The BC Lions finished in the West’s basement last year and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1996 yet the situation in B.C. isn’t dire. Rather, there’s a sense of optimism around the team as the legendary Wally Buono prepares to coach his final season in the CFL.
“We all have something that motivates us,” general manager Ed Hervey recently told the Lions’ website. “All teams want to win the Grey Cup and everyone has their own independent motivations as a worker, as a player, or anyone else in the building. But ultimately, the good teams have one rallying cry.
“Being a part of Wally’s final season should be motivation for a lot of these guys, as it is for myself.”
General Manager: Ed Hervey
Head coach: Wally Buono
2017 Result: 7-11 record, fifth in West, missed playoffs
Starting QB: Jonathon Jennings
Key Departures: Craig Roh, Chandler Fenner, Loucheiz Purifoy, Mic’hael Brooks, Chris Williams, Marco Iannuzzi, Nick Moore
Key Additions: Odell Willis, Otha Foster III, Jovan Olafioye, Joel Figueroa, Gabe Knapton, Ricky Collins, Keelan Johnson
Expected team strengths: Special teams should be a bright spot for the Lions. Kicker/punter Ty Long impressed as a rookie in 2017, leading the CFL with 47.9 yards per punt while also nailing 88.6 per cent of his field goal attempts. Chris Rainey will remain among the league’s top return men too. Although the shifty University of Florida product failed to score a special teams touchdown in 2017, he had more punt returns than any other player and led the league with 1,671 kickoff return yards. Chandler Fenner tied for second in the league in special teams tackles so his absence will be missed but this unit should be among the best in the West.
Expected team weakness: Struggles at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball hurt the Lions last season. Bringing in veteran o-linemen Jovan Olafioye and Joel Figueroa could prove to be smart moves after B.C. allowed the most sacks in 2017. Equally as disappointing was the team’s inability to consistently generate pressure on opposing QBs. Soloman Elimimian anchors the linebackers, plus T.J. Lee and Otha Foster III will bring confidence to the secondary, but while the addition of Odell Willis should certainly help, there’s a dearth of game-breakers on the d-line.
2018 Schedule Quirk: A Week 2 bye does nothing to help generate momentum early in a season but that’s the hand the Lions were dealt. In fact, the Lions have three bye weeks in the first 12 weeks of the season, meaning they’ll get little rest down the stretch.
What a successful season would look like: For one, qualifying for the post-season is a must and a major key to returning to the playoffs will be how the team adjusts to new offensive coordinator Jarious Jackson, who replaces Khari Jones.
“My first go around at this thing and I’m definitely getting my feet wet, learning how to be the manager of the offence so to speak and it’s been fun calling plays and pushing everybody to get better,” Jackson said in the pre-season.
Jackson liked what he’s seen throughout training camp from Jennings, who’s entering his fourth year in the CFL. The 25-year-old took a step backwards last year — throwing 16 touchdowns to his 19 interceptions — after a terrific 2016 campaign in which he threw for more than 5,200 yards, 27 TDs and 16 INTs.
Jennings will have veteran pivot Travis Lulay to rely on for support and to help him adjust to a new offensive system.
“J.J. is doing extremely well in my opinion,” Jackson added. “It’s going to be ups and downs with him. This is all new to him, new terminology for Travis and the rest of those guys as well. I’m trying to spoon feed him a little bit, trying to take it easy and not throw too much on their plate at once and once they have a grasp of it, add something else on. [The quarterbacks] are doing extremely well right now, so I’m proud of the progression.”
What a disappointing season would look like: If quarterback injuries once again play a key role in this team’s success, obviously, but also if they lose too many close games again. The Lions lost six games by six points or fewer in 2017. If they come away with wins in half of those contests, they make the playoffs.
Pre-season Grey Cup odds (Via Oddshark): +1200
Notable findings/quotes from CFL Media Poll:
• Solomon Elimimian finished third in Most Outstanding Defensive Player prediction votes behind Calgary’s Alex Singleton and Saskatchewan’s Willie Jefferson. “Realistically, this is going to be between Alex Singleton and Solomon Elimimian,” one respondent said. “Both guys are incredible and deserving winners. Elimimian has been so good for so long, though, that it’s hard to bet against him.”
• Jonathan Jennings is getting some Comeback Player of the Year attention after he led the league in interceptions in 2017 even despite missing three games.
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