Lionbackers.com

The Lions appear to be getting healthier as they head into what should be a crucial home battle for momentum and playoff positions with the Stampeders Saturday afternoon. A victory would give the Lions the tiebreaker over the Stamps. Apart from Lucky Whitehead, who is recovering from hand surgery, all of the players of the Lions' official injury reports this week were listed as limited in practice throughout the week but Farhan Lalji has reported that Lemar Durant, Marcus Sayles and KiAnte Hardin (who is on the 1-game injured list but not on the weekly practice report) are expected to be full participants on Saturday.

The Stampeders are expected to get WR/KR Malik Henry back but backup QB Jake Maier is out for 10 days after testing positive for COVID. WR Dan Williams has also been out all week due to COVID protocols. It will be interesting to see if any more Calgary players are added to the COVID list before Saturday.

https://www.cfl.ca/2021/10/12/stamps-li ... d-tuesday/

Pretty remarkable how fast a season can swing, especially when it's just 14 games. Three weeks ago they took lots of momentum into the Saskatchewan game only to find a way to lose in the late going. Now here we are trying to avoid going 1-4 at home this season and losing each time to a divisional rival.

The Lions need this one badly or you can't help to think the season is slipping away with 3 straight on the road to follow and the Bombers up next.

The Lions have shaken up their secondary this week but left their offensive line and backfield unchanged.

Rookie Austin Joyner, who was cut in training camp and added to the practice roster last month, starts at SAM, becoming the third rookie starter in the secondary, along with Jalon Edwards-Cooper and KiAnte Hardin, who switch their usual positions, with Hardin on the field corner and Edwards-Cooper at field half. Marcus Sayles returns from the injured list and starts ahead of Anthony Thompson at safety, where he started the season before being moved to SAM. Winnipeg QB Zach Collaros shredded the B.C. secondary for 417 passing yards in the last game, with Sayles, Hardin and Edwards-Cooper all injured. There are no other changes to the starting lineup on defence. Newly signed Alex Bazzie will back up Obum Gwacham at rush end.

On offence, Lemar Durant finally moves back into the starting lineup at slotback in place of Keon Hatcher, who moves to boundary wideout in place of the injured Lucky Whitehead. That gives the Lions an extra national starter on offence and an extra American on defence. The offensive line is unchanged, and James Butler remains at running back. Chris Rainey returns from injury at kick and put returner.

https://d3ham790trbkqy.cloudfront.net/w ... Stamps.pdf

Still that's 9 guys on and 9 guys off the roster. That's 20% of the roster being different from the Winnipeg game.

I also noticed that Lucky Whitehead has been moved to the 6-game injured list. I hope that doesn’t change the expected timeline of his recovery.

B.C.FAN wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 15, 2021 12:12 pm

I also noticed that Lucky Whitehead has been moved to the 6-game injured list. I hope that doesn’t change the expected timeline of his recovery.

Probably more in line with what most of us expected given the gruesome break in the x-rays that were circulating on social media. 2-4 weeks seemed overly optimistic. I suppose he could come off it earlier if he can wear a padded glove but it's hard to imagine a WR not being impacted by a not fully mended break like that.

I must say the club hasn't been too fortunate with its CFL FA signings this season. Lucky was a grand slam hit for the club, great play, and very engaging personality but will now miss significant time. The three Ottawa players have been largely ineffectual (Tavai just "okay," Cioffi has struggled to stay in the lineup and had coverage issues when he has played SAM, and Rhymes was mostly invisible before going on the 6-game himself). Ryker Mathews is now going into his 7th game on the injured list, and Shaq Cooper, who was expected to be a dynamic halfback, was released. Bo Lokombo has been the exception. His play at WILL has been stellar.


DH

B.C.FAN wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 15, 2021 9:46 am

The Lions have shaken up their secondary this week but left their offensive line and backfield unchanged.

Rookie Austin Joyner, who was cut in training camp and added to the practice roster last month, starts at SAM, becoming the third rookie starter in the secondary, along with Jalon Edwards-Cooper and KiAnte Hardin, who switch their usual positions, with Hardin on the field corner and Edwards-Cooper at field half. Marcus Sayles returns from the injured list and starts ahead of Anthony Thompson at safety, where he started the season before being moved to SAM. Winnipeg QB Zach Collaros shredded the B.C. secondary for 417 passing yards in the last game, with Sayles, Hardin and Edwards-Cooper all injured.

Crazy to think Joyner wasn’t an option at SAM or elsewhere when Sayles & Hardin were out of the line-up against the Bombers but is now with both back and Edwards-Cooper cleared to play too.
Perhaps an indication how poorly Wilson, Cioffi and Thompson graded out against Winnipeg.

Durant should have caught that.

Mitchell will be playing pitch and catch all day long with that absolutely pathetic defensive line. That was way too easy.

Still can't stop the run

Mitchell got all day and night to pass

Crucial they string some 1st downs here and put some points on the board.

Nope 2 and out and here comes the Stamps again.

Tough game. No pressure on Bo, can't make tackles, looks like a long game for the Lions.

Once again Stamps start with good field position.