B.C. Lions spook themselves, regain composure to knock off Stampeders (& 11 other thoughts)

Photo courtesy: Zach Dittberner/B.C. Lions

The B.C. Lions didn’t make it easy on themselves, but overcame a late hiccup to defeat the Calgary Stampeders 30-26 on Thursday night at McMahon Stadium.

Here are my thoughts on the game.

Jump scare

There is an old saying in football: they don’t ask how, they ask how many. I’ve never much cared for that philosophy, in part because it is my express purpose to dissect the “how” in these columns. Coaches and players, at least the good ones, share that perspective, and never let errors be absolved in the light of a victory.

You can bet the mood in the Lions’ film room this week will be much less jovial than the locker room after this victory. B.C. had the Stampeders by the reins with just over five minutes remaining, and a couple of major unforced errors completely swung momentum back in the home team’s favour, almost costing them the victory.

The first came courtesy of Nathan Rourke, who, as we’ll discuss momentarily, was having an exceptional game to that point. On second-and-seven from the Calgary 45-yard line, he let loose a pass over the middle for Keon Hatcher Sr. that never should have been thrown. Pressure undoubtedly played a role in the delivery, as Clarence Hicks flashed across his face on a late stunt and Marquel Lee was bearing down for a blindside hit, but this was a moment when Rourke needs to learn to take a sack. Instead, he sent the pass high and behind his intended target, where only cornerback Anthony Johnson could get it. It was an indefensible risk taken at a crucial moment.

The Stampeders’ cover man raced the ball back 55 yards, and Chris Schleuger tacked on 15 more via penalty after he chopped down one of the lead blockers, putting the ball at the B.C. 10-yard line.  The next play was a forced incompletion, but Deontai Williams mugged Jalen Philpot as he came across the middle. The resulting pass interference call set up a Quincy Vaughn touchdown plunge, and Calgary added the two-point conversion.

Unnecessarily coughing up the pigskin once while surrendering a lead to a team forced to resort to a backup quarterback would have been bad enough, but the Lions had more in store. On the ensuing kickoff, Stanley Berryhill broke upfield and appeared to find a seam, but lost control of the ball as he brushed the buttocks of blocker Riley Pickett. Calgary quickly recovered, threatening to make it a two-score game. Ironically, it was a fumble on a return that turned the tide in favour of the Stampeders the last time these teams met in Kelowna, though that came much earlier in the game.

In just over two minutes of action, the Lions committed two turnovers, two major penalties, and surrendered the lead. But the second half of the “how” question mark revolves around how a team responds to adversity, and on that front, B.C. should be very pleased.

Calgary never extended their lead because the defence forced a two-and-out and Jude McAtamney shanked a makeable field goal. Rourke responded with a couple of elite throws, including a bullet to Hatcher on a slant to retake the lead. Needing a touchdown to win, the Stampeders forced Mike Benevides’ unit to bend, but they stiffened up in the red zone, and T.J. Lee used his veteran savvy to secure the deciding interception.

It was an impressive regaining of composure after things seemed certain to spiral out of control. Good teams don’t put themselves in those situations, but great ones know how to handle it when they do. This was our first glimpse of the Lions truly overcoming mistakes like that this season.

Survive the surge

While B.C.’s performance will be best remembered for the fourth-quarter scare, this game was actually bookended by concerning stretches.

The Lions’ offence came out of the gate incredibly flat, producing just 19 yards and a single first down in the first quarter. That included a contested drop by Justin McInnis on an absolute dart from Rourke and an embarrassing unforced fumble by Jermaine Jackson, which gave Calgary the ball in plus field position. Against a potent offence operating at a historic clip, it could have been lights out early.

Instead, the Stampeders were forced to settle for field goals on each of their first three drives, leaving them exposed to a comeback. Calgary’s first drive was stalled by drops from Dejon Brissett, their second ended in the red zone when C.J. Coldon got a hand on a potential touchdown pass, and the third succumbed to pressure from B.C.’s defensive front. Full credit should go to the defensive unit as a whole, as even one touchdown allowed in that circumstance would have fundamentally altered how the offence needed to attack the game.

All told, the Lions’ defence held Calgary to just 292 net yards and limited them to two touchdowns on five trips to the red zone. That’s a winning stat line against almost any opponent, let alone an offence of the Stampeders’ calibre.

