Photo courtesy: Zachary Peters/B.C. Lions
Princess Auto Stadium has seen its fair share of games delayed by storms, but there were clear skies over Winnipeg on Thursday night when the B.C. Lions brought forth a tempest. Led by a new thunder and lightning duo in the backfield, the visitors surged to a single-game franchise record of 377 rushing yards and washed away the Blue Bombers in the fourth quarter, winning 35-19.
Here are my thoughts on the game.
Lightning in a bottle
The B.C. Lions hoped that the insertion of Kaidon Salter under centre would create enough of a spark to steal a much-needed victory. They got much more than that from the rookie quarterback in his first career start, as he delivered a bolt of lightning that awakened this offence like Frankenstein’s monster.
It was the former Conference USA MVP’s legs that made the difference, as they provided an element to the attack that Winnipeg looked utterly unprepared for. He finished with 10 carries for a whopping 160 yards rushing, shattering the previous single-game rushing record for a Lions QB set by Jimmy Walton in 1960.
While big chunks of that production came on read-options or draw plays, most of his carries were not designed runs. When plays broke down and inexperienced eyes failed him, Salter was able to create and salvage yardage, which also prevented him from making huge mistakes in the passing game. He looked effortless while gliding around the open field, easily distancing himself from trailing defenders or leaving them grasping at air.
The aerial attack wasn’t nearly as successful, as the 23-year-old completed just seven-of-15 attempts for 96 yards and a touchdown. His accuracy made Imperial Stormtroopers look like sharpshooters, and several suspect or rushed decisions nearly ended up in the hands of the defence. Fortunately, Salter saved his best for late in the game, as he delivered a perfect 32-yard throw to Keon Hatcher to help set up a field goal to start the fourth quarter and later dropped a 24-yard pass into Jermaine Jackson in the end zone. Those were rare moments of efficiency, but they proved to be enough.
Regardless of his flaws, what Casey Printers’ cousin provided was a persistent belief that victory might be possible and that momentum was always just one play away. That energy had been sorely lacking with Chase Brice at the helm, even though the Lions hung around in tight football games. It felt appropriate that it was also the mobile QB who caught the back-breaking two-point conversion to put B.C. up by two scores late, making him an unpredictable triple-threat.
Salter is still a long way away from being ready to be a true starting quarterback in the CFL, and there are valid reasons to be skeptical about whether his style of play is sustainable. Neither of those things matter one iota right now. B.C. needed to present proof of life with Nathan Rourke’s potential return right around the corner. They’ve now done so.
Thunderstruck
When lightning strikes, thunder is soon to follow. For the Lions, that sonic boom took the form of six-foot-three, 230-pound running back Zander Horvath, who delivered a statement performance.
Lions fans have clamoured for Horvath to get more touches all season long, but have been left consistently disappointed by B.C.’s game plans. Their furor only intensified on Wednesday after it was announced that starting running back James Butler would miss this contest due to injury and rookie Emani Bailey was initially listed as the starter on the depth chart. A correction was later issued placing Horvath back on top, which proved to be fortuitous.
Bailey and Horvath split touches to start the game, with each having their moments. It was tough sledding between the tackles in the early going, and it was the big-bodied back’s physicality that eventually won out. Horvath consistently battled for extra yards and dragged defenders with him as he got into a rhythm, slowly building momentum until he exploded in the fourth quarter.
Stretched by Salter’s speed, the Winnipeg defence seemed to lose interest in stepping in front of a freight train. Horvath got great blocking, including a second-level pancake from right guard Chris Schleuger and superb effort downfield from Nick Cenacle, on a 35-yard run that set up Salter’s first career touchdown pass. With under three minutes remaining, it was left tackle Kory Woodruff and fullback Jacob Bond who blew open a hole that allowed Horvath to romp 58 yards untouched to the end zone. He did much of it himself on the final dagger, stiff-arming Michael Griffin as he broke outside and sending Jake Kelly flying with a cutback on a 35-yard score.
All told, Horvath amassed 191 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries. 165 yards of that came in the final 15 minutes, proving once again that he can be the ultimate finisher for this team. Butler’s status for next week remains unclear, but you simply cannot go back to a world in which the 27-year-old former NFL Draft pick is limited to three or four touches per game on short-yardage. He needs to be a feature player, if not the feature back.
Standing up to a bully
After thoroughly erasing other star running backs like Dedrick Mills and Justin Rankin, you could argue that allowing Brady Oliveira to rush for 107 yards was a regression from B.C.’s league-leading run defence. You’d be wrong, of course, because this may have just been their most compelling result.
