B.C. Lions smash against castle wall, continue West Final futility (& 10 other thoughts)

Photo courtesy: B.C. Lions

Different battlefield, same result. The B.C. Lions continued their run of West Final futility on Saturday night in Edmonton, smashing themselves against the walls of the Concrete Castle of the North and its 40,000 defenders in a demoralizing 28-16 defeat.

Here are my thoughts on the game.

Crumbling walls

In sticking with the Elks’ self-appointed nickname for Commonwealth Stadium, the 2026 West Final took on the veneer of a classic medieval siege. The pace of play was plodding, marked by periods of stagnation from both offences, and points were at a premium against two dominant and deeply entrenched defences. After a 9-6 opening half where neither side found the end zone, it was clear that the result would be determined as much by attrition as anything else.

On that front, the Lions found themselves at a disadvantage. Already ground down by injuries, they seemed to fade rather than surge forward as the deciding volleys were fired. However, as the metaphor might suggest, Edmonton benefitted from much better walls.

The B.C. offensive line has quietly gone unquestioned this season, in part because Nathan Rourke so effectively covers up for their mistakes. Against the top defence in the CFL, their cracks and weaknesses were on full display. The Elks consistently generated pressure with their front four, bulldozing the interior trio of Anu Una, Brandon Yates, and Michael Couture back into the quarterback’s lap. Malik Carney and Noah Taylor were disciplined and effective off the edges, giving Kory Woodruff and Tyran Walker-Hunt nightmares.

Even with his history of Houdini-esque escapes, Rourke had nowhere to go. He was hemmed in the pocket with defenders constantly in his face, resulting in two sacks, a myriad of missed throws, and fruitless drives galore. Even the stats fail to do justice to how badly the group up front was manhandled.

On the other side of the battle, Cody Fajardo was under plenty of pressure all night as well, though there were key differences. For one thing, Mike Benevides was forced to dial up blitzes to get to the quarterback, leaving holes behind for the Elks to exploit. Lane discipline left something to be desired, and Edmonton’s high-priced offensive line showed the ability to recover when beaten, pushing B.C. pass rushers off their track even further.

Because of that, Fajardo was able to break contain and extend plays. He was also afforded great swathes of space in front of him, whereas his counterpart saw only the sweaty derrieres of his blockers. The 34-year-old took advantage and managed to produce 84 rushing yards — arguably the difference in this ball game.

The Lions simply got outclassed on both lines of scrimmage, but only one of them had a decimated rotation to use as an excuse.

Charmed existence

There is no avoiding the fact that Nathan Rourke underwhelmed in this game.

He knows it. His teammates know it. Everyone watching knows it.

Sure, Rourke finished with 324 yards passing and a team-high 32 yards rushing, including their only touchdown, but a 59 percent completion percentage left a lot of meat on the bone. Even grading generously due to the constant pressure he was under, there were moments when he failed to seize the game.

Going one-for-four in the red zone in an elimination game is inexcusable, and the Canadian QB arguably got lucky that his biggest mistakes didn’t result in turnovers on the stat sheet. Joel Dublanko dropped two possible interceptions, and a late throw to Jermaine Jackson on a wide-side out route could have been returned for a pick-six by Tyrell Ford if it were not overthrown. He also took an indefensible sack on second-and-inches, a costly play that we’ll discuss in greater depth momentarily.

Still, I bristle at the emerging narrative that this result means that Rourke is not a “big game player.” It is true that he has played in three West Finals as a starter (2022, 2025, and 2026) and hasn’t performed at his best in any of them, but the sample size remains way too small for grandiose statements.

In a five-team division, you should book a trip to the Grey Cup once every five years, so the 28-year-old is hardly a statistical anomaly. The Lions have also been the road team in all of Rourke’s appearances, a status that has meant defeat in 19 of the last 24 CFL Divisional finals. Once again, he has failed to beat the odds, but that seems a ridiculous burden to drape over the shoulders of a young player when so many other quarterbacks have failed to achieve success until much later in their careers.

The nature of the position is that all fingers will be pointed at Rourke, but I didn’t see anyone else stepping up to play the hero offensively. Not the offensive line. Not Justin McInnis. Not Keon Hatcher. Not Zander Horvath.

There were no spectacular catches to bail out the QB or electric runs after contact to spark momentum. This was a team failure and a team loss. Rourke may set the standard, but nobody else exceeded it.

