5 Things To Know | OTT @ BC
No trap game for this group. They understand what’s at stake.
Back on home turf this Friday night, the BC Lions can check off the first major item on their 2026 goals list. With a victory over the winless Ottawa REDBLACKS, they would lock up a berth in the Grey Cup Playoffs for a fifth straight season. That would also put them that much closer to earning a home game to start the dance. As we get deeper into October, the stakes keep getting higher. With more on the scenarios and a few other key nuggets to look at, we present our 5 Things To Know Game Preview.
Game 16: Ottawa REDBLACKS (0-15) at BC Lions (9-6). Friday, October 9. 7:00 pm PT, Save-On-Foods Field at BC Place. TV: Canada: TSN. Stream: CFL+ (U.S. & International). Radio: 730 CKNW, Lions Audio Network, Sher-E-Punjab Radio AM 600 & SiriusXM 167 Canada Talks.
A Closer Look At The Playoff Math
As mentioned, the 9-6 Lions are playoff-bound if they simply get the victory on Friday. That much is certain. In order to lock up at least second place in the West and a home date in the Grey Cup Playoffs, they would then also need one more loss each from 8-7 Saskatchewan, 8-8 Calgary and 7-8 Winnipeg. The latter two teams play each other on Saturday of this week, meaning someone is improving their record.
Making these scenarios muddier is the fact that the Lions play the Stampeders and Blue Bombers in their final two games. They hold the tiebreaker on Saskatchewan after winning two of three matchups. The Lions could also simply guarantee a home date by winning their next two contests: here on Friday and at Calgary on October 17.
There also remains a mathematical chance of reeling in the 11-4 Elks for first place and a bye to the Division Final: The Lions would have to win their last three games and have Edmonton lose two. Both teams finishing 12-6 means the Lions have the upper hand based on point differential in their two meetings back in July: they beat Edmonton 36-24 and fell 19-17 two weeks later.
A Winless Opponent, But The Approach Stays The Same
The Lions saw firsthand how much the REDBLACKS shouldn’t be taken lightly in their last meeting on August 30. After falling behind 14-3 early, the visitors had to reset and earn it before ultimately prevailing 45-24. Ottawa has recently set a CFL record for the most consecutive losses to start a season, previously held by the 1994 Shreveport Pirates. That shouldn’t matter. Buck Pierce and the coaches have been hammering all week long that the opponent needs to be respected week in and week out, despite what the standings say. Ottawa is expected to once again start veteran McLeod Bethel-Thompson at quarterback, while rookie Bryson Barnes also appeared to get a few more reps. at practice. It shouldn’t matter who is behind centre. The Lion defence has a standard they’ve risen to and they will continue to pursue it, week in and week out.
Defensive History To Monitor
On that front, a very big part of the turnaround story for the unit led by Mike Benevides has been the run defence. Entering this week, they have allowed a CFL-low 60.3 yards per game on the ground. The next-lowest is Saskatchewan at 73.4 yards per game. The Lions franchise record in this category is 66.4 per game allowed way back in 1986. The REDBLACKS entered this week with a CFL-worst 53.0 yards per game on the ground. Should the Lions be successful in containing Ottawa’s backfield attack, it should be another long night for the visitors. The REDBLACKS are once again starting Daniel Adeboboye at tailback.
Our Favourite F-Word Is Finish
After settling for a franchise-record eight field goals from Sean Whyte and going 0-for-4 on red zone opportunities in last week’s tough win in Toronto, the normally high-flying Lions offence will focus on finishing more drives in the red zone. This will be the perfect remedy to not letting the desperate REDBLACKS hang around. You also have to credit Toronto’s hard-hitting defensive unit for not allowing any majors. But Nathan Rourke and company will have to rely on their scheme and their best playmakers to get back on track.
What They’re Saying
“They’re all important games. We’ve got to play our best to win them. We’d to be able to give ourselves a chance to feel good going into the playoffs, no matter whether we’re first or second or however it shakes out.”- Rourke on the final stretch.
“We just have a mindset this year, especially in the defensive tackle room, but also with the defensive ends, that one thing that we can control is the run game. So, for us, it's definitely just a mindset. There's nothing special about what we do. There are no tricks that we use and there are no cheats that we use. It’s just us wanting to stop the run and wanting to fill the gaps that help this team win.”- DL Jonah Tavai on the success in containing the opposition ground game.
Extra Points
The Lions hold an all-time advantage of 54-25-2 in meetings with Ottawa, including a dominant 31-7-2 mark in games played at home. The CFL includes the history of the REDBLACKS, Renegades and Rough Riders all together for record-keeping purposes. If you include only matchups against the REDBLACKS, the Lions hold the edge with 16 victories in 22 meetings since professional football returned to Ottawa in 2014.
There are no changes to the starting lineup this week. The Lions only lineup change of any kind is newly signed linebacker Wesley Steiner coming on as a designated American. With Lawrence Woods III released this week, the return game is expected to be handled by committee after Jermaine Jackson, Kieran Poissant and Robert Carter Jr. each took reps. in a limited week of practice.
Over their stretch of 8-1 in the last nine games, the Lions have allowed only 24.0 points-per-game and 332 yards of net offence per game. In that span, they have a turnover ratio of +6. After their 1-5 start, they were at -7.
Justin McInnis eclipsed the 5,000-yard receiving mark for his career last week. He is only one yard shy of 1,000 for this season. Keon Hatcher continues to climb the Lion record books. In tenth spot all-time with 5,863 yards, he can leapfrog three more in short order: Darren Flutie (5,870), Jason Clermont (5,917) & Ray Alexander (6,045).
Former Lion receiver Ayden Eberhardt has been a bright spot for the REDBLACKS this season. He enters this game just 49 yards shy of 1,000 for the first time in his career.