The B.C. Lions lost the game, their fanbase’s optimism, and potentially their starting quarterback on Thursday, as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers proved they are still the team to beat in the West with a 34-20 victory.
Here are my thoughts on the game.
Flags at half-mast
The B.C. Lions lost this game badly but in some ways, every Canadian football fan was a loser on Thursday night. This game featured the league’s two biggest Canadian stars — the most recent homegrown to win Most Outstanding Player and perhaps the likeliest person to do it next — and ended with neither of them on the field. I think a national day of mourning might be in order.
We may not know the status of Nathan Rourke or Brady Oliveira for a couple of days but it did not look good for either one. In the case of Rourke, the way he crumpled under the pain of his first throw after the injury occurred should send shivers down your spine. He said he wouldn’t speculate on the severity of the issue after the game and was hopeful he wouldn’t miss time, but no amount of optimism will change the fact that obliques can be tricky, nagging injuries.
This could have serious long-term ramifications for the team. At least if you are Winnipeg, this game proved that you can win without your workhorse back. B.C. only proved that they can’t win if their franchise pivot is anything less than perfect. An extended absence will not be kind to this team, so they will have to toe the tenuous line between getting Rourke back as fast as possible and ensuring he sits long enough to protect him from further damage.
Call a priest
Even before he buckled in agony, the demons that choose to possess Nathan Rourke every time he faces the Winnipeg Blue Bombers were out in full force.
While the Lions have had some early season success against the five-time West Division champs the last two seasons, he entered this game winless in three regular-season starts against Mike O’Shea’s crew. That included a pitiful completion percentage of 53.4 — more than 20 points lower than his career mark against the rest of the league –, a negative touchdown-to-interception ratio, and no games of more than 300 yards passing.
Rourke did throw for 300 yards on the nose in the 2022 West Final, a game in which he initially struggled while still being limited by his injured foot. In some way, that loss is the origin of every narrative that snowballed last season and that he is now trying to disprove. That is to say that the Canadian kid will always have people calling him overrated until he can reliably dominate against the very best.
This week’s attempt at an exorcism resulted in Rourke levitating above his metaphorical bed, spewing bile and rambling in Latin – particularly in the first half. Through 28 minutes, he was just two-of-11 for 11 yards and an interception, which came on an overthrown ball to Justin McInnis that was placed nowhere near where it had to be. He was also under complete siege and was already hobbling due to a minor ankle injury.
A 49-yard shot to Ayden Eberhardt on the final drive before the intermission finally provided a splash of holy water and Rourke’s convulsions quieted, but never ceased. He finished 12-of-27 for 249 yards, one touchdown, and one interception with a couple of nice deep balls, but missed high too often, forced the issue too much, and had too many passes batted at the line. His best plays came with his feet as he ran for 58 yards on six carries, including a brilliant 36-yard gallop, and scored a touchdown, but that only served to thrust him further into harm’s way.
I continue to believe that when Rourke is fully healthy again, he will be the best quarterback in the CFL by far. A lot of others won’t buy it until he has cast out Winnipeg’s version of Pazuzu. Where is Father Karras when you need him?
You’re nothing without integrity
Thursday night was a crushing blow to the idea that the Lions had fixed their soft run defence from years past. There was plenty of optimism on that front after completely shutting down 2024’s best rushing attack in Week 1, but the story was wildly different against a coordinator committed to pounding the rock.
What makes the busts especially concerning is just how much worse it could have been. Reigning CFL M.O.P. Brady Oliveira lasted only through the first series before leaving with an upper-body injury. Unfortunately for B.C., that came on a 43-yard romp off the right side after notorious run game freelancer Mathieu Betts elected to abandon his outside contain and slant into a gap already occupied by Ben Hladik. If not for some impressive hustle from Garry Peters, the Bombers would have scored right there.
