Found this pregame report on Vikings.com, the official website of the Minnesota Vikings, who play the Dallas Cowboys in preseason action today. According to the writer, former Lions receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux is among the third tier of receivers trying to make the team:

“One of the position battles still raging is at WR, where the top 3 are set (Bernard Berrian, Percy Harvin and Michael Jenkins) but the next two or three are still open. I’m not sure if the Vikings will keep five or six WRs, but either way there are jobs still available. We won’t count anyone out, but the guys I’ll be watching tonight are Devin Aromashodu, Greg Camarillo, Juaquin Iglesias and Jaymar Johnson. The next tier of guys are Manny Arceneaux, Stephen Burton and Andre Holmes. Aside from performance in the offense, another factor in determining which players will earn roster spots is special teams. Johnson can increase his value by proving effective in the punt return game, while Aromashodu has increased his value by making a pair of special teams tackles.”

Wishing the best of luck to Manny today and hope he gets a shot to show his stuff.

As we told you the other day, it was just a matter of time before we heard that Emmanuel Arceneaux would be leaving the BC Lions.

Reports today are surfacing that the talented young Lions receiver has signed a 3 year $1.8 million deaL with the Minnesota Vikings. Arceneaux himself tweeted confirmation of the signing. Despite the Vikings not confirming the deal, reports are surfacing that Arceneaux will receive a $70,000 to $75,000 signing bonus. According to Sportsnet’s Arash Madani, Arceneaux turned down a $120,000 offer to remain in the CFL with the Lions.

The Lions had hoped that Arceneaux would remain in the CFL for at least another year or two, to both help them in their quest for a Grey Cup and to hone his skills a little more before making the jumP to the NFL.  Like the Lions, Arceneaux started last season a little slowly before coming on the second part of the season, and becoming the Lions most dangerous receiver down the stretch, culminating with a thrilling last second catch in last season’s playoff game in Regina to send the game to overtime.

With the possibility of the NFL locking out it’s players in March it’s not an issue that Arceneaux is focusing on as he chases his NFL dream as he recently told Mark Masters of the National Post.

For more on the Arceneaux signing, be sure to check out this fine post by Andrew Bucholtz on his 55 Yard Line column over at Yahoo Sports as well as Lions beat writer Lowell Ullrich’s blog, The Fifth Quarter.

In the meantime, enjoy some his finest work as Lion with this video montage of Arceneaux’s time as a Lion:

It’s been a while Lions fans! I hope you’ve all been having a great off-season. If you’re like me, it’s already too long. I miss my Friday Night Football, tailgating and all the good times that come from being a CFL fan.

That said there have been some interesting things going on around the league so I thought it would be a good time to touch on a couple that will have an affect on the BC Lions.

Bye Bye Mannie

If you follow Emmanuel Arceneaux on Twitter you probably know by know that the Lions receiver is not likely returning to the team in 2011. Arceneaux has been actively tweeting about his NFL tryouts, and has stated he’s close to signing with an NFL club. His agent confirmed those statements in a recent articleby Matt Sekeres of the Globe and Mail.

Bardia Ghahremani, told the Globe that five NFL teams have shown interest and Arceneaux could make more in signing bonus money than he would on a new deal with the Lions. He also doesn’t think there will be an NFL lockout, which may be wishful thinking on his part. If there is a lockout and Arceneaux is under contract to an NFL team, he won’t be able to return the CFL, and could miss a year of football. A year he could be honing his skills in the CFL in preparation for even a bigger pay day, similar to the one Cam Wake received from Miami (A 1 million dollar signing bonus).

The Lions had an offer on the table for Arceneaux, and Wally Buono felt a deal was doable.

“The numbers [Arceneaux] put forward to us, we felt were doable,” Buono said. “They just felt that maybe it was best to see what the NFL would offer.”

Buono told Arceneaux to make it wothwhile if he decided to bolt for the NFL.

Of course every player deserves to chase his dreams, and we wish Mannie all the best, whatever decision he makes. The departure will leave a hole in the Lions receiving corps but should allow for Steven Black, Andrew Harris and Jamal Lee to assume larger roles. No doubt the club will be looking for more replacements in their upcoming free agent camps as well.

