The Jake Dolegala era is about to begin.
OK, so it’s going to be a short-lived one as Lions starting quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. is expected to return from a knee injury in a few weeks, but it’s going to be Dolegala’s show until then.
“Jake's going to be the guy. He'll get all the reps the starter would normally get, and Chase (Brice) will get the backup reps and away we go,” said Lions head coach Rick Campbell.
Dolegala spent three seasons in the NFL – including one on the active roster of the Cincinnati Bengals as a back-up to Andy Dalton – before signing with Saskatchewan in 2022. He was pressed into service last year with the Riders after Trevor Harris and Mason Fine suffered injuries and started nine games.
Dolegala finished the season with decent numbers as he went 216 for 333 passing for 2,641 yards with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also threw for 409 yards against the Lions in a game on September 26th which went a long way in the organization signing him as a free-agent this past off-season.
“He’s a guy that has played and is not going to be phased by the tempo of the game or anything like that. He's the exact reason we sign a guy with experience for these situations. We always talk about it in the off-season - that it takes two (quarterbacks) to get it done - and it's no different this year. I know he's going to be excited,” added Campbell.
As for Dolegala, he’s ready to go.
“Obviously there's a little bit more pressure when you're actually out there doing it, you know? Practice is going to be different (by) taking all the reps but you have got to go about the actual mental side of it the same way (as before) and be as ready as you can,” said Dolegala.
Dolegala brings a different skill set to the table than Adams Jr. At 6’7” and 242 pounds, he’s much bigger and has a cannon for an arm but he isn’t as mobile as Adams. Despite the differences, Campbell doesn’t anticipate the Lions changing their approach on offense but will tweak things to play to Dolegala’s strengths.
“The thing that stays the same is concepts and reads and all of those things. Those aren't going to change. Jake's learned the whole system and playbook and he will know what to expect as far as the calls go. We will adapt his skill set to what Edmonton does and all those things and go from there,” said Campbell.
If the Lions want to make Dolegala’s life easier, establishing a running game and being better on first down will go a long way.
In the 25-0 loss to Winnipeg last week, the Lions became one-dimensional in second down situations, and as a result, that allowed the Bombers to play with confidence knowing the Lions had to throw the ball.
“I'd say that is job number one. Whether that’s running the ball or throwing the perimeter screen stuff - which is basically just a run with receivers just trying to get six or seven yards - we have to be more efficient on first down and not just rely on being able to sling it all over the place all the time,” said Campbell.
As for the Elks, they go into Sunday’s game (4pm CKNW 980, TSN) with some confidence after getting their first win of the season against the Riders in Saskatchewan this past Saturday.
Edmonton replaced McLeod Bethel-Thompson at quarterback with Tre Ford and the second-year pivot from Waterloo didn’t disappoint in leading the Elks to a 42-31 win on the road. Ford threw for 252 yards and rushed for another 46 yards and showed again that his mobility is going to cause major issues for defensive coordinators around the league.
Even though the Elks sit at 1-7, six of those losses have been by one score. That includes a ridiculous stretch which saw them lose three consecutive games by walk-off field goals – one of which was a 24-21 loss to the Lions at BC Place on June 27th.
Throw the records out the window, because come Sunday at Commonwealth Stadium, the Lions are in for a battle.
OVERTIME:
*The Lions are expecting to have halfback Manny Rugumba (knee) back in the lineup against Edmonton. Receiver Jovon Cottoy (ribs) won’t be ready for the Edmonton game but is getting closer to a return according to Campbell. The loss of his versatile skill set has had a major impact on the Lions offense as the team has had to constantly change personnel to accommodate for Cottoy’s loss. Those personnel groupings also alert defenses to what the Lions might be trying to do on offense.
*It’s long been said that turnovers decide football games and the latest stats released by CFL statistician Steve Daniel and his crew back that up. When winning the turnover battle, the Lions are 3-0. When the turnovers are even, the Lions are 1-1. When they lose the turnover battle, the Lions record is 1-3. On the whole, teams winning the turnover game are 22-6 in the CFL while 7-7 when even.
*The Lions return home for the first time in over a month when they host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sunday, August 18th and the club announced that the upper bowl will be open. The ‘FamFest’ theme will feature a half-time concert by four-time Juno Award winner and legendary children’s performer Fred Penner. The Lions also announced that kids in attendance will be given the opportunity to run on the field after the game.
Veteran B.C. sports personality Bob “the Moj” Marjanovich writes twice weekly for Black Press Media.