Rookie Canadian Matthew Peterson took over for the CFL’s number-one-rated player and frankly, there wasn’t much of a difference. The Bombers saw immediate success with the 2024 fourth-round pick, who they acquired via trade on draft day, and he finished his first career game with 130 yards on 23 carries. Most impressive was a 38-yard touchdown run right up the middle where Hladik got mauled at the second level by Patrick Neufeld before he had even moved and Micah Awe overpursued the gap before getting tangled with his blocker. It was beautiful execution by Winnipeg and a pathetic effort from the Lions.
Everything this team has come to be known for in November since the pandemic – weakness at the point of attack, poor gap integrity, and suspect tackling – reared its head in June, all while playing against a kid only a few months removed from living in a U of A dorm room. The addition of players like Awe and Dewayne Hendrix was supposed to change all that, but it hasn’t yet. Hopefully, this wake-up call does.
OSHA violation
If someone on Twitter tries to tell you that CFL quarterbacks get hurt because of the poor quality of Canadian offensive linemen in the league, the B.C. Lions just provided a perfect counterargument.
For the second straight week, this team trotted out four Americans up front. Unlike against Edmonton where this unconventional lineup held up well, it was an unmitigated disaster in Winnipeg. For as much as he struggled, Rourke was seldom allowed to set his feet in the pocket or step up inside. While he was only sacked once – a blown blitz pickup by running back James Butler – that was because he miraculously managed to get rid of the ball for incompletions on several occasions whilst in the clutches of multiple defenders. That included the play immediately prior to his exit and you have to wonder if the act of torquing his body while being contorted like that was what caused the injury.
The Bombers were able to consistently collapse the pocket and generate pressure with only four rushers. On several occasions, it took just three – including at least one play where B.C. held six players in to block. That allowed Jordan Younger to drop extra bodies into coverage and force Rourke to hang on to the ball, which only resulted in more heat on him.
The men in the trenches did nothing in the running game to relieve the pressure either, mustering just 27 yards on 10 carries from James Butler. That makes this unit a major concern because they will only get less experienced when Anu Una is eventually inserted into the mix.
Rest when you’re dead
There has already been a lot of moaning about the fact that the Lions had to play this game on a short week, while the Bombers were coming off a bye. It absolutely might have played a role in this loss, but I take those complaints with a grain of salt.
Short weeks and unequal rest are an inevitability in the CFL, where the odd number of teams creates a schedule-making nightmare. If you had a choice of when to experience that, it would be early in the season when you aren’t beaten to a pulp. I think there is even an argument to be had that a Week 1 bye is a disadvantage for a team because you haven’t established a rhythm yet and risk coming out flat.
Ultimately, the Lions experienced their hardship at an ideal moment. You just have to suck it up and be a professional.
Homecoming heartache
Buck Pierce’s first career win was a feel-good story in the opener and his first career loss now feels like an especially bitter pill considering where it occurred. Winnipeg has been his home for the past decade, he coordinated them to Grey Cup appearances in all four of his seasons as the play-caller, and won two championship rings on the staff. The former quarterback is even more well-liked in that city than he is in Vancouver, getting honoured on the Jumbotron and earning a rousing ovation from fans.
Unfortunately, that beautiful relationship resulted in an opponent who knew all his tendencies and seemed completely prepared for everything he threw at them. His offensive genius never had room to breathe and I thought he went away from some of the things this team did best last week far too early. It felt forced and overly aggressive at times.
Ultimately, Younger was the best coordinator on the day and Pierce’s successor in Winnipeg, Jason Hogan, called a much better game than he did in his first outing. Given the much-anticipated homecoming, that has to sting the ego.
A little help, please
As the Lions loaded up in a desperate attempt to stop the run, they opened up a ton of space in the passing game. That made oft-inaccurate backup Chris Streveler look like a completely different quarterback than the one CFL fans are accustomed to while he was filling in for the suspended Zach Collaros.
The dual-threat pivot barely needed his legs to get the victory, throwing for 246 yards while running for just nine. His total included three touchdowns, two of which went to Nic Demski on throws that bordered on perfection. On both occasions, the Lions were in Cover 0 with no safety help over the top and Streveler dropped dimes to exploit that coverage in very different ways.