Raw numbers tell only part of the story. Winnipeg entered this game with every intent to ram the ball straight down the Lions’ throat, partially in an effort to protect struggling quarterback Dru Brown but also to appease Oliveira after critical comments last week. It seemed as if they might have success on that front, as the Canadian back seemed to be breaking multiple tackles on every play in the early going.
Mike Benevides’ unit took their punches, but they never staggered on their feet. When Winnipeg needed tough yards in the red zone or on second down, Oliveira routinely couldn’t find them. The team’s bully-ball philosophy met its match in those moments, and it resulted in points left out on the field, regardless of how much yardage was accrued on the way to their final resting place.
The fact that B.C.’s prowess against the run never faltered late despite the loss of elite gap-plugger Jonah Tavai in the third quarter proves just how good this unit has become. A big part of that was effective tackling at the second level, as Darnell Sankey, Parker McKenna, Deontai Williams, and Jackson Findlay all found themselves staring down Oliveira in the hole on multiple occasions. The defensive line trusted them to make those tackles and, more often than not, they delivered.
Amateur hour
Any time that you have a rookie quarterback making his first career start, there are going to be a few, well, rookie mistakes. This was only going to be intensified on a short week, where the Lions had just one live practice to get multiple inexperienced contributors on the same page.
Fortunately, B.C. got most of their mistakes out of the way early. On the first series of the game, there appeared to be a miscommunication in the backfield when Zander Horvath and rookie Emani Bailey, who was making his CFL debut, lined up on the same side. Salter quickly ad-libbed and kept the would-be hand-off for a six-yard gain.
The next error would not be so easily salvaged. Rookie receiver Nick Cenacle motioned across the formation late on B.C.’s second drive and was hit by the snap, which linebacker Jaylen Smith promptly jumped on. It is unclear who was at fault on the play: Cenacle for mistiming his motion, centre Michael Couture for mistiming the snap, or Salter for losing track of either element. In the end, the result was still a turnover and three points for the Bombers on the subsequent series.
There were plenty of other questionable decisions from Salter in the passing game throughout the night, and a high snap from Couture that killed another drive. However, the obvious structural errors ended with the turnover. That’s rather impressive given the circumstances, and the offensive coaching staff deserves kudos for coming up with a simple scheme that could be executed by young players.
Frightened currency
As the saying goes, scared money don’t make money. Two of the CFL’s most conservative head coaches were given yet another lesson in that principle on Thursday night, though only one of them seemed to learn anything from it.
It was Buck Pierce who shrank from the moment first on B.C.’s opening drive. After Emani Bailey was stonewalled by Kyle Wilson on second down at the Winnipeg 45-yard line, the Lions faced a choice on third-and-two. Rather than gamble early, Sean Whyte trotted out for a 52-yard field goal attempt at the very edge of his range. The kick bounced off the top of the crossbar and out, essentially creating a five-yard flip in field position.
These are the types of coin flip decisions that the CFL hopes will turn into offensive plays once the goalposts move to the back of the end zone next year. Decisions like Pierce’s are why I’m skeptical they will. The equation might have been different with another kicker, but Whyte has never possessed a howitzer, and a field goal was the worst choice in that situation. Why not roll the dice and try to keep the momentum on your side after showing early promise?
Of course, Pierce learned that style of game management from his Winnipeg mentor, Mike O’Shea, who has perfected the art of the cowardly kick. Look no further than the two chip-shot field goals attempted by Sergio Castillo in the first quarter, after B.C. stopped the Bombers twice in the red zone. A touchdown on either series would have dramatically altered the course of this football game, but O’Shea chose to play it safe and allowed the Lions to hang around in the process.
That proved critical when Salter began to find his footing and led B.C. on a scoring drive to end the half. To his credit, Pierce made the right call to go for the touchdown on third-and-goal from the one-yard line with zeros on the clock, though that was hardly a controversial decision. The resulting one-point lead at halftime felt like a victory unto itself.
O’Shea also elected to take the points with a 49-yard field goal on third-and-one from the B.C. 40-yard line with just over six minutes remaining. Regardless of how much difficulty the Lions were having at finding the end zone at that stage, turning a one-score game into a one-score game felt like waving a white flag in that moment. Momentum flipped almost immediately, and Winnipeg never scored again after electing not to press the issue.
Pierce would make one more semi-bold decision when he elected to go for two to put the team up by nine points after Horvath’s long go-ahead run. The math would probably convince most coaches to do the same thing, even those who lean conservative. However, not everyone would be willing to let a receiver throw such an important pass, let alone to a quarterback. This was the creative play-calling that I called for last week, and the response from the team was palpable.
Quarterback graveyard
For the second week in a row, the B.C. Lions forced an opposing quarterback out of the game. This time, it was by entirely legal means, as Dru Brown appeared to tweak something in his lower back after he was sacked by Mathieu Betts. He initially gutted things out, but Parker McKenna finished the job with a tackle as Brown attempted to scramble for a first down in the fourth quarter.
