Ottawa @ BC preview
BC Place
Last Meeting ( Sep 7, 2018 ) Ottawa 14, BC 26
The Ottawa Redblacks look to rekindle their fading playoff hopes when they visit the BC Lions Friday. The Redblacks have dropped four consecutive games, including a disheartening 46-17 home loss to the last-place Toronto Argonauts in Week 13, to fall six points behind the Montreal Alouettes in the race for a postseason berth and try to turn their fortunes around by knocking off the Lions for the fourth time in their last five meetings.
"It's disappointing that we're not getting it done," Ottawa coach Rick Campbell told reporters. "No one feels sorry in pro sports when things aren't going your way so we're going to have to tee it up again in Vancouver." BC is still searching for answers after dropping a 21-16 decision against Montreal to fall to its seventh consecutive defeat. The Lions seemed poised to make the breakthrough they are desperately hoping for as they've lost their last two outings by a combined eight points after dropping their previous five games by an average margin of almost 17, and hope to get over the hump by ending their longest losing skid since 1992. "We're absolutely close but after a while close isn't good enough," BC running back Brandon Rutley told reporters. "We're tired of saying we're getting closer so we're ready to win and that's the mission."
TV: 10 p.m. ET, TSN, ESPN2
ABOUT THE REDBLACKS (3-8): Jonathon Jennings completed 33-of-42 passes for 327 yards and a touchdown against Toronto in his first start since July 25 while Mossis Madu Jr. added 83 yards on 12 receptions filling in for running back John Crockett, who was placed on the six-game injured list. Brad Sinopoli, who had 116 receptions for 1,376 yards last season, caught his first touchdown pass since Aug. 2 while starting safety Antoine Pruneau is likely to be out for the foreseeable future after suffering a leg injury in the loss to the Argonauts. Offensive lineman Stephane Nembot and fullback J.C. Beaulieu are both questionable after missing last weekend's game with undisclosed injuries.
ABOUT THE LIONS (1-10): Mike Reilly threw for 230 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Montreal to move within 17 yards of passing Tom Burgess for 16th place on the CFL's all-time passing list (30,208). Bryan Burnham was one of the lone bright spots on offence as he hauled in eight passes for 129 yards and a TD to advance within 152 yards of reaching 1,000 for the fourth straight year. BC is rolling the dice on offensive lineman Josiah St. John, who was the first overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, as the club added the former Oklahoma Sooner stalwart to the active roster after he was released by Toronto before the start of the season.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Ottawa has lost eight of its last nine games overall.
2. Burnham has caught four touchdown passes in the last four games.
3. The Redblacks have thrown for a league-low eight TDs in 2019.
PREDICTION: Lions 27, Redblacks 23