HAMILTON — The BC Lions take on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at Tim Hortons field to kick off Friday Night Football.
Both teams are riding streaks to varying degrees. The Lions will be looking to halt a six-game losing streak after suffering defeat to the Toronto Argonauts in heartbreaking fashion while Hamilton will be looking to extend their win streak to three after a spectacular showing in Week 13.
Jeremiah Masoli and the Black and Gold delivered a dominant 39-23 win over the Elks in a game that was controlled by Hamilton from the opening kickoff.
The Ticats pivot put together one of his most impressive performances of the 2021 season. He completed 17 of his 24 passing attempts for 357 passing yards and added three passing touchdowns. To place an exclamation point on the incredible week, Masoli earned a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3.
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The veteran quarterback has been phenomenal since his return to the Hamilton lineup and has helped lead his team to four wins in their last six games. Masoli is averaging 346 passing yards per game and has compiled 1,038 yards and seven passing touchdowns in his last three starts.
Not only is the Tabbies’ quarterback throwing touchdowns, but he is limiting forced turnovers and throwing the ball at a more efficient pace. Masoli has completed 77 per cent of his 85 passing attempts since Week 10 and has not thrown an interception since starting the season with four through two weeks.
Despite the recent play of the Hamilton signal caller, it was the presence of Don Jackson in the ground game against Edmonton that allowed Hamilton to play so freely when throwing the ball. Jackson carried the ball 16 times in the contest, rushing for 120 yards and a touchdown, marking the best rushing performance of any Hamilton back through the regular season.
Jackson has played in just two games on the season but made the most of his opportunity in Week 13, proving he’s ready to take on some of the ball carrying duties in Hamilton.
The Lions look to bounce back after a suffering a 31-29 overtime loss to the Argonauts just a week ago. Despite the outcome on the scoreboard, there were signs of positivity and promise.
BC’s 29 points against the Boatmen were the most they’d manage to score since posting a 45-point game in Week 6. In addition to points scored, quarterback Michael Reilly recorded the best statistical week he’d had since Week 7 of the regular season.
In the loss to Toronto, the Lions quarterback completed an even 20 passes, throwing 290 yards and three passing touchdowns. Reilly was noticeably efficient when throwing deep, completing five of his 11 passing attempts at a depth of 20 yards or more.
In addition to the performance from Reilly, the Lions have seemingly found a feature back in recent weeks, something they had lacked through the start of the season.
BC running back James Butler carried the ball 10 times for a season-high 69 rush yards. The first year tailback has seen an increase in target share over the last three weeks, carrying the ball 22 times for 139 rush yards and average of 6.3 yards per carry.
The addition of an effective run game will only bode well for a Lions offence that has made a name for itself by being one of the most aggressive downfield passing attacks in the league.
Returning to the fold for the BC offence last week were wide receivers Lucky Whitehead and Dominique Rhymes, who had both been absent due to injury. Whitehead had been out of the lineup since Week 9, while Rhymes had been sidelined since Week 4.
The return of the two wide receivers comes at the right time, as the Lions look to improve their record as the playoffs approach.
Whitehead provides BC with the game breaking ability to score on a short slant route or to sneak behind coverage with his devastating speed. The second-year wide out has reeled in 38 passes for 685 yards and four touchdowns and has accumulated a jaw-dropping 340 yards after the catch. Meaning Whitehead has used his legs on the catch and run to gain over half of his total yardage.
Rhymes reminded everybody why he is still one of the best receivers in the league when he burned the Argos coverage unit for a touchdown in the red zone last week. The fourth-year receiver entered 2021 after recording a 1,000 yard season in 2019 with the Ottawa REDBLACKS.
Friday’s matchup will feature a battle between two teams who are turning it on as the playoffs are on the horizon in the CFL. Hamilton will be reliant on the aggressive nature of their defence and the recent play of Masoli to give them a boost at home over the Lions.
Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. ET on Friday night and can be watched on TSN, RDS and ESPN+ or followed along on CFL.ca’s Game Tracker.
