Quarterback Casey Printers expected to start for Lions against Roughriders

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Lions quarterback Casey Printers has caused a considerable stir lately - except among the players who will have to protect him Saturday against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Barring any last-minute changes, Printers will become the fourth pivot, and the third different starter, to pull duty with the Lions as B.C. visits the 8-6-1 Roughriders with the battle for the playoffs - and potential home-field advantage - intensifying.

The buzz has been building with Printers, a former winner of the league's most outstanding player award, who is expected to see his first game action with the Lions in almost four years due to rookie Travis Lulay's shoulder problem.

B.C. (8-7) has won three straight games and four of its past five. All of the wins came by seven points or less as the offensive line, which failed to generate first downs from short-yardage situations earlier in the season, often pushed the Lions forward on late scoring drives.

Despite the revolving quarterbacks, veteran centre Angus Reid said Saturday's critical contest will be "business as usual" for the offensive line.

"We've had to rise up and do what we had to do to keep this offence together personnel-wise with the other changes going on," said Reid. "We've done a good job."

General manager and head coach Wally Buono would not have said the same after the Lions started the season 1-4 and suffered a humiliating 37-10 loss at home to Winnipeg on Aug. 21.

But he gives the offensive line much of the credit for the positive response to that embarrassment, which he considers the turning point in his team's season.

"I'm happier with the offensive line than I was six or seven weeks ago," said Buono. "We've made some tremendous progress. We're more physical, we're a better unit, we're more dominant, and we're a lot better football team and a lot better at the offensive line.

"A big reason for the surge has been those guys. I've always said: The offensive line will dictate your team. When they're better, (as a team) we're better. When they're tougher, we're tougher."

Saturday's game (TSN, 5:30 p.m. ET) will be another test of the offensive line's toughness. The Lions have a 2-1 record against Saskatchewan this season, but only prevailed by four and three points, respectively. The last win on Oct. 2 at B.C. Place was a 19-16 nailbiter, courtesy of a last-second Sean Whyte 33-yard field goal.

While injuries to incumbent quarterbacks Buck Pierce and Jarious Jackson posed challenges, the O-line has also had to contend with the departure of star lineman Rob Murphy to Toronto and a season-ending injury to Jon Hameister-Ries.

But Reid said the linemen will have no difficulty adapting to Printers, who has been forced to re-learn the Lions' playbook quickly after being without a team about a month ago.

"Every player that comes in is expected to adapt to the system," said Reid, a Richmond, B.C., native in his ninth season with the Lions. "We don't adapt to the player. It's a little different in the huddle, in terms of how people talk, cadences, little things, but the plays are the plays. You better know the plays, because we're running the same plays."

Printers, who says the B.C. offence is still familiar to him, ended first stint with the Lions after the 2005 season. Still upset with being bypassed in favour of Dave Dickenson in the 2004 Grey Cup, he rejected a long-term contract extension and bolted to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs.

But he did not play a single regular-season game in two seasons with the Chiefs. He returned to the CFL in 2007 and spent two seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats before he was released. Buono invited him to re-join the Lions - only as a practice-roster player - in September.

"It's just another process that goes along with the journey," said Printers of his chance to start over with the Lions. "The journey is one that has its up and downs and has its ins and outs. Nobody's journey is a straight path."

Buono, who has criticized himself publicly for not signing Printers earlier, said the Lions are lucky to be where they are right now. With three games remaining, the Lions could still host a post-season game.

The Lions, 4-4 on the road this season, have had to scrimp and scrape their way to wins much more than they did in the past, when they were perennial Grey Cup contenders. But Reid believes the adversity will prove beneficial in the long run.

"There's something to be said for fighting and earning your wins instead of going through the season just nice and easy," said Reid. "I've been on both sides of the coin … I like the character that comes out of a team that's been fighting from behind the whole season and been left out in the cold from a lot of people's thoughts.

"We've had to prove ourselves."

Notes: Jason Arakgi, who has 34 special-teams tackles and is just four shy of the league single-season record, will miss Saturday's game because of a quadriceps injury … Struggling receiver/returner Ryan Grice-Mullen is expected to sit out as Buono works running backs Martell Mallett and A.J. Harris into the lineup. Mallett is healthy after missing last Sunday's victory over Winnipeg with a foot injury … Zac Champion will suit up as the third-string QB, marking his first time in uniform since the Lions' last meeting with Saskatchewan on Oct. 2 … Veteran Paul McCallum, battling to keep his job with rookie Whyte showing considerable promise, will handle the kicking and punting duties against his former Rider teammates.