Pick your moments

For the second week in a row, Justin McInnis battled inconsistency, but found a way to deliver the game’s biggest play in a key moment.

After his opening drive reception was overturned on review, the lanky Canadian target was held without a catch until the fourth quarter, when he broke wide open in the flat for a 27-yard gain. That was only a taste of what was to come, as his second and final catch proved to be the difference on B.C.’s game-winning drive.

McInnis fought off contact from Zy Alexander and broke in to receive the pass from Rourke in tight coverage, before breaking upfield for a 59-yard gain. It was every bit the dramatic display of speed and physicality that his 82-yard touchdown was last week, minus the points — he left that up to Hatcher a few plays later.

I still have reservations regarding McInnis’ performance this year, and having a target of his magnitude go silent for three quarters is a problem. However, your biggest stars should deliver in the clutch, and he’s doing that right now.

Take off the flags

Except for his egregious interception, which utterly lacked situational awareness, I thought this was Nathan Rourke’s finest game of the 2026 season. Other performances, including his return last week, offered heftier stat lines, but some of his throws in this game were simply otherworldly.

Key among them was his 85-yard deep shot to Jermaine Jackson, which broke the game wide open early in the second quarter. After rolling to his right and escaping the pocket thanks to a seal block from Jevon Cottoy, Rourke unleashed a rocket that sailed right over the outstretched hand of Zy Alexander and dropped into Jackson’s arms in stride. It was a thing of absolute beauty.

What stood out on that play and others was that Rourke’s mobility was being maximized in a way that has been missing to this point. Sure, there have been plenty of rollouts in the passing game to date, but the dual-threat Canadian has never really felt like a danger to break contain. Some of that has been defences reacting to his success on the ground and tweaking their systems to keep him bottled up, but the Lions’ scheme has also kept him more stationary, and he has shown a personal reluctance to tuck the ball.

For context, Rourke entered this game with just seven carries for 71 yards on the year — on pace for just 183.9 yards, which would be the lowest total since his rookie season and 380 yards less than what he produced in 2025. Against Calgary, he took off three times for 39 yards and a diving touchdown, each of which proved to be impactful. By leaving the safety of the pocket and challenging the Stampeders’ all-star defensive ends to a foot race, he also made plays like his throw to Jackson possible. The 28-year-old ultimately completed 15-of-22 passes for 310 yards, two touchdowns, and one pick.

Rourke took the unconventional step of playing flag football this offseason to prepare for a potential role with Team Canada at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. While mobility and creativity are praised in that sport, quarterbacks aren’t allowed to run with the ball, and Canada is currently led by former B.C. backup Michael O’Connor, who is as rigid a pocket passer as you’ve seen. I wonder if that change in mindset had any effect on Rourke’s approach this year. I hope we see him take off the flags more as this season progresses. Otherwise, he’s only half the player he can be.

Fallen friend

Knocking an opposing quarterback out of a game always boosts a team’s chances at victory, but no player wants to see an opponent injured. That’s especially true in the case of someone like Vernon Adams Jr., who was the Lions’ spiritual leader not too long ago.

Former teammates were just as concerned as current ones when Calgary’s quarterback appeared to be unresponsive after his helmet was driven into the turf early in the fourth quarter. The situation looked serious, as medical staff rushed to perform a clamp on Adams while defensive lineman Lorenzo Mauldin IV was still pinned underneath him. Fortunately, the 33-year-old was able to walk off the field under his own power, but he never returned to the game.

Josh Love took over and completed six-of-10 passes for 58 yards, along with the final interception. Needless to say, the result might have been different had Adams still been in the game.

Stampeders head coach Dave Dickenson confirmed post-game that Adams had suffered a head injury, which is officially his second since joining the team in 2025. VA and I had our differences at times during his tenure in B.C., but he is an elite quarterback, and I hope he recovers quickly. The league is infinitely better when he is on the field.

Calgary also lost star running back Dedrick Mills to a head injury in the fourth quarter after he was obliterated by Deontai Williams. Just like the contact on Adams, that hit was clean, but Williams consistently operates on the edge. I’m all for violent contact in this sport, but I detest that style of uncontrolled shoulder checking. It may force incompletions, but it is fundamentally bad technique and puts everyone involved in harm’s way.

Accidents happen

When the Stampeders did finally break through for a touchdown, it came with a huge assist from the officials.

