Argonauts 33, Lions 17: Nathan Rourke gets the hook, Chad Kelly gets the win

Article content

The game started with a quarterback under controversy. The game ended with a quarterback controversy.

Article content

First, Chad Kelly — now four games back from his nine-game suspension for his actions that led to a sexual harassment lawsuit and lurid black eye for the league — came into B.C. Place and led the Toronto Argonauts to a 33-17 win on Friday night.

But the Lions (7-7) now have a high-priced QB headache on their hands. After a mostly flat first half, Nathan Rourke was replaced by Vernon Adams Jr. to start the third quarter, and igniting what will now be the dominant storyline heading into the final four games.

Who will start? Who will be the last man standing? Who will be The Man in B.C. next season?

“I’m making decisions trying to win. It’s not that it’s less about evaluating their play. It’s more about just trying to win the game,” Campbell said post-game.

Article content

“And I thought the way our team was playing, we needed a spark, and we never got it. … I told the team, and I told Nathan that it wasn’t on him, but I’m not going to turn down having two guys that (can) create a spark.

“I didn’t think our energy and offence was where it needs to be. And that wasn’t on Nathan. That was just on the whole (team). We just couldn’t get any flow going. I was just literally trying to create a spark and see if we could flip the script.”

The only thing less palatable than the team’s start to the game was the nauseating Snackwards Cam played on the big screen — showing reversed clips of fans eating food — as the Leos kicked off Friday night with four straight two-and-outs.

The offence posted a net yardage of -1 yards in the first quarter, as Rourke went 1-of-5 for five yards. He picked it up in the second quarter, putting together a 45-yard drive capped off by a 47-yard Sean Whyte field goal, then marched the Lions 51 yards in four plays for their first touchdown of the game when he scrambled in from nine yards out.

Article content

Article content

But he wasn’t the decisive, defensive-scheme-reading machine he’d been in the last two wins, getting sacked three times and only connecting on one big pass — a 31-yard completion to Justin McInnis late in the first half. He finished the night 6-of-12 for 110 yards, a modest enough total that Campbell elected to make the switch.

He pulled Rourke and Adams, who’d been checking on the injured Alexander Hollins, aside and informed them of his decision.

Rourke admitted to some surprise over the call. His frustration over the game was still etched on his face 30 minutes after his game, the tension in his clenched jaw belied by calm answers.

“VA has been great to me. It’s only right that I reciprocate, not only for him, but for the sake of the team,” he said. “I’m never going to put my interests in front of what’s important for the team, and what was important at the moment was to be as supportive as possible. And hopefully I did that. Obviously, I’m not great at keeping my emotions in. I wear them on my sleeve.

Article content

“I’m obviously disappointed, but we weren’t playing well. As a team, we were losing, and I think everyone’s kind of body language showed (it) tonight.”

Adams was also caught off-guard by the switch, after a week of practice where he didn’t take a single rep with the first string. He hadn’t played since exiting the Aug. 1 game against the Bombers in Winnipeg with a knee injury, but had been working on his timing with the younger receivers and PR players after practice.

He said he felt prepared for game action. But maybe not completely ready for it.

Adams fumbled on his first play, a botched RPO (run/pass option) with William Stanback, that first drive ended on back-to-back sacks that turned a first-and-10 from Toronto’s 39-yard line into a third-and-33 from his own 48.

Article content

On his second drive, Adams hit McInnis for a 35-yard game, but on the next throw he overthrew Keon Hatcher on a bending route near the end zone, a throw he says he usually makes in his sleep.

“Nate was just like, ‘Man, I got your back. Go do your thing. They’re not doing anything we haven’t seen on film. We just have to execute,” he said. “I felt my feet were jittery. I was watching on the sideline on the iPad, and I just felt my feet were just moving a little too much when they shouldn’t have been. It was just a matter of just slowing my feet down. My feet are moving too fast. My brain is moving too fast. And it shouldn’t be like that. Slow my feet down, and then I can get to my reads more clearly.”

In the end, it didn’t matter which of them was in — Toronto’s defence was too dominant on the night. And in the end, neither Rourke nor Adams finished the game, with Chase Brice coming in for the final series.

Article content

Kelly was solid, if unspectacular, and opening much of the night on his backside from blitzing Lions. But they only got to him twice for a sack, as he put up a respectable 268 yards and a touchdown on 18-of-28 passing, and led his team with 56 yards rushing. 

He came in still tainted by the lawsuit and suspension, one that could easily have been longer considering his long list of legal problems that date back to his college days.

