Leos tame Tabbies in Steeltown
Leos’ defence holds Ticats to lowest point total at home since 2006
The B.C. Lions had a psychological edge even before they took the field against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Friday.
The bounce-back effect. How could the Lions not have one after last year’s heartless and humiliating 52-22 defeat to the Tiger-Cats in their previous visit to Tim Hortons Field?
That all-encompassing no-show on Aug. 15 represented the most points surrendered by a B.C. team since Wally Buono arrived in 2003 to begin a franchise makeover. It was made all the more painful by the loss of 2014 player of the year Solomon Elimimian with a seasonending Achilles rupture. Friday, the great linebacker re-appeared at the scene of the disaster, and, judging by his performance, he no longer seems like someone who once was faced with his athletic mortality.
The Lions, too, with an infusion of new players and coaches, and a much altered attitude with Buono replacing Jeff Tedford and calling the shots again, stifled the TigerCats in a manner that was almost as embarrassing as B.C.’s loss here a year ago.
The Lions’ defence allowed the Tiger-Cats just three points — on an 89-yard punt single and two more on missed field goals — Hamilton’s lowest points total at home since Aug. 12, 2006, a 20-2 loss to the Toronto Argonauts.
“52-22,” Elimimian said. “Obviously, a lot of guys remember that. That was a tough loss. That was an embarrassing loss. It’s the kind of loss that guys don’t forget. The only way to earn respect is to take it. We took it today. It was just a glimpse of what this team can be.”
“Honestly, what we did tonight is something the defence tries to do every single night,” added Jason Arakgi. “The way we’re building the culture here, that’s what we expect to do. We weren’t surprised about it. The defence goes out there and shuts them down. We do our thing on special teams to keep (Brandon) Banks out of the game. We kept their offence under control. And we kept the crowd out of the game.”
Elimimian had a pass knockout (ending Hamilton quarterback Jeremiah Masoli’s streak of 19 straight completed passes over two games), authored the game’s first turnover when he crashed into Hamilton receiver Andy Fantuz, and finished the game with six tackles.
“Solly’s a great player. I expect him to get better and better every game,” said defensive back Ryan Phillips. “Just for him to feel more comfortable, that’s something he’s learning to deal with. To me, when he’s fully healthy, he’s the best in the league at what he does. He can run, he can tackle, he can do everything.”
Just as injuries are inevitable in sport, so is the clichéd comeback. But little was clichéd about the comeback from the type of debilitating injury linebacker Elimimian suffered last year. Only two-thirds of National Football League players ever return from an Achilles rupture, and those who do find their performance significantly affected.
“It’s not an overnight deal,” Elimimian explained. “I mean,
I haven’t played football in 10 months. There are some things I can get better on. But, what I want to see, week to week, is improvement.”
The act of taking a man to the turf against his will is something he wants to believe he does better than anyone in the CFL. Elimimian had twice the number of tackles against the Tiger-Cats as he did in the Lions’ season-opening 20-18 win against the Calgary Stampeders.
“I definitely feel that Solly made the most of his opportunities,” said Adam Bighill. “But it wasn’t one guy who dominated on defence. We had 12 guys out there making plays.”
Phillips had a 26-yard interception return (the 47th pick of his CFL career) to set up a two-yard touchdown by Shaquille Murray-Lawrence, substituting for injured Jeremiah Johnson. Rookie Loucheiz Purifoy added another 52-yard interception return in the dying minutes and the Lions sacked Masoli four times. Four other times he was tackled for a loss.
Quarterback Jonathon Jennings threw his first touchdown pass of the season — a 16-yard strike to Emmanuel Arceneaux in the fourth quarter — although the Lions quarterback probably deserved better.
He had an almost certain touchdown pass to Bryan Burnham dropped by the receiver and he fumbled himself at Hamilton’s five-yard line.
But the totality of the win starts with the defence and the ferocious physical effort of their leader.
“Solly’s a beast. He was out there running sideline to sideline,” said B.C. cornerback Brandon Stewart, who was part of the Ticats’ beat down last year against the Lions. “He’s back. He’s getting better and better every time out.”
“I think the only thing coming back to Hamilton symbolizes for me is that I can come back from a (serious) injury,” Elimimian said. “It’s an opportunity for me to show I’m healthy, and to establish myself as a dominant player.”
He is well on the road to doing so again.
GAME BALL
Ryan Phillips. Old man ballhawk had a fumble recovery in the first quarter and a 26-yard interception return in the third (it was the 47th career pick for the 12-year veteran from Seattle). Phillips’ interception led to a six-play drive that ended on a two-yard touchdown run by Shaquille Murray-Lawrence.
POINT AFTER
3 — Number of Lions coaches formerly employed by the TigerCats: receivers coach Marcel Bellefeuille (head coach, 2009-11), offensive co-ordinator Khari Jones (quarterbacks coach, 2009-10), and special teams coach Marcello Simmons (defensive and special teams assistant, 2014-15).
19 — Consecutive completed passes by Hamilton quarterback Jeremiah Masoli (covering two games) before streak ends with knock-down by the Lions’ Solomon Elimimian in first quarter.
NEXT GAME
The Lions were scheduled to fly home by charter directly after the game and are back on the practice field Monday for a short prep week before facing the Toronto Argonauts on Thursday.
The Argos defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders 30-17 Thursday in Regina and have a five-day layover on the Prairies before moving on to Vancouver.