Ottawa Expansion

The guidelines for the expansion draft that will bring Ottawa back into the league were announced recently. You can find the full details on BCLions.com but here are some of the key points unveiled by the league:

• If everything proceeds as planned, the Ottawa team could take the field for the 2013 season. In that case, the expansion draft would be conducted on or about Thursday, December 13, 2012. It will consist of three rounds: one for imports, and two for non-imports.
• Ottawa will be able to select a total of eight imports and 16 non-imports, including two quarterbacks, from existing teams.
• If the team is ready to start play in 2013, Ottawa will pick first in all six rounds of the 2013 CFL Canadian Draft, after picking as many as four underclassmen from the NCAA in the 2012 CFL Canadian Draft.
• Ottawa will have the ability to select not more than two quarterbacks and not more than one kicker or punter (for clarity, Ottawa may not select a kicker and a punter). A Member Club cannot have both a quarterback and a kicker or punter selected from its roster. A Member Club cannot have more than one quarterback selected from its roster.

Round by round here are the rules that Ottawa and the member clubs will follow in the three round draft:

Round One:

• Member Clubs may protect one quarterback, and ten additional Import players.
• Ottawa will select one Import player from each Member Club.
• Import quarterbacks, kickers, and punters are eligible for selection (and protection), provided that: 
• Each Member Club may protect a maximum of one quarterback in the Import Draft.
• All other quarterbacks on a Member Club’s roster at the time of the draft are eligible for selection in this section.
• Ottawa will only be able to select two quarterbacks in the Expansion Draft.
• If a quarterback is selected from a Member Club in the Import Draft, such Member Club will be able to protect the names of an additional two Non-Import players in the first round of the Non-Import Draft.
• If a kicker or punter is selected from a Member Club in the Import Draft, such Member Club will be able to protect one additional Non-Import player in the first round of the Non-Import Draft.

Round Two:

• Each Member Club will protect six Non-Import players.

Non-Import quarterbacks, kickers, and punters are eligible for selection (and protection), provided that:

• If a Member Club had a quarterback selected from its roster in the Import draft, it will be permitted to protect eight Non-Import players in the first round of the Non-Import Draft (instead of six); and
• Ottawa will be prevented from also selecting a kicker or punter from that Member Club.
• If a Member Club had a kicker or punter selected from its roster in the Import Draft.
• That Member Club will be permitted to protect seven Non-Import players in the Non-Import Draft (instead of six); and
• Ottawa will be prevented from also selecting a quarterback from that Member Club.

Any kicker or punter selected in the Non-Import Draft must be selected in the first round. If a Member Club had a kicker or punter selected from its roster in the Non-Import Draft, such Member Club would be eligible to protect eight Non-Import players in the second round of the Non-Import Draft, instead of six.

Ottawa will then select one non-import player from each Member Club.

Round Three:

• Member Clubs will then submit a second list of an additional six Non-Import players for protection.
• If a Member Club lost a Non-Import kicker or punter in the first round of the Non-Import Draft, such Member Club would submit two additional Non-Import player names for protection.
• Ottawa will then select one non-import player from each Member Club.
• The Commissioner will resolve any dispute related to player eligibility for the Expansion Draft process.

Not a bad deal for Ottawa if they should get some good football people in place and draft wisely. It will no doubt hit some of the Member clubs hard depending on the players they lose. The idea will be to have Ottawa competiive right out of the gate to ensure the public support the club. Several member teams, including the Lions benefited greatly through the dispersal draft the last time Ottawa folded.

BC Lions fans woke up this with the knowledge that their team had qualified for the CFL’s 2nd season. They also rushed to the shower to wash whatever remnants of green were left on them.

It was a draining day for fans of the orange and black, as they had to sweat out a close 23-21 win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Hamilton and then watch nervously as the Edmonton Eskimos battled the Saskatchewan Roughriders to determine their playoff fate. In the end it all worked out, but boy did the teams involved make it tough.

The Lions started slowly against their feline counterparts. Hamilton QB Kevin Glenn came out firing on all cylinders and his performance led his team to a 21-14 halftime lead. Coach Wally Buono said his team regained composure at halftime.

