Chase Brice, Nick Cenacle blow past Bombers in B.C. Lions’ preseason finale (& eight other thoughts)

Photo courtesy: Zachary Peters/B.C. Lions

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have been a frequent foil to the B.C. Lions in recent years, but that clearly does not apply to preseason, as the visitors secured a commanding 30-19 victory in front of 26,269 fans at Princess Auto Stadium on Saturday night.

Here are my thoughts on the game.

When did you get hot?

One day, I hope to experience a glow-up even a fraction as impressive as the one Chase Brice appears to have undergone this offseason.

Last week’s preseason game in Langford left me genuinely impressed by Brice for the first time in his four seasons with B.C. However, I am nothing if not an unpleasant curmudgeon and still couldn’t fully accept what I was witnessing, choosing to poke holes in the Lions’ quarterback process instead.

I’m done second-guessing. The 28-year-old was sensational against Winnipeg, exceeding even his performance from Vancouver Island.

All the regular preseason caveats apply here, but the numbers are staggering when you consider that Brice played one fewer series than Nathan Rourke. He completed nine of 11 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns, putting it right on the money for a couple of deep shots. One of his best throws was dropped, which means the stat line could have been even better.

By all accounts, Brice made a conscious effort to alter his physique and intensify his training regimen before this year. It has clearly paid off, which should elicit both admiration and a huge sigh of relief from Lions fans.

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast

If last week’s injury to first-round pick Nate Demontagnac caused you to question the Lions’ Canadian receiver depth, it shouldn’t have. A group that has been notoriously top-heavy over the past several seasons is now six players deep with legitimate talent, as exhibited by the performance of the guy who is supposed to be the last man on that list.

Nick Cenacle, the 45th overall pick in this year’s CFL Draft, had a coming-out party at Princess Auto Stadium, catching four passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns. The Hawaii product fell to the fifth round this year, in part, because he ran a nearly disqualifying 4.79-second forty-yard dash, but speed did not seem to be a problem as he routinely got behind the Bombers’ defence.

While his first deep major was the result of a true coverage bust, with Deandre Lamont leaving him completely uncovered, the remainder of his catches required actual separation. He got it done with smooth route-running and an understanding of space, proving how he led the Rainbow Warriors in receiving in 2024.

I would imagine that the numbers game will require Cenacle to start this season on the practice roster. If injuries force him into the lineup at any point, I think you still feel pretty good about that situation.

A who’s who of who cares

The Lions typically use their second preseason game to showcase their projected starters. That was certainly true offensively on Friday — which we’ll discuss more in a moment — but a number of defensive stars were left at home.

Mathieu Betts, Jonah Tavai, Sione Teuhema, Levi Bell, and Tibo Debaillie all took the night off along the defensive line. Ben Hladik didn’t dress at linebacker. Defensive backs Garry Peters, T.J. Lee, and Jackson Findlay also didn’t make the trip. New arrivals Darnell Sankey, Casey Sayles, and C.J. Coldon all played, but not for long.

The bulk of the action was undertaken by the huddled masses scratching and clawing to make the roster, just as it was a week ago. Based on the score and Winnipeg’s lacklustre offensive output, the unit certainly did its job. However, preseason is much more about individual standouts, and it is genuinely hard to pick one from this game.

The All-24 game film will tell the true story to the coaches, but the first viewing flashed about as much as a burnt-out turn signal. The Lions generated a single sack, which appeared to come courtesy of David Gusta but was erroneously credited to T.J. Burke. They produced zero turnovers, as an interception thrown directly at Parker McKenna was erased by an illegal contact penalty on Morice Norris. Overall, there were too many missed tackles in space and a painful failure to finish when pressure was applied on the quarterback, with those difficulties being most apparent on Winnipeg’s first and last drives. Both resulted in touchdowns.

There were jobs available to be won in this game, with fresh depth needed at defensive back and linebacker. I’m not convinced that anyone definitively seized one by virtue of their final preseason performance alone.

Always leave them wanting more

By the time the Lions kicked off on Friday, seven other CFL preseason games had been played at least in part, including one of their own. But the 2026 season couldn’t really be considered underway until the face of the league trotted out and delivered a 44-yard strike to Keon Hatcher. You could not have conceived of a more beautiful ball to christen Nathan Rourke’s return to the field.

The reigning Most Outstanding Player ended up playing three series — one more than most expected — going six of eight for 99 yards. The Lions settled for a pair of field goals, which might be considered a disappointing result against a backup defence. However, the Bombers were sending noticeable pressure, and Rourke had to operate the offence while ensuring he didn’t put himself in any meaningful jeopardy. While he failed to uphold that delicate balance on one awkward sack, the cognizance did contribute to a couple of poor deliveries with defenders bearing down.

