Veteran CFL passing leader Michael Reilly was injured and is not expected to add to the season totals as the disappointing 2021 campaign draws to a close.
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When Brandon Alexander’s helmet crown crushed Lucky Whitehead’s hand, it horribly broke two fingers on his hand.
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It could also have broken the spirit of the BC Lions.
That injury in Week 9 took the Leos’ electric receiver out of the game. The score was 3-3 in the second quarter when he was injured; at the end of the game, it was 30-9.
BC was trying to bounce back from a disappointing loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders the week before, a game that had gotten out of hand. This game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers was a yardstick of their aspirations, and once Whitehead came out, the Leos fell short.
“You didn’t know it at the time. One thing we’re going to improve on is dealing with adversity or setbacks, whether it’s a bad play or a bad game or things like that, ”Lions coach Rick Campbell said. “As you gain more confidence and grow, you can bounce back from those things, and we never could.”
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Without Whitehead, the opposition could focus more on Bryan Burnham, be bolder in the blitzes, and risk coverage. The offense that was racking up the second-most points in the league dried up.
“It was tough. I feel like the energy went down … the spark is gone,” said Whitehead, who missed two games but returned a month after surgery on his hand.
“It was hard to see when I was out. That’s why he was so big trying to get back as fast as he could. My hand is still healing, technically still broken, but I just extended it. It’s more pain control and trying not to think about it. “
The Bombers ‘loss was the second in the Lions’ current seven-game losing streak, one they hope to break against the Edmonton Elks on Friday night at BC Place Stadium (7:30 pm, TSN, AM 730). Both teams have been eliminated from playoff contention, rendering it meaningless in the rankings, but not for the players.
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“It is not difficult to get up, because it is a game. I enjoy the games, I enjoy the fans, it’s fun to be out there, ”Whitehead said. “I know my boy Bryan is still trying to get 1,000 (yards); I’m still on the verge of hitting 1,000, even when I’m away.
“But at the end of the day, this is the last time this team will be together. I mean, then we have to go play for each other. Fasten it one more time. “
Michael Reilly, the current CFL passing leader, will not be in the center. Those duties fall to Canadian rookie Nathan Rourke, who replaces the injured Reilly. When he started in the season opener against Saskatchewan, Rourke was the first Canadian to start Week 1 since Gerry Dattilio in 1983 and the first Lions Canuck to start since Giulio Caravatta in 1996.
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The Victoria-born Rourke is 29 of 48 for 395 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions this year, along with two rushing touchdowns. Helping his teammates into the four figures – Burnham is 896 (3rd CFL), Whitehead 840 (4th) – would be a positive way to end a painful season.
“I think it is a benchmark that only shows that (they are part of) an elite club. Whether they do it or not… those guys are in an elite club, for sure. They are some of the best players, and not just on the field, but guys to be with, ”Rourke said.
“I hope they get it for their sake. And I think if they do, that means we’re having a pretty good day offensively. We need a victory. It’s been a while and it would mean a lot to them too, but 1,000 yards is something special. There are not many times that you have the opportunity to do that. “
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NEXT GAME
Friday
Edmonton Elks vs. BC Lions
7:30 pm, BC Place. TV: TSN. Radio: AM 730.
Reilly will not add to his season total of 3,283 yards, 14 touchdowns and six interceptions. But depending on how Winnipeg and Saskatchewan approach their final games – Zach Collaros (3,112) and Cody Fajardo (2,970) are still a considerable distance away – he could still finish the year as the CFL’s top quarterback.
His current total is the lowest since 1979, and the last time the best quarterback finished under 4,000 yards was Dieter Brock in 1984 (3,996), though that was in a 16-game season instead of 14. of this year.
What the future holds for Reilly is still unclear, but Rourke isn’t focusing on that. He’s just thinking about Friday.
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“I’m not looking at that. I am watching the game and I am focused on that. I think if you have too big an image, you lose track of what is happening in the short term, “he said.
“My priority tomorrow is just to play for the guys in the group, for the fans, for the city and show them what kind of teammate, what kind of player I am. That’s what matters most to me. It’s not about next year, it’s about who I am to them right now. “
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