“We weren’t good in the first half,” said head coach Wally Buono. “We were a little bit lethargic on defence. We were not as into the game as maybe we would have thought. They regrouped at half time. They made some plays. We kind of won ugly again. But we won, right?”

It was ugly at times, but regroup they did. The Lions held Hamilton pointless in the second half; while Lulay went on to have easily his best game in the CFL. Despite one interception the improving Lions QB was 30 of 41 for 424 yards and one interception on the day, and made several big plays with Emmanuel Arceneaux being his favorite target. The Lions receiver had a huge game with two touchdowns and 164 yards on 8 catches, despite battling the flu.

To the surprise of many, the Tabbies left Kevin Glenn in the game in the 2^nd half but he went cold thanks in large part to several dropped passes by his receivers and backs. On his one deep drive in the third quarter and threatening in the red zone, the Lions defence stepped up with a huge interception by rookie Anthony Reddick that snuffed the drive and kept critical points off the board.

The Lions themselves could only manage three field goals in the 2^nd half, despite moving the ball, but it would be all they needed. They got critical points on one drive where former Lions Otis Floyd lost it for a series and took two unnecessary roughing penalties on Lulay that put the Lions in position to win the game in the 4^th quarter.

“We just didn’t make enough plays,” said Glenn. “We had opportunities to make plays and put the game out of reach, or get some momentum and we didn’t.”

Despite the win, the Lions had to keep celebrations muted and nervously watch the Eskimos and Roughriders to learn their fate. After a less than impressive first half performance in the first half to make the Lions and their fans sweat, the Riders finally got on track in the 2^nd half and gave the Lions playoff life.

Ironically, the Lions will now try and spoil the party in Regina next weekend, and with the team continuing to improve and having been in playoff mode the whole 2^nd half of the season, it makes for an interesting matchup, particularly with the Riders struggling of late.

Any given Sunday right?

Game Stats

Quick Hits:

• The Lions were in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in 14 years.
• Yonus Davis was kept in check by the Ticats 19 yards on two kick returns and just 13 yards on 6 punt returns.
• Stanley Franks had a tough time dealing with Maurice Mann, but led the team with 6 tackles.
• Emmanuel Arceneaux went over 1000 yards for the first time in his career.

On Saturday, August 28th, Sports & Stuff, the official sports store of BCLionsDen.ca is holding its annual BC Lions Day out in Chilliwack. Casey Printers, Travis Lulay and Emmanual Arceneaux will be on hand to sign autographs and chat with fans, and you can get great deals on BC Lions merchandise. Make sure you mention that BCLionsDen.ca sent you!

Here’s a breakdown of this great annual event at Sports & Stuff:

Prizes:

• Trip for two to Calgary to see the Lions take on the Calgary Stampeders on September 25th, 2010. Prize includes airfare, hotel, tickets and taxi to and from the airport.
• Trip for two to Las Vegas! Flexible dates. Includes airfare and 3 nights hotel.
• Autographed, pro-stitched Casey Printers jersey.
• 3 autographed footballs
• Framed and autographed Casey Printers photograph.
• Mall gift certificates
• Canucks package, including tickets and hotel.
• Gift certificate for the Harrison Hot Springs Hotel.
• Many more prizes!

Sports & Stuff is a locally owned business in Chillwack run by Rick and Wendy Lovell and they have the best selection of BC Lions and CFL gear and merchandise. They are located at:

Sports & Stuff

45610 Luckakuck Way, Chilliwack, BC
V2R 1A2
(604) 858-2614
http://sportsandstuff.2ya.com

Map

After the first four days of BC Lions training camp, there is a lot of positives to take from the sessions. It’s also obvious that there is much work to do between now and July 4th, when the the club opens the 2010 season in Edmonton.

The club has found some nice talent in some areas of need, but there are certainly some concerns. In this report we’ll take a quick look at the key positions on offense so far. This is from our observations and restricted access. It should be noted that the Lions have restricted fans to the stands for the first time in several years, so we are a good distance away depending on where the drills are. For instance, the offensive line is often taken to a separate field that does not provide for a good view from the stands.

These observations are from four days and seven sessions of training camp.