On the opening drive, it was Jalon Edwards-Cooper who got caught flat-footed and committed the unforgivable sin of allowing the receiver inside leverage with nobody to save him. Ronald Kent Jr. made a desperate attempt to bail him out from the other side, but the ball dropped right over the top of him. On Winnipeg’s final touchdown, it was Deontai Williams who was man-to-man against Demski and maintained the correct leverage but didn’t have anywhere near the foot speed to stay with him on the corner route. Streveler couldn’t have placed the ball any better or anywhere else.
If at first you don’t succeed…
Keon Hatcher led all B.C. receivers with four catches for 150 yards, but the fact that it came on 11 targets should be cause for some concern. The Lions seemed desperate to find him on a deep shot up the seam and kept getting turned away by safety Jamal Parker, but wouldn’t stop until it worked.
Success came on a 77-yard bomb that nearly turned the tide in favour of the visitors in the third quarter, but I was more impressed by the finish than the play call or decision to throw it. In reality, Hatcher was pretty much blanketed and only got loose because of what looked like a cheeky push-off. He failed to separate virtually every time they ran deep and the jump ball odds weren’t in the offence’s favour.
I didn’t see any of the deep separation this week that we got courtesy of Stanley Berryhill in the opener and any successful shots – like those to Hatcher and Eyberhardt – came with the defender in position. The persistence felt akin to the Michael Reilly chuck-and-duck era, except this group of pass catchers lacks the speed of prime Lucky Whitehead or the unflappable concentration of Bryan Burnham. The one element they can claim is the size to win a jump ball, but six-foot-six Justin McInnis wasn’t thrown one of those prayers, which struck me as curious.
Take it away, Toby
Watching Garry Peters in this game had me humming the tune to an old Toby Keith classic – I ain’t as good as I once was, but I’m as good once as I ever was.
The “once” in question for the Lions’ veteran cornerback came on his first-half interception, an exceptional play where he sat on a wide throw to Dalton Schoen and drove hard to cut him off, winding up on his head with the ball in his hands. It was a classic play from the two-time all-star, but it was an anomaly in this game.
For much of the rest of the contest, he looked like a 33-year-old who had lost a step. Second-year receiver Keric Wheatfall is hardly a household name, but he took Peters to the woodshed with regularity and finished with five catches for 127 yards. He was the one who blew past him to kick-start a 108-yard Winnipeg drive early in the third, which ended with a Wheatfall touchdown after Peters appeared to leave him free in man coverage.
There is always the possibility that someone else wasn’t where they were supposed to be on those plays, but Wheatfall also won outright on plays where the coverage was clear as day. It was a level of vulnerability we aren’t accustomed to seeing from one of the league’s elite lockdown defenders and it could be something to monitor going forward.
Kicking it up a notch
It won’t come close to the list of the most clutch kicks in his career, but Sean Whyte’s 21-yard field goal in the first quarter marked an important milestone. With those three points, the 39-year-old surpassed Terry Baker for 10th all-time in CFL scoring. Only Calgary’s Rene Paredes has more points among active players, leading him by two slots.
Whyte continued to add to his historic tally throughout the night but I was surprised that the Lions didn’t allow him to kick a big one later in the opening half. Opting for a 37-yard punt by Carl Meyer from the Winnipeg 44-yard line was an interesting call from Pierce when a 51-yarder from Whyte was possible.
Sure, that might be at the edge of the White Rock native’s range, but he’s the master of the “just far enough” kick and had only a gentle breeze going against him. I get that B.C.’s coverage team is currently a liability, but points were going to be at a premium in this one and that was a moment the rookie head coach should have trusted his kicker.
For achievement in film
There won’t be much that the Lions can celebrate from this game on film, but two players are sure to earn praise from their coaches for going the extra mile on key plays.