Given that the Canadian QB’s Houdini-esque escapability is unimpeachable, those rough edges aren’t even the slightest bit of a concern to me. The majority of Rourke’s throws were crisp, clean, and the perfect amuse-bouche for a season in which he should be the unquestioned favourite to repeat as M.O.P. This offence will be one of the league’s most dangerous as long as he is at the controls.

What a difference a year makes

Now that the 2026 exhibition slate has concluded, it is worth reminding ourselves that “preseason darling” is a meaningless title. Look no further than last year’s breakout preseason star, Jermaine Jackson.

The Idaho receiver caught eight passes for 101 yards and a touchdown in the two games last year, generating plenty of buzz. That didn’t really translate in four regular-season appearances, but there was still excitement about him entering year two from people within the organization.

He hasn’t delivered on that promise, making four catches for 17 yards in 2026 and dropping a perfectly thrown fade ball in the second quarter of this one. With other players also emerging in the returner race, it appears Jackson is on the chopping block, and I don’t expect him to survive cutdown day.

The other major standout in 2025 was linebacker Jeremy Lewis, who willed his way onto the roster with an impossible-to-ignore outing in the second game. After missing a chunk of training camp this year with a minor injury, the 24-year-old played the majority of the snaps this week and led the Lions with six tackles. He had some notable whiffs, but should still be a safe bet to make the roster and could start at WILL in the opener, depending on how the team chooses to deploy the ratio.

A-Salt on the senses

If it wasn’t clear before, Kaidon Salter is locked in as B.C.’s third quarterback. The rookie out of Colorado looked miles more comfortable in his second CFL game, completing 11 of 12 passes for 123 yards and a touchdown, while displaying some explosiveness with his legs. He could be really special in a few years.

Unfortunately, the one area in which Salter struggled is the one where third-stringers tend to contribute the most: short-yardage. A Winnipeg offside penalty saved him from an early gaffe when he fumbled the exchange with centre Brandon Yates, but he was stopped short anyway later in the game, getting pulled back by Arnold Young. There is a lot more to handling QB sneaks than meets the eye, and the six-foot, 200-pounder’s rail-thin frame isn’t well suited to it.

That will likely mean more sneaks from Rourke this year, a role he both enjoys and excels at. Fans will have to continue living with the anxiety of watching the manifestation of their hopes and dreams get crushed beneath the pile.

Seventh man

Returner Seven McGee has been getting a lot of run with the offence in training camp, and fans were treated to their first glimpse of that in Winnipeg, as he got the start in Ayden Eberhardt’s old spot. The results weren’t anything to write home about, just two catches for 21 yards, but he did well to hang on to one pass while being drilled by Cam Allen.

This is part of the same receiver battle that I wrote about last week, between Kieran Poissant, who caught a nice touchdown catch in this game, and Hergy Mayala. If the Lions choose to go with three Canadian receivers, the league’s complex designated nationalized American rule can be utilized to get McGee on the field in their place for up to 25 snaps a game. That gives the offence a whole new element, transforming a possession target into a serious deep threat and potential gadget option.

Of course, B.C. could choose to start Hladik at linebacker and deploy Lewis or Ralen Goforth in a similar capacity, which would allow McGee to play receiver full-time. However, that would jeopardize his ability in the return game, and makes for a more challenging defensive line rotation with Mathieu Betts.

Return duties could still be handed off to maximize McGee’s offensive output, with Jaelon Darden and Silas Bolden both proving capable. However, the most flexible roster scenario would leave those duties in the incumbent’s hands, while he steps in occasionally as a seventh offensive weapon.

Emani amongst boys

When the final decisions are made, I just don’t know how you can leave Emani Bailey off this football team. A practice roster spot should be set aside for the rookie running back, who has looked impressive in both preseason games.

The TCU product runs fast and angry, slashing Winnipeg for 57 yards on 10 carries. He isn’t afraid to bang in traffic, but also has the vision and burst to escape it. If James Butler weren’t such an important safety valve for Rourke, I’d be tempted to do something dramatic based on what Bailey has shown.

Either way, Butler is 31 years old, which is close to retirement age for a running back. Zander Horvath is a different sort of animal and provides a valuable change of pace, but it remains to be seen if he can be a feature player. Putting a 24-year-old into the pipeline in the event of injury, or to cut costs come 2027, would be a smart move.

The long night

Thus begins the longest and most difficult day of the year for Buck Pierce, Ryan Rigmaiden, and the Lions’ staff. Little sleep will be had as all of the preseason game film gets broken down and graded in time for tomorrow, when the team will have until 10:00 p.m. PDT to make their final cuts.

While the CFL’s injury list structure means that final rosters can vary in size, the Lions will have to transform their current group of 87 players into a coherent 45-man active roster, plus a two-man reserve and a practice roster with up to 13 more. You can safely assume at least 20 players will be informed that their pro football dream is over on Saturday, many for the last time.

It is a grisly process for which I don’t envy those in this industry, but the Lions will get a break in the immediate aftermath. The team is on a bye in Week 1, before opening the regular season on Saturday, June 13, against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.