Another week, another Lion undefeated skein snapped.
The BC faithful can take some positives away from this game- Travis Lulay went 26 for 40, throwing for 330 yards in his first career start; the Lions had some success running the ball; and the Lion defence played a solid game for most of the evening.
When it comes right down to it, though, it’s another game which could have been a victory but which ended up in the loss column as the Lions fell to the Toronto Argonauts by a 24-20 margin.
Byron Parker of the Double Blue put the dagger in the Lions’ heart just after the three minute warning, returning his interception of a Lulay pass intended for O’Neil Wilson forty-one yards for the touchdown. The ensuing conversion proved the final score as the resurgent Boatmen took their third successive win.
Much of the story for this from the British Columbia perspective will come down to sloppy execution and missed opportunities. Defencive end Brent Johnson had a major in his hands, but couldn’t hold on to the pass from Jarious Jackson with a touch over two minutes remaining in the first corner. Fortunately enough for Coach Buono’s boys, Jamal Robertson took the ball in on the next play from a yard out to spot the Leos a 7-3 lead.
The Lions would begin driving again on their next possession, but another dropped pass would end the drive, forcing them to settle for a Paul McCallum field goal from 45 yards out and a 10-3 cushion. The Argos would answer with a drive of their own, but Grant Shaw would hit the upright on a forty-five yard attempt with 5:38 to play in the half.
Eight plays, eighty-five yards, and three minutes and forty-seven seconds later, Robertson would take the ball into the end zone from thirteen yards out to put the Lions ahead 17-3.
Before the end of the half, the Argonauts would answer, with Cleo Lemon finding Jermaine Copeland for a twenty-one yard touchdown. The Lions would take the 17-10 edge to the locker room at the half.
Neither offensive coordinator will take pride in the third quarter, as the game wallowed around in a sloppy quagmire of fumbles, dropped passes, penalties and all-around poor execution. The Lions could have put the game all but out of reach when Robertson lost the handle at the Toronto two-yard line. BC would get points out of it, but instead of the seven it could have been, they’d settle for two after the defence shook Lemon sufficiently to knock him out for a play after the fumble and Jason Boreham of the Argos conceded the safety rather than kick from his own end zone. Emmanuel Arceneaux dropped a sure touchdown pass as well in behind the Toronto defenders that saw the Lions come away with no points on that drive.
McCallum would punt for the rouge to open the fourth quarter, making it 20-10 in favor of the Lions at that point. Toronto would drive, only to be turned back when Davis Sanchez intercepted Lemon in the end zone, but the tide was turning in favour of the Boatmen. On their next possession, Lemon would find an import slotback with a classically Canadian name- Brandon Rideau- in the end zone to close the gap to 20-17 and increase the pressure on the stagnating Lion offense.
It was here that Lulay’s comparable lack of experience would come under the microscope. Rather than taking the time to look for the open reciever, he seemed to be fixating on a target. The offensive line contributed to his struggles, as the Argo pass rush was increasingly able to get to Lulay, not giving him time to find check-off targets, but in the end, it was enough to give Parker the opportunity to step in front of the ball and hand Toronto the lead.
Lulay would get picked again on the next possession, with Toronto’s Willie Pile coming up with a ball intended for Geroy Simon that left the Lions running short on time. They’d get one final crack at the end zone, though, but the 58-yard desperation heave for Derick Armstrong came up about two yards short of changing the outcome.
Quick Hits:
Just over 19,000 fans attended the game on a humid night in Toronto…Lions/Argos owner David Braley posed for a picture before the game with the respective coaches of each of his teams…Argos rookie Cory Boyd rushed for 148 yards on 19 carries, his third-straight 100-yard effort…Travis Lulay finished 26-of-39 passing for 315 yards and two interceptions. The Lions lost cornerback Dante Marsh to a groin injury, and were forced to shift players around in the secondary when Anthony Reddick was also nicked up.
By Jack Bedell for BCLionsDen.ca
For the better part of a decade, fans and pundits alike have been pining for a more competitive CFL East Divison. Too often of late, the division has been a foregone conclusion both within and without.
Aside from a few one-off challenges from Toronto and Winnipeg, the Montreal Alouettes have had the division under wraps by the end of September each season. And the other three teams in the East have been looking over their shoulders at looming crossover teams from the West.
While the numbers suffered a slight correction in 2009 with the Als and Hamilton Ticats winning the majority of their East/West battles, those cross-divisional match ups have pretty much been Nolo Contendere in recent memory.
