jr., big-play risk Dillon Mitchell and a hungry Kyran Moore, late of the Roughriders, forming the remainder of their prime 5.

Mitchell — a deep risk with breakaway velocity — got here in as a 2022 midseason acquisition in Edmonton, and hauled in 637 yards in simply 9 video games. He’s set the lofty purpose of cracking the two,000-yard mark, which has been completed simply thrice, and never since 1998.

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However Lewis is The Man in Edmonton, make no mistake.

“He’s an incredible participant. He’s put up numbers — and he’s going to proceed to be a kind of explosive gamers,” mentioned B.C. defensive again Marcus Sayles. “With me being the individual that’s going to be defending him (Saturday), I simply acquired to ensure I put myself in place to ensure he doesn’t do stuff like that (102-yard catch) to me. We all know that he’s a deep-ball man. We all know he’s acquired actually good fingers. And so long as I put myself in that place to ensure he doesn’t get explosive performs, I’ll achieve success.”

The Lions can counter with Rhymes, Alexander Hollins, Jevon Cottoy, Fortunate Whitehead, Keon Hatcher and Justin McInnis. Hatcher is on the six-game IR, and Whitehead is prone to be part of him there after choosing up a hamstring damage in opposition to Calgary, however B.C. has been capable of finding receiver depth each time they’ve wanted it the previous few seasons. Daniel Pedermann and pre-season standout Ayden Eberhardt have proven they’ll step in like Hatcher and Hollins did earlier than them.

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Sayles has seen loads of gifted receivers in his time within the CFL and NFL, and sees what he thinks are the very best group within the league every single day in follow. So if Edmonton needs to anoint themselves as the very best within the league … “They’re going to must show it to us. That’s all we acquired to say. They’re going to must show it to us as a result of our receivers are gonna are available in each single week prepared.”

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