CFL Obituaries: Lions go out on top thanks to defence

Concluding our CFL Obituaries series, here's a look at the B.C. Lions' 2011 campaign.

The B.C. Lions' 2011 season passed away of natural causes last Sunday following a 34-23 victory over Winnipeg in the 99th Grey Cup. It was impressive that the season lasted so long, as many had declared it terminal following a terrible start to the year, but the Lions persevered and came up with an incredible second-half turnaround that saw them become the first team to begin the season 0-5 and go on to win the Grey Cup. B.C. also became the first team to win the Grey Cup at home (which they're seen celebrating above) since the 1994 Lions did it, and they delivered notice to the rest of the CFL that while the 2011 Lions may be gone, future editions of this squad may be difficult to deal with for years to come.

The early-season deathbed revitalization of the Lions can be credited to several extreme treatment methods, including key midseason acquisitions like Arland Bruce and Tad Kornegay, the maturation of quarterback Travis Lulay, and the emergence of the running game in general and Canadian back Andrew Harris in particular. However, one of the single biggest reasons the Lions recovered came from a traditional ongoing treatment; defensive pressure, particularly from the defensive line, which was present all season.

Tackles Khalif Mitchell, Aaron Hunt and midseason acquisition Eric Taylor dominated the middle, with ends Keron Williams, Brent Johnson and Khreem Smith delivering impressive pressure from the outside. The line used unconventional three-man fronts at times and unusual five- and six-player rotations for much of the year, but what they invariably did was apply pressure to opposing quarterbacks and contain the opponent's ground game. That was perhaps the most crucial factor in B.C. allowing a league-low 385 points (21.4 per game ) during the 2011 regular season and holding Edmonton and Winnipeg to just 23 points each in the West Final and the Grey Cup respectively.

B.C.'s linebackers and defensive backs made more than their share of plays as well, but strong play from the line was the consistent, unifying force behind the Lions' survival. That element was there in B.C.'s early-season losses, and once it started to receive some support from the offence, it was more than enough to keep the Lions alive and start reeling off wins. B.C. won the trench battles all year long, and that's the crucial reason why they wound up lifting the Grey Cup instead of meeting a premature demise after many had written them off.

There are questions around just who will survive the Lions' 2011 season, as rumours persist that head coach/general manager Wally Buono will be stepping down from the former role to concentrate on the latter and defensive coordinator Mike Benevides in particular has been linked to various opportunities across the league. Some top players also could be heading out of town, including Mitchell, right tackle Jovan Olafioye and linebacker Solomon Elimimian. Still, this was an incredibly talented cast of characters and one that turned in a 2011 season to remember. If they're able to retain most of them, the survivors could have not just a very good 2012 season, but could form a nucleus that's feared for years to come.