If the first three weeks of 2010 are any indication, though, it looks like the East might just be back in business with a vengeance. And that’s both in terms of its own race and in its ability to compete with teams from the West.
Now that I’ve had a chance to watch each team both home and away, here’s my take on what I’ve seen:
Hamilton Ticats
Well, it’s safe to say the Ticats showed up this past weekend primed and ready to kick off the 2010 season against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Unfortunately for Ticats fans, this past weekend was week 3 of the 2010 season!
After being pegged by many pundits as a legitimate threat to the Als’ eastern dominance, the Ticats sleep-walked through a 49-29 week 1 drubbing at the hands of the Bombers. Week 2 saw an improved performance against the Stampeders, but the result was the same, a tough 23-22 loss.
In week 3, though, the team most people thought would open the 2010 campaign finally showed up. The Ticats offence operated with great tempo and efficiency behind Kevin Glenn sizzling 29 of 36 passing display for 336 yards and three majors.
Hamilton’s aggressive secondary shut down Winnipeg’s deep passing game, and the Ticats front seven held Buck Pierce in check on the ground, finally pushing him to the sidelines with a knee injury.
With Dave Stala coming back to form, Mo Mann looking like he’s finally back to full speed, and Marquay McDaniel and Arland Bruce III moving chains regularly, the Ticats certainly proved they can be as dangerous as any team in the league offensively. And when you consider DeAndra Cobb has yet to get untracked this season, things can get even better.
Montreal Alouettes
After last Friday’s 16-12 win at Empire Field, the Als managed to come out of a grueling three-game road trip to open their season with a 2-1 record. Instead of earning rave reviews for their toughness and resiliency out west, though, the Als are currently receiving fire for their “slow start.”
While I’d have to agree those two victories were of the ugly variety, don’t count me among those pundits prepping Montreal’s eulogy just yet. Both wins came against teams absolutely desperate to avoid 0-2 losing streaks at home this season, not to mention how difficult it’s been for Montreal to come out of Commonwealth Stadium and any venue in Vancouver with Ws for the past several years.
And the Als’ one loss, a 54-51 double-overtime instant classic in Regina, came at the hands of a team with absolutely everything working in its favour to open the season with a win—a rabid, sell-out home crowd, the burn of last season’s Grey Cup loss, and host of big-play talent healthy and ready to rock and roll. Even with all that tilting the field towards green, the Als gave the Riders all they could handle for 60 minutes and some change.
All that said, there are a few storm clouds looming over the defending champs. The Als’ secondary, particularly Billy Parker, Etienne Boulay, and Jerald Brown, have shown a propensity for giving up big plays and bigger penalties in man coverage. The front seven has failed to generate the pressure you’d expect from guys like Anwar Stewart, John Bowman, and Shea Emry. And the inability to get Avon Cobourne off has caused a few hiccups in the redzone.
With Anthony Calvillo showing no signs of a drop-off, however, and receivers like S.J. Green, Jamel Richardson, Ben Cahoon, Brian Bratton, and Kerry Watkins making plays, you’ve got to figure the Als will be in the mix come November. Plus, they’ll have the experience of eking out a few wins early to fall back on when the competition heats up heading into the playoffs.
Toronto Argonauts
The real surprise of the 2010 season in the East for me, though, has to be the Argos cohabitating in first place with Montreal after three games.
As soon as Toronto flushed its previous coaching staff and cadre of QBs, I knew this season would be full of positives steps. I’d be lying if I told you I thought the Argos would be 2-1 after facing Calgary and Hamilton to open their campaign, however.
Considering it had been a while since Jim Barker had been behind the bench and the fact that the Argos were going with Cleo Lemon at QB, the learning curve was sure to be steep. Add to that mix opening the season with games against two teams picked by some to be Grey Cup Contenders, and it would have been better than par for Toronto to earn platitudes for new-found discipline and competitiveness with a scrappy 0-3 start.
Instead, the Argos have made solid decisions on and off the field since Barkers hiring, and the results have come quickly.
Despite opening the season on the road against probably the toughest defensive coordinator a CFL rookie QB could face in his first outing, Lemon and the Argos managed to enter their last possession of the game down only a single score with a good chance to tie things up before Chris Jones dialed up the perfect blitz to cause a turnover and end the game.
In wins over Hamilton away and Calgary at home, Lemon has proven to be a quick study, learning protection schemes and escape routes on the fly. RB Cory Boyd has also proven to be a beast, leading the league with 283 yards on 47 carries.
