B.C.’s recent performance was so bad the CFL team switched quarterbacks from Nathan Rourke to Vernon Adams Jr.
When the B.C. Lions last played a CFL game at Mosaic Stadium, they were embarrassingly bad.
Same with the Saskatchewan Roughriders — their last home game was horrible.
“That’s internal with them,” said Roughriders defensive end Bryan Cox Jr., when asked about the Lions’ last poor showing at Mosaic. “I don’t know exactly what went on. All we can do is control what we can control.
“I feel like we have a lot to improve on as well, so I don’t think we put our best foot forward. I mean, we played well but I think we would play better. The scoreboard pretty much dictated that, but we don’t feel as if that team was better than our team.”
The Roughriders know they’re going to see an improved version of the Lions, whose poor Mosaic performance forced B.C. head coach Rick Campbell to finally switch quarterbacks, going from QB-of-the-future Nathan Rourke to the guy who led them through an early-season surge, Vernon Adams Jr.
“Both of ’em are great players,” said Cox. “I feel like Vernon presents a little more mobility, but both are great throwers of the ball and you gotta prepare, you know, just enough for both of them.”
The Lions looked reinvigorated against Montreal, comfortable with their veteran quarterback as Adams connected with receivers Justin McInnis and Keon Hatcher for some of his 385 passing yards. They’re on a roll, those Lions, even if it’s only one game. And they obviously have faith in mercurial Adams, who is just as capable of throwing six touchdown passes as six interceptions or getting sacked six times in a single game.
“We would rather him being on the latter end of what you said,” Cox said with a chuckle. “We definitely gotta take advantage of any ball that goes up in the air. Any ball that’s on the ground, it has to be ours. So we are really emphasizing turnovers and all of that kind of stuff.
“Disruptive football.”
The Bombers victory and Saskatchewan’s ensuing roster tinkering led to the Roughriders’ worst performance of the season, coming right before the playoffs.
“We just flush that one,” said Cox. “We’re zero-and-zero right now, with a fresh start. It’s the playoffs, man!
“If you don’t have that juice, I don’t know what you’re doing playing football. This is what we all play for, to have a chance to win a championship.”
The Roughriders are also hoping for an improved version of themselves, more like the team that started the season and nearly ended the season.
Not like the team from that seven-game slide, when the Roughriders couldn’t manufacture turnovers or confidence. And certainly not like the squad that took a miserable misstep just a few days ago.
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