The B.C. Lions look to prolonged Ottawa’s street woes at B.C. Place because the home-heavy remaining third of their schedule kicks off, with the Lions nonetheless within the hunt for the West Division crown.
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There are six video games left within the common season for the B.C. Lions. Their mindset: There’s just one.
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The large image reveals the Leos play 4 instances at dwelling of their remaining six video games — beginning with Saturday’s showdown towards the Ottawa Redblacks — they usually management their very own future in relation to the West crown.
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They’re 8-4, trailing solely the division-leading Winnipeg Blue Bombers (10-3), who go to B.C. Place on Oct. 6 for his or her tiebreaker sport. Win out, beat the Bombers within the rubber match, and the Lions can be West champs.
“We’ve simply obtained to give attention to us and simply fear about us,” mentioned receiver Alex Hollins. “We are able to’t fear about what Toronto is doing, what Winnipeg is doing, Saskatchewan, Montreal, Hamilton … whoever. We are able to’t fear about another group within the league or what they have been doing.
“The one time to fret about one other group is that if we’re going through them that week.”
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This week, it’s the Redblacks (3-9), the East’s last-place group, and losers of six straight — the identical franchise that hasn’t received in Vancouver since 2017, when Trevor Harris threw three second-half touchdowns to beat a 25-6 deficit and win 30-25.
Enjoyable reality: the important thing play in that sport was a Redblacks onside kick late within the third quarter, which they recovered and became a landing two performs later, after a coach’s problem. The danger-taking, challenge-flag throwing strategic architect of that win? Present Lions coach Rick Campbell.
“That’s what soccer is about. You are able to do a number of good issues and do a number of the arduous work, however these momentum-changing performs can clearly make an enormous distinction,” he mentioned on the time.
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That’s how little the sport has modified. That’s additionally been the mantra of the Redblacks this week, as they arrive to Vancouver making an attempt to maintain their playoff hopes, already on life assist, alive. Certain, the very fact they’ve swooned in six-straight video games is the underside line, however that is nonetheless the group that beat Winnipeg 31-28 in Week 6. And Ottawa’s margin of defeat over their dropping streak is simply 4.5 factors. Take away the lone double-digit loss, a 30-20 loss to Edmonton, and it shrinks to three.4.
“It’s these 5 or 6 performs that may outline a sport,” Redblacks offensive lineman Jacob Ruby informed Postmedia this week. “If we will swing these performs in our favour, we will string collectively some wins.”
The usually clean-shaven Campbell has let his scruff go to one thing approaching a silver quasi-beard, however says it’s not a playoff beard — simply one thing his spouse likes. But it surely thoughts as effectively be one, with the way in which he talks in regards to the remaining third of the season.
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The Lions have misplaced simply as soon as at dwelling this 12 months, however it got here towards one other downturned group from the East, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The Steeltown tabbies bested a listless B.C. squad 30-13 in Week 12, regardless of being 3-6 and evenly regarded coming into the sport.
There can be no banana peel sport this week, says Campbell. There’s an excessive amount of on the road.
“It’s an enormous six video games. Each sport goes to be large, beginning with this primary one,” he mentioned. “Plenty of stuff is gonna occur with (groups) jockeying for playoff spots. So we’ve actually obtained to take this one one week at a time, one sport at a time, and see what number of wins we will put the win column.
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“The place we’re in proper now, we’ve a lot to play for down the homestretch, no matter who we’re enjoying…”
The Ticats executed the bully-ball blueprint of beating B.C., racking up 132 yards dashing, with 118 yards coming by way of former Lion James Butler. William Stanback was subsequent up, changing into the second-straight 100-yard rusher with 102, a part of Montreal’s 196 yard effort in a 34-25 Lions win that was a two-point sport with 4 minutes left.
The Redblacks are a much more efficient operating group than both of these Leos’ opponents, main the league with 127.1 yard per sport and a 5.5 yard common. Quarterback Dustin Crum — who’ll be the sixth completely different QB to go well with up within the final six video games between the groups — is averaging 43 yards on his personal, finest amongst CFL quarterbacks. He’s tenth total in dashing whole (521 yards), proper behind his group’s operating again, Devonte Williams (555).
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Run defence would possibly simply be the weakest hyperlink of a formidable B.C. defence, conceding 92 yards per sport — fourth-fewest. As a group, they’ve given up the fewest touchdowns (22) and sit tied with Winnipeg for fewest factors allowed (20.2), an enormous leap from their historic tempo from earlier this season.
“I believe we, at instances, we obtained too lax and and guys obtained too comfy,” mentioned linebacker Josh Woods, who’ll get his first begin of the 12 months instead of the injured Bo Lokombo.
“We’ve to get again to being ourselves. And I believe we’re beginning to see that extra. It’s simply communication, the way in which we assault the day. Our habits are reflecting that we’re making an attempt to get again to what we have been doing earlier than.
“Self-discipline. Hole integrity. All people doing their job,” he added of the run defence.
“There have been instances the place (somebody) was type of making an attempt to do an excessive amount of and that will get in the way in which of what we’re speculated to do. So long as everyone does their job, that’s after we’re at our greatest. And that’s what we’re getting again to doing: the fundamentals.”
NEXT GAME
Ottawa Redblacks at B.C. Lions
4 p.m. PT, Saturday, B.C. Place
TV: TSN. Radio: AM730
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