Quarterbacks:

Casey Printers started camp looking sharp and confident. But the last day and a half has seen a step backwards.  He often scrambles for a big gain, but it means little when no one is allowed to hit you. Printers has shown visible signs of frustration at times, but as the club’s new leader he needs to get back on the saddle and onto the next play and rally the troops when things aren’t going right. He’s had good velocity on the ball and good accuracy for the most part. He looks quick and agile and judging on the pressure the defensive line has gotten on him in practice he’ll need those skills, especially early on as the offensive line takes time to gel into a unit. The backups haven’t shown as much. Jarious Jackson’s velocity looks a bit off. He was shut down from throwing in one session, possibility a maintenance day on his shoulder. Travis Lulay has also struggled with his accuracy. Both have had good sessions, but the consistency is not there. Fourth arm Kyle Parrish is getting reps, but he’s done nothing to suggest he’ll be moving up in the QB pecking order.

Offensive Line:

One of the biggest questions heading into camp was the status of the offensive line, and from what we can see it remains a question. The Lions sent Jason Jimenez packing and are moving Sherko Haji-Rasouli on the right side, and last year’s practice roster tackle Dumane Duckett will is lining up on the left. In between the tackles are Daren Heerspink, Jon Hameister-Ries and pre-camp newly appointed centre Dean Valli.

The unit is going to take some time to gel, and that is pretty evident on a lot of the drills so far. The club’s mandate has been to be a more physical club this season, and judging by the skirmishes we’ve seen this week, that aspect is certainly evident. But there are concerns, particularly at the tackles and many drills seem to see defensive ends in the backfield quickly. None of the players the Lions have brought in have looked particularly impressive or a threat to supplant the starters listed above, and that has to be a concern if the current lineup proves not good enough. Dane Randolph and Jovan Olafioye have not impressed to date, but have been working exclusively with the backup unit, as the team is obviously hoping to give the chosen starters that gel time we spoke of earlier. Angus Reid is competing hard in a new backup role, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him starting again at some point as Valli continues to evolve in the position. Justin Sorensen seems to have take the more physical plea from Wally to heart and has been very physical at camp, including the domination of Jeremy Gibbs in a heated exchange that saw “Walby Junior” land two heavy punches before teammates could separate them.

Running Backs:

The Lions have brought in some nice talent here and it compliments what they already had. That said, Jamal Robertson has separated himself from the pack, and as things stand will be the starting running back on July 4th. It’s who will back him up that becomes interesting. Jamall Lee is lining up at fullback in camp along with the large and quick Jerome Messam. Imports Yonus Davis and Toddrick Pendland have both had some success, but the player pushing Robertson the most is junior star Andrew Harris, who didn’t look out of place at camp last year. Harris has been consistently good and is getting lots of reps and he’s also seen some time on kick returns. The offense has some new looks this year and the possibilities are encouraging for anyone thinking the Lions may be abandoning the running game this year.

Receivers:

The Lions have brought in some nice talent here. Almost every receiver has had their moments, and a few have had some they should have caught. Newcomer Tony Washington has been very impressive, pretty much catching everything thrown his way. Kerry Reed has shown some nice speed, as has Darius Passmore and Steven Black. Matt Chapdelaine has proven he belongs in camp and has had a fairly solid four days, which will hopefully give the kid a break from some fans thinking he’s getting a free ride.  Last year’s practice roster Terence Scott was injured early in camp and much to this fans dismay hasn’t been a factor. Nate Binder and Akeem Foster have had a tough time getting noticed.

Amongst the veterans, you can be assured that Emmanuel Arceneaux has come back to improve on his great rookie campaign. He’s easily been the class of the receivers thus far and looks to be headed for a dominant season. On the other end of the spectrum, Derick Armstrong has been a disappointment in the sessions we’ve seen. Too many drops for what you’re used to seeing from Armstrong who is usually pretty sure-handed. Paris Jackson was looking strong before an injury which has kept him out of two sessions as of this post. O’Neil Wilson has had a nice camp and Geroy is looking as gifted as ever. He even got a rude awakening at camp by Tad Crawford who caught him over the middle in the air. It will be tough for a rookie import to crack this receiving core, but if you’re looking for an early candidate for a surprise cut, Armstrong needs to show more.

What’s the outlook?

