REGINA — The BC Lions can put significant distance between themselves and the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the West Division standings with a win at Mosaic Stadium to close out Week 11.
It won’t be easy though, with both of the Lions losses this season coming on the road and the Roughriders looking to stay within range of second place in the division.
The two teams met once already back in Week 7 when the Leos dealt the Riders a 19-9 loss.
To secure the season series, which sees one more matchup in Week 17, the Lions will try to duplicate their strong offensive performance from last week against a defence that gave up 41 points in their most recent loss to the Alouettes.
Vernon Adams Jr. once again leads the offensive charge and looks fully recovered from a previous knee injury.
He connected with receiver Keon Hatcher on nine of his 10 targets for 170 yards and found four other wideouts for multiple receptions in their victory over Calgary.
It’ll be a battle between a high flying receiving corps and a Riders secondary that is the best at limiting yards through the air. Defensive back Amari Henderson is coming off his second interceptions and is joined by playmakers in Nic Marshall and Jayden Dalke.
Adams Jr. knows the Riders defence will try to apply pressure and force him into mistakes.
The Riders defence hasn’t been as strong when it comes to defending the run though, allowing 100.8 yards per game. With the play downfield likely being tightly contested, Leos running back Taquan Mizzell needs to step up.
When Mizzell makes his way through the line of scrimmage, he’ll be met by Larry Dean and his 60 defensive tackles. He leads a physical linebacker corps that also features Derrick Moncrief and Micah Teitz.
When talking about defences, it’s impossible to ignore how good the Lions have been as they’re giving up the second fewest yards per game against both the pass and the run.
Defensive lineman Mathieu Betts leads the league with 10 sacks for a team with 26. It’s well documented the Riders have failed to protect their quarterback with consistency as they’ve given up 30 quarterback takedowns. If they want to have success on Sunday night they have to find a way to keep Betts and the front away from their pivot.
When it comes to the quarterback position, Riders head coach Craig Dickenson will turn to his third starter of the season. Last week Jake Dolegala took the bulk of the snaps and threw for 107 yards after Mason Fine suffered a hamstring injury.
A veteran Lions secondary awaits whoever’s in the pocket. Garry Peters had his third interception and Patrice Rene forced a fumble against the Stamps.
The entire Riders offence needs to be better if they hope to pick up win No. 5 as no receiver had more than 41 yards against the Als. Shawn Bane Jr., Tevin Jones and Samuel Emilus have been key contributors all season long and Jerreth Sterns has shown flashes of brilliance.
It’s a unit that will see reinforcements in the way of the return of Kian Schaffer-Baker.
With uncertainty at quarterback, Jamal Morrow has the opportunity to provide stability. He rushed for just 11 yards in the two teams first matchup but is coming off 81 in their most recent game.
Dickenson understands his offence is facing quite the test but is confident his guys will be ready to compete.
Six points separate the Lions and Riders in the West Division, making this game extremely important for both sides in establishing potential playoff position.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET and can be watched on TSN in Canada. U.S. audiences can watch on CBS Sports while International audiences can catch the action on CFL+.
