The distinction between the B.C. Lions being on the appropriate and fallacious aspect of a blowout: poise

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The B.C. Lions had crowded round Mathieu Betts on Friday evening, celebrating in collective pleasure after he set a brand new document for sacks by a Canadian participant, when the flags began flying. Yellow bits of material, popping into the air like Roman candles.

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When the post-play fracas subsided, it was introduced Sione Teuhema had been penalized for pointless roughness, as had Calgary Stampeders left deal with D’Antne Demery. Replays confirmed the Lions lineman cracking his counterpart within the jaw with an uppercut. They didn’t present the loogie the Lions declare Demery had let fly at Teuhema simply moments earlier than.

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After an extended break, with the officers huddling, a second misconduct penalty was handed to Teuhema, triggering an ejection and a few heated phrases from Lions coach Rick Campbell ushering him off the sector. It additionally turned a third-and-forever into an automated first down, and the Stamps drive that began at their very own one-yard line went 109 yards the opposite approach for a landing and a 17-0 lead.

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“Poise is what it got here all the way down to for me,” mentioned Campbell. “We have now to have the ability to perform — and this isn’t our entire soccer workforce, by the way in which. There have been some incidences with a really small group of people that truly aren’t dangerous guys. I don’t dislike them, however now we have to have sufficient poise within the second to have the ability to perform and never lose our minds.

“I inform a few of these guys it’s such as you’re falling for the banana within the tailpipe; they acquired a goal on you, as a result of they know they will bait you. It’s like ‘holy shit,’ what I imply? . … That’s the irritating half, is getting baited into one thing.

“I’ve drawback with repeat offenders. I’m not doing justice to the workforce if I don’t do something about repeat offenders. All of us have dangerous moments in life, you do one thing and also you’re like, ‘I can’t imagine I did that.’ But when it’s … ‘idiot me as soon as, disgrace on you, and twice or extra, disgrace on me … I don’t need to lose a playoff recreation due to stuff like that.

“I like this soccer workforce quite a bit. We had an entire bunch of men doing appropriate issues on the market and I don’t need it wrecked by a few actually pointless penalties.”

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All instructed, the Lions have been flagged 10 occasions for 117 yards in penalties, and at the moment are the clubhouse leaders in penalty yards (1,452) and defensive penalties (64). Betts, after getting his 18th sack of the yr, was additionally flagged twice for roughing the passer and as soon as for offside.

The ‘P’ phrase even cropped up with Dave Dickenson post-game, affirming Campbell’s view of what transpired.

“We saved our poise,” mentioned the Calgary coach. “I feel that they took the penalties they type of saved our drives alive.”

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Whereas the Lions have had their issues with penalties this yr, it’s normally been throughout the play, not after. Friday’s recreation was somewhat extra heated as soon as the whistles had gone, with multiple Lion getting flagged for crossing the road.

There’s current historical past between these two, with Calgary linebacker Cam Choose punching B.C. receiver Fortunate Whitehead within the face after a recreation in August 2022, incomes a suspension for his efforts. Whitehead and a cadre of teammates then left their locker-room and waited to confront the Stamps within the car parking zone outdoors the workforce facility in Calgary.

“Perhaps it acquired somewhat chippy,” conceded Lions QB Vernon Adams Jr. “I heard the man spit on our man’s face … I don’t know. We have now to be smarter. We all know as a workforce, we are able to’t play their recreation.”

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The Lions have two weeks off earlier than internet hosting the West Division semifinal on Nov. 4 at B.C. Place, and there’s an excellent probability they may face this similar Stampeders workforce in that recreation.

“We all know we acquired to return to work. We all know we are able to’t play like that in November,” mentioned Adams. “I hope we do see them. They’ve been enjoying actually good soccer these final couple of weeks.”

Campbell mentioned it was clear one workforce wished Friday’s recreation greater than the opposite. And it wasn’t the one which had already clinched a house playoff recreation.

“I noticed on a number of performs, it appeared like a workforce that was somewhat bit hungrier and enjoying for his or her playoff lives,”  he mentioned. “After which as soon as we acquired down, I noticed some guys that have been — I’m not questioning their effort —  however I’m questioning their urgency. I don’t suppose urgency can be a query mark in a playoff recreation, however who is aware of?”

NEXT GAME

Saturday, Nov. 4

West Division Semifinal

TBA at B.C. Lions

4 p.m., B.C. Place, TV: TSN, Radio: AM730

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