The Lions look to have added some nice packages to the offense and it looks like there is a lot of speed to choose from. The offensive line is going to be a key, and with a few new twists to the offense thrown into the mix the Lions may need a few weeks to gel and hope the defence can give them the luxury to do so. The recievers and running backs look solid and if Casey Printers and the offensive line can get cohesive the Lions could have a lot of weapons at their disposal.

Next time, we’ll look at the defence and special teams.

Photograph by: Nick Procaylo file, The Province

Receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux had a great rookie season for the BC Lions, and became a big art of their passing game. He recently took time out of his off-season to answer a few questions for BCLionsDen.ca. Lions fans can follow Emmanuel on Twitter @emannie84.

BCLD: Emmanuel, thanks for taking the time to talk to your fans at BCLionsDen.ca. You had a big impact on the Lions receiving core this season in your first year. How much did you know about the CFL before this past season?

EA: I knew very little about it because much of it isn’t aired in the States, but my agent Ken Austin had brought it too my attention.

BCLD: Following you on Twitter (@emmanie84 for those who don’t know) it’s obvious you are very dedicated to trying to get better. How much time did you take off after the season ended, and can you describe your workout regiment now, and how it might change as the season gets closer?

EA: Well, I took off about 2 weeks to let my body recover after the hit I took in the eastern finals by Davis Sanchez. It left a a stiffness in my traps. I also had to to make sure my hand was okay, because i broke it in the Edmonton game when the weather was freezing. That was the last minute victory we came away with after the awesome catch Geroy made. I’m currently lifting at my high school and doing the workouts given to me by the strength coach, but for my endurance I usually jog about 3 to 5 miles. Once the weather warms up I’m going to begin my sprints. Earlier this week I got a membership to the YMCA so now I’m taking Yoga and Pilate classes and man its intense! But as i get closer to the season im going to focus more on route running and my health like im doing now. Mentally and physically I want to be at another level so when i come into camp I want the world to know I’m serious about my profession.

BCLD: How much did you learn from veterans like Geroy Simon and Paris Jackson this season?

EA: Geroy taught me how to love the game and use the tools that I have to make it harder for opponents to cover me. He is an excellent guy to learn from, plus he was kind enough to take me under his wings and polish me as a WR. Paris taught me to be furious and play with heart and to never back down. He brought more of the physical aspects to the game and I like that about him. But when you’re in the huddle with 2 great wide receivers you cant help but want to perform on the highest level possible.

BCLD: In your opinion, what is the biggest thing you want to improve on in your second year?

EA: I want to improve mostly on hand placement when catching the ball and staying low in my route running, meaning I want all my routes to look the same when I hit the line full speed. I dont want to be predictable when teams watch film on me. I also want to improve my speed and quickness and plus play at a more intense level.

BCLD: In the Eastern Final you made a spectacular catch and landed awkwardly on your neck. A lot of people were amazed you weren’t injured. Can you describe the play and were you hurt at all?

EA: To be honest I dont believe in being hurt, but I had to make that catch because I dropped a ball right before that, due to being so anxious of trying to make plays instead of letting them happen. But I wasnt injured at all, just a little scared because my trap muscles had spasms in them, so as i walked to the sideline I just prayed for God to give me strength so I can make it through the game. My first time seeing the hit was like a week later. All he did was take my legs from under me, so it really wasn’t a big hit, but thats why I’m training like I am because I refuse to be hit like that again, so im getting my weight up plus when I return I will be bigger, faster and stronger.

BCLD: Does the number 84 have any significance?

EA: Yes, it’s my first professional number. Wally gave me an opportunity that no one else gave, and that was an opportunity to be apart of his BC Lions football team..so whether we’re down or winning, I need to find 84 ways to be successful in the course of the game!

BCLD: Where is home for you, and what do you enjoy spending time doing in the off-season in your free time?

EA: Alexandria, Louisiana is home for me. I most of my time spend time with my homeboy Dewayne Dupar or I’m at Platinum Styles barber shop. I just got a Playstation 3 and Madden 2010 is awesome, so if anyone out there wants to play me, my online id is: emmanie84! I’m just glad to be with my family and I’m a mama’s boy. I also attend church on Sunday and more than anything I’m glad to be able to give back to my community by speaking to the youth and training athletes at my High School.

