Preview
Lions, Esks open season with Western showdown
CFL.ca Staff
VANCOUVER — One win.
That’s how close both the BC Lions and Edmonton Eskimos were from advancing to last year’s Grey Cup.
The Lions lost to the Calgary Stampeders in the Western Final while the Eskimos fell to the eventual Grey Cup Champion Ottawa REDBLACKS in the other division final when they crossed over to the East.
“It feels like yesterday we were leaving Calgary in the Western Final and that taste is still bitter in my mouth,” receiver Bryan Burnham told BCLions.com.
The disappointment of being so close to competing on the CFL’s biggest stage has no doubt lingered in the minds of Lions and Eskimos players alike, but both teams will have the opportunity to pick up where they left off at BC Place on Saturday night.
BC’s offensive core from the 2016 season has remained intact.
Quarterback Jonathon Jennings had a breakout 2016 campaign, ranking third in touchdown passes (27) and passing yards (5,226). He is flanked by last year’s touchdown leader Emmanuel Arceneaux as well as the equally dangerous Burnham, who together formed the second-most illustrious duo of the 2016 campaign.
The Lions will have to wait for their biggest off-season addition, dynamic receiver and one of the CFL’s fastest players in Chris Williams, but the return of Nick Moore gives the Lions plenty of weapons on offence in the meantime. And if BC’s prolific passing attack isn’t enough, the Lions’ league-leading rushing attack from last season returns mostly intact, led by the dangerous duo of Chris Rainey and Jeremiah Johnson.
While most of BC’s offence remains in one piece, the defence tells a different tale.
Last year’s dominant linebacker duo of Adam Bighill and Solomon Elimimian, commonly referred to as ‘Team 100’, has been split up. Bighill is now with the New Orleans Saints, leaving some big shoes to fill at weak-side linebacker.
The Lions addressed that need during free agency by signing former Winnipeg Blue Bomber Tony Burnett, who will get the start in Week 1 in rotation with promising young off-season addition Micah Awe.
On the defensive line, the Lions are without Alex Bazzie and Jabar Westerman, both free agent departures, but the biggest changes come in the secondary. With hopes of generating more big plays on that side of the ball, Head Coach Wally Buono has moved Loucheiz Purifoy to safety while Chandler Fenner takes purifoy’s spot at SAM linebacker.
Despite all the changes, the Lions believe they’ve improved since finishing second in the CFL with a 12-6 record a year ago.
Jennings says that facing off against a divisional opponent will be a good opening test for his team.
“Winning in the West is such a big deal,” said Jennings. “It’s big for us to go out there and try and be 1-0, not just overall but in the west.
“Edmonton is a really tough team,” he added. “We had some close bouts with them last year, we’re going to try and go out there and play a fast physical game.”
Williams enters the season on the Lions’ 6-game injured list but could be activated sooner. Right tackle Kevin Palmer, kicker Swayze Waters, defensive backs Buddy Jackson and Steven Clarke and receiver Stephen Adekolu are among those on the 1-game injured list for Saturday’s contest.
Waters, the big leg and former Toronto Argonaut who signed as a free agent this off-season, will be replaced by 24-year-old Ty Long.
In Edmonton, you can expect the Eskimos will once again be a threat in the West with the help of star pivot Mike Reilly. The Central Washington product and 2015 Grey Cup MVP leads an equally impressive offence with weapons that include returnees Adarius Bowman, sophomore Brandon Zylstra and former Argo Vidal Hazelton.
D’haquille ‘Duke’ Williams will also be making his Eskimos regular season debut on Saturday. The former Auburn University football star looked impressive during his first pre-season campaign, racking up 129 yards on three catches. Williams has the potential to fill the large void that was left by Derel Walker, who is currently with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Eskimos Head Coach Jason Maas says his team is extremely focused and prepared heading into Week 1.
