Lions bounced from CFL postseason

“I’ve been an underdog pretty much my whole career”, the running back said this week.

He didn’t know Cornish would still be fighting his way out of a concussion fog a month later when he got Messam off Saskatchewan’s sinking ship for an excess kicker, Tyler Crapigna, and an exchange of draft picks.

“I’d like to see the offence play better, starting with myself, but we went out there and put up above 30 points and held them to under 10 and now we can go onto that next one”.

“But Messam’s a great replacement”.

“I’d be lying to you if I didn’t think about it”, Harris admitted. “You stop him and get him rattled, you’re doing well for yourself”.

But then Keon Raymond – the eight-year veteran, the unofficial leader of the defensive pack – stepped in front of a Jonathan Jennings pass, took it 38 yards for a touchdown and just like that, everything changed.

The Lions have been without Solomon Elimimian, last year’s Most Outstanding Player (and the first full-time defensive player to win that award), for much of the year, and his absence has been felt. “It’s worrisome, no doubt”, said the 42-yearold Hall of Famer who had his own concussion issues as a quarterback in Calgary and especially B.C. “I saw him today, though, and I’m going to be a positive guy”. Harris might also prefer to test free agency to find a team that gives him more love than the Lions are showing. “I’m really proud of this team”. With that added factor and pressure, let’s put our money on the quarterback who’s proven he’s a playoff-tested victor.

“It’s just, ‘Good to see you, join the meeting if you want, ‘ and we’ll just play it out from there”.

“Not that I can remember”, he said. “No, I think I’m fine. But I’ll worry about that other stuff when my contract comes up”. You worry about it, there’s no doubt that you do, but that is life. Deal with it. I’d be more than happy to play again if they could get me back out there.

“It’s one of those things”.

“Are we?” Stampeders middle linebacker Juwan Simpson asked Saturday.

“There were teams begging us not to make the playoffs”, he said. Stampeders kick returner Tim Brown might be back to face his former team and, if he does, he will be playing for the first time since getting hurt back on September 7.

In the swagger department, Calgary’s Bo Levi Mitchell also has it all over B.C.’s Jon Jennings.

Calgary offence: Five Canadian running backs.

The Stampeders will try to take the long way to Winnipeg to defend their Grey Cup. “We didn’t connect. We didn’t throw really that much downfield after we suffered the injuries, because, you know, we’re just not going to do that”.

Roasting in red flannel and a toque this summer paid off for Ken Lancastle.

Calgary will meet Edmonton in the Western Final, while the BC Lions will address the media at their locker room clean out tomorrow from Surrey. We’ve shown continuously on film that we can do a few great things. Calgary’s cover teams haven’t exactly wrapped themselves in glory this season, allowing a whopping five of the 13 return touchdowns in the league this season. “We chose to dress up like the mascot (Big Joe) and showed up to the first game”, Lancastle told Postmedia.

After suffering a knee injury in the Labour Day Replay in Edmonton, Evans returns to the lineup and will get a chance to play the position left vacant by Fred Bennett and his broken arm. He will celebrate his 33rd birthday two days before the Grey Cup – and wouldn’t that be a good way to mark the occasion?