BC @ Toronto preview
BMO Field
Last Meeting ( Oct 6, 2018 ) Toronto 23, BC 26
The BC Lions look to bounce back from an epic collapse when they visit the Toronto Argonauts on Saturday. The Lions, who led by as many as 21 points in Week 3, surrendered 15 points in the final 1:20 en route to a 36-32 loss to the Calgary Stampeders to fall to 0-3 for the first time since 2011, and hope to turn their fortunes around by shoring up their defence that has given up an average of 36 points per game.
"We have to stay together and fight together," BC coach DeVone Claybrooks told reporters. "What doesn't destroy you makes you stronger." The Argonauts are left to pick up the pieces following their second blowout loss in as many games. Toronto opened the new campaign with a disappointing 64-14 setback to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats before dropping a 32-7 decision to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Week 3, and hope to stop the bleeding by knocking off a West Division opponent for the first time since beating the Lions 24-23 on Aug. 18, 2018. "I'd like to say I have an answer for what's going on right now but at the end of the day we need to make plays," Toronto coach Corey Chamblin told reporters. "We can't start pointing fingers and the coaches can't start closing doors as we all have to look in the mirror."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN
ABOUT THE LIONS (0-3): Mike Reilly completed 36-of-42 passes for 354 yards and a pair of touchdowns against Calgary to record the 44th 300-yard passing game of his career. John White had his best game since coming to Vancouver from Hamilton in free agency as the sixth-year running back hauled in nine passes for 87 yards and a touchdown to go along with 64 yards on the ground with a rushing score. Bryan Burnham, who caught 10 passes for 94 yards against the Stampeders, did not practice Tuesday because of a lower-body injury and is questionable for this weekend's clash while offensive lineman Brett Boyko is set to return after missing a game with a leg issue.
ABOUT THE ARGONAUTS (0-2): James Franklin went 20-of-28 through the air for 224 yards and a touchdown before suffering a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter against Saskatchewan and will be replaced by McLeod Bethel-Thompson on Saturday. James Wilder Jr. accounted for 99 yards of total offence against the Roughriders while S.J. Green finished with three receptions for 35 yards to move past Jim Young (9,248) for 27th place on the CFL's all-time receiving yards list with 9,271. Offensive lineman Randy Richards suffered an undisclosed injury and is questionable for Saturday while safety Jermaine Gabriel is set to miss another games with a neck issue.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Toronto has won one of its last 13 games.2. Burnham has finished with at least one reception in 68 straight contests.
3. The Argonauts are 5-16 against West Division teams since the start of the 2017 season.
PREDICTION: Lions 35, Argonauts 23