Keon Hatcher will be the first to receive a gold star, as he was well downfield on Rourke’s longest run of the night before recognizing his QB coming down the sideline. He was able to quickly turn and wall off his defender, securing an extra five yards in the process. What Hatcher gave was soon returned to him in kind, as Stanley Berryhill raced in out of nowhere to throw his body into Evan Holm on the receiver’s 77-yard score and spring him for a touchdown. That was slightly undermined when he earned a penalty on a later downfield block, but he still gets an ‘A’ for effort.
Those are the types of plays you want to see players making in a loss and they should provide a much-needed silver lining.
100 men vs. one gorilla
If you’ve been anywhere on the internet in the last few months, you know that the most important question of our time is whether 100 men could beat one gorilla in a fight. This game had me asking a very different question. Is it better to get the snot beat out of you all game or get hit by Michael Chris-Ike once?
Our guinea pigs for this experiment were Robert Carter Jr. and Stanley Berryhill, who split return duties after Jermaine Jackson tweaked his knee in warmups but didn’t divide it equally. The 175-pound Carter fielded six punts, three kickoffs, and a missed field goal with very little success, getting routinely pounded due to B.C.’s suspect blocking. He also played full-time as a starting corner on defence and made some nice tackles of his own, earning an ice bath when he gets home.
Berryhill had just two kick returns but one of them ended rather abruptly when all 225-pounds of Winnipeg’s second-year fullback barrelled into him at full speed. It was a hit that may well have felled that hypothetical gorilla and it jarred the ball loose for what could have been a costly fumble. Fortunately, the B.C. defence held firm and prevented a touchdown.
The answer to the question I posed is, of course, none of the above. It is obviously better to be Winnipeg returner Trey Vaval, because the Lions’ porous coverage team gave him a soft introduction to the league.
Sophomore surge
The Lion who has impressed me more than any other so far this season has been defensive tackle Jonah Tavai, who appears to have taken a huge step forward in his second year. He flashed interior pressure throughout this game, finished second on the team with six tackles, and added both a tackle for loss and a sack.
I was high on Tavai as a rookie and his rotational production earned him NFL looks in the offseason. He could be poised to enter the top-tier defensive tackle conversation if he keeps this pace up.
GOATs with grey beards
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame unveiled its 2025 class on Thursday morning, including a familiar face for Lions fans. Former offensive tackle Jovan Olafioye got the nod seven years after his retirement in 2018, officially entrenching him as one of the greatest ever.
Olafioye was an NFL-calibre talent who was unfairly black-balled by the league due to high blood pressure which never impacted his play. As a result, the CFL held on to a seven-time all-star and the league’s Most Outstanding Lineman in 2012 much longer than they should have. He was an integral part of B.C.’s last Grey Cup victory and with all due respect to Joel Figueroa, the team hasn’t had a bookend anywhere near his ability since. Hopefully, Dejon Allen is the one to break that drought, though he’ll need more help to accomplish that.
The newly enshrined blocker is still just 37 years old, and the timing of the Hall of Fame announcement highlights a remarkable fact related to this game. When Olafioye was a rookie in 2010, so was Winnipeg’s starting left tackle Stanley Bryant. It is absurd that he remains a top-tier player at that position nearly a decade after his contemporaries have left the sport.
Bullfrog blues
Even if Rourke’s injury is relatively minor, Lions fans have to prepare for the possibility of seeing Jeremiah Masoli under centre next week and beyond. The 36-year-old leapt into action to finish this game despite being listed behind Chase Brice on the depth chart and didn’t look great. His 84 yards in garbage time were under-cut by an ugly interception and a bad overthrow of a wide-open Hatcher.
Even so, putting Rourke in any sort of danger at this stage of the season would be a major mistake and caution needs to be the buzzword. You’d much rather see Masoli for a game or two now, instead of having him lead a playoff push.
No matter who starts at QB, the Lions will have their work cut out for them next week when they host Winnipeg on Saturday, June 21 for the second half of the back-to-back. They have a long week to fix their multitude of issues but the Bombers will have Zach Collaros back at the helm following his one-game suspension. It should be a crucial test of the resiliency of this year’s team.
