Lions set to test their mettle against Bombers in battle of undefeated teams

VANCOUVER – After a 3-0 begin to the season, the B.C. Lions see their Saturday conflict towards the defending Gray Cup champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers as a possibility to check their mettle.

“They’ve been one of the best workforce within the league the final couple of years, and so they’re undefeated this 12 months too,” stated Lions coach Rick Campbell following apply on the Lions’ coaching facility on Thursday. “You all the time need to see the way you measure up towards the nice groups.”

The 4-0 Blue Bombers come into B.C. Place simply 5 days after eking out a 23-22 win in Toronto on Monday evening, with a last-minute missed convert try by Argonauts kicker Boris Bede the distinction within the sport.

After beating B.C. by a mixed rating of 75-9 in a pair of blowout wins final season, Winnipeg will see a workforce that has been firing on all cylinders on the best way to its first 3-0 begin since 2007.

Canadian quarterback Nathan Rourke was named the CFL’s high performer for June on Wednesday because of 1,077 passing yards for 9 touchdowns, an 83.8 per cent completion charge, and 180 speeding yards for 3 scores.

Amidst the hype, the 24-year-old Rourke is staying grounded.

“I don’t suppose Nathan is a man who cares in regards to the highlight,” stated huge receiver Dominique Rhymes. “That’s what you admire about him. He simply desires to win on the finish of the day. He retains his head targeted, in order that retains everyone else targeted.”

“He’s a boring man in the case of apply, as a result of he’s so predictable,” added Campbell of Rourke’s preparation habits. “I say that tongue-in-cheek, however he’s a man that you would be able to placed on a apply movie from any day and it’s going to look remarkably the identical. He comes out right here and practises like he means it. And that’s a superb signal.”

Rourke could also be new to the full-time starter’s position, however he took his share of reps final season, together with two begins, whereas veteran starter Michael Reilly was resting an injured elbow.

That familiarity with the receiving corps has confirmed worthwhile. 5 Lions, led by Keon Hatcher, have already got greater than 100 receiving yards.

Getting into the slotback place instead of injured veteran Bryan Burnham, Hatcher went 7-for-7 for 166 yards within the Lions’ 34-31 win in Ottawa in Week 4, and was named the CFL’s high performer of the week.

“Burnham, he’s an excellent participant, an excellent chief — I don’t take it calmly,” stated Hatcher, 27, who has now graduated to full-time standing this after showing in seven video games with B.C. within the 2021 season. “Coming in final week, I knew I had an enormous job, an enormous position that week. I simply locked in and received the job performed.”

Burnham is ready to overlook his second sport after struggling damaged ribs in B.C.’s Week 3 win over Toronto, whereas receiver Fortunate Whitehead is predicted to play regardless of a lingering ankle harm.

Whereas the Lions’ offence has been within the highlight early within the season, the defence has additionally impressed. B.C.’s 16.3 factors allowed per sport are the second-fewest within the CFL, behind solely Winnipeg (15.8).

Campbell likes to see his gamers pushing one another on the apply discipline.

“Our practices are arrange so that almost all of it’s our offence competing towards our defence,” he stated. “We wish good-on-good and we would like guys competing one of the best they’ll in apply. I feel it pays off on either side of the ball the place you’re enjoying towards a unit that’s making an attempt to get higher and be a cohesive unit. That’s all the time a spotlight for us in apply.”

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (4-0) AT B.C. LIONS (3-0)

Saturday, 7 p.m., B.C. Place

WELCOME TO THE WEST — With a pair of wins towards Ottawa and one every towards Hamilton and Toronto, the Lions might be Winnipeg’s first Western Convention opponent this 12 months. The 2 sides will return to B.C. Place on Oct. 15, then shut out the 2022 regular-season schedule on Oct. 28 at IG Discipline in Winnipeg.

WILSON TO IR — The Blue Bombers introduced Thursday that linebacker Kyrie Wilson has been positioned on the six-game injured record after struggling an Achilles harm towards Toronto on Monday. Malik Clements is predicted to step into his spot within the lineup.

FAMILY FUN — The Lions will host Household Day on Saturday, that includes an expanded Household Zone, festivities on Terry Fox Plaza and an opportunity for youths to run the B.C. Place discipline after the sport.

This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed July 8, 2022.

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