B.C. Lions run out of options, drop opener to Riders (& 11 other thoughts)

Photo: Tanner Piper/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

The B.C. Lions suffered a familiar fate in the rematch of last year’s West Final, pushing the Roughriders until the final play of their 2026 season-opener before ultimately falling 31-27 in front of 30,168 fans in Saskatchewan.

Here are my thoughts on the game.

Depth of despair

In an ideal world, you’d like the result of football games to be determined entirely on the merit of each team’s best players. Unfortunately, you can’t tell the story of this B.C. Lions’ loss without discussing two critical injuries, which cost them massively at the end of the game.

The first occurred early, when second-year return specialist Seven McGee had his ankle rolled up on by tackler Liam Hoskins on his first touch of the game. He was later carted off the sidelines and did not return, causing two serious trickle-down effects. For one thing, Stanley Berryhill III was forced to step in as the primary returner. Meanwhile, Canadian Kieran Poissant absorbed what was supposed to be an expanded offensive role for McGee.

The situation was made worse in the third quarter, when Jevon Cottoy left the game after a 15-yard catch in the middle of the field. Poissant was B.C.’s only backup receiver, which meant that they no longer had enough players for a full complement at the position. For the remainder of the game, the fullback trio of Zander Horvath, Riley Pickett, and Jacob Bond would have to fill the role of the fifth pass catcher.

The Lions began the final drive of this game down four points to the Riders and needed a touchdown to win. The reason for that specific deficit came on the final play of the third quarter, when Saskatchewan kicker Alex Hale missed a 43-yard field goal, and Berryhill conceded the single point in his new role as the returner. Under the CFL’s new rouge rule, which came into effect this season, had the ball been allowed to bounce out of the back of the end zone, no point would have been awarded.

Would McGee, who has trained more regularly for that situation, have reacted differently? We’ll never know for sure, but that point entirely altered the dynamic at the end of the football game and led to the team’s depth issue being exposed.

Twice on that deciding drive down the field, Nathan Rourke was forced to target Bond. Twice, the former CJFL linebacker, who only converted to fullback last season and has never caught a pass in a regular-season game, outright dropped the ball. The second mistake came on the game’s final play, ending the Lions’ hopes entirely.

The reality is that professional athletes have to deliver when called upon, but frankly, it was an unfair situation for Bond to be placed in. I also have serious questions about the call and personnel package used on the final play. B.C. elected to keep Butler, a viable pass catcher, in the backfield to block, while sending Bond out wide. Horvath, the only other career offensive skill player, remained on the sideline, even though the team had more Canadians on the field than mandated. That feels like a failure to maximize limited weaponry in a critical situation.

Notably, Poissant was the only receiver whose route carried him to the end zone on that critical play when a touchdown was needed. With the team situated just 33 yards from the goal line, I might have expected a more traditional Hail Mary-type concept at that moment, though perhaps there was some trickery up Buck Pierce’s sleeve. Either way, Rourke couldn’t have thrown deeper if he wanted to, as right guard Chris Schleuger was badly beaten by Ali Saad, resulting in pressure immediately in the quarterback’s face.

Put it all together, and it was a pitiful end to a respectable performance from the Lions’ offence. The team’s depth was tested, and it fell short of the mark. You have to wonder how the gameday roster makeup might be adjusted in the coming weeks to ensure such a situation isn’t repeated.

Soft on crime

While the offence came up short on the game’s final drive, they were far from the reason that the Lions lost this game. That responsibility lies at the feet of the defence, which struggled to contain Saskatchewan’s top weapons in a way that should send shivers down the spine of every fan.

The narrative coming out of training camp was that Mike Benevides’ unit was further ahead at this stage of the year than it had been in 2025. That did not manifest itself in the opener and the secondary, which had been a serious question mark throughout the offseason, confirmed everyone’s worst nightmares.

