BCLions.com
The B.C. Lions held one practice behind closed doors at B.C. Place this week, preventing prying media eyes from watching preparations for Sunday’s CFL Western Semi-Final against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
So what were the Lions up to? Was it a chance to introduce a secret new play, or maybe scheme some trickery that will catch the Riders unaware?
Not surprisingly, offensive coordinator Jacques Chapdelaine wasn’t about to spill any classified information. Under interrogation Chapdelaine did admit that come the playoffs no team is going to undergo a total overhaul. But there’s always some minor tinkering that can be done.
“I don’t believe you are going to do something totally different,” said Chapdelaine. “What you are going to do is work off your tendencies. You’re going to try to present different things that are within your identity but may not have been on film before.”
Quarterback Travis Lulay said at this time of year a team must weigh the value of doing something different against the security of what got them into the playoffs in the first place.
“You want to have a few new things but you’re not re-inventing what you do offensively,” said Lulay. “At this point of the season we pretty much have our identity, who we are and who we want to be. The same goes with them.
“That being said, there are a few wrinkles come playoff time, different scenarios.”
Does that mean the Lions might have a few tricks up their sleeves against the Riders? Linebacker Adam Bighill would only offer a coy smile.
“There is always things we can do, whether it is personnel groupings, whether it’s different plays you put in,” said Bighill, one of five B.C. defensive players to be named to the Western All-Star team. “Those coaches are masterminds in schemes. You can line people up anywhere and change a lot of things.”
Chapdelaine said teams always evolve during a season, adding new schemes to both the defence and offence.
“That’s the growth of what you are doing,” he said. “We expect from them something is going to be slightly different but we don’t expect them to change what took them to this level of success so far. Just like we’re not going to entirely change everything.”
Sometimes subtle changes can make a big difference.
Chapdelaine remembers the 2001 Grey Cup game when he was special teams and receivers coach for the Calgary Stampeders who played the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Receiver Marc Boerigter scored a 68-yard touchdown on a pass route Calgary introduced for that game. A new punt-blocking scheme resulted in Willie Fells scooping up a blocked punt and returning it 11 yards for a touchdown. The Stampeders won the game 27-19.
“You owe it to yourself and your scheme to come up with a wrinkle,” said Chapdelaine. “Those wrinkles can be the difference in a ball game.”
Head coach Mike Benevides said he isn’t a big fan of trick plays.
“At the end of the day trickery doesn’t win games,” he said. “It’s execution and physicality.”
The Lions and Riders both finished with identical records. Saskatchewan claimed second place, and the home-field playoff advantage, by beating B.C. twice during the regular season.
Benevides said he would wait until Saturday to announce whether Lulay or Buck Pierce will start at quarterback. Lulay, who missed six weeks with a partially separated shoulder, played briefly in B.C.’s final regular season game against Calgary.
“I feel good,” said Lulay. “I feel confident and ready to go.”
Something that is not a secret is the Lions will need to stop Saskatchewan running back Kory Sheets if they hope to beat the Riders and advance to the West Final against Calgary.
Sheets was injured when the Lions defeated the Riders 24-21 earlier in the season. He played in the two games the Riders won by a combined score of 66-31, galloping for 228 yards and three touchdowns.
B.C. defensive tackle Keron Williams said a mid-season knee injury hasn’t slowed Sheets down.
“I think he’s even more dangerous because of the fact they have to rely on the run,” said Williams. “He’s still an elusive player in the sense he can get out of tackles.
“It’s going to put more emphasis on us to rally around him and make tackles to get him on the ground.”
Sunday’s forecast calls for temperatures of minus-8, but the Lions will want to turn up the heat on Rider quarterback Darian Durant. In three games against B.C. Durant threw for 747 yards, four touchdowns and just one interception.
Williams doubts the Riders will throw many surprises at them.
“I expect them to be who they are,” he said. “I expect a lot of slot protection.
“They are really going to try to open it up with the run, then get (receiver Weston) Dressler and those guys involved later on in the game. We just have to stay sharp. It’s not getting to him (Durant), it’s the times when you get to him that can hurt you. He can stretch the field at any time. It’s really important for us to go out there and establish dominance at the first.”
Besides the biting temperatures the Lions also must battle the noise from a loud, hostile crowd at Mosaic Stadium. To help prepare the Lions blared loud rock music at practise.
“You have to take the crowd out of it early,” said Pierce. “You have to make a comfortable situation for them uncomfortable.”
