Finally, some good news for the B.C. Lions.
Quarterback Nathan Rourke, out of the lineup for the past two games with an oblique injury, appears to be on the verge of returning to action in Montreal this Saturday (4 p.m. TSN, 730 CKNW, Sher-E-Punjab 600) barring any setbacks.
鈥淚鈥檓 feeling good 鈥� better than the last couple of weeks. That鈥檚 always a good sign and I鈥檓 hoping to build some stamina the rest of the week. I鈥檓 optimistic about my chances but it鈥檚 still a day-to-day thing,鈥� Rourke said during a media availability session after practice on Tuesday.
Rourke鈥檚 return couldn鈥檛 come at a better time as the Lions will be facing an Alouettes (3-1) team that is stinging after losing 35-17 to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats last Friday in The Hammer.
The Als, much like the Lions, have quarterbacking issues. McLeod Bethel-Thompson started against Hamilton in place of Davis Alexander, who injured his hamstring the week before. As much as the Lions offense has shot itself in the foot the last couple of weeks with costly turnovers, the Als offense was victimized itself by the Tiger-Cats for two touchdowns.
As for Alexander, he was listed as being 鈥榣imited鈥� in practice on Tuesday and Wednesday and is doubtful to get the green light against the Lions, so Bethel-Thompson is expected to start.
With a 1-3 record, it鈥檚 easy to pile on the Lions right now but there are some positives with the team. If you examine the statistical rundown of each of the three losses, there really isn鈥檛 too much to choose from in term of numbers except one 鈥� turnovers.
The Lions have committed 12 turnovers and have only managed four takeaways in the last three games.
The GOAT 鈥� Wally Buono 鈥� always liked to tell us that a game boils down to five or six key plays. Right now, the Lions aren鈥檛 winning those big plays and it鈥檚 the biggest reason why they have lost three games in a row.
Defensively, the Lions have held their own in the first half of the previous three games but the team isn鈥檛 playing complimentary football right now. With the offence not being able to execute consistently, the defence is asked to do more and more as the game progresses to the point where it eventually gets fatigued.
The end result is that in the three losses the Lions defence has given up 33 points in the first half and 47 in the second.
Rourke鈥檚 return will hopefully spark the offence, and in turn, help the defence.
Speaking of returns, the defense will get a boast with the return of linebacker Josh Woods, who will be making his 2025 debut.
Heading into last season, the third-year veteran out of UCLA was expected to be a breakout player as the team鈥檚 middle linebacker but a torn ACL suffered in a week four matchup against Edmonton ended those thoughts. Having missed training camp this year, Woods will be brought along slowly in terms of reps but is expected to be in certain defensive packages.
Ironically, this version of the Lions might prove to be diametrically opposed to last season鈥檚 team.
A 5-1 start in 2024 camouflaged the problems that the Lions were facing. They stumbled to a 4-8 record the rest of the way before eventually losing to Saskatchewan in the Western Division Semi-Final.
Since training camp, I鈥檝e stated that this team will get better as the season progresses.
It鈥檚 an organization with a new head coach in Buck Pierce, and pretty much a new staff. It鈥檚 a process in terms of the players learning a new system, and more importantly, what is asked of you as a player. And from a coaching perspective, it鈥檚 about learning what your players can and can鈥檛 do and eventually putting them in the best position to win.
鈥淭here are things to clean up. We are not panicking. There is no panic in this building. We know what we are capable of. It鈥檚 a long season, and yeah, we鈥檝e lost some big games against West teams but we understand that this is a process and we are all here for it,鈥� stated Rourke.
Remember, it鈥檚 not how you start, it鈥檚 how you finish.
EXTRA POINTS:
* Lions safety Cristophe Beaulieu was named by Pro Football Focus to its All-June Honour Roll as the second-year product of Laval graded out as the CFL鈥橲 best defensive back during the month. Beaulieu has racked up 11 tackles, two tackles for a loss and an interception thus far and has impressed with his range and playmaking ability.
* The Lions and the Alouettes aren鈥檛 the only teams dealing with injured quarterbacks. According to CFL stats guru Steve Daniel, there have been 15 different quarterbacks to have made at least one start through the first four weeks of the CFL season. The first-string quarterbacks in the league have been available for just 61% of the offensive plays run to date.
* In another nugget from Daniel, he points out that in 2025 all 16 games thus far have been won by the team leading after the 3rd quarter. In 2024, teams that led going into the 4th quarter went 61-14-2 for an .805 winning percentage.
Veteran B.C. sports personality Bob 鈥渢he Moj鈥� Marjanovich writes about the B.C. sporting scene for Black Press Media. This column is brought to you by:
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