THE MOJ: B.C. Lions locked into position ahead of CFL playoffs
Published 4:44 pm Wednesday, October 21, 2026
DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN: The Lions (10-7) take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (8-9) this Friday night at BC Place (7 p.m. TSN; 730 CKNW; Sher-E- Punjab Radio AM 600) under similar circumstances that they faced in Calgary last weekend. The Lions entered that game knowing they were locked in second place yet were facing an opponent that needed a win to stay alive in the playoff race. The Lions substituted freely in the second half and saw the Stampeders score 19 unanswered points en route to a 32-13 victory. The same holds true this Friday as the Bombers need a win to punch their playoff ticket while the Lions will be resting starters.
WHO’S IN? WHO’S OUT? Lions head coach Buck Pierce has already announced that rookie Kaidon Salter will start at quarterback and that Chris Oladokun will probably see some reps as well. Based on second-half usage patterns from last week, we expect that running back James Butler as well as receivers Keon Hatcher, Justin McInnis and Stanley Berryhill probably will not dress with defensive linemen Casey Sayles and Mathieu Betts also possible scratches. Nathan Rourke will dress as the third-string quarterback but will not see the field. Expect to see a good dose of running back Emani Bailey as well as receivers Nate Demontagnac, Michael Fitzgerald, Jaden Williams and Hergy Mayala among others.
WHO’S IN? WHO’S OUT? PART DEUX: There are only two playoff spots to be awarded as we head into the final weekend of the regular season – third place in the West and the fourth-place crossover team that will head to Toronto. If the Lions beat the Bombers, Winnipeg is eliminated. In that instance, Saskatchewan must beat Edmonton to finish third with Calgary crossing over. If the Riders lose, they are Toronto-bound with Calgary playing B.C. If Winnipeg wins, Saskatchewan still has to win to finish third. A Rider loss means Winnipeg plays BC again while Saskatchewan crosses over to play Toronto.
PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS GRADES FAIL TO MAKE THE GRADE: I learned a long time ago that unless you are in a meeting room and know exactly what the play call is, you really don’t know who has what responsibility. With a good football IQ, you can have a pretty good idea but it’s not 100 per cent guaranteed that you’re correct in your assessment. I’ve always taken the PFF grades with a grain of salt and one of the biggest reasons why is that just about every CFL coach I’ve approached on the subject usually laughs and shakes their head when discussing PFF grades. It’s nice to have that information as a vague guideline but it’s not accurate enough to be used as the ultimate authority when evaluating a player’s performance. In other words, PFF grades are to be used “for entertainment purposes only.”
TAILGATING TO RETURN: With the success of their previous tailgate party prior to the Montreal game on Sept. 12, the Lions have announced they will host another tailgate party prior to the West Semifinal on Oct. 31 at the Plaza of Nations. The setup will include food trucks, music, family activities and, of course, tailgating. For more info, visit https://bclions.com/tailgate.
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