BCLD: Emmanuel, thanks for taking the time in your off-season to speak with us, and all the best to you next season, Lions fans are very excited to see what you can do in year two!

Sometimes you give someone a second chance in life, and they make the most of it. How ironic then that the BC Lions made the most of their second chance against the team that gave it to them just a week ago.

Casey Printers returned to Hamilton for the first time since being released by the Ticats this past off -season and guided the Lions to a 34-27 overtime victory, ensuring the Lions will play for the right to play the Montreal Alouettes  next week with a birth in the Grey Cup game on the line.

Printers led the Lions going 24 for 35 for 360 yards and 1 TD, while rushing for another himself. His pocket presence was outstanding on the day and he avoided any major mistakes. Geroy Simon (5 catches, 111 yards) and Emmanuel Arceneaux (6 catches for 120) were Printers’ main targets but the Leos also mixed in dashes of Martell Mallet and the fresh legs of Ian Smart to produce a very solid offensive game plan.

On defense, the Lions silenced their critics who said they couldn’t stop the run, as they held the Ticats to just 36 yards rushing all game, and just 34 to DeAndra’ Cobb who torched them for 267 yards in two games earlier this year.  The Lions racked up five sacks on the day, three to Brent Johnson and the other two going to Outstanding Canadian finalist Rickey Foley.

The game was largely a defensive battle but the Lions controlled possession, especially in the first quarter where they had the ball for 10:57 second of the half. Unable to convert in the red zone, the Lions settled for field goals before Printers rushed for his touchdown in the 2nd quarter, giving the Lions a 16-6 lead at the half.

Hamilton had their own problems in the redzone adding a field goal to cut the lead to 16-9, but with 5:55 left in the third they hit pay dirt on a spectacular catch by Dave Stala that tied the game on the extra point, and the Ticats looked to be swinging momentum in their favour, but the Lions would respond on the next drive, with key receptions by Ryan Grice-Mullen and O’Niel Wilson and a pass interference call in the endzone that set up a 1 yard Rolly Lumbala touchdown to restore a seven point advantage for the Lions.

After the Ticats punted on their next possession, they had the Lions backed up 2nd and 15 on their own 8 yard line, Printers hit Emmanuel Arceneaux for a 49 pass to keep the drive alive and give the Lions excellent field position. They added a couple more big Acreneaux receptions to keep the drive going to begin the 4th quarter but the drive ended with a Paul McCallum fielg goal to give the Lions the ten point lead, and things started to look good. McCallum added a single before the Ticats drove and cut the lead to 8 points after a Nick Setta field goal.

The Lions got the ball back with 2:09 left but couldn’t sustain a drive, and had to punt giving the Ticats the chance to drive for the tying score with 1:32 left. And drive they would, with big completions to Arland Bruce, Chris Bauman, Marquay McDaniel before finally capping the drive with a touchdown pass to Stala and a 2 point convert to McDaniel to tie the game at 27-27.

The Lions had 22 seconds to work with and appeared to have worked themselves into position to win the game on a field goal after a completion to Geroy Simon inside the Hamilton 20, but the Lions were flagged for procedure on the play, the seventh such penalty of the game against the Lions and the game ended up in overtime, much to the chagrin of Lions fans.

The Lions lost the coin toss and the Ticats elected to start the extra session on defense. The Lions had been throwing all game and on the first play fropm the Ticat 35 yard line in overtime, they caught the Ticats off guard handing off to Martell Mallet who ripped off a 27 yard run to set the Lions up first and goal. On the next play Printers found Ian Smart who dove for the endzone and broke the plane, giving the Lions a 34-27 lead and forcing the Ticats to try and match their touchdown.

Glenn and company couldn’t get the job done, first on a hand-off to Cobb that went nowhere and then Brent Johnson then sacked Glenn, setting up a 3rd and 19 that fell harmlessly incomplete and the Lions had punched their ticket to Montreal next week.

Game Stats

Image Gallery

Highlights

On a night when the BC Lions had the chance to treat their fans by earning a playoff berth, the Calgary Stampeders instead played a cruel trick, stealing the victory 28-26 as time expired with a last-second field goal by Sandro DeAngelis, dropping the Lions to 8-9 and into a third-place tie with the Edmonton Eskimos. The Esks come to BC Place on Friday to close out the regular season.