Every single one of Saskatchewan’s key offensive weapons was allowed to have a massive game. Kian Schaffer-Baker brutalized his opponents to the tune of 165 yards. KeeSean Johnson slashed through for 131. Samuel Emilus produced a measly 91 yards by comparison but violently drove in the knife with three touchdowns. And then there was Trevor Harris, slicing and dicing the defence for 417 yards with almost psychopathic calmness. Especially on the first few drives, his rampage looked unstoppable.

Each of the Lions’ defensive backs seemed to be a willing victim at one point or another. Rookie Tyson Russell, making his first CFL start in place of injured veteran Garry Peters, was beaten cleanly by Emilus on the game’s first major. Halfback Ronald Kent Jr. looked hapless on the other two touchdowns and dropped an interception in the end zone. Newcomer C.J. Coldon was cooked for 37 yards on one play by Johnson and seemed to allow catch after catch in front of him, resulting in a team-leading eight tackles. Safety Jackson Findlay vacated the middle of the field and left Ben Hladick on an island against Schaffer-Baker, which predictably resulted in a 52-yard gain. There also appeared to be a miscommunication between him and T.J. Lee on one play, which resulted in a 38-yard catch by Emilus.

Some mistakes are expected early in the season as the kinks get worked out, but I was more deeply concerned by how physically outmatched that unit looked at times. The Riders, to a man, appeared superior in every way, winning the one-on-one matchups they needed to and then some. That’s a problem that’s a lot harder to fix than a simple scheme adjustment.

Island time

Of course, it would be fundamentally unfair to the secondary to criticize them so harshly without also pointing out that the defensive line entirely hung them out to dry.

On paper, pass rush is supposed to be the strength of this team. Mathieu Betts is a two-time Most Outstanding Defensive Player. Casey Sayles and Jonah Tavai are both all-star-calibre defensive tackles. Sione Teuhema is a reliable veteran, and Levi Bell is a promising young prospect. With the exception of a mismatch sack by Betts and neat pressure by Bell, both of which forced two-and-outs, all were essentially invisible in Regina.

Harris is known for the speed at which he gets the ball out of his hands, which makes the defensive line’s job exceptionally difficult. Even so, B.C. needed more from the unit. Unable to generate meaningful pressure with four, defensive coordinator Mike Benevides was forced to ramp up the intensity by bringing heavy blitzes. That left defensive backs on an island, but the extra rushers still couldn’t get home. The results were predictable, and after forcing just two punts, the Lions should feel fortunate that their opponent settled for so many field goals.

Still not his time

Nathan Rourke had a respectable day at the office in a hostile environment, completing 24-of-37 passes for 330 yards while adding 59 yards and a touchdown on the ground. The extra effort with his legs was spectacular at times, but it was still far from his best outing.

The reality is that while Rourke is undeniably the CFL’s best quarterback, he wasn’t the best quarterback on the field in this game — an assessment I believe he would readily agree with. There were a handful of inaccurate passes that he’d like to have back, a few rushed decisions, and an indefensibly late throw to Kieran Poissant out wide that Tevaughn Campbell should have easily taken for a pick-six.

Some in Rider Nation will be all too happy to dance on the grave of their favourite punching bag, claiming this loss is somehow evidence that Rourke is both cocky and overrated. That narrative obviously couldn’t be further from the truth, but you can guarantee that the reigning M.O.P. will be especially motivated heading into next week. He viewed this game as a measuring stick against the reigning champs, and the results found B.C. wanting.

Whistle while you work

Justin McInnis finished the night as the Lions’ leading receiver, hauling in eight catches for 129 yards, but his stat line could have been much better if not for what I believe was a clear missed call by the officials.

The big-bodied Canadian target made a 27-yard catch up the seam late in the second quarter and absorbed a low hit from Saskatchewan halfback Rolan Milligan Jr. McInnis’ rear end never touched the ground as he rolled over top of the defender’s helmet, and he was able to smoothly regain his feet, justifiably taking off for the end zone. However, the referee had already blown a quick whistle, rendering the rest of the play moot.

