(OTTAWA)- A fast start and a couple of key takeaways on defence weren’t enough for the slumping BC Lions on Saturday in our nation’s capital. Nathan Rourke and the Lions fell to 5-6 with a 34-27 defeat to the 7-2-1 Ottawa Redblacks. The Leos’ fifth straight defeat drops them into a second-place tie with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Western Division. Now for some Game Takes:
Similar Script
The hometown Redblacks weren’t fazed after falling behind 7-0 on the Lions’ opening series of the game. It was a refreshing start for the visitors who saw Rourke complete his first five passes of the night while extending one drive on a crucial 51-yard run to set them up in field goal range. A good start that couldn’t be sustained. Dru Brown finished 28/37 for 390 yards and three touchdown strikes while the Ottawa offence stayed on the field and took advantage of some defensive miscues by the Lions. For Rourke, he once again took responsibility for the offence.
“Just a bitter taste in my mouth right now,” the quarterback said.
“We put our defence in a lot of tough positions. We can’t expect to beat a team like this with three turnovers. We’ve got to clean that up.”
Rourke had a pair of fumbles, the second one coming during a bizarre sequence of late events starting with a Manny Rugamba illegal contact penalty which wiped out a sack by Josh Banks and gave Brown and company a fresh set of downs. The result was a touchdown and a ten-point lead that would be too much for the Lions to overcome. Once again, it’s those crucial plays in the fourth quarter that it came to.
“We’re underachieving in key moments,” Rick Campbell said.
“The game is there for the taking in the fourth quarter. We’re not getting it done right now. I still believe in this team, we’ve got great players and great players and we’re not quite where we need to be right now. But we’re going to keep working at it.”
“We’ve got to finish,” Rourke added.
“I don’t think they were doing anything that we weren’t expecting. They just made more plays than we did. Credit to them. I think it starts with me. I think I’ve got to make more plays., I’ve got to trust our o-line, trust our guys, go through the reads and make plays.”
It was a vast improvement from his season debut a week ago as Rourke was 22/31 for 234 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. Consistency will be the key from here on out. That also holds true for T.J. Lee and the proud defensive unit.
“Football is a game of adversity. We know adversity is going to happen to you and we’ve got seven more games together before playoffs. We’re speaking playoffs and manifesting it but we need to win some games and everything else will come from here,” Lee said.
And they get a chance to bump the slump next Saturday night on Vancouver Island.
Prayers Up For Acklen
It was a scary moment prior to Ottawa’s final touchdown as receiver Jaelon Acklen was taken to hospital after appearing to suffer a neck injury when he landed awkwardly on the back of his head while attempting to haul in an end zone catch. Acklen was reportedly alert and conscious after the game which was delayed by approx. 15 minutes while he was being treated by medical staff from both teams. Rourke wished Acklen well in his post-game comments below as the two worked out together in Denver last offseason.
Key Numbers
451- Ottawa’s net offence in this one thanks in large part to their ability to sustain drives and keep the Lions’ unit off the field when it mattered most.
68.2– the Redblacks’ conversion percentage on second down as they moved the sticks on 15 of 22 attempts. A very similar theme to last week’s defeat against the Blue Bombers.
3- costly turnovers for the offence: the two Rourke fumbles and a second-quarter interception when the Lions were ahead 11-3.
47– Sean Whyte saw his franchise-high field goal streak end on the first play of the second quarter when his second try of the night was blocked. Kudos to the ageless veteran for his model of consistency and we look forward to tracking his next streak which currently sits at three.
Next Up
The same two teams will re-convene west for next Saturday’s Touchdown Pacific presented by WestJet. Kickoff at Victoria’s Royal Athletic Park is 4:00 pm. Click HERE for the full festival schedule, including an open practice and two days of fun at Ship Point Inner Harbour.