Watching how quickly the Argos have gotten themselves together this season, I’d have to agree with Coach Barker—they’re no longer the free space on the bingo card for their opposition.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
There’s been quite an about-face in Winnipeg, too, this season. Out is the rudderless Mike Kelly administration. In is Paul LaPolice and a staff of well-prepared, media-friendly coaches who’ve changed the whole feeling around Big Blue, not to mention installing a pro offence that’s improved the product on the field considerably.
Even sitting at 1-2 on the year so far, it’s clear all the changes have given the team some traction, starting first and foremost with new pivot Buck Pierce.
Pierce jumped out of the gate in his first two games for Winnipeg absolutely on fire, passing for over 600 yards and five TDs while rushing for 192 yards and two TDs. No doubt, he showed up in the Peg ready to play as advertised.
As B.C. Lions fans can attest, Pierce deserves to have his picture in the dictionary next to “fiery competitor.” And watching the Blue Bombers play the first three weeks this year, it’s pretty clear that attitude rubs off on teammates quickly.
Unfortunately, as Lions fans know all too well, Pierce should have his picture installed under “brittle” as well. All those running yards took a toll on his shoulder forcing him out of practice, and a knee sprain picked up in last weekend’s loss to Hamilton is going to knock Pierce out of action for at least a week.
Winnipeg’s defence has shown it has the ability to put pressure on the quarterback, and their secondary has shown a nose for the ball. But without Pierce, it remains to be seen if that’ll be enough for the Bombers to keep progressing under the new regime.
Ex-Riders QB Steven Jyles will be under centre in week 4. My money had him winning the starting job outright in camp, so I’d expect the team to be in games with or without Buck Pierce. It may even give Fred Reid a chance to break out with his first 100-yard effort.
Jack B. Bedell for BCLionsDen.ca
As a life-long Alouettes fan, I have to admit it hurts a little to admit it, but I’m very impressed with the decisions made by the Toronto Argonauts this off-season.
From the moment the organization decided earlier this year to put an end to the downward spiral of bad decisions the club has made since 2006 by firing Bart Andrus and his overmatched staff of NFL fringe coaches, the Argos have put together quite a run of solid, logical moves that will surely pay off between the lines.
The hiring of Jim Barker as head coach may not have been the sexy, ticket-selling move many Argos fans have come to expect, but Barker brings a kind of hands-on organization the club hasn’t seen in years.
If you take a quick look at Barker’s coaching resume, you’ll find a coach capable of putting together quality sides in no time flat. He did it in the XFL, helping forge a championship team with only a couple of weeks of preparation. He did it in his stint with the Als, marshalling a highly-strung group of receivers toward a Grey Cup.
You can’t affect such quick change and success without clarity of vision and astute personnel decisions. Haven’t seen much of that in Argoland the last couple of years, have we?
With the backing of one of the CFL’s best owners in David Braley, Barker has already gotten the reclamation project underway in Toronto. From the naming of an experienced, eclectic coaching staff that includes former Argos greats Orlondo Steinauer and Mike O’Shea, to the release of Kerry Joseph and the rest of the Argos’ QBs, to the acquisition of Jeremaine Copeland to lead by example in a locker room sorely bereft of leaders last season, the decisions made by the Argonauts have been wholehearted. No more half measures and temporary patches for the Boatmen.
Of course, no change occurs without a degree of pain. I’m sure it’s difficult for Argos fans to see quality players and quality men like Joseph, Andre Talbot, and Zeke Moreno hit the road, but like the old cliché says, “No progress without change.”
Time will tell quickly if all this change brings the Argos back into contention in the East. A lot of it will depend on how quickly new pivots Gibran Hamdan and Dalton Bell adjust to life in the Big Smoke. More will depend upon how quickly the team adapts to Barker’s new culture of accountability and effort.
The Toronto Argonauts may be doing a little pre-spring cleaning after announcing they had released quarterbacks Kerry Joseph, Cody Pickett and LB Zeke Moreno on Sunday. Generally teams don’t release their two best QB’s unless they have a plan in place, and according to Sportsnet’s Arash Madani on Twitter, they may just be finalizing the fine print on such a plan, and it may involve the BC Lions.
Madani suggested today that the Argos and Lions are working on a deal that would see Jarious Jackson heading to the Argos. He also suggested that the Lions might be close to signing LB Barrin Simpson, and both DE Riall Johnson (Montreal) and Teyo Johnson (Calgary).
