CFL.ca Staff

TORONTO -- CFL.ca columnists Matt Cauz and Jaime Stein along with Mitch the Intern will grade each team heading into the Eastern and Western Division Finals. Cauz and Stein have shared their opinions on the CFL all season long on CFL.ca. Mitch the Intern produced the weekly CFL.ca Rookie Report and is a lifelong Rider fan, giving him license to weigh in on all things CFL.

Below is the report card for the Western Division crossover team, the B.C. Lions:

	MATT CAUZ	JAIME STEIN	MITCH the INTERN
QBs	B+	A-	B+
RECs	A	A	A
RBs	B	A	B+
OL	B	B+	B-
DL	B	B+	B+
LBs	C	C+	B-
DBs	B+	B+	B
STs	B	B	B+
Coaching	A	A	A

CAUZ says: I know what you’re thinking, how could I give Casey Printers the same grade as Darian Durant? Well if you’re wearing Green and White as you read this I’m betting that’s what is raging through your mind.

Again these grades are about the present not about the brilliant body of work that Durant has displayed this season. Remember in three games as a starter Printers has thrown for over 1,000 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for another score with just the scantest amount of practice time.

There are just so many great receiving corps left in the playoffs and the Lions are no exception. The Simon & Jackson combo is as dangerous as it gets and rookie Emmanuel Arceneaux followed up a strong rookie campaign (63-858-7) with an excellent postseason debut (6-120) against Hamilton. 

I know some of my defensive grades are a bit low but the Lions ranked last in both run defence and in total yards allowed. They certainly redeemed themselves shutting down DeAndra’ Cobb in their playoff win but Kevin Glenn did go off for over 400 yards. I love what Brent Johnson and Ricky Foley bring as pass rushers (five sacks vs. Hamilton!) but this is a team you can move the ball against.

What a great job by Wally Buono and his staff for blending in so many new starters and for getting Printers up to speed with the Lions offense.

STEIN says: BC had three different QBs atop the weekly passing leaders this season – Jarious Jackson, Buck Pierce and Casey Printers. Unfortunately, injuries became the story for the west coast pivots. Still, when healthy this is the deepest group of QBs in the league. Oh, and Casey Printers looks like he’s back in 2004. Can he keep the good vibes flowing if the chips fall against him early against Montreal? Time will tell.

The receiving corps is one of the most exciting in the league. Geroy Simon turned it on in the latter half of the season and is back to his usual self – he and Printers have some wonderful chemistry. Paris Jackson must stay focused. He can be one of the league’s best when his head is in the game.

Martell Mallett was a pleasant surprise at running back. He also provides good protection for the quarterback as a blocker. With the return of Ian Smart to the lineup, the Lion RBs got a whole lot stronger.

The offensive line took some time to find its rhythm early in the year and has improved. However, it stands behind the lines of the other three remaining teams in the playoffs.

The defensive ends for the Lions are right up there with Saskatchewan’s group. Brent Johnson and Ricky Foley are menacing to quarterbacks. Plus, Foley has a bur under his saddle because of a perceived all-star snub. That makes him even more dangerous. However, the line as a whole along with the team’s linebackers has had trouble against the run this season. I feel like BC is still trying to find the right combination of linebackers.

The BC secondary is high risk, high rewards with guys like Korey Banks and Ryan Phillips flying around back there. The presence of Barron Miles alone boosts this grade.

On special teams, BC’s punters had the second lowest net punting yardage this season. Field position will be huge in the Eastern Final. True, McCallum has been money on field goals lately, but that’s only half the story. Hats off to Jason Arakgi for a great season.

Experienced coaching can often mean the difference in the playoffs. Buono has been there, done that and racked up an encyclopedia of football knowledge along the way.

MITCH the INTERN says: The best news of the whole year for Lions fans is that Casey Printers has looked like Casey Printers circa 2004 since taking over the starting position. Without his unique skills and athleticism the Lions don’t advance past the Eastern Semi-Final.

The receiving corps is among the best in the league with Geroy Simon, Paris Jackson and the emergence of Emmanuel Arceneaux who is one of my favourite new players in the CFL. The talented rookie has struggled at times with drops but has really come in to his own over the last few games.

Martell Mallett is another great find for the Lions. The rookie running back had a serious shot at breaking the record for most rush yards by a first year player until an ankle injury forced him out of a few games late in the season. However, other than his big run in OT he had trouble getting going last week, which brings me to my next point.

BC’s O-Line worries me. Garrett McIntyre and the Ticats’ front four abused BC’s O-Line last Sunday. Were it not for Printers’ ability to scramble the Ticats could have easily doubled their sack total from four to eight. They also failed to do much in terms of opening up holes for the running game.

On the other side of the ball Ricky Foley and Brent Johnson are only a shade behind Baggs and Chick for the best pass rush combo in the game. But other than Barron Miles, I’m not entirely sold on the rest of the defensive unit. They had serious issues stopping the run all season and Kevin Glenn picked apart their secondary last weekend.

One of my favourite stories of the past few weeks has been the return of Paul McCallum who only a few weeks ago was trying to find himself a trade out of town. The veteran kicker missed most of the season due to injury, lost his job to Sean Whyte, and then earned it back in Week 15. Since then he has hit 14 straight field goals and looks like a man on a mission to prove he is still one of the best kickers in all of football.

As for Wally Buono, who am I to criticize the all-time winningest coach in CFL history?

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