Again it was run defence which would plague the Lions, who yielded over a hundred yards rushing to Calgary’s Joffrey Reynolds, most critically a twenty-nine yard gallop to set up the DeAngelis game-winner.

With a minute and thirty-five seconds remaining on the clock, it looked good for the Lions, taking a 26-25 lead on a huge, 46-yard toss from Casey Printers to a wide open Paris Jackson.

Unfortunately for the Lions, that was about a dozen seconds too many to have left Henry Burris and the Stampeders. Even so, with a different bounce, it might have been enough for the win, as Anton McKenzie took Burris to the turf and knocked the ball away from the Stamps’ QB. Burris was able to recover, though, and on the following play connected with Jermaine Copeland to sustain the drive and set the stage for the Reynolds run and DeAngelis field goal.

The Lions would come out roaring, holding the Stampeders to a two-and-out on the first series of the game and then moving down the field powered by a pair to Printers-to Emmanuel Arceneaux passes- for seven and then sixty yards- to set up the A.J. Harris one yard run for the major.

After the ensuing kickoff, Calgary was again held to two-and-out, and the Lions would move the ball courtesy of another deep throw from Casey Printers, this time to Paris Jackson for thirty-five yards, down to the Calgary 36. The drive would stall there, though, and the Lions would settle for the first of four Paul McCallum field goals to take the early 10-0 edge.

The quarter would close with Calgary getting on the scoreboard, with two completions from Burris to Rob Cote for twenty-eight yards apiece setting the stage for Burris to take the ball in from the one.

With Burris having seemingly found his stride, it was the Lions’ turn for the offense to stagnate. going two-and-out to kick the ball back to the Stampeders. This time, Burris spread the ball around, completing passes to Copeland, Cote,and finally a fifty-three yarder to Romby Bryant to take the ball down to the BC 8. Two plays later, Burris found Nik Lewis in the end zone to make it 14-10, Calgary.

Ryan Grice-Mullen would take the ensuing kickoff seventy-three yards to give the Lions excellent field position, but they’d end up settling for McCallum’s second of the evening, this one from twenty-six yards out.

The Lions would yield a single before closing out the half with another McCallum field goal to take a 16-15 lead to the locker room at the half.

The first twelve minutes of the third quarter would pass without scoring, until McCallum capitalized from twenty-six yards to stretch the lead to four, where it would remain going into the final frame. After Burke Dales found the coffin corner, pinning the Lions at their own seven. After a Printers scramble got the Lions out of the shadow of their own goal posts, a sack would put them right back in them, and McCallum yielded the safety touch.

Burris would go deep again, completing a fifty-three yarder to Bryant before he fumbled, losing the ball to Tad Crawford after Darren Toney knocked it out. The offense was unable to capitalize, though, moving the ball twenty-one yards before kicking it back to Calgary.

Burris moved the Stampeders again, finding Lewis for twenty-three before scrambling for five. Reynolds would carry the ball twice for a combined thirty yards setting up Burris’ second rushing TD from a yard out to put the visitors up by six. with just over six minutes to play. Neither team would mount much of a threat until the three-minute warning.

Then it was Printers’ turn to answer Burris’ fireworks, driving the Lions eighty-six yards for the go-ahead touchdown, capped with the toss to Jackson for the score.

The offense definitely suffers from the absence of Martell Mallett, running for only 67 yards on thirteen attempts, four of those Printers scrambles for a net of 41. Printers’ passing numbers were a respectable 22 of 35 for 337 yards and a touchdown- eight to Geroy Simon for 103 yards, five to Arceneaux for 110 and three for 91 to Jackson. He also threw one interception.

The Lions defence held Burris to 17-of-31, but yielded 306 yards through the air and 140 on the ground. McKenzie, Ricky Foley and Korey Banks all notched sacks for the Lions.

In a stunning last-minute pair of game-shifts, the Lions gave up the lead, reclaimed it with less than twenty seconds left to play on a 62-yard touchdown by Geroy Simon, and went on to defeat the Edmonton Eskimos 34-31.