Original sin

Robert Carter Jr. ended his night on a high note, ripping off a 59-yard kickoff return that was the best by a Lion all season. However, that doesn’t absolve him of all that came before it. The pint-sized defensive back was in the vicinity on both of Edmonton’s touchdowns and failed to make a play.

It is unclear who blew the contain assignment on Cody Fajardo’s five-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter, but Carter noticeably drifted inside of weak-side linebacker Adam Konar and got blown up by ShunDerrick Powell trying to fire through the C gap. Given Darnell Sankey’s reaction, you have to wonder if that was an unfortunate ad-lib.

There is little doubt that Carter was at fault on Austin Mack’s deciding 23-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter. It was man coverage on the outside with no safety help over the top, and everybody loaded up in the box to stop the run. That’s a tough one-on-one assignment, but at the very least, he needed to take away the inside leverage. Instead, he was beaten cleanly to the post.

Notably, that play was preceded by another poor play by Carter, as he failed to tackle tight end Skyler Griffith short of the sticks and allowed substantial yards after the catch.

Since returning from a stint with the Indianapolis Colts, Carter hasn’t quite lived up to expectations. There have been flashes and near-misses, but none of the spectacular feats that made him a Most Outstanding Rookie nominee in 2025. That type of slump isn’t uncommon for players after NFL opportunities, and a player of his athletic ability should be able to bounce back. It is simply unfortunate that he got exposed at such a critical time.

Pierce through the heart

Buck Pierce has called some masterful games this season, but he got soundly out-coached by Edmonton defensive coordinator J.C. Sherritt in this one. The play-calling felt flat and unimaginative, failing to relieve pressure on Rourke or provide a spark when needed.

Instead of digging deep into the playbook, B.C.’s head coach forced himself to be overly aggressive on two occasions, neither of which produced the desired result.

The first came with B.C. leading by three early in the third quarter. A nine-yard catch by Justin McInnis on first down put the Lions in second-and-inches at the Edmonton 43-yard line. Rather than plunge ahead and move the sticks, Pierce attempted to get a free shot, as teams sometimes do when they have an extra down and a makeable gamble in front of them.

I don’t hate the thought process, but those change-ups typically only work when the offence lines up as if a sneak is about to take place. Instead, Rourke lined up in the gun with three receivers to his left, two tight ends, and Horvath beside him. There was no run fake, and nobody on the defence bit, resulting in an eight-yard sack that forced B.C. to punt. To be clear, Rourke needed to get rid of the ball, even if Anu Una was getting beaten like a drum in front of him, but Pierce invited the risk with his play-call.

B.C. rolled the dice again with 5:40 remaining in the fourth quarter. Trailing by nine points at the time, urgency was needed, but it still felt premature to go for it on third-and-10. A punt would have pinned an Edmonton offence that had only produced one touchdown deep in their own end with plenty of time to get a stop, score, and then repeat the process. Instead, McInnis was halted two yards short of the marker and was stripped of the football by Joel Dublanko. J.J. Ross returned the loose pigskin 62 yards, which effectively knocked all of the wind out of the Lions.

I tend to skew aggressive when it comes to game management, but both of these gambles left me at a loss. Coincidentally, that is exactly what it produced for B.C.

Last man standing

With a depleted front seven barely held together by medical tape, the Lions’ defence wasn’t able to play saviour, as they have previously. Darnell Sankey sure did his darndest, though.

The CFL’s recently crowned Most Outstanding Defensive Player was just about the only thing limiting Fajardo from galloping up and down the length of the field all night long. He produced 11 defensive tackles, including one for a loss, and got home for two sacks. Like the lone Viking holding back the Anglo-Saxon army at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, he stood defiant until the end and might have prevailed with just a little more help.

In my mind, Sankey is the only non-negotiable pending free agent that the Lions have to bring back next year. He was the heart of this team in 2026 and needs to be part of their future as well.

Late fees

The Lions have been a fairly disciplined team all season, but two unnecessary roughness penalties really hurt them in this game. Both were committed against Cody Fajardo, and both resulted in points scored.

I am sympathetic to the plight of Deontai Williams on the second infraction, as Fajardo slid extremely late as he scrambled for a first down. I’m not quite sure what B.C.’s all-star nickel defender could have done to avoid contact with both players going down almost simultaneously. The blow wasn’t to the head either, but any perceived lateness is an automatic flag in the modern game. The result was a key field goal.

Mathieu Betts doesn’t deserve nearly as much grace on his late hit that extended a critical Edmonton touchdown drive. Tracking down Fajardo from behind, he clearly dove on top after the play was dead. It wasn’t a substantial blow, which is exactly what made it so frustrating. A veteran of his calibre needs to know that will be called every time.