TSN colour analyst Glen Suitor seemed to suggest that a player landing on top of another player on the ground is always ruled down by contact. I won’t claim to be an expert on every nuance of the rules, but I’ve watched a lot of football and have never heard that interpretation. In fact, I’ve witnessed the opposite principle applied and can’t find any indication of it in the CFL rulebook. I’m therefore inclined to believe that the call was simply blown — in this case, literally.

Ultimately, it wouldn’t matter, as the Lions managed to score later on the same drive, though not before McInnis dropped a pass in the end zone of his own accord. Nathan Rourke ran in the eventual touchdown, but got a lot of help from his offensive linemen late, led by left guard Brandon Yates. Though rarely called, that push technically should have counted as an illegal tandem block, so perhaps the Lions got one back from the referees.

Faulty flagging

I generally find head coach Buck Pierce to be a sound decision-maker, but I have no idea what was going through his mind when he threw his challenge flag late in the third quarter.

Tyson Russell did manage to force a fumble while tackling Saskatchewan receiver Dhel Duncan-Busby, but for that to matter, the Lions had to recover the ball. They very clearly had not done so, which could be easily determined by the fact that the Riders had quickly emerged from the pile with the pigskin in their hand. It wasn’t even a desperate attempt to erase a big play, as the referees had already called Samuel Emilus for holding, erasing the gain.

I don’t know if Pierce got bad advice from the booth, was misled by an overconfident player on the field, or was simply seeing red. Either way, he could have gotten the same result by simply throwing his flag in the garbage bin, saving everyone the trouble.

The void shouts back

Longtime readers of this column will know that I’ve been a consistent advocate for having Zander Horvath handle the majority of the Lions’ short-yardage duties. I’m not naive enough to believe the team actually reads or takes what I have to say into account, but I was thrilled to see them actually deploy that strategy in this game.

Critics will point out that Horvath was technically stopped short on a goal-line plunge, which led to one of James Butler’s rushing touchdowns. However, the replay was incredibly close, and I believe he actually crossed the plane by a hair, despite failing to extend. It ultimately didn’t matter, and I consider the experiment a tentative success.

Rourke is too good a runner to never attempt a sneak, but he doesn’t need to take more hits than he has to, no matter how low the risk of injury. This gives the physical American fullback a consistent role, even when the game situation and ratio make it difficult to get him on the field. That’s a win-win.

Slow out of the blocks

It is still far too early to panic, but I was slightly underwhelmed by the performance of the Lions’ offensive line, which features four Americans.

Kory Woodruff looked competent at left tackle, replacing the departed Jarell Broxton, but things took a nose-dive when he briefly left the game with an injury. Desmond Evans was credited with the clean-up sack, but it was Devin Adams who immediately split incoming guard Anu Una and centre Michael Couture to get in Rourke’s face. Woodruff couldn’t be reinserted fast enough, sending Chris Schleuger back to guard and Una to the bench.

Even at full strength, I thought there were moments when Rourke faced undue pressure from a Riders’ defensive line full of youngsters and new faces. Right tackle Dejon Allen still doesn’t look like the Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman he was in Toronto, and he got pushed around at times by Evans, including on a batted ball that could have been intercepted. There was also an obvious miscommunication on a sack by James Vaughters, with Allen sliding to his left and leaving the defensive end entirely unblocked with fullback Jacob Bond on the other side of Rourke. It is unclear who was at fault for the six-man protection failing to pick up all six rushers, but it was an ugly error.

For his part, Couture also committed arguably the most impactful of the three penalties assessed against B.C., erasing a 51-yard catch by Stanley Berryhill III late in the first half with a facemask on Mike Rose. Had the play stood, the Lions would have been in prime position to tie the game before intermission.

