CFL.ca
CFL.ca Staff
TORONTO — With the 2014 calendar year coming to a close and the focus shifting to the off-season, CFL.ca takes a league-wide look at what went down in 2014 — one team at a time. Next up are the BC Lions.
The CFL season was one of ups and downs for many teams, but perhaps none more than the Lions. The host of the 102nd Grey Cup Championship expected to both contend and eventually play for the Grey Cup on its home turf, but the team never truly hit full stride in 2014.
At times, the Lions looked unbeatable, particularly on the defensive side of the ball where for a good part of the season they were the league’s most dominant team. Other times, though, such as during a 50-17 loss to the Montreal Alouettes in the Eastern Semi-Final, even that unit looked ordinary.
All in all, last season for the Lions leaves a fan base with many questions heading into the off-season.
| CFL.ca Season Rewind |
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 The Stampeders are champions after a season full of peaks and valleys for every team in the CFL. Follow along as CFL.ca takes a look at the season that was and looks ahead to 2015 where every team hopes to stand at the top of the heap in Winnipeg. CFL.ca Season Rewind |
Overview:
The Lions’ home-opening loss didn’t seem significant at the time, but in hindsight it should have been telling.
The Eskimos were a four-win team the previous year, while the Lions are historically next to impossible to beat at BC Place. But with Travis Lulay out of the lineup for virtually all of 2014 due to shoulder issues, Kevin Glenn couldn’t overcome a four-interception game in the opener and the Lions wound up falling 27-20.
That set the tone for a 2-3 start mired in inconsistency, from a 41-5 win over the Alouettes in which Emmanuel Arceneaux scored three touchdowns to a 23-6 loss to Winnipeg in which the Lions failed to find the end zone.
Three straight wins, including one over the previously-undefeated Calgary Stampeders at McMahon Stadium, brought the Lions to 5-3 and put them back in the race at two games over .500. That’s about where they lingered until two games left in the season, when they had a chance to battle for a higher playoff seed but lost 37-3 to the
Edmonton Eskimos.
The Lions closed off 2014 with a three-game losing streak, including a loss in the Eastern Semi-Final, during which they were outscored 120-36.
Injuries shook up the Lions’ season in a big way, as Andrew Harris missed half the year along with Courtney Taylor and Stefan Logan, while Lulay made only one start all season – but that wasn’t enough to save Mike Benevides’ job, as the Lions will head into 2015 looking to bounce back with a new coach and identity.
The Good:
For a good part of the season, the Lions’ defence was the league’s stingiest. It fell apart late in the year after allowing 120 points in three games, but for most of the season that BC defence provided nightmares for opposing offences.
Solomon Elimimian put up the best statistical season in CFL history for a linebacker, breaking the all-time single-season record with 143 defensive tackles in addition to five sacks, an interception and three fumble recoveries.
The secondary was also impressive, allowing opponents to complete only 60 per cent of their passes – good for second in the CFL – while finishing third in total passing yards behind Winnipeg and Edmonton. Led by the emerging Cord Parks and Ronnie Yell along with veterans Ryan Phillips and Dante Marsh, the Lions were one of the league’s hardest to beat in the air.
Finally, the Lions’ run game won’t get enough credit as the result of a season-ending injury to Andrew Harris. The national running back was spectacular when he played, finishing his 12-game season with 652 rushing yards and 529 receiving yards.
That adds up to 1,181 yards from scrimmage over 12 games at a clip of 98.41 yards per game, which over a full 18-game season would project to be roughly 1,172 yards.
The Bad:
One thing Mike Benevides and the Lions always prided themselves on was being dominant at home, but in 2014 that got away from them. The Lions finished with a 4-5 record at BC Place, worse than their 5-4 record on the road.
It’s puzzling considering the team was 16-2 at home over Benevides’ first two seasons as Lions head coach from 2012 to 2013 (8-1 at home each season), and an indication that it was time for a change in Vancouver.
Outside of that, a late-season defensive collapse and a myriad of injuries sidelined the team’s hopes of winning another Grey Cup on home turf, as many key stars missed time due to injury while the team overall surrendered 120 points over the last three games.
The biggest headline of 2014 may be the team’s overall offensive struggles, however. It may have had more to do with injuries, but it leaves questions heading into next season. Kevin Glenn was second in the league in passing yards, but his 17 interceptions were the most of any quarterback.
A middle of the pack team offensively (fifth in total offence), only two teams scored fewer points than the Lions, none of which played in the West. It could be chalked up to injuries, but the inability to replace the production of the injured Lulay is something that will have to be addressed moving forward.
Highlight of the season:
After a listless 23-6 home loss to the Bombers in which they failed to find the end zone, the Lions bounced back with a much-needed dominant performance in a road win over the then-undefeated Calgary Stampeders, 25-24.
Andrew Harris had 143 combined yards, while Kevin Glenn threw touchdown passes to Harris and Ernest Jackson in one of the Lions’ better offensive performances of the season. The Lions’ defence, meanwhile, scored a defence touchdown and recovered a late-game fumble, securing a character road win in the most difficult place to win football games.
That win provided a potential season spark for the Lions, starting a three game winning streak and a run of five wins in six games.
Potential departures:
The Lions are poised to enter free agency with the fewest pending free agents of any CFL team, while they also released some additional veteran players ahead of the Feb. 10 free agent deadline.
| CFL.ca Lions Columnist |
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Jim Morris |
GM Wally Buono has already announced that Kevin Glenn, Khalif Mitchell, Jamall Johnson, Ricky Schmitt and Donte Marsh won’t return, making it clear that the Lions are planning some re-shaping on both sides of the ball this off-season.
Ernest Jackson will likely take top priority out of the team’s pending free agents, as he emerged with a career season in 2014 when given the opportunity.
Here’s the list of Lions due to hit free agency on Feb. 10, 2015:
Jason Arakgi, LB, National
Kevin Glenn, QB, International
Ernest Jackson, WR, International
J.R. LaRose, DB, National
Jordan Matechuk, LS/LB, National
Why they’ll win the Grey Cup in 2015:
The Lions are loaded with star power on both sides of the ball, and while the team looks to take a different approach in 2015 when it comes to personnel, the core appears to be in place – only a slight re-tooling is truly necessary.
Travis Lulay is a former Most Outstanding Player who needs to get on the field next year and prove he can stay healthy, and while the Lions need to find an insurance policy and start developing their future at the position, there’s no reason he can’t enjoy a bounce back year.
Emmanuel Arceneaux led the CFL in receiving touchdowns in 2014 despite missing time with injuries, while Ernest Jackson (if he re-signs) and Courtney Taylor form a formidable trio of big-play weapons.
Add in the Lions’ run game, still one of the CFL’s most dominant last year despite injuries at the position, and you have an offence capable of controlling a game. Andrew Harris and Stefan Logan make the best one-two punch around, while Keola Antolin also proved capable in case of injury.
While the offence is banking on good health from players that have recently had a hard time staying on the field, the defence is more equipped. Solomon Elimimian enjoyed an historical season for the Lions, and he’s complemented in the linebacker corps by another top player in Adam Bighill.
The secondary was among the league’s best and will be built around youngsters Cord Parks and Ronnie Yell for years to come. The defensive line may have underachieved in 2014, but is also capable of big things moving into 2015 after a recent injection of youth with the emergence of Alex Bazzie.
2014 didn’t go how the Lions had hoped, but this is a team as talented as any and should be set for a bounce back 2015.
