B.C. Lions look to reset against league-leading Montreal Alouettes

B.C. Lions quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. (3) throws against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers during second half CFL action in Winnipeg Thursday, August 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

Vernon Adams Jr. has watched the B.C. Lions' struggles from a unique vantage point.

And the quarterback's assessment of what's plagued the team is simple.

"Just overall not being good enough," he said Friday. "And that starts all the way upstairs to downstairs. So we just haven’t been good enough and we hope to turn that around going into playoffs."

Adams is set to make his first start in 79 days on Saturday as the Lions (8-9) close out their regular-season campaign against the league-leading Montreal Alouettes (12-3-1).

The 31-year-old American QB went down with a knee injury on Aug. 1, and was replaced in the lineup by Nathan Rourke, who made his return to the CFL following two years in the NFL.

B.C. has fought to find consistency with Rourke, going 3-5 during his starts.

Lions head coach and co-general manager Rick Campbell announced on Tuesday he would start Adams this week in a bid to find a spark within his team.

"(Adams) isn't here to save the day," Campbell said Friday. "We’ve got to play better as a whole football team. So that's what we'll be looking to do.

And I'm happy, personally, for (Adams) that he gets back out there and gets to play in a real game and has had a full practice week. I’m excited to watch him play.”

The Lions are coming off an ugly 39-8 loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders last week, while the Als downed the Ottawa Redblacks 19-12.

Saturday will mark the second game of the season between B.C. and Montreal. The Lions took a 37-23 victory from the last meeting on Sept. 6.

B.C. was "relentless" in that game, said receiver Keon Hatcher.

"I believe we had maybe four turnovers, and no one blinked an eye," he said. "It was always when we got back to the sideline, positive vibes, positive energy, and just thinking about the next play and what we can do to go out there and be better and win. And that's what we did that game.”

The Als have been one of the stingiest teams in the league this season, giving up 349 points in 16 games.

Defensive lineman Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund has terrorized quarterbacks across the CFL, chalking up seven sacks on the season — including five in his last five games.

Montreal has a "bend, don't break" defence that pours on the pressure, Adams said.

"They like to mess with the O-lines’ heads and the quarterback's head," he said. "So we’ve just got to be on point with that stuff, with the communication. … Get the ball out and let the playmakers make plays.”

Despite their struggles, the Lions have clinched a spot in the playoffs and will visit either Saskatchewan or the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the West Semifinal on Nov. 2.

Saturday's game is a good chance to gain some momentum ahead of the post-season, Adams said.

“I think it's important to do good things, feel good about ourselves going into the playoffs," the quarterback said. "But at the end of the day, a win is a win, and that's all we're looking for. It might be ugly, it might be pretty, we don't know. But we just want to get a win at the end of the day.”

MONTREAL ALOUETTES (12-3-1) AT B.C. LIONS (8-9)

Saturday, BC Place

CANADIAN CATCHER: B.C.'s Justin McInnis leads the league with 1,363 receiving yards. The receiver from Pierrefonds, Que., is on the cusp of becoming the first Canadian to pass the 1,400-yards mark since Dave Sapunjis hit 1,655 in 1995.

PERSONAL BEST: Lions running back William Stanback is 29 rushing yards shy of the career-high 1,176 he hit while playing for the Als in 2021. The 30-year-old American rushed for 128 yards when the two sides met back on Sept. 6.

ALL THE YARDS: Montreal's Walter Fletcher has been putting up yards both on the ground and in the air this season. The American running back has amassed 711 rushing yards and 647 receiving yards. Andrew Harris is the only other player who's passed the 700-yard mark in both fields over the past 19 seasons, accomplishing the feat in both 2012 while with B.C. and in 2017 when he played for Winnipeg.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 18, 2024.