What-ifs will haunt B.C. after loss to Stamps
Victory there for the taking as Stampeders prevail in ‘frustrating’ loss for the hosts
If the B.C. Lions wanted to feel better about absorbing another loss to the Calgary Stampeders, they could point to any number of critical moments in Friday night’s game and reasonably wonder: What if?
What if, for example, Chris Rainey had run his route one foot deeper in the dying seconds of the fourth quarter, giving the Lions a first down deep in Calgary territory instead of a failed third down that cost them the game?
Or what if Ty Long hadn’t missed a simple convert in the third quarter, a huge point that necessitated the aforementioned third-down gamble with Rainey?
Or what if Craig Roh’s third-quarter sack of Bo Levi Mitchell resulted in a Stampeders’ punt when the Lions had clear momentum instead of a dubious roughing-the-passer call that resulted in a crucial Stamps’ field goal?
Or what if Jonathon Jennings didn’t served up an interception on the Lions’ second possession or Long didn’t have a punt blocked in the first quarter or Loucheiz Purifoy didn’t drop a gift interception and sure touchdown later in another nightmare opening frame for the Lions?
There were, in fact, any number of points where Friday’s 21-17 loss to the Stamps might have turned for the Lions, but while we’re playing the what-if game, here’s something else to consider.
Given everything else that was in play — an injury depleted Stamps’ lineup, an ineffective Mitchell, a commendable effort by the Lions’ defence — if the Lions didn’t win this one, they might never beat the Stamps in our lifetime. As head coach Wally Buono said afterward: “That game was there for the taking” and the only thing the Lions took was another frustrating loss.
“There are no moral victories,” Buono added. “In my mind, the offence didn’t play well enough. In this league if you don’t score, you don’t win.”
Which was the real crux of the matter Friday night even if the rest of the stuff did make for some interesting talking points.
One week after a humiliating loss in Regina, the Lions’ defence rebounded with a big game and the team played with a harder edge as a whole. But they were again undone by an offence that has suddenly lost its way. Part of that was due to injuries to big-play receivers Bryan Burnham and Nick Moore. But most of that is due to a suddenly ineffective Jennings and a substandard offensive line.
Jennings went 6-for-11 for 56 puny yards over the opening 27 minutes as the Stamps seized the early initiative and a 9-0 lead. Jennings then caught a spark late in the second quarter with a 28-yard arrow to Shaq Johnson, keying a touchdown drive and getting the home team back in the game.
But despite numerous opportunities, Jennings couldn’t sustain any consistency or rhythm in the second half. The offensive line, meanwhile, protected him reasonably well, but the Lions generated just 56 rushing yards on 13 attempts. Jennings accounted for 39 of those yards himself. Jeremiah Johnson, yikes, contributed just 11 yards on five carries.
“It’s not the first quarter,” said Buono. “It’s the whole game. Offensively we hurt ourselves too many times.”
“I’ve got to get the rust off me,” said Jennings. “We got some momentum going. That was good to see, but tough losing.”
But the momentum never stayed with the Lions long. Despite the call on Roh, they benefited from a roughing-the-kicker call on Long, a video review that overturned an apparent Stamps interception and another roughing-the-passer call on Jennings. All this came in the second half. In the last minute, Rainey also put them in business in the Stamps’ end with a 29-yard punt return.
And the Lions continually failed to capitalize on their good fortune.
They’re now 5-4 on the season and have dropped to fourth in the West with the Roughriders gaining ground. But the larger impression is this team is currently light years behind the CFL’s truly elite — Edmonton, Calgary, maybe Winnipeg — and they’re now in jeopardy of missing the playoff altogether.
Uh, you may be aware that’s hard to do in this league.
“It’s frustrating,” said Buono. “If you’re not angry tonight, I’m not sure you’re into this.”
Oh, they’re into it all right. Getting out of it is the next problem.