Panel data provided by Madison's Canadian Lumber Reporter.

The sky is falling...the sky is falling! BC Lions 19 Edmonton Eskimos 22

By 250 News

-by John Goodwin



Two teams with a lot at stake.....this one had the potential to be football drama at it’s best.

The Lions....once running away with it all, and the Esks relegated to wish they weres. The roles hadn’t exactly changed, however this time the wanna be’s would be performing in the confines of their own house.

Edmonton was now mathematically positioned to dash the lofty dreams of the CFL’s number one, and fully intending to put the first stake through the heart of their adversaries in full view of an electrically charged packed stadium and national tv audience.

It’s history now, but the Lions had been driving with the hand brake on and getting away with it more than they’d like to admit, before these same Eskimos unceremoniously dumped them off their perch (with tragic consequences) that forgettable Saturday, September 24th afternoon at
Commonwealth Stadium.

This however was a different BC team darkening the doorway of Commonwealth Stadium, not only with the new faces in the lineup but a whole different attitude and healthier mind-set learned from their humility 101 training at the school of hard knocks.

The Esks however have their memories, and had been rubbing their big meaty, sweaty hands together as they watched the gap grow smaller each week save one, since that day.

Meanwhile after four weeks of getting beat, this was a Lion’s team that once again “believed“, the table was set for a head to head the likes of any good CFL playoff football collision....and no self respecting gladiator can live on fluff, dreams and spaghettios. It was indeed time to settle this
spat.

Analysis paralysis:

Casey Printers started the contest with Dave Dickenson backing him up.

The game began badly for the Leos as Antonio Warren was unable to keep his butterflies caged and fumbled the kickoff return on his own 35.

Edmonton’s offense couldn’t move the ball so as has been happening with regularity in their past 3 outings Sean Fleming saves them again with a three pointer.

At the 7.5 min mark Printers would hit Geroy Simon for the major only to have it called back for the first of two TD’s negated by BC penalties on this night. Late in the quarter the Lions once again fail to convert a golden opportunity as Printers runs the ball 25 yards himself to the Edmonton four yd. line. This led to a two and out followed by a Mark McLaughlin three pointer.....3-3

At this point in the game BC’s pass rush was all over Ricky Ray and the Lions looked to have it going on both sides of the ball. Both teams were playing with a lot of emotion. Antonio Warren was very involved in the offensive attack and his “O” line was playing very well and opening lanes for his running game.

I thought the Lion’s domination intensified as they began to win the battle for field position to end the quarter. The Eskimos finished Q1with a total of just 26 yards of offense vs. 80 for the lions.

McLoughlin would strike again at 1:24 of the second quarter with a 47 yarder and than run the score to 9-3 by hitting one from the 21 yard line at the 6:33 mark.

The Eskimos would answer back with a Troy Davis two yard run on a hand off from Ray seven minutes later and followed it up with another three from Fleming at the 15:00 min mark of the second quarter to end it at 13-9.

BC finished the half 7- 17 passing for 76 yards, while Ray was 13-20 and 86 yards. The Lions had 9 first downs compared to 7 for Edmonton.

The stat that told the tale to that point was the penalty numbers where yet again this Lions team lose their focus and composure in the heat of battle getting flagged for 10 infractions for 75 yards in just 30 minutes of football, as compared to 4 for 35 yards by one of the leagues worst
offenders.

No question this one was a gong show for this officiating crew, and it would have been a tremendous test of this team’s character to avoid the temptation to hold back from retaliating in several instances, buuuuuut, this was a battle for supremacy in the West and their lack of self
control was a factor in them taking the gas pipe.

Penalties, and the Lions inability to torch the Eskimos when they had a chance, were the reasons in my opinion they didn’t end the first half with a better fate.

Thought the tables turned in Edmonton’s favor early in the third quarter as the Esks started the scoring on yet another Sean Fleming FG. Fleming would score on all of his attempts in this game as he finished a perfect 5 for 5 including the winner with no time left on the clock..

Mark McLaughlin was also squeaky clean on his four chances tonight for the Lions.

At this point the BC enthusiasm, sacrifice and intensity looked to be falling off as they could see little in the way of success from their offense.

The fourth quarter started in the same manner the third frame finished with a 42 yard Fleming FG at the 0:14 second mark....19-9 Eskimos.

Realizing he had to shake up his team at this point before the game got totally out of hand, in a bold move Lions head coach Wally Buono asked his offense to stay on the field and to go get a crucial first down on 3rd and 4. If they failed and Edmonton marched the ball the other way for
points, the game likely would have been out of reach.

The old “no guts no glory” adage paid off for Printers as they got their four yards, the result being renewed confidence on the BC side of the ball and they continued the drive ending it in a 5 yard touchdown to a wide open Geroy Simon at 6:03...19-16 Eskimos and the lions were back in the
game.

Mark McLaughlin would than tie the score at 19, five minutes later.

This set the stage for a winner take all finale’, ending with a 36 yard FG by the Eskimos to finish a drive the Lions were simply unable to stop.

BC now sits 12 and 5 with Edmonton at 11 and 6. 

If the season ends with a Lion loss to the Roughride next weekend at BC Place Stadium and the Eskimos win their final game, BC would finish in second place....A scenario almost impossible to contemplate just five weeks ago.

The four horsemen have mounted their steeds and their ride has begun



Previous Story - Next Story



Return to Home