Rourke was one of the few who spoke out about how the CFL initially handled the allegations against Kelly, and showed up to the post-game podium wearing a T-shirt with “See Something, Say Something” — the CFL’s slogan for battling domestic abuse. Several other Lions also wore them to the game.

Did his comments and stance fuel Kelly? The Argos quarterback declined to comment on that after the game — “I don’t have anything to say about that,” he said — but Rourke was steadfast in his stance.

Article content

“Possibly, that’s hard to say. I’m not in that locker room,” he said, when asked if it might have lit a fire under his Argos counterpart.

“I stand by what I said. As other people across the league (do). I know I’m not the only one, but I do feel like I have a platform to be able to say certain things, a platform that I often don’t use, but I think that it was the time and place was right for me to say something. And I’d say something again if I was in the same circumstance.

“Whatever motivation they were using, it worked. Chad played great. So hats off to them. They were the better team tonight. And it’s a shame we don’t get to see them again. Hopefully we do in the Grey Cup, but we’ve got a long way to go until then.”

The Argos defence was the standout performance of the night.

Article content

B.C.’s QBs were sacked a combined seven times, as well as a sack-fumble on Adams that was erased by an illegal contact penalty. All the team that came into the night averaging the third-most yards in offence could muster was a meagre 222 yards and 17 points.

Highlights were Brice, who engineered a five-play, 38-yard drive in garbage time, connecting with Jordan Terrell on a seven-yard pass that the running back turned into a juking, jiving, 24-yard touchdown. 

McInnis, the CFL’s leading receiver, was only targeted four times — catching them all — for a team-best 95 yards. The Lions also lost Hollins to a shoulder injury in the second quarter, as he landed on his side diving for a deep ball over the middle. His status is pending further medical tests. 

Article content

Stanback, who’d been the offensive catalyst for the Lions in their past few games, had six carries for 21 yards and one reception for 17.

The game also saw a sight that has been rare in the Amar Doman era — fans streaming for the exits in a game that still had 10 minutes left to play. They’ll be the ones looking for answers when the Lions return from their bye week to host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in two weeks.

Campbell doesn’t have the answer to the question — will it be Kid Canada or Big Play VA? — and will spend the next few days trying to figure that out, and making sure it doesn’t spiral into a distraction or divide the locker-room.

“It’s not going to be a competition,” he said. “It’s a unique situation where we have two excellent quarterbacks, and I’ll be the guy making the call. We’re gonna do whatever’s best for us to win games.

Article content

“I’ve been on multiple teams where you had two quarterbacks and ended up being a benefit in the long run. … I’d rather have two really good guys than zero guys. That’s on me to make sure I’m doing a really good job of communicating, knowing where they stand, because quarterback, it’s the hardest position to play — so you can’t mess with those guys.”

Both quarterbacks were measured but honest in their answers as to what lies ahead.

Rourke: “(I’m) frustrated. Not the outcome that we were wanting and, we’ve got a long, long two weeks till our next game. So not feeling too good right now,” he said. “(I only) control what I can control. Not gonna be taking any time off, gonna get right back at it. Got a lot of things to clean up, things to get better at.

Article content

“They outplayed us tonight. They wanted it more. I think that’s honestly what it came down to. I don’t think that we played up to our potential, and hopefully it’s a long bye week for everyone.”

Adams: “I’m just going to enjoy this bye, get with the family, get my mind off everything. Watch this film, of course, self correct, and go from there. When we get back, whatever they want to do, that’s we’re going to do. … I’m a team player. They want to go with Nate — Nate’s one of the best QBs in this league — I got his back. Whatever coach wants, I’m going with it. If it’s me, awesome. Let’s get back to it, and let’s do what we do.”

B.C. is now second in a West Division where even the last-place, four-win Calgary Stampeders could still finish in first place. Three of B.C.’s final four games are at home, and they finish the season on a bye week.

Article content

“I told our guys, we’re a 7-7 team, which sounds about right to me,” said Campbell. “Sometimes we show up and, man, we’re really good, and then other times we haven’t. … I think we’re a 500 team with lots of potential, because we show well at times. I hope guys take the break and come back with a fresh mind and a fresh body.

“We got a bunch of home games. We’re the only team with two byes left. So I’m hoping, if we can figure out to play good football on a consistent basis, there’s lots of reasons to believe we can do good things, but that story is yet to be written.”

Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the news you need to know — add VancouverSun.com and TheProvince.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here.

You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber: For just $14 a month, you can get unlimited access to The Vancouver Sun, The Province, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Vancouver Sun | The Province.

Article content