OTTAWA – They may both be in second place in their respective divisions, but the BC Lions and Ottawa REDBLACKS have been trending in different directions.
BC carries a four-game losing streak into TD Place, while Ottawa is one of the CFL’s hottest teams and hasn’t lost in five straight.
Quarterback Nathan Rourke’s return didn’t go quite as he envisioned when he completed eight of 25 passes for 126 yards and two interceptions against Winnipeg in Week 11 but another week of practice and reps with his receiving corps should only help him find his form.
Getting into rhythm with Justin McInnis and Alexander Hollins is obviously important against a REDBLACKS pass defence that ranks third in the CFL allowing 263.9 passing yards against per game.
It can’t just come down to those two, however, as Rick Campbell needs more out of Jevon Cottoy, Ayden Eberhardt and Keon Hatcher as they face a secondary with plenty of shutdown talent.
Defensive back Deandre Lamont is tied for second in the league with seven pass knockdowns and Damon Webb has recorded six tackles for a loss.
Hollins feels as though the rhythm between Rourke and the receivers is getting to where it needs to be.
Lions running back William Stanback has looked like his usual dominant force of late, including a 100-yard performance in their most recent losing effort to the Bombers. He’s now behind only Brady Oliveira for the lead in rushing yards heading into this week’s action and it should give the team confidence as a second option in moving the ball downfield.
But Stanback will be put to the test against a REDBLACKS front that’s both physical and mobile. It seems like every week Lorenzo Mauldin IV and Michael Wakefield have found a way to make a difference at the line of scrimmage. They each have four sacks and will need to step up again given Bryce Carter, who also has four sacks, is out with an injury.
When Dru Brown went down with his injury in the REDBLACKS tie against Saskatchewan two weeks ago, it posed questions around the team’s quarterback situation.
But with Brown taking first team snaps during practice earlier this week and Jeremiah Masoli leading them to a win over Calgary, Bob Dyce now finds himself in an enviable position.
It’ll be Brown back under centre on Saturday but Ottawa has to feel good about their depth should he falter or need more time.
As the pass game prepares for a second straight contest without Kalil Pimpleton, they’ll turn to Jaelon Acklin and Bralon Addison to build on their strong play. Acklin has caught 13 passes for 148 yards over his past two games and is looking like the 1,000-plus yard receiver he was in 2022.
Brown may want to steer clear of defensive back Jamal Peters, who has seven pass knockdowns. If he does, it’s up to T.J. Lee, Patrice Rene and Emmanuel Rugamba to cover the rest of the field.
With two pass games not shy about putting the ball in the air, it could be the run game that makes the ultimate difference and Dyce should feel good about calling plays for Ryquell Armstead against a Lions team giving up 102.6 yards per game on the ground. Armstead enters after a 120-yard performance against Calgary and has averaged 5.3 yards over 103 carries thus far.
Much like Ottawa’s front, BC’s defensive line and linebackers can cause issues. Sione Teuhema had two sacks against Winnipeg and Ben Hladik is among the best at wrapping up opposing players in the middle of the field.
BC is hoping to snap their current slide on the road.
If recent outcomes are any indication, that’ll be easier said than done as Ottawa is unbeaten at home with a 4-0-1 record.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET. Canadian audiences can tune in on TSN or RDS2. While International and U.S. audiences can watch on CFL+.
