Riders vs Lions – Week 7 Game Preview
Published: Friday, Jul 26th 2019, 3:07pm
By: Stephen Safinuk (@Safimod)
The BC Lions season will be on the line tomorrow night when they take on the Riders in Vancouver. Falling to 1-7 and losing the season series to 2 of the 3 teams they will likely have to fight with for a playoff spot would be a near impossible hole to crawl out of. Add in they would be 2-3 wins behind all 3 teams, with an extra game played, and one can see why this is a must win game for BC.
Offense
Mike Reilly and the BC Lions moved the ball well during last weekend’s game at Mosaic Stadium. The one thing that killed them was their inability to finish drives. With high powered weapons like Mike Reilly, Bryan Burnham, Duron Carter and John White, its hard to image that will continue. The only thing holding this offense back is the swiss cheese offensive line that has seen Mike Reilly get sacked 20+ times through 6 games, including 3 last week by Charleston Hughes. If they can find a way to gel, the Lions have a chance to make some waves, but it will have to be this week.
On the flip side, if you would have told me that Emmanuel Arceneaux and Naaman Roosevelt would combine for 2 catches for 11 yards, and William Powell would only have 47 yards rushing, and the Riders would win by 2 majors, I would have called you a liar. Cody Fajardo led the team in rushing yards, and Shaq Evans had almost 60% of the teams receiving yards, while the defense and special teams did their thing. Fajardo has been great so far this year, especially when the team lets him push the ball down the field. Look for that trend to continue, which suggests Shaq Evans could have another big day.
Defense
The Riders defensive line came to play last week, making like difficult on Mike Reilly. The key to beating a Reilly led offense is to be in his face early and often. Make him uncomfortable in the pocket, or he will eat you alive. Micah Johnson, AC Leonard, Zack Evans and Charleston Hughes will once again be the key to victory for Saskatchewan. LJ McCray was seen getting reps in Solomon Means spot in the defensive backfield. He has been getting picked on all season long, and its no surprise to see them looking at someone else in his place.
Keys to The Game
- Score early, score often
- Get to Mike Reilly on a consistent basis.
- Directional punting is important. 70-yard punts from midfield are bad.
- Force punts. We can’t give up 450+ yards of offense
- If we are up by 4 points late in the game, don’t concede a safety
Prediction
Riders 38
Lions 19
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