It’s another big test that could result in some lofty long-term dividends for the 5-1 BC Lions as they embark on a road battle against the 2-3 Calgary Stampeders to wrap up week seven in the Canadian Football League’s 2024 campaign. A win for the red-hot Lions on Sunday not only sends them into their first bye week on a solid note but would also open up an eight-point cushion on the struggling Stampeders with the regular season series also being locked up after the Lions already took down Calgary once this season, a 26-17 home result back in week two.
It’s never too early to start talking about possible scenarios for the Grey Cup push. And this contest sees the long-awaited return of a heart and soul guy in the secondary: T.J. Lee is officially back after suffering his torn Achilles tendon in last November’s West Final at Winnipeg. For Lee, it’s extra special considering he is in his tenth full season with the only franchise he has ever known.
“Grateful to be back with the guys. This is what I feel like I was born to do. I’m happy to do this and continue to play football,” said Lee during this week’s preparation.
What a situation for the Eastern Washington product to step into. While they admit they have still not played the best game they’re capable of playing, this Lions squad has made a statement with five straight victories that they want the West Division to come through them in November.
“We’ve got a lot of talent and a lot of the same guys in the locker room,” added Lee.
“We’re just building on what we failed to do last year, so there’s a chip on our shoulder. We’re ready to get better and everybody’s hungry, everybody’s dedicated. It’s just equaling wins.”
This week seven battle sees a Lions offence looking to exploit a Calgary defensive unit allowing a CFL-worst 8.4 yards per play. Vernon Adams Jr. and company will no doubt want to utilize that big-play capability. In that meeting last month, the Stampeders front made it a priority to bring pressure. Expect to see more of that with the stakes high for the home team in this battle.
“Last game, they were stinging me. Cover zero. We make adjustments if they surprise us with anything,” said Adams.
“I think our game plan is pretty good right now. We need to be better in the red zone. Last week wasn’t what we wanted it to be. We’re going to just keep working.”
One thing is for certain: if the defence can have a takeaway or two to set up a short field, it will be that much closer to the perfect game they are seeking.
“A lot of room to grow. On the defensive side, turnovers,” said Lee.
“We want to be number one in everything. You want to be a smart defence but you also want to be an aggressive defence. If any way I can be an asset to this defence, which I plan to be, I plan to do. I’m happy with that. We’re going to take on Calgary.”
It will indeed be special to have the veteran back where he belongs.
2024 CFL Week 5: BC Lions at Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Steven Chang/BC Lions.
The Quarterbacks
# 3 Vernon Adams Jr.- coming off a season-high 451 yards in the win over Saskatchewan, Adams Jr. continues to be versatile by making plays with his feet. Look no further than the fourth-quarter touchdown run to help cement that result. When you factor in his production on the ground, he is on pace for over 7,000 yards of production in 2024. Including last year’s Western Semi-Final, Adams Jr. boasts a 6-2-0 record against Calgary with the Lions.
# 12 Jake Maier– has nearly willed the Stampeders to victory in each of the last two weeks in tough environments at Montreal and Winnipeg. As much as Rick Campbell has spoken about big plays in the fourth quarter, Maier and the Stampeders have been right there in the late stages of their losses. This quarterback matchup could provide some fun Sunday night fireworks.
3 Lions To Watch
DB # 6 T.J. Lee– The ten-year veteran takes the spot of Manny Rugamba (knee) at halfback and will be itching to make some plays and make them early as his return to the secondary will also be beneficial from a leadership perspective. The likes of Reggie Begelton and Marken Michel will provide a nice little test.
DL # 0 Sione Teuhema– the third-year end has quietly put together a good campaign once again. His ability to disrupt things up front was evident on a couple of series where they held the Riders to a field goal and another one where they stuffed them on a third down from the one. Those are the key plays Campbell keeps talking about that are the difference between winning and losing.
RB # 31 William Stanback- limited to just 14 yards on 12 carries against the Riders, look for Stanback and the running game to provide a big boost for this offence that has proven it can beat teams in multiple ways.
Extra Yards
As always, this game can be viewed on TSN with American viewers able to watch on CBS Sports Network. Streaming is available on CFL+ (US and International). Bob Marjanovich have the radio call on 980 CKNW and the Lions Audio Network beginning with the pre-game show at 3:00 pm. The game can also be heard on Sher-E-Punjab Radio AM 600 with pre-game coverage underway at 3:30 with Harp Pandher and Taqdeer Thindal.
The other lineup changes see Josh Banks return to the defensive line and rookie Ezechiel Tieide back on in a reserve/special teams role. Jevon Cottoy (ribs) will head to the injured list while defensive back Jordan Perryman goes back to the practice roster this week.
VA milestone: Adams Jr. will start his 100th regular season game on Sunday. His record as a starter with the Lions is 20-7-0 dating back to September 17, 2022. His first start after coming over from Montreal was a thrilling 31-29 win in Calgary.
The 243 receiving yards by Justin McInnis last week was the sixth-highest single-game total in franchise history. He is now on pace to break the single-season CFL record of 2,036 set by Calgary legend Allen Pitts in the 1994 season.
Sean Whyte’s current streak of 39 straight successful field goals is tied with his counterpart on Sunday, Calgary’s Rene Paredes who hit that mark across 2012-13. Whyte last week became the 11th player in CFL history to surpass 2,000 career points.
The Lions have enjoyed a successful run in Calgary in recent years having won their last four trips to McMahon Stadium dating back to 2021. Those victories have come with three different quarterbacks: Michael Reilly, Nathan Rourke and Adams Jr. The last Lions defeat in Cowtown came on June 29, 2019 in a 36-32 heartbreaker that dropped the squad to 0-3. What a year that was…
Wally Buono will be officially inducted onto the Stampeders Wall of Fame as part of a halftime ceremony on Sunday. It is indeed a remarkable twist in CFL history when you consider Buono was at the helm of the Lions’ biggest rival for over a decade and even played a big role in luring Doug Flutie away from us in 1992. This writer still won’t forgive him for that transaction. Jokes aside, both franchises should be grateful to have had Buono running the show at critical times in our respective histories. With the Stampeders, Buono had a regular season record 153-79-2 over 13 seasons while winning Grey Cups in 1992, 1998 and 2001. No doubt a well-deserved honour one year after the Lions honoured him for our 2023 Wall of Fame class.