It was a rough opening quarter in chilly Edmonton for the host Eskimos, and not merely on the thermometer. As cold as it was on the field, to open the game, the Esks were colder, as the BC Lions defence kept Edmonton from registering a single first down in the first quarter.

The Lions’ offense wasn’t much warmer, but still generated a Paul McCallum field goal in the quarter. After what appeared to be another botched short yardage attempt by the Lions on 2nd and short was aided by a face masking penalty by Maurice Lloyd Pierce connected on a 39-yard strike to Geroy Simon on the second play of the second quarter, putting the Lions u 10-1.

Continuing in the second, things looked to be heating up for the Lions, who capitalized with a ten-yard run by Martell Mallett after a James Yurichek interception of a third-down pass attempt/fake punt by Edmonton kicker Noel Prefontaine. The “Hammer’s” touchdown made the score 17-1 in favour of the visitors from British Columbia.

The Eskimos’ offense finally started to thaw, with a seven play, eighty yards drive, capped off with a forty-yard touchdown reception by the Esk’s Fred Stamps. The teams would trade field goals to head into the locker room with the Lions up by 9, 20-11.

To open the third quarter, the Lions offense would roar once again, with Pierce throwing to Ryan Grice-Mullen for the major, giving the Lions what looked to be a reasonably comfortable 27-11 lead.

From there it was all Eskimos, with the confines of Commonwealth Stadium finally warming to the hosts. Edmonton clawed back into the game with a touchdown and two Prefontaine field goals to pull within a field goal at 27-24. The Lions struggled on offense and couldn’t get valuable first downs. The field position started to shift in Edmonton’s favour. After another sloppy series, a shanked 20 yard Paul McCallum punt left the Eskimos with the ball on the Lions 28 yard line. They would drive the ball down to the one and Ricky Ray plunged in from the there to give the Eskimos a four point lead with just under a minute to play. It was starting to look as if the Lions may end up snake-bitten in spite of what had been a fairly solid effort on both sides of the ball.

With just fifty-seven seconds remaining in the game, the Lions got the ball back seventy-five yards from pay-dirt and trailing by four. Short completions from Pierce to O’Neil Wilson and Simon netted the Lions thirteen yards, but at the cost of about a third of their remaining time.

A Pierce incompletion intended for Wilson would stop the clock with just twenty-two ticks remaining, and then the Lions caught lightning in a bottle. Pierce found a seam in the Eskimos’ secondary and despite double coverage connected with Geroy Simon on a 62-yard touchdown to pull out the victory.

The Lions’ defence managed to keep Edmonton QB Ricky Ray from getting comfortable in the pocket, registering four sacks, with Anton McKenzie, Jeremy Gibbs, Korey Banks and Ricky Foley each collecting one. Banks and McKenzie’s both came at crucial junctures when it seemed that Ray had finally uncovered something in the BC secondary, helping to keep the Esks out of the red zone and forcing them to settle for the second of Prefontaine’s field goals in the fourth quarter.

Special teams play definitely noted the absence of Sean Whyte, as McCallum’s eight punts on the night only averaged thirty-two and a half yards- likely due in part to the cold temperatures- but with the last two of the evening traveling only thirty-one and twenty yards, each with double-digit yard returns, the stage was set for the Eskimos offense with a short field.

Tonight belonged to the receivers, though, even in the absence of the injured Paris Jackson. Geroy Simon led the way with nine catches for 170 yards and the two long touchdowns. Emmanuel Arceneaux also had a solid performance, reeling in seven balls for eighty-eight yards before leaving the game with a hand injury.

The win lifts the Lions to 7-7 on the season, only two points back of division-leading Calgary and tied for second with Saskatchewan. The Riders host Toronto tomorrow, while Calgary faces off with Montreal at Percival Molson Stadium in the opener of the Thanksgiving Day doubleheader.

On a personal note, to my friends back in the Home and Native Land, happy Thanksgiving on Monday. May you enjoy the holiday with friends and family and really appreciate all that you have; and keep warm thoughts for the man and women of the Canadian Forces in their peacekeeping roles around the world who may be spending the time far away from their loved ones.

Down here in the States, my family will join with you, even in absentia, probably in the company of another expat family.

Until next Sunday, when the Lions tangle with the Blue Bombers, I wish you well!