“A lot of noise BC + Tor working to send Argos J. Jackson. Braley optics factor an issue. Murmurs Barrin S., Rial+Teyo Johnson becoming Lions”
Madani’s fellow columnist Perry Lefko seems to back up the speculation in this article today. While the dealing of Jackson makes sense in the fact that the Lions will have to cut lose a QB to re-sign Casey Printers to a starter’s contract, it is surprising it’s Jackson and not Buck Pierce being dangled if that’s the case. While Pierce is younger and perhaps a more complete QB when healthy, the problem lies in the fact he can’t stay off the injured list. Jackson is coming off a rotator cuff injury, while Pierce has had both shoulder and concussion issues. Both are good coming off the bench in games, so you would think the Lions would take less risk by unloading Pierce.
It’s been less than a month since David Braley purchased the Toronto Argonauts, and the fact he may be bringing a quarterback from his other club will be looked at closely by several parties. BC fans will be wanting to make sure the Lions receive decent compensation in return for a quality QB. Argos fans will be watching to see what the Lions get in return, and teams looking for QB’s will be watching to see if the Argos got their new starting QB for fair market value.
At the time that Braley bought the Argos, both he and the league said all the right things about maintaining the integrity of the game. I believe them both when they say that, but it doesn’t mean all the parties involved won’t be looking at any deals between the two clubs. Stay tuned!
Well it’s official. The BC Lions and the Toronto Argonauts are now owned by David Braley. In a statement issued by the league, commissioner Mark Cohon tries to ease concerns about an owner owning two CFL franchises.
“Even now, when Canada is slowly emerging from a deep recession, and the vast majority of businesses and entrepreneurs are solidifying their holdings as opposed to pursuing new ventures, we sought and received strong expressions of interest in the Argonauts from a number of other sources,” Cohon said.
“But in the end, this was the best option for the future of the Argonauts and the health of the Canadian Football League. As stewards of our league, and all the CFL has come to mean to so many Canadians, our Board of Governors took into account three important factors,” he said.
“The first was the quality of ownership in our league. We are unanimous in the belief we would much rather have an exemplary person with considerable financial resources and an undeniable love for our league sit atop two franchises than have any one of our franchises owned by someone of uncertain means or questionable character, or someone lacking in a real, long term commitment to what’s best for the CFL and its fans,” Cohon said.
“The second factor was the integrity of our game. We understand there are those who will now view every interaction between the Lions and the Argos with extreme scrutiny. I can assure them their vigilance will be nothing compared to the way I and my colleagues in the league office will monitor every transaction and every game involving these two teams, reserving every step of the way our right to veto any trade or punish any initiative that fails to clearly meet the highest standards of competitiveness,” he said.
“But we are confident moving forward most of all because of the third factor we took into account and that is the character of Mr. Braley himself. No one in today’s Canadian Football League, and perhaps no one in the history of the CFL, has devoted more of his time, energy and resources to our league than Mr. Braley. And I believe it is equally fair to say that few people have demonstrated a deeper commitment to the integrity of the game and the league than Mr. Braley, and the football people he has chosen to surround himself with over the years, including current Lions Head Coach and General Manager Wally Buono and the late Bobby Ackles, who served as the Lions President. No one wants to win more than Mr. Braley and his personnel but they strive to win fairly and squarely, in the best tradition of our league.”
As a fan of the BC Lions, I am hoping everything the commissioner says is true. I am a huge David Braley fan, and yes I think he’ll do everything above board and make sure there are no conflicts. But what happens if a Lion is a free agent and ends up in Toronto, or vice-versa? What happens if Wally Buono isn’t extended in BC, then magically appears in the Hog Town? There will be a lot of question thrown out there if those situations start to occur. Frankly I don’t think the league needs any of that scrutiny either. Perception can be very damaging from a marketing standpoint.
David Braley saved the BC Lions, and I hope he has success in doing the same in Toronto, but as a fan I want an owner who is 100% committed to the BC Lions. It’s for that reason, I now hope that local ownership can be found for the Lions. The team is prosperous, and in two years will have a fancy new retractable roof to market. They are competitive each year, and have stable football people in place. These are all attractive features for a potential buyer.
Congratulations to Mr. Braley, and to the fans of the Argos, you’ve got a good man in charge. But like the commissioner, Lions fans will be watching every move from here on out with keen interest.
What is your opinion on David Braley owning two CFL teams? We’d like to hear from you, so leave a comment below.
