WEEKEND OCTOBER 29-31, 2010 ADVERTISEMENT - Raj

FRIDAY-SUNDAY
OCTOBER 29-31 2010
√ EAST
W L F A Pts
y-Mtl. 11 5 480 415 22
x-Ham. 9 7 436 372 18
x-Tor. 8 8 313 401 16
Wpg. 4 12 419 434 8
√ WEST
W L F A Pts
y-Cal. 11 4 536 403 22
x-Sask. 9 7 449 442 18
Edm. 6 10 343 501 12
B.C. 6 10 420 428 12
y - clinched division
x - clinched playoff spot
√ SEASON SERIES
The Roughriders have had
B.C.’s number, winning 37-18 in
Week 2 and 37-13 in Week 7.
√ EMPIRE FINALE
Sunday’s game is the last at
Empire Field for the Lions this
season and, win or lose, B.C.
will finish with a losing home
record. It’s only the second
time in the past 12 years
where the Lions aren’t above
.500 in their own stadium. It
also happened last year when
they finished 4-5.
√ QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Off the field, it’s definitely a
headache. I have to babysit
him. He asks me to tuck him in,
read him a nightly story, make
sure he doesn’t cry himself to
sleep. But at the end of the day
it’s what’s best for the team, so
if I have to do that and give him
some warm milk so he can go
to bed peacefully, then I guess
that’s what I have to do.” - halfback
Ryan Phillips on defensive
tackle Aaron Hunt (who
was laughing in the background)
returning to the team
this week.
√ THE BUZZ: Which B.C. Lions team will show up at Empire Field on Halloween Sunday? The inconsistent bunch that amassed a
seven-game losing streak earlier in the season or the one that finally managed to execute offensively, winning four of five soon after?
With two games remaining in the regular season, the Leos look to keep their playoff hopes alive when they host the Saskatchewan
Roughriders in the final home game this season. It’s a must-win for B.C., simple as that. Game time is at 2 p.m. – HOSEA CHEUNG
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Geroy Simon #81
A big game calls for a big
performance from your
best receiver. Despite
1,076 receiving yards
this season, the veteran
was nearly
shut out last week
with only one catch
for 11 yards. The ‘Superman’
must be the
difference maker for B.C.
at this crucial time of the
season.
26.2 (5th STATISTICS:
B.C.
)
On the line
A loss by the Lions and a win
by Edmonton over Winnipeg
eliminates B.C. from the
playoffs, putting them fourth
in the West. It makes this
game that much more important
for the Leos, who are
not in the driver’s seat at the
moment.
GAME ON: LIONS VS. ROUGHRIDERS
J. Robertson #25
With quarterback Travis Lulay
prone to scramble under
pressure, Robertson
has been used more
effectively as a receiver
than a running
back. In the past two
games, he’s had 134 receiving
yards to 45 rushing
yards. In order to
open up the playbook,
B.C. needs to give
him more carries.
Avg. points for
FOUR STORIES TO WATCH:
No risk?
The Riders can’t go up or
down in the standings.
Does that mean they’ll rest
players and not go all out in
order to avoid injuries?
We’ll see. But it’s obvious
B.C. needs to win this game
more than Saskatchewan
does.
Darian Durant #4
The Riders quarterback
leads all CFL pivots with
4,865 passing yards even
though Saskatchewan
has a 60.1 per cent pass
completion rating,
second lowest. It
goes to show how
often Durant goes
to the air, and just
makes the pass rush
that much more important
for the Lions.
SASKATCHEWAN
28.1 (3 rd )
26.8 (5th ) 27.6 (7 th Avg. points against
)
329.1 (7 th ) 400.6 (3rd Avg. yards for
)
377.7 (5th ) 388.8 (7th Avg. yards against
)
33 (6th ) 47 (2nd Touchdowns
)
Consistency
It’s been a big concern in
B.C.’s game this entire season.
The Lions must stay focused
for the entire 60 minutes,
unlike last week which
was full of ups and downs
the entire game. B.C. can’t
always count on getting
lucky breaks.
J. Patrick #14
Lions’ Lulay better watch out
for Saskatchewan’s secondary
when throwing
those passes. James
Patrick leads the CFL
with nine interceptions
and has 195
return yards and
one touchdown.
The safety is also
third on the
Roughriders with 61
tackles.
«We’re just taking
care of what we
can take care of. »
– coach
Wally
Buono
Run D
The ground game may be
the one to watch – not because
the two sides are
strong running teams, but
because their run defence
are the worst in the league.
Both sides are bottom two
in almost every rushing defence
category.
› SPORTS 41
GRIDIRON GRILL
Guts
Sports
columnist
Home
course
Sunday’s contest vs. the
Saskatchewan Roughriders
is now being billed as a
Lions home playoff game.
Unofficially, of course.
I understand Wally’s
reasoning behind that
statement. I get that his
team fell well short of
their goal to host an honest-to-goodness
playoff
date, and that this late
season seats-of-theirpants
pseudo-promotion
will have to suffice.
It makes sense that the
Lions organization has
created an urgency for the
fans to get to Empire
Field and witness for
themselves Buono’s Little
Big Horn.
From a marketing
standpoint, it’s actually
bordering on brilliant.
Custer reference notwithstanding.
I suppose I still feel a little
bit of empathy for the
fans who failed to see that
type of urgency they’re
billing Sunday’s game
with on the field, when it
counted the most.
Based solely on their
body of work this season,
the B.C. Lions really have
no business being a part
of this year’s playoffs.
But if anyone deserves a
free dessert for what has
amounted to a fairly awful
main course, it’s the fans
of the B.C. Lions.
Follow the kilt: @gutsmctavish24