Quarterback Casey Printers and running back Yonus Davis worked their way through a cheering crowd after the game, giving high-fives and signing autographs.
They looked tired. They looked sore. They also had won, which made it a lot easier to smile through the aches and pains.
The BC Lions showed the CFL what they are capable of in a 37-16 destruction of the Toronto Argonauts on Saturday afternoon.
Printers tossed two touchdowns and threw for over 300 yards for the first time this season. Rookie running back Jerome Messam used his size and strength to bully his way to a pair of touchdowns. A growling defence had six sacks and held Toronto to just one point in the second half.
"We're starting to get our groove," a soft-spoken Printers said in a noisy dressing room after the Lions won their first game of the season at Empire Field.
"We're starting to look pretty good on both sides of the ball. Earlier in the year I know everybody was kind of down on us, but our team is so talented. We have expectations of doing this kind of stuff every week."
The win, before a crowd of 22,703, improved BC's record to 3-7 and moved the Lions into third place in the West ahead of the 2-8 Edmonton Eskimos.
Davis, the slippery rookie who makes up in tenacity what he lacks in size, showed he has some sure hands to go with his fleet feet. He caught a four-yard pass for a touchdown, then set up another touchdown with a brilliant 10-yard run where several Argos were left grabbing air.
"It shows we are turning it around," said Davis, who rushed for 52 yards on 13 carries and caught three passes for another 19. "We know how it feels to win."
Messam, who scored on bone-rattling runs of one and four yards, demonstrated his versatility in a series in the second quarter. He bowled over a couple of Argo defenders on a 16-yard run, then showed good hands by hauling in a 14-yard pass.
"I still think there were some things I could have done better," said the Toronto native who has spent most of the season on special teams. "It was my first time out there in a contributing role and I think I did a good job."
A bad day got worse for the Argonauts when running back Corey Boyd, the CFL's rushing leader, left the game in the third quarter with a concussion after a vicious hit by linebacker Solomon Elimimian. Boyd was helped off the field and looked dazed at the Argo bench.
"I don't know what happened," said Boyd, who had 57 yards on 11 carries before the injury. "I'm just going to get treatment and see where it goes from there."
The Lions defence limited the Argos to 69 rushing yards and forced quarterback Cleo Lemon to hurry his throws.
Defensive end Jonathan Brown, a former Argo, led the assault with three sacks. He also stopped Boyd two yards behind the line of scrimmage on a third-down gamble on the goal-line in the first quarter.
"It was a big statement game," said Brown as he spit tobacco juice into a plastic bottle. "The first half of the season we dug ourselves a hole.
"Everybody knows if we play a good game this is what can happen. We didn't play our best game. If we put things together this is the kind of team we can have."
Receiver Geroy Simon didn't let the youngsters have all the fun. The veteran slotback celebrated his 35th birthday by making seven catches for 133 yards. He moves into fifth place on the CFL's all-time receiving list.
"That's the way it was supposed to be," said Simon as his young daughter modelled his helmet. "Getting a win and having a good game. This is the best way to celebrate."
It was the kind of game where little went right for the Argos.
Defensive end Ron Flemons recovered a Printers fumble and ran untouched toward the end zone. He fumbled the ball just as he crossed the goal-line and the Lions recovered.
"It just slipped out of my hands," said a dejected Flemons. "I was just trying to reposition it because it was in my left hand.
"I felt awful because it could have been a big momentum-changing play. It happens. You just move on."
BC's go-ahead touchdown came after Lemon had the ball squirt out of his hands on an innocent looking play.
"They dominated in the second half," said Lemon, who completed 20-of-31 passes for 277 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
The Argos drop to 5-5 after suffering their third consecutive loss. Toronto hasn't won a game in Vancouver since 2002.
Lemon threw touchdowns of 41 and 39 yards to Robinson.
BC erased a 8-0 deficit with 21 points in the second quarter and led 21-15 at half time.
Steve Black caught the other Lions touchdown. Paul McCallum kicked field goals of 43, 35 and 34 yards.
LIONS PAWS -- BC's contest at home next Saturday against Hamilton will be the 1,000th game in franchise history. ... During their 56-year history the Lions have finished in second place just twice. ... Injuries to the offensive line have resulted in the Lions using six different five-man combinations. ... BC started the 1996 season 1-8 and finished at 5-13.