As longtime readers know, I generally dislike overt criticism of the referees. I’m also of the belief that Andre Proulx, an easy target for fans because of his distinctive accent, is actually one of the league’s best and most reliable zebras. With that said, the accidental pass interference call against Stantley Thomas-Oliver in the second quarter was as close to a phantom penalty as I’ve ever seen.

According to the CFL rulebook, “tripping an opponent from behind shall be considered accidental pass interference.” By the absolute letter of the law, that’s technically what occurred when the bottom of Damien Alford’s cleat grazed the thigh of the Lions’ cornerback, which caused him to stumble over his own feet. The spirit of the rule, however, is another matter. This wasn’t a situation where Thomas-Oliver was in tight bump-and-run coverage, and his feet became entangled with Alford’s. The contact wasn’t accidental; it was incidental.

Adding insult to the injury of the infraction was the fact that Erik Brooks subsequently caught a touchdown pass which arguably should have been considered offensive pass interference. Ronald Kent Jr. was in prime position for the interception when the receiver climbed over his back and helmet to make the grab. To be clear, the third-year halfback should have made a greater effort to attack the ball at its peak, but he’s entitled to just as much protection as his offensive counterpart. He didn’t get that as Brooks jostled him out of the way.

Personally, I favour no flag in either situation. But if you are going to throw laundry at the first one, surely the second merited it even more.

Shot for shot

Clarence Hicks and Mathieu Betts entered Thursday night tied for the CFL lead in sacks. They exited the same way, each adding one to their tally of seven on the season.

It’s hard to say which star pass rusher had a bigger impact on the game, but both of them delivered in ways that far exceeded the box score. Hicks was a frequent pest in the backfield, disrupted a couple of throws, and erased a brilliant scramble drill connection for 57 yards between Rourke and Stanley Berryhill III by drawing a holding penalty. Tyran Walker-Hunt had been excellent at right tackle for the Lions prior to this contest, but he often had to resort to a grab-and-pray approach against Calgary.

Betts was equally menacing off the edge and had Vernon Adams Jr. running for his life on multiple occasions. Poor Josh Love didn’t even get to run; he was routinely whalloped at the end of the night.

I thought the Lions’ pass rush was relentless and easily the best part of their defence. It didn’t require Betts to function either, as Hayden Harris notched a mop-up sack after complete team pressure was delivered on a play where the two-time Most Outstanding Defensive Player was watching from the sideline. That’s a big deal, as every member of the rotation will need to contribute down the stretch.

Stable worse than pasture

Zander Horvath wasn’t given a touch in the first quarter against Calgary, but continued to shine through the final three. The big-bodied bruiser rumbled for 102 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, highlighted by a 41-yarder early in the second half and an eight-yard gain in which he carried four defenders the distance while hopping on one leg. He also added three catches for 32 yards.

Buck Pierce continued to force-feed James Butler a role in this offence, but it seemed like the veteran’s primary purpose in this game was being tackled for a loss. He ran six times for 11 yards, most of which came on one well-blocked eight-yard scamper. Every other touch sucked the life out of the team.

Butler is well-liked in the Lions locker room, and he isn’t likely to be going anywhere soon. As a six-year CFL veteran, the remainder of his contract is now guaranteed after passing the nine-game mark on the season — if B.C. wanted financial savings, they would have needed to act last week. However, I don’t think dressing him helps this team right now. Allow him to stick around as insurance, but don’t disrupt your rhythm to justify his existence.

Keon the Redeemer

Keon Hatcher Sr. had an uncharacteristically quiet performance last week, highlighted by a pair of drops. He more than redeemed himself in this game, snagging a team-high seven catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns.

B.C. is at its best when Hatcher is the driving force on offence, and Rourke ensured he was heavily involved. I don’t expect many more games like last week.

Statement pending

The remainder of the results this week will determine where this victory places B.C. in the standings, but, at the very least, they’ll be able to taste a playoff spot, if not already possess one. That’s pretty remarkable considering that many had left this team for dead a few weeks ago.

The real test comes next week, though, as the Lions get set to host the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Sunday, August 23. A victory over the current West Division leaders would fully legitimize this team as a contender, while a loss could reinforce questions about their staying power. Kickoff at BC Place is slated for 7:00 p.m. EDT.