QB’s bravery ups B.C.’s confidence
Lulay’s numbers far from dazzling, but Lions just happy to have their leader back
To some of his teammates, there were no words to describe what Travis Lulay did for himself and the B.C. Lions on Friday.
The quarterback of the CFL team won’t lead the Lions to even the nine wins they had last year if all the results ahead look like their 18-13 loss to the Edmonton Eskimos — not if their offence is only able to generate one touchdown in eight quarters as they did in preseason play.
But there was a belief reinstalled in the Lions when Lulay played a game in the vicinity of home territory for the first time in 19 months, which means as much to those around him at this stage as it does for his own confidence.
Lulay ran the Lions offence with precision during his opening series, which ended with a touchdown strike to Emmanuel Arceneaux. Lulay’s numbers by the end (8-of13 passing, 121 yards) weren’t dazzling, and neither was his accuracy at times to some of his receivers.
But it was the decision-making he showed during his first half of work — reminiscent of the 2011 season that spawned a rebirth of another sort and led to a Grey Cup win that year — that left a greater impression. It meant the Lions had taken a meaningful step.
“I don’t think there are enough sentences you can put together to adequately describe what that meant to us as a team,” guard Dean Valli said afterwards. “Travis is our leader, and when he leads with that kind of confidence it has an effect on everyone in this locker-room and outside of it as well.”
It wasn’t just Lulay’s decisionmaking that had the Lions at attention, but what he did upon electing to run that had 6,117 fans at UBC’s Thunderbird Stadium collectively holding their breath to see how his shoulder responded to a hit.
Good thing they only had to wait two plays to find out.
Edmonton defensive back Deion Belue popped Lulay on his left side on the Lions first pass play. Later in the same series he deftly converted into a hook slide when completing a run.
He also had the good sense to avoid becoming a lead blocker when Andrew Harris tried to make something out of a broken play. It was exactly the kind of situation general manager Wally Buono had said Lulay needed to avoid in order to continue his career.
“The good thing about it is that this is one of the best defensive fronts he will face in the league,” Arceneaux said. “Every player in this locker-room tries to bring the energy he brings. This is a confidence-builder for him and the team.”
Lulay was fully re-engaged by the end of the first half. He took a needless slam to his head while on the ground from Edmonton lineman Willie Jefferson, one of 39 penalties that will make the regular season unwatchable if flags fly at a similar pace.
All Lulay did, however, was pop up after the penalty. The durability question will follow him for as long as he plays now. But for a night, he was back.
“In a weird way it felt good to get hit,” Lulay said. “That’s always kind of the question mark and the final test is doing it with live, moving parts and just reacting when you’re not thinking about it.
“I didn’t shy away instinctively from making a play with my feet. I’ve got to be smart about when I choose to run but I thought my reaction was good. I wasn’t quick to run but I ran when I thought a play was supposed to be made.
“To get knocked down and get back up again and get back in the huddle felt good.”
It felt even better to the Lions, knowing they don’t have to lean on rookies Jon Jennings and Greg McGhee immediately, in what would formally amount to a declaration of a rebuilding season.
It’s not as if they don’t have issues — and perhaps it might be better to declare that the rebuilding project is already underway. Though there were some golden moments, the undeniable truth was that coach Jeff Tedford might also have mistaken the Lions at times for the college team he last coached.
It was CFL pre-season, after all, and when the Lions made their final cuts Saturday (see chart) it was quite clear most of the decisions had been made before kickoff.
Though Buono recently gave a passing grade to the offensive line, Harris averaged less than three yards a carry, looking for running lanes that did not materialize.
On the defensive line, some backups, like David Menard, looked more effective than the starters. There were three punt fumbles on special teams by the group trying to replace Tim Brown, and three missed field goals or illegal punts by the kickers trying to replace Paul McCallum.
And by taking 21 penalties, the Lions also demonstrated an inability to comprehend the new normal with respect to rule changes. In the first half, the longest either team went without incurring a penalty flag was 10 plays.
“Totally unacceptable,” Tedford said.
“We didn’t know what was a penalty, and the fans didn’t know what was a penalty,” Harris said.
But the Lions do know that if they can somehow keep their quarterback upright, which has only been said about this team since Dave Dickenson was behind centre, they’ll have Lulay around. And that gives them a chance. Maybe their only chance.
“There was one play where he was running and I’m saying slide, slide, slide,” grinned Harris. Lulay complied.
Feel free to exhale for now — at least until they start where Lulay left off last season, in Ottawa, and the same questions can be asked all over again.