CKNW 980 is reporting that BC Lions owner David Braley may become the owner of the Toronto Argonauts by early next week:
Quoting CKNW: CFL sources tell CKNW that the deal current Argo owners David Cynamon and Howard Sokolowski were working on to bring a new partner into the fold is falling apart, and may be officially dead by as soon as Friday.
If a new partner is not in play for the Argo owners, Braley may be forced to deal with a franchise dropped on his doorstep as soon as this weekend.
One person or corporation can own interest in two teams in the CFL, as has been the case in Major League Soccer and the American Hockey League. If Braley were to own both teams, he would not be interested in selling the Lions. He is however, interested in building up the Argos franchise for a new buyer. The future of general manger Adam Rita remains uncertain. Rita may be retained in a player personnel capacity with the club, but not as GM.
Stay tuned for further developments.
The BC Lions didn’t win tonight’s game at BC Place as much as the Toronto Argonauts lost it. Toronto’s offensive line was simply inept in protecting quarterback Cody Pickett, yielding six sacks and allowing the BC pass rush to hurry Pickett all night, contributing to a pair of interceptions as the Lions prevailed, 23-17.
It was often ugly, but how they won won’t be remembered a week from tonight. No, the story from Vancouver is all about the coach with the most wins in Canadian Football League history, as the Lions lifted Wally Buono past the legendary Don Matthews in giving him win number 232 for his career.
The night started on a positive note for Coach Buono’s boys. The defence backed Toronto up on their opening possession with a sack by Rickey Foley and then a Jason Arakgi recovery of a botched Jason Medlock punt gave the Lions the ball at the Toronto eight-yard-line.
The offense, with Buck Pierce back under centre, was held motionless, forcing the Lions to settle on a Sean Whyte field goal to draw first blood.
It looked as if it might be another long night for the Boatmen when Pickett threw his first interception of the night to Korey Banks on the ensuing possession. Five plays later, the CFL’s leading rusher Martell “The Hammer” Mallett cashed the turnover in for six points and the ensuing conversion by Whyte staked the Lions to a 10-0 bulge.
The defence took the ball back again, stuffing the CFL’s second leading rusher- Jamal Robertson- for a loss of four yards and sacking Pickett for another four, but the Lions were unable to capitalize again to put the game seemingly out of reach, and settled for a single to lead by eleven.
After the first quarter, it seemed Toronto was stuck in reverse, marshalling a total offense amounting to a loss of nine yards; while the Lions were sputtering along, failing to sustain a drive of more than five plays yet still emerging with the lead. It would turn out that they’d need it.
After an exchange of field goals, the Toronto D would come up big, blocking a Sean Whyte punt and capitalizing on it as Jordan Younger scooped the ball up and scored the touchdown to close the gap to 14-10. The teams would return to the locker rooms at the half with the score unchanged.
The Argos would take the lead on their first possession of the second half, keyed by a sixty-two yard strike from Pickett to Chad Lucas. Four Jamal Robertson rushes and one by Kerry Joseph moved the ball to the BC one, and Robertson took it in for the score to make it 17-14 in favour of the visitors.
The Lions would tie the game again on the ensuing possession, culminating in a 41-yard field goal from Whyte, and took the lead two possessions later on another field goal, this one from thirty-two yards. From there, it was simply a matter of holding on.
Sean Whyte would kick another in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter to provide the final margin, but by and large, there wasn’t much to celebrate from the offense in this one- provident, because there really aren’t any storylines to distract from the Buono milestone.
Buck Pierce was decent in his first game back starting, going twenty-for-twenty-eight for 171 yards while throwing no interceptions, and spreading the wealth to seven different recievers. Mallett had a relatively lackluster evening, marshaling only fifty-five yards on eighteen attempts. The defense was led by Ricky Foley, who had a monster of a game with seven tackles and three sacks; and JoJuan Armour with four tackles.
Wally’s in the record books in time to return to Calgary next week as the Lions look to even their record at 6-6 against the Stampeders.
Quick Hits:
- According to Lowell Ullrich of the Vancouver Province, the Lions have initiated talks with quarterback Casey Printers about a possible practice roster position. Printers has retained agent Gil Scott to participate in the discussions, but Buono is making it clear that if Printers wants anything more than a practice roster deal, the discussion will be a short one.
- Don Matthews was in attendance to witness Buono’s record setting win.
- The Lions will have to contend with a revamped Calgary receiving core Friday. Ryan Thelwell ruptured his Achilles tendon in Calgary’s game against Hamilton Friday, and has been lost for the season. The Stamps wasted little time replacing Thelwell, who was having a stellar season, acquiring import receiver Romby Bryant and non-import Arjei Franklin from Winnipeg following another loss for the Bombers Sunday in Montreal. Winnipeg receives receiver Jabari Arthur, returner Titus Ryan and defensive lineman Odell Willis plus two draft picks.
