FIVE THINGS TO WATCH
1 SPUTTERING LIONS OFFENCE
(Cue techno beat)/ You’ve got to move it, move it. But the Lions offence has been tripping over its own feet for much of the season. The Roughriders exposed B.C. last week, holding starter Travis Lulay to 94 yards on 9-of-20 passing, with two interceptions, one TD and just 126 yards of total offence. Nine of their first 12 possessions ended in a punt or a turnover.
2 SPUTTERING STAMPS
In his seventh season with the Stamps, QB Bo Levi Mitchell had never lost three straight games. It took 103 regularseason games, but it finally happened. In his past four starts, he has completed only 66% of his passes (87-of-132, 909 yards) but been picked off five times and sacked eight. A team that averages the fourthmost net yards has only gone over 300 yards in two of those games.
3 WHAT’S TO PLAY FOR?
Fhe Stamps need a win to clinch first place in the Western Conference for the third straight season and fifth time in six years. The Lions want to win to end Wally Buono’s time at BC Place on a high note. The fans just want their commemorative Wally bobblehead.
4 AIR ERRORS
The Stampeders’ secondary has been Lockdown City in 2018. Opposing
QBs have the lowest rating (53.6), pass efficiency (80.7) and lowest average completion distance (7.3). But that was before being shredded for 358 yards and two touchdowns by Matt Nichols last week, including completions of 50 and 60 yards — an abberation for a team that had the second fewest 30+ yard completions (21).
5 PRESSURE COOKER
A big reason for the Lions’ offensive struggles last week came because of an offensive line that couldn’t keep a clean pocket around Lulay — who was sacked twice — nor open up holes for Tyrell Sutton (12 carries, 50 yards). The Stamps are merely the league’s best at stopping the run, are just two behind B.C., for the lead in sacks (43) and are +10 in turnover ratio.