Cramping.
That might have been the only way to stop B.C. Lions receiver Justin McInnis on Saturday at BC Place, but in the end, that malady only slowed him down.
McInnis was outstanding and a big reason why the B.C. Lions defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders 35-20 in front of 30,803 fans in Vancouver.
In a game between the top two teams in the West, the Lions aerial attack was on full display as quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. threw for 451 yards while B.C. continued to show why it has the CFLB次元官网网址檚 top-ranked passing game.
The primary target for Adams this year has been receiver Alexander Hollins B次元官网网址� and he was again on Sunday as Hollins was targeted 14 times. But in a rare off-day, Hollins could only muster five receptions and dropped a couple of passes including one in which he probably would have scored.
Enter McInnis, who was simply perfect with 14 catches for 243 yards and a touchdown.
Did we mention he was targeted 14 times?
B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 a dude man. HeB次元官网网址檚 been working ever since he got here. HeB次元官网网址檚 got such strong hands, IB次元官网网址檓 throwing the ball a little bit behind him and heB次元官网网址檚 making great catches with DBB次元官网网址檚 all over him. HeB次元官网网址檚 a huge part of this team and this offence. A great dude as well off the field. IB次元官网网址檓 so happy for him and all of his success,B次元官网网址� Adams Jr. said afterwards.
The Riders had no answer for McInnis during the game, and had it not been for his calves cramping up in the second half, the club record of 270 yards receiving set by Tyron Gray in 1981 might have been broken.
B次元官网网址淢an, if I didnB次元官网网址檛 have to sit some plays out in the third quarter, I might have been able to track that down,B次元官网网址� McInnis joked during his post-game hit with us on CKNW 980.
B次元官网网址淏oth my calves were just fired up and every time I tried to run, they just locked up on me. I couldnB次元官网网址檛 really do much,B次元官网网址� he added.
Now in his third year with the Lions, the trust and chemistry that is developing between Adams Jr. and McInnis is becoming next level stuff.
B次元官网网址淭hat comes with just continuous reps in practice and talking about how we want things done in a certain way. It doesnB次元官网网址檛 always have to be how it looks on paper. VA always does a great job of giving me a chance to make a catch even if there is someone around,B次元官网网址� McInnis told us on our post-game show.
One of the keys heading into the football game was ball security.
The Riders entered the game with +10 turnover differential, which was tops in the CFL, and had 14 takeaways on defence.
On Saturday, however, it was the Lions who won the turnover battle at +2.
Even though AdamsB次元官网网址� streak of not throwing an interception ended at 200, the Lions came up with four turnovers of their own including a pivotal one early in the fourth quarter.
With the Lions clinging to a 22-20 lead, RidersB次元官网网址� receiver Samuel Emilus caught a pass and advanced to the B.C. 49-yard line on a 13-yard gain. Emilus was stripped of the football on a great effort by Lions defensive end Josh Archibald with halfback Manny Rugamba coming up with the recovery.
The Lions offense took over and Adams Jr. then scored on a 12-yard run to cap off a four play, 61-yard drive that was highlighted by a 47-yard reception by Hollins.
The touchdown gave the Lions a 29-20 lead, and more importantly, made it a two-score game which clearly deflated the visitors.
Lions head coach Rick Campbell was impressed with the Riders and also proud of the way his team battled throughout the game.
B次元官网网址淚 think theyB次元官网网址檙e good. Just watching them live, I can see why they give people problems and create turnovers because theyB次元官网网址檙e very athletic and very physical. I was just super proud of our guys for making plays. What it comes down to in this league is who makes plays in the fourth quarter - particularly in the second half of the fourth quarter. They were trying to fight their way back into the game and they came close. Our guys made major plays when they needed to win the game,B次元官网网址� Campbell said.
OVERTIME
* Jonah Tavai made his CFL debut at nose tackle with Josh Banks (back) sidelined. Tavai stood out for his play both on defence and special teams. He was constantly pushing the pocket back and recorded two tackles, including a sack. He also delivered a devastating block on Jordan Herdman-Reed on the opening kick-off that left the Rider linebacker face down on the turf. At 5B次元官网网址�10B次元官网网址� and 283 pounds, Tavai has a great motor that allows him to get the most of his physical abilities. If the name sounds familiar, itB次元官网网址檚 because heB次元官网网址檚 the younger brother of J.R. Tavai, a defensive end who played in the CFL for five years including a stint with the Lions in 2021.
*mLions kicker Sean Whyte continued his excellent play as he tied a team record with seven field goals B次元官网网址� a feat which the legendary Lui Passaglia did twice. Whyte hit from 16, 50, 28, 44, 32, 20 and 35 yards. WhyteB次元官网网址檚 streak of consecutive field goals is up to 39 after SaturdayB次元官网网址檚 effort, which is now tied with CalgaryB次元官网网址檚 Rene Parades for second-longest in CFL history. OttawaB次元官网网址檚 Lewis Ward has the record of 69 consecutive field goals.
* It wasnB次元官网网址檛 a case of running up the score when Whyte kicked a field goal with no time remaining but just making sure the Lions took advantage of points that were available to them for tiebreaker purposes. The first tiebreaker between two teams is head-to-head. However, the Lions and the Riders only meet twice this season, so the next tiebreaker is aggregate points between the two teams. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 not about showing them up B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 just being smart and about giving ourselves the best chance,B次元官网网址� added Campbell, who talked to RidersB次元官网网址� head coach Corey Mace after the game and indicated that Mace fully understood what was going on.
* Former Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke was in attendance with his family and visited the Lions locker room after the game. Rourke continues to prepare for training camp with the New York Giants which starts on July 24.
* Next up for the Leos (5-1) is a trip to Calgary to take on the Stampeders (2-3) on Sunday, July 21 with kickoff at 4 p.m. (CKNW 980, TSN).
Veteran B.C. sports personality Bob B次元官网网址渢he MojB次元官网网址� Marjanovich writes twice weekly for Black Press Media.
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