10/11/2007 11:53:06 PM

Truth

The team that we are facing on Saturday is successful for a reason. In spite of losing their top two quarterbacks early in the season, they’ve managed to hold the best record in the league. They’ve done it by being exactly what all of the rest of the teams in the league say that that they need to be, and doing what we all say we need to do every week. They rally around their quarterback through their run game, which allows him to establish rhythm and continuity through the pass – defensively they force turnovers and scores, and through their special teams they consistently have great field position. I really can’t think of a better situation to be in as a non-starting quarterback in any league. These factors allot for a total team effort in each game, which translates into the confidence and swagger that we all talk about needing as a team. That being said…I still like our chances.
I like our chances because in spite of all of those things I still see deficiencies in what they do, and I still see areas that can be attacked and exploited. I look at this team and I don’t necessarily see the unflappable, unstoppable force that everyone else sees – I see a smart, disciplined team that plays hard and buys into the system that they play in. I certainly admire that about them, but make no mistake…they can be beaten. I see a unified team that plays for each other and has the confidence to rebound from situations that may not necessarily go their way. I see a team whose offensive line takes much of the attention away from any other topic that would be up for discussion with the team, putting the weight on their shoulders while setting the team tone themselves. They are a brash and confident defence that challenges you to put the ball in the air by flowing downhill to the run and squatting on intermediate routes. As well as a special teams unit that takes pride in each return as well as covering each kick, understanding their individual roles on the team. While all of these things contribute to the continued success of the Lions, none of them make them invincible.
To me the main difference between the two teams currently aside from the obvious record differential – is simply consistency. There is definitely something to be said for knowing exactly what team is going to show up each week, as well as knowing how your team will deal with the adversity that comes with each and every game. The fact that B.C. has lost less on the road than they have at home is as testament to their focus and resolve – both of which can be broken. At times this season against the CFL’s best teams, we have shown brilliance in every facet of the game, but seldom have shown all three phases in the same game. That’s not to say that it can’t be done.
Much has been made about the veteran’s only meeting that took place this week amongst our team. Honestly, I’m not sure what all the fuss is about as I’m quite certain meetings take place in almost every job environment. For what it’s worth though, it was well timed in my opinion. I felt like it was a good time to clarify the situation at hand so that we all truly understand both what is at stake, and what is required of us to succeed. Make no mistake about it; B.C. is the most complete team in the CFL right now and if we are to beat them, we will have to out play them in each facet of the game. We cannot simply hope for a bounce or two to go our way. This team won’t come in here and take us lightly because of our record, they won’t be sloppy and they certainly won’t hold back for any reason. If we are to have success we must be sharper than we’ve been this season at any point, and more complete than we’ve been as of late. Offensively, our stars must shine just as bright at theirs. Defensively, we must match their physicality with physicality, and our special teams must cancel out theirs.

If this season is going to amount to anything at all, it must happen now…we can wait no longer. ©

KP8