Rourke covers up a lot of flaws up front, but the Lions have been wise to stockpile veteran American offensive linemen and keep them around on the injured list early. This team’s Canadian talent in the trenches isn’t good enough, and they are highly vulnerable in the event of injury. Don’t be shocked if the likes of Isiah Cage, Josh Donovan, or (eventually) Josh Coker are forced to step in later in the season to plug an urgent hole.

Pietermaritzburg perfection

Without a question, the single best play by a Lion in the season-opener came off the foot of South African punter Carl Meyer.

Rather than have Sean Whyte attempt a 54-yard field goal on their first drive or go for it on third-and-six near midfield, B.C. sent out the Global specialist at the 47-yard line. He delivered a perfect punt that dribbled out at the one-yard line. Of course, the defence promptly rolled over to surrender a 109-yard touchdown drive, but you can’t blame Meyer for that.

The converted rugby player was excellent last season and should be a contender for an all-star nod this year. I truly believe he’s an NFL-level talent.

Zero visibility blizzard

The Lions debuted their new Pacific Frost away uniforms on Saturday. It’s a look that fans will need to get used to, as we’ll see them an awful lot over the next few weeks while the team are forced to be road warriors during the FIFA World Cup.

My deepest sympathies to the TSN broadcast crew, as well as B.C.’s dedicated radio teams of Giulio Caravatta, Bob ‘The Moj’ Marjanovich, Harpreet Pandher, and Thaqdeer Thindal, as these jerseys are essentially illegible from a distance. The Lions were already the bane of play-by-play announcers across the league because of the readability of their current home uniforms. The new white and silver combination takes that problem to an entirely different level, with any player standing in direct sunlight essentially becoming invisible to the viewer. It was difficult for me to identify the athletes watching from home; I can’t even imagine how challenging it would be if that were a core component of my job that had to be done instantly.

As for the general aesthetic, consider me very lukewarm on the look. The old-school silver helmets are gorgeous, but I prefer my uniforms with a splash of actual colour. With that said, there is a method to the madness here. All-white is very popular with the younger generation, and it is no coincidence that two other teams have teased the unveiling of similar jerseys in the near future. I expect these will be a top seller.

The best in the business

If you’re a die-hard fan reading this column, chances are you’ve already seen the Lions’ recently released training camp documentary, Arrow Up. If you haven’t, do yourself a favour and check it out on YouTube this week.

For my money, B.C. has the best content team in the CFL. Senior manager of digital media, Nik Kowalski, and his colleagues continually raise the bar with their video projects, and this year was no exception. The 52-minute documentary features some impressive cinematography, genuinely engaging interviews, and excellent storytelling that gives you real insight into some of the players who made the Lions’ final roster, as well as a few who came up short.

With the CFL wanting to expand their video content creation strategy in partnership with YouTube and DAZN going forward, I’d encourage them to look closely at what the crew in B.C. has done and follow their lead. Despite having a fraction of the resources, they have far surpassed the authenticity and watchability of some of the league’s previous attempts at documentary features, including the disappointing mini-series rolled out at last year’s Grey Cup. That is a testament to both their talent and passion, something the CFL would be wise to recognize.

My only gripe with what the Lions produce is that I’m too often surprised to hear my own voice providing background analysis or, worse yet, see my grotesque face pop up on the screen. While I’m humbled to be included, I’m not sure what the unwitting viewers have done to deserve such an assault on the senses. Hopefully, it hasn’t affected return traffic too much.

Up next

The Lions (0-1) now have a slightly short week before they travel to Hamilton on Friday, June 19, to play the Tiger-Cats (1-1). Defensive issues will have to be cleaned up before facing another veteran quarterback in Bo Levi Mitchell, who knows all too well how to exploit this unit when they aren’t at their best.

Some speed bumps are expected during a road-heavy start to the year, but in a hyper-competitive West Division, B.C. can’t afford to slip behind the pace. Even this early, a bounce-back will send a strong message.