“Which version of Sybil is showing up this week?”
That’s the question a friend asked me prior to a recent B.C. Lions game, referring to the 1970’s movie starring Sally Field as a young woman who has 13 different personalities.
I usually have a pretty good handle on how the Lions will perform heading into a game. This year is totally different.
I have no clue.
Having lost three of four games and heading into their last regular season game after a 36-9 trouncing in Saskatchewan, who knew which version of the Lions would show up against Montreal Saturday at B.C. Place?
The emotionally fragile unit that was soundly beaten in all three phases of the game the week before in Regina? Or perhaps the one that went into Montreal on Sept. 6 and pasted the Alouettes 37-23?
As you know by now, it was the latter as the Lions manhandled the Als 27-3.
Lions head coach Rick Campbell said his team needed a spark, so he made the decision to start Vernon Adams Jr. over Nathan Rourke at quarterback.
Campbell didn’t get that spark. He got fireworks instead as Adams Jr. threw for 385 yards and two touchdowns in leading the Lions to 526 yards of net offense in the win.
“VA being back out there…it just felt like it gave us an energy boost. Everything felt right. Everything was fun. I love Nathan to death but we had to do something and it feels like everything is good,” Lions receiver Keon Hatcher told TSN after the game.
Energy is something the Lions had throughout the course of the night as the offense scored two touchdowns in the first quarter, first on a two-yard run by Adams, and then on a 53-yard bomb to Stanley Berryhill.
“When VA is back there, he just brings a different energy. He’s a vocal leader. He’s always communicating with us. He came in here, he balled out, he did his thing and I’m super happy for him,” noted receiver Justin McInnis, who along with Hatcher had over 100 yards in receptions.
Adams Jr. had told us the biggest challenge heading into the game was for him to trust his eyes. After all, he hadn’t started since he was injured in a 25-0 loss in Winnipeg on Aug. 1.
Other than a second-half relief appearance against Toronto on Sept. 13, there was a lot of rust to knock off, something that Als defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe was hoping to take advantage of by blitzing Adams Jr. early and often.
It was Adams Jr., however, who took advantage of the situation on the Lions first offensive snap by hitting McInnis on a 43-yard strike.
VA was officially back.
“They brought cover zero the first play of the game. I told the quarterbacks – Nate and Chase – Thorpe is going to heat me up the first play. He’s going to think my eyes aren’t ready and he did, but Justin made a great play,” said Adams Jr.
Adams Jr. not only provided a spark for the offense but the entire team.
Lost in Adams Jr. return was a superb effort by the defense which saw them limit Montreal to one field goal despite Montreal being within B.C.’s five-yard line on three separate occasions.
The Lions got a turnover on downs in the second quarter, held the Als to a field goal in the third and then recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter.
“Good on our guys for battling. It’s about making plays at key moments and our guys did that on offense, defense and special teams,” said Campbell.
Now the Lions await to see if they travel to Regina or Winnipeg for the Western Semi-Final on Nov. 2. And there is no doubt who will be under center when they do.
It’s Adams Jr. who will get the start in either Winnipeg or Regina.
“I want to give him the opportunity to finish what he started,” said Campbell.
As for the playoffs, there is a part of me that would like to see the Lions go to Winnipeg for the semi-final.
A win in Regina by no means is a given. In fact, the Lions would probably be five-point underdogs but let me explain why I prefer going to Winnipeg over Regina to open up the tournament.
To paraphrase John Shorthouse, this is the dragon that needs to be slayed. A victory in Winnipeg would galvanize the Lions heading into Regina for the Western Final, giving the team some major momentum, and more importantly confidence. If the Lions were to travel to Regina and beat the Riders in the semi-final, the question would remain?
Can the Lions beat the Bombers when it matters most?
As we have seen throughout the season, that’s all dependent on which version of Sybil shows up.
OVERTIME
* The Lions (9-9) will open the playoffs on the road but the site is to be determined. Winnipeg (10-7) visits Montreal (12-4-1) this Saturday in the early game with Saskatchewan (9-7-1) hosting Calgary (4-12-1) in the late game. A Bomber win clinches first place with the Lions then travelling to Regina to take on the Roughriders in the Western Division Semi-Final. If Winnipeg loses to Montreal, Saskatchewan would clinch first with a victory over the hapless Stampeders. That would result in the Lions travelling to Winnipeg to face the Bombers.
* The Lions came out of the game with some key players getting dinged up. Cornerback Garry Peters (stinger), running back William Stanback (elbow), linebacker Ace Eley (back) and tackle Kent Perkins (head) all left the game due to injury. “None of them seem to be too serious, so we’re hoping for the best,” Campbell told us on the 980 CKNW post-game show. Barring the aforementioned players missing time, the Lions should be relatively healthy heading into the post-season with receiver Jevon Cottoy (ankle) expected to return to the lineup.
* With his 385 yards passing, Adams Jr. bypassed Buck Pierce (8,964) and Casey Printers (9,185) and is now ninth on the Lions all-time passing yardage list with 9,202 yards. Damon Allen is the Lions all-time passing leader with 27,621 yards to his credit.
Veteran B.C. sports personality Bob “the Moj” Marjanovich writes twice weekly for Black Press Media.
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