Short changed

Veteran kicker Sean Whyte accounted for more than half of the Lions’ total scoring in this game, but it is his first-quarter miss that will loom largest throughout the offseason. A 50-yard attempt needs to be almost automatic in modern professional football, especially in the playoffs, but he kicked it exactly as short as the fan who was trying to win $500,000 at halftime.

This comes one week after the typically reliable Whyte missed a 49-yarder late against Saskatchewan, which nearly proved costly. His accuracy isn’t an issue, but his leg strength is a serious concern with the goal posts set to move back 15 yards next year.

From a personal standpoint, I want Whyte to be brought back. I idolized the 40-year-old growing up in the same town, and his signed jersey, purchased when I was 12, still resides on my office wall. Logically, however, I’m not sure how B.C. justifies the status quo when everything else is changing. You’ll lose a lot of games if your kicker can’t be trusted outside the 30-yard line.

Blip on the radar

In theory, the Lions have consistency at running back entering next season, with all three of Zander Horvath, James Butler, and Emani Bailey under contract. Your guess is as good as mine as to how they actually handle the trio.

After exploding in the middle of the season, Horvath exits 2026 like a lamb. He produced a couple of solid runs against Edmonton, but was given just five carries and failed to haul in a single target. His last 100-yard outing was in Week 13.

Soon-to-be 32 years old, you’d expect James Butler to be a salary cap casualty, but he’s been the better of the two backs in recent weeks. At least he provided an outlet in the passing game in this one, turning three catches into 64 yards.

It is Bailey who I am most intrigued by. I believe B.C. will come to regret not playing him in this game. Look for him to become a feature player next season.

Consolation games

The Lions’ season may be over, but that doesn’t mean that you should stop cheering until May. There are still a couple of local teams with the chance to win a title in the coming weeks that need your support.

If you happen to be on Vancouver Island this Sunday, why not drown your sorrows while cheering on the Westshore Rebels in the Canadian Bowl. The juggernaut Regina Thunder are in town to contend for the CJFL national championship, and you might just witness the next Andrew Harris or Jevon Cottoy. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. PT at Starlight Stadium in Langford.

The University of British Columbia took care of business in the Canada West semi-finals on Saturday, defeating the Manitoba Bisons 30-23. They’ll now host the Regina Rams for the Hardy Cup on Saturday, November 14, at 1:00 p.m. PT. Make your way to Thunderbird Stadium on the Point Grey campus for the best bang for your buck in Canadian sports, with several future CFL — and potentially NFL — stars on the UBC roster.

If you are making the trip to Calgary for Grey Cup anyway, you can always cheer on the T-Birds alongside yours truly at the 3Down Throwdown. Spots are limited, but I hope to see a strong Lions contingent on hand for a night of fun, football, and a live podcast with audience participation. You won’t want to miss it.

Best of the worst or worst of the best?

I am not a subscriber to the theory that any season that doesn’t result in a championship is automatically a failure. There is only one Grey Cup awarded every year, and tangible growth counts for something. As long as you improve as an organization, you are doing something right.

The question is, did the Lions actually improve in 2026?

They certainly showed plenty of resilience in battling back from a 1-5 start, and they unquestionably ended as a top-three team in the league, but that’s not the mark. At 10-8, their record was actually a game worse than it was a year ago. The season ended in the same place it has in four of the past five years, a road defeat in the West Final.

At best, that’s stagnation, not progress.

The Lions last reached the Grey Cup in 2011, defeating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on home soil. They have been a good team, even occasionally a great team, in the years since, making the playoffs 11 out of 14 times. They have nothing to show for it.

The careers of legends like T.J. Lee, Garry Peters, and Sean Whyte have played out entirely in that zone between mediocrity and supremacy. The current iteration of the franchise has now rolled it back with the same handful of stars multiple times with little to no improvement. At a certain point, contentment becomes your enemy.

There will be serious choices to be made in free agency. Some beloved faces will depart. Some productive players won’t be worth their price tag. And some fat will have to be trimmed to make room for new blood. The process begins in earnest on Sunday as the team clears out their lockers. Keep it locked on 3DownNation throughout the offseason for all the breaking news and analysis.

Thank you as always for your loyal readership this season. Know that while CFL football may change and evolve, I will always be here to provide overly wordy diatribes and questionable hot takes for your enjoyment.