“Guys are locked in,” Edmonton head coach Jason Maas told Esks.com. “Do we feel like they’re going to do some things we haven’t prepared for? Absolutely. But we’re going to be able to adjust…. We’re excited.”
While replacing Walker on offence will be key, the Eskimos look to pick up where their offence left off after leading the CFL with 418.7 net yards per game in 2016.
The bigger question will be on the defensive side of things, where injuries have taken their toll before Week 1 has even kicked off.
WILL linebacker Corey Greenwood suffered a season-ending injury in camp, while late addition Forrest Hightower remains out of action in the Esks’ defensive backfield along with Marcell Young. All three have been added to the Esks’ 6-game injured list along with defensive end Marcus Howard, receiver Shamawd Chambers and offensive lineman Colin Kelly.
Travon Van and Mitchell Bryant have landed on the 1-game injured list and also will not suit up on Saturday.
With the injuries, 2015 second round draft pick Arjen Colquhoun, who just signed with the Eskimos after a year in the NFL, will make his first career CFL start at field corner.
By the Numbers:
10 – Consecutive games with a touchdown pass for Mike Reilly, a span over which he’s fired 17 in total.
18– Straight successful field goal attempts by Eskimos kicker Sean Whyte in regular season action.
23 – Rushing touchdowns scored by the Lions in 2016, the highest total in the CFL.
173 – The number of yards Adarius Bowman needs to tie Eddie Brown for 30th on the CFL All-Time receiving yards list (8,663).
The Skinny:
Both the Lions and Eskimos are led by premiere pivots with multiple offensive weapons at their disposal. Reilly led the league in passing yards last year (5,554 yards) and finished second in passing touchdowns (28) behind Calgary’s Bo Levi Mitchell.
Twenty-four-year-old Jennings emerged as the one of the league’s premiere pivots in 2016, showcasing his mobility and strong arm week after week.
The game will also feature three of the top four receivers from last year. Bowman led the league in receiving yards (1,761), followed by the now-departed Walker. Arceneaux (1,566) and Burnham (1,392) ranked third and fourth respectively.
In a game loaded with offensive talent, the winner in Week 1 could be determined by which defence is able to put the most pressure on the quarterback and play the shut down role more effectively.
BC was tied last year at the top of the league in sacks (52) while veteran defensive linemen Almondo Sewell and Odell Willis will be looked upon to lead that way in the trenches for the Eskimos.
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What the writers are saying:
Esks
Lions
Edmonton at BC
Saturday | 10 p.m. ET
What to Watch For: A potential air show between the two highest-salaried quarterbacks in Fantasy, Eskimos gunslinger Mike Reilly and Lions pilot Jonathon Jennings. Both come with a full complement of firepower at the skill positions and, if this quickly develops into a game of “Can You Top This?,” East Coast viewers will be bleary-eyed by game’s end.
Both pivots have something to prove after remarkable 2016 campaigns. Reilly’s looking to show there’s reason for opposing defences to ‘Fear the Beard’ following a year in which he set career bests across the board, including a league-best 5,554 yards and 28 touchdown passes. In the case of Jennings, the third-year signal caller seeks to cement his place among the league’s elite passers.
No one in the league has his dual-threat ability, a facet the Eskimos’ defence must account for.
While the quarterbacks take centre stage, both teams have top-end ground games that can dictate the pace of the contest. Edmonton’s John White was fourth in the league in rushing, while BC’s Jeremiah Johnson was fifth. The duo are also the two highest-salaried backs in CFL Fantasy, with White’s ability to be an effective receiver giving him the edge over Johnson, who lets his 210-pound frame help churn the clock for the Lions.
The potential show-stealer here is Eskimos receiver Brandon Zylstra, Zylstra is the second option in Edmonton and should be able to pick up where he left off from his impressive six-game debut last season, when he caught 34 passes for 508 yards and three touchdowns. He’s set for a breakout campaign and will use this game as a possible springboard.