(Compiled by Brian Wawryshyn)
It’s the week of dramatic finales in the CFL. After the Edmonton Eskimos stunned the Calgary Stampeders with an improbable touchdown strike in the waning seconds on Thursday, tonight the BC Lions rallied for a victory on the road in Hogtown.
After all but being left for dead at the half, down 19-7 and having nothing positive to show offensively other than a single 33-yard drive culminating in a Rolly Lumbala touchdown, the BC Lions stormed back to capsize the Toronto Argonauts and their hopes of capturing a victory at home walking away with a 36-28 victory.
The Toronto hopes looked good, with the Boatmen holding an eight point edge with just over six minutes to play, but Jarious Jackson seemed to have found a gap in the Argos’ defensive scheme in the second half- a susceptibility to long throws down the middle of the field.
Head Coach Wally Buono decided at the half to try to do something to shake the Lions’ offense up, electing to put third-stringer Travis Lulay behind centre to open the third quarter, to no avail, as the Lions sandwiched a pair of two-and-outs around an 11-play, 84-yard Toronto drive culminating in one of Justin Medlock’s seven field goals of the night.
The Lions defence continued what seemed to be a policy of “bend but don’t break” in holding Toronto out of the end zone for most of the game, yielding only a single major, but came up with a game-changing two-and-out stop of the Argos which seemed to spark the rally.
Lulay only played two more snaps before being the second BC quarterback knocked out of the game. Jarious Jackson returned to the game and proceeded to take the team in for six on a 35-yard strike to Paris Jackson on a post pattern to make it 22-14.
After a bad penalty call against Barron Miles looked to have the Argos seriously threatening on the ensuing possession, Ricky Foley shut the door and forced Toronto to settle for a 52-yard field goal from Medlock to close the third quarter.
The Jackson to Jackson connexion struck again under a minute into the fourth, with Paris reeling in a pass for a 57 yard gain, setting up another Jackson to Jackson pass two plays later to close the gap to 25-21, and suddenly rather than being the one-sided affair it looked like at the half, the Lions were in striking distance.
The mental lapses which plagued the first few games of the season almost struck again on the conversion attempt, with the interception by Jason Shivers returned 51 yards. Fortunately, Shivers was brought down by Jarious Jackson, back-checking to make amends for his error.
Ten Argo plays and seventy-six yards later, the Lions forced Toronto to settle for yet another field goal to set the gap at seven points with 6:33 left in the fourth quarter.
A pair of pass interference flags against the Argos paved the way for another Jackson touchdown toss, this one to Emmanuel Arcineaux, and even after the two-point conversion failed, the gap was down to just a single point at 28-27.
The Lions’ defence roared again on the ensuing possession, forcing Argos’ quarterback Cody Pickett to take a loss of eight yards at the three-minute warning and holding Toronto to another key two-and-out capped by the only mistake Medlock would make all night- under-kicking his coverage resulting in a no-yards fifteen yard penalty on the punt, giving the Lions the ball back at midfield with 2:32 left on the clock.
Seven plays and two minutes and twenty-four seconds later, the Lions took the lead on a chip-shot field goal from Sean Whyte, making it 31-28 Lions with eight ticks later.
Not to be outdone in the heroics, the special teams unit put the exclamation mark on the game with Ryan Phillips walking into the end-zone after intercepting a lateral attempt from Reggie McNeal intended for Jamal Robertson, leaving just a Whyte conversion to register the final margin at 36-28.
This is still a Lions’ team with a lot of work to do as they host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers a week from today before heading into their bye week, but it’s a team which has now gotten up off the mat to string together a pair of victories. The offense can’t rely solely on the deep ball to get them through the season, but is going to have to find a way to fire on all cylinders getting the attack balanced although they did a good job identifying the gap in the Argos’ secondary and effectively exploiting it. The offensive line seemed to rally from a shaky start, but with Jarious Jackson at the helm the coverage isn’t quite as essential as with the less-mobile Buck Pierce.
The defence performed well in keeping Toronto out of the red zone for much of the game, but it would be nice to see them yield fewer yards against.
Three weeks ago, this game would have had a different outcome. Tonight, it probably should have, but Lion fans should take heart in the victory and in the fact that their team hung tough and refused to fold.
