Lions head into playoffs on a positive note, while Stampeders struggle in their last tuneup

While Friday night's late game meant nothing in terms of playoff positioning for either the B.C. Lions or the Calgary Stampeders, the Lions' 26-7 home win is still a promising sign for them—and a troubling one for Calgary. B.C. was 10-7 heading into this and had limped down the stretch, going 1-3 in the previous four games, so a win of any sort is good news for the Lions. One like this over a Stampeders team that had a league-best 14-3 record heading into Friday's action is even better, especially considering some of the key performances B.C. received; those are indications that they might be gaining some momentum heading into the playoffs. Meanwhile, a loss in a meaningless game certainly doesn't mean it's time to abandon ship in Calgary, but a defeat of this magnitude may suggest that the Stampeders have some holes to patch before they host the West Final in two weeks.

The best news for B.C. on the night might have come long after the game was decided, when quarterback Travis Lulay was inserted in the fourth quarter. Lulay, the team's starter for much of the year, had been out of game action since hurting his shoulder in a win over Montreal Sept. 15. He didn't look too rusty here, though, completing three of four passing attempts (75 per cent) for 54 yards and rushing for a one-yard touchdown as well. The Lions will likely start him in the playoffs next week at Saskatchewan, and that's good news for their fans; while Buck Pierce and Thomas DeMarco are both serviceable, their showings Friday night (Pierce had four completions on nine attempts for 41 yards with an interception, DeMarco had five completions on 12 attempts for 96 yards) leave much to be desired. Lulay is this team's best option at quarterback if healthy, and Friday suggested he looks pretty healthy.

The Lions can also take inspiration from the performance of their backfield tandem. Pairing the power of Andrew Harris with the speed of Stefan Logan delivered results for the second straight week, with Harris collecting 102 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries (6.4 yards per carry) and adding a catch for seven yards, while Logan chipped in 12 carries for 64 yards (5.3 yards per carry) and added a 10-yard catch. That tandem is tough to game-plan against, and B.C. is utilizing the backs' different skillsets well. Receivers like Nick Moore (four catches, 66 yards), Emmanuel Arceneaux (one catch for 45 yards) and Shawn Gore (three catches for 31 yards) also did well despite the inconsistent quarterback play, and the defence as a whole deserves massive plaudits for what it did against Calgary's impressive offence.

The way B.C. shut their offence down has to be a major concern for the Stampeders going forward. The Calgary passing game in particular was largely missing in action, with Drew Tate completing just seven of 14 passes (50 per cent) for 65 yards, Kevin Glenn hitting five of eight (62.5 per cent) for 45 and Bo Levi Mitchell adding two of five (40 per cent) for 12 yards. That isn't going to resolve the controversy about who the Stamps should start in the playoffs. The Calgary ground game struggled too, with Jon Cornish collecting just 14 yards on four carries (3.5 yards per carry). Backup Matt Walter was better, adding 39 yards on five carries (7.8 yards per carry), but the Stampeders fell behind far enough that they abandoned the run relatively early. Sure, that may not mean much; this game didn't carry any stakes for them, and it's a safe bet that they'll be more motivated when they host the West Final in two weeks. This one did show there's lots for Calgary to improve on, though. If they fail to do that and play the way they did Friday, it may be a very short postseason for the Stampeders.