It’s been the same thing after practice every day all week.
Long after the rest of the B.C. Lions have headed to the showers quarterback Travis Lulay has stayed on the field, working with receivers like Courtney Taylor and Nick Moore. They ran routes, fine-tuned their timing. Most importantly, quarterback and receiver tried to get on the same page.
| Dueling Backs |
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Two of the league’s most elite backs will go head-to-head on Saturday night, as BC’s Andrew Harris and Calgary’s Jon Cornish will meet with plenty at stake. |
“I have to know how those guys move, what they are good at, what their strengths are,” Lulay said. “Those guys, it’s important (they) take reps with me (to know) how I will throw certain balls when a defensive guy is in a certain position.”
It’s a crash course, and a player like Taylor, who has spent the last year on the Lions’ practice roster, knows a failing grade won’t help his future with the team.
“You want to get as many reps as you can so he can get comfortable with you,” said the six-foot-one, 205-pound former Seattle Seahawk. “That’s why we stayed after practice ever day. Let him know we are going to be in the spots that he wants us to be in, how he likes to throw the ball.”
Moore replaced Simon in early September when the CFL’s all-time leading receiver missed a game against Montreal. The second-year Lion had six catches for 64 yards and a touchdown in a 43-10 win.
Taylor has never played a CFL game and needs to shake off the rust after spending most of the year on the scout team.
“The cadence is a little bit different,” he said. “Everything is a little faster. That’s the stuff you have to get used to.”
Simon is the Lions leading receiver this year with 49 catches for 657 yards. Bruce is next with 603 yards on 43 grabs.
The Lions have been successful because Lulay has instinctively known where to deliver the ball when Simon or Bruce are open. He can’t change how he executes plays now just because Moore and Taylor don’t have the same CFL experience.
“If the ball is coming out slower . . . if I’m thinking that way on game day, we’re getting beat,” he said. “I can’t afford to think like that. That’s why we do this extra stuff.”
Running back Andrew Harris said there has been some editing of the Lions’ playbook.
“I think we’ve dumbed down the playbook a little bit, made it a little more simple and more vanilla,” he said. “That’s going to be key for those guys, to not overwhelm them because we usually have guys going all over the place.”
The Lions will also be looking to answer some questions this week about an offence that is far from broken, but has shown some signs of needing fixing.
B.C.’s nail-biting 27-21 loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ last weekend exposed some of the Lions’ warts. Those blemishes have been covered by having the best record in the league.
Points haven’t always come easily to B.C. this season. Heading into this weekend’s play the Lions lead the CFL in offensive categories like first downs (298), net offence (5,104 yards), yards per game (392.6) and rushing yards (1,689).
But when it comes to scoring the Lions are fifth in total points (338), fourth in touchdowns (33), third in passing touchdowns (23) and fourth in rushing touchdowns (10). B.C. and Winnipeg are second in the league in field goals, tied with 30 each.
Translated, the Lions can move the ball well but bog down when they get near the end zone. 
The defending Grey Cup champions have scored 30 or more points five times this season. The Stampeders have scored over 30 points eight times. In the eight games since B.C. pounded Calgary 34-8 back on July 28, the Lions have scored 25 points or less six times.
For the last few games the B.C. offence has stumbled early before finding it’s footing. The Lions trailed Saskatchewan 18-1 at half time and were behind 15-9 against Edmonton before rallying for a 19-18 victory.
“The one thing we have been consistently good at is getting better as the game goes on,” said Lulay, who is looking to extend his steak of 24 consecutive games with at least one touchdown pass.
“That being said, you don’t want to find yourself climbing out of a hole every week. That’s something we’re looking for ways to improve.”
The game against Calgary will also feature two of the best Canadian running backs in the league.
The Stampeders’ Jon Cornish leads the CFL with 1,127 yards. He has a chance to become the first Canadian since Orville Lee of the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1988 to win the rushing title.
Harris heads into the weekend third in rushing with 842 yards. The Winnipeg native doesn’t see the game as a contest of him against Cornish.
“I look at myself as a totally different style to Jon,” said Harris. “We are totally different backs. The only thing similar to us is our passports.
“It will be fun to watch him from the sidelines and see the things he does live. Other than that there is no significance to it.”