Taylor Elgersma came off the bench in a tight game for the second time this season, and Winnipeg’s fate was sealed. I’m a big believer in the former Hec Crighton Trophy winner’s future upside, but he was simply horrific in relief and coughed up the football twice, though B.C. only managed to recover one fumble.
There is an edge and a physicality to the way this Lions defence is playing that feels a little different from years past. The hits aren’t just for show; they actually send a message. Sometimes that will cross the line, but with the exception of the hit on Chad Kelly last week, they’ve also been fairly disciplined. This game featured just three penalties for 30 yards.
Goldilocks and the perfect secondary
T.J. Lee’s name will one day decorate the walls at BC Place Stadium, but I’m of the belief that this defence is better when he isn’t in the lineup. That’s in large part due to the personnel adjustments it forces the team to make in the secondary, which I believe maximizes the abilities of two different players.
Second-year local product Jackson Findlay looks completely at home when asked to roll down into the box as a nickel, which allows him to demonstrate his physicality and showcase some unique looks to the offence. There may be no more sure tackler on the team, and that skill set is wasted when he’s isolated as a single-high safety. Watching him fly down off in the run game.
At the same time, I think Deontai Williams’ best games of the year have come when filling in for Lee at boundary halfback. His ability to come downhill with force presents a problem from added depth, and it makes him harder to account for as a blitzer. I was critical of his play last season, but the 29-year-old certainly looked worth his free agent price tag in this game. He was all over the field, compiling eight defensive tackles, two special teams tackles, and a sack.
The key piece to this equation has yet to see the field, as standout Canadian safety Cristophe Beaulieu slowly makes his way back from a season-ending injury last year. Insert him in place of Josh Hagerty some time after Labour Day, and I believe you have a complete unit with multiple ratio-breakers and all-star candidates.
Block out the noise
You can’t rush for 377 yards without a pretty good night from your offensive line, and B.C.’s beleaguered unit seemed to come into their own as the game went on. Kory Woodruff and Chris Schleuger each had some beautiful blocks in the run game, and this may have been the best performance I’ve seen from former first-round pick Anu Una. Tyran Walker-Hunt also looked competent in his first career start at right tackle, which I hope is a positive sign for the developmental prospect.
Salter’s limited passing attempts did not give the unit many opportunities to be tested in protection, but I thought they held up very well. Two sacks were surrendered, but only one appeared to be due to an error up front, in that case a miscommunication between Schleuger and Michael Couture. That’s not a bad result when you are facing stars like Willie Jefferson and Jake Ceresna.
Two birds, one roster spot
I think we’ve seen enough of Jaden Williams at this point to determine that he is not the Lions’ returner of the future. Frankly, he shouldn’t be the returner of the present, even in the absence of Seven McGee.
The rookie receiver had one promising punt return of 26 yards in this game, but was otherwise entirely ineffective. Blocking plays a role in that, but B.C. needs a lot more juice if they want to win the field position battle.
As injured receivers like Stanley Berryhill and Jevon Cottoy become eligible to return next week, I wonder if we’ll see Jermaine Jackson take another crack at return duties, like he did last year. The training camp cut has done enough to stay on the active roster in my opinion, and if it is not in the starting lineup, he could contribute in other ways.
Apt honourees
It was great to see the Blue Bombers honour a couple of individuals with deep B.C. ties in this game. Former linebacker Adam Bighill got the first of what should be several moments in the spotlight, as the future Hall of Famer’s retirement was recognized pre-game ahead of the clash between the organizations that made him famous. He is on the shortlist of candidates for the best defensive player in the history of both franchises.
At halftime, the late Cal Murphy was inducted into the Bombers’ Ring of Honour. Though born in Winnipeg, he was a graduate of Vancouver College and got his coaching start there before eventually making his way to the CFL. His remarkable career as a coach, general manager, and scout has inspired many others who have come through that storied program, including current Lions players Jackson Findlay and Adam Konar.
Off the mat
Sometimes all it takes is an upset to turn around a wayward season, and the Lions look a lot less hapless at 2-5 than they would have at 1-6. They remain out of a playoff spot for now, but overtaking Winnipeg doesn’t feel like a mountain any longer, and all the Anglophone franchises out East appear vulnerable to the crossover. With Nathan Rourke potentially able to practice as soon as this week, hope has returned.
That will be tested on Saturday, August 8, when the Hamilton Tiger-Cats come to visit in what should be a very winnable game. Will it be a duel between running backup quarterbacks? Or will it be a get-right game for a recently injured superstar? Stay tuned to find out.
