RALLY CATS
Twice the Blue Bombers have built big leads at B.C. Place. And twice the Lions have rallied to win.
The post-game locker-room was lit.
The B.C. Lions were whooping it up after winning one of those uniquely CFL regular-season classics, a game that was a beautiful mess.
Laughing, moppy-haired toddlers were bouncing around the room. Players gathered for a team picture. And while Travis Lulay was in the midst of a rambling, detailed answer birthed from an equally rambling question, Lions head coach Wally Buono thrust his hand through the crowd to congratulate his backupturned-temp starter. “Good job,” the coach said. Damn straight it was. Lulay’s “job” is to keep it on the fairway while Jonathon Jennings recovers from torn ligaments in his shoulder, an injury that is set to keep him out three to six weeks. He’s done so much more than that.
In consecutive games, he has thrown for 400 yards. In the Lions’ Friday win, a 45-42 thriller over Winnipeg, he added a massively important late run that followed an outrageously awful Winnipeg trick play. With the lead and the ball deep in their own end, the Bombers tried a bizarre fake punt that flopped harder than Will Ferrell’s new movie.
The 11-yard QB draw for a touchdown tied the game at 42-42 and was a gutsy call by offensive co-ordinator Khari Jones. It sure suggests no one in the Lions organization is thinking about Lulay’s shoulder issues anymore.
Of course, it will be some time yet before the rest of us forget.
Moments after the game, Lulay was reminded he scored this rushing touchdown in just about the same spot he tweaked that shoulder four years ago.
“This was different, I had open end zone in front of me,” Lulay said. “I didn’t try to run through guys diving. So I got across the goal-line before I got hit. “Just doing what I need to do.” Turned out Lulay had to do quite a lot. In a run that Buono said left him losing his mind, the Lions gave up 28 straight points and were on their way to blowing a game they looked to be in control of in the first half.
“Way too many missed tackles and way too many negative things,” Buono said. “You can’t play defence like that at all.”
It wasn’t, however, just the defence.
As good as Lulay’s first half was, and he threw for 250 yards, the third quarter was pretty bad. The low came with about three minutes left when he his attempted dump was tipped near the line of scrimmage, picked off and returned for a touchdown. It put the Bombers up 15 and had the potential to be devastating.
“But he’s not flustered by the game, he’s not flustered by what happens,” Buono said.
“At times we had good protection, at times they had a good pass rush.
“Travis is always in the game and always focused and this was a great comeback.”
Earlier in the week, Buono said Lulay could help the offence, which came off like wishful thinking at the time mostly because Lulay hadn’t started in a couple of years and there was no way Winnipeg’s secondary was going to be as soft as Hamilton’s the week before.
But this week, the coach was right. Maybe he’ll continue to be because it’s starting to look like this is a different Lulay than the one we last saw starting regularly in Vancouver.
Of course, it helps to have a group of receivers who are as deep as any in recent Lions history.
Last week the story was Nick Moore’s 220-yard game. This week, Bryan Burnham had 149 yards in receiving and Manny Arceneaux caught two touchdowns and a twopoint convert.
“It’s the best it’s ever been since I’ve been here in terms of top-five playmaking ability,” Lulay said. “I’ve played with Geroy Simon and Arland Bruce at the back of their prime.
“Manny and Bryan are that kind of dynamic twosome in the middle of their prime. Marco Iannuzzi has been here a long time. He has a presence. Nick Moore is a big-time player and I have a tremendous comfort level in him.
“Shaq Johnson is one of the most impressive Canadians I’ve been around.
“I haven’t even mentioned Chris Williams, who is sidelined. I don’t mean to over-inflate my guys, but I believe our weapons are good.”
Don’t worry about the tire-pumping, Travis.
The Lions are 4-1 and have earned all the smoke that’s going to blow their way this week.
Of course, lose to Edmonton next and it all goes away.
That’s the beauty of football.
“Travis (Lulay) is always in the game ... and this was a great comeback.” — WALLY BUONO LIONS HEAD COACH