Lions bump slump with 25-16 road win over Alouettes, but both face QB questions

You never know what's going to happen in the CFL, and the B.C. Lions' 25-16 road win over the Montreal Alouettes Thursday is further proof of that. The teams didn't enter far apart in the standings, with Montreal at 4-5 and B.C. at 3-5, but they came into this seemingly trending in different directions, with the Alouettes coming off a big win over division-leading Hamilton and the Lions having lost two straight games. B.C. was the much better team in this one, though, and full measure for the win, but that was only one part of the unexpected outcomes. The other? Both teams exit the game with quarterback questions.

Lions' quarterback Travis Lulay suffered an apparent knee injury relatively early on in this one after throwing just four passes (completing two, for 17 yards), and that's certainly concerning for the team considering his injury history. Backup John Beck did enough to get the Lions the win, completing 14 of 22 passes (63.6 per cent) for 114 yards and two touchdowns, but his numbers weren't overly convincing, and he did throw two interceptions. He also wasn't able to consistently move the chains late in the game, giving Montreal opportunities to get back in it despite a 17-6 halftime deficit. Beck looked okay for a backup, and somewhat justified B.C.'s faith in him in that role, but the Lions will be hoping they get Lulay back sooner rather than later. 

Meanwhile, the Alouettes also have plenty of quarterback questions after this loss. Usual starter Rakeem Cato is battling a hip injury and left town to deal with a family emergency, so Tanner Marsh filled in, and he threw five interceptions. Even when Marsh wasn't being picked off, he wasn't good; he completed just 16 of 30 passes (53.3 per cent) for 103 yards. Cato may well be good to go next week, but if he isn't, Brandon Bridge might get a nod over Marsh, who just didn't seem to be clicking at all Thursday night.

There were good moments for both teams, of course. Tyrell Sutton picked up 88 rushing yards for Montreal on just seven carries, and he should be more of a focal point for the offence going forward. The Alouettes' defence was stout, especially against the run, where they held Lions' running back Andrew Harris to just 65 yards on 21 carries. The Lions' defence did some impressive ballhawking to pick Marsh off, and they also put him under pressure, sacking him three times. Stwill, while B.C. will certainly take the win and the things they did well, they will have fans wondering about Lulay's health and the offence's late-game struggles. Meanwhile, Montreal will likely be eager for Cato to return and revitalize their passing attack. It was an imperfect game from both sides, and one that leaves them both with questions.