Lions' Campbell faces familiar opponent in Redblacks
Published
The BC Lions look to make a move in the West Division when they take on the Ottawa Redblacks on Saturday.
The Lions (8-4) are sitting in second place in the division and are looking to close the gap on the first-place Winnipeg Blue Bombers (10-3.
Lions head coach Rick Campbell will be facing a familiar opponent in the Redblacks. Campbell was the inaugural head coach of the Redblacks in 2014 and coached them for six seasons, winning the Grey Cup in 2016.
"[My time in Ottawa] totally changed my life in a number of ways," Campbell told TSN1200 on Tuesday. "I got my first coaching opportunity there and it was completely by scratch. When I got there, there were no coaches, no players, nothing. To go down Bank Street for a Grey Cup parade will be one of the biggest moments of my career no matter what happens."
The Redblacks (3-9) are sitting in last place in the East Division and are fighting for their playoff lives against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and a possible crossover with the Calgary Stampeders or Edmonton Elks.
While the Lions have not played the Redblacks since September of 2022, Campbell has kept a close eye on his old team and feels their record this season doesn't indicate their level of play.
"They're competitive and played a bunch of close games where they couldn't get over the hump," said Campbell. "It's been so long since we've played and we really haven't had much interaction with Ottawa. It's obviously an important game for both teams with Ottawa trying to stay in the playoff hunt and us trying to get a good playoff position."
The Lions are coming off a bye week after they defeated the Montreal Alouettes 34-25 on Labour Day weekend.
Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. led the way by throwing for 306 yards with three touchdowns while receiver Alexander Hollins added 88 receiving yards with two touchdown catches.
Hollins, 26, has been a revelation since signing with the Lions in March of 2022. The 6-foot receiver is third in the league with 879 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
"He's an exciting player to watch and fits the CFL game really well," said Campbell. "We were super optimistic about him coming into training camp and if he kept progressing he was going to be a good player. Watching him now he's understanding the CFL game better, understanding spacing zones, and the nuances of the Canadian game. It's lucky for us he's on our team but he's a guy CFL fans should want in this league."
One of the keys to the Lions success so far this season has been the play of the team defence. Through Week 14, the Lions have allowed the least points in the CFL and are among the league leaders in sacks.
Defensive lineman Mathieu Betts has been the focal point of the Lions' defence, leading the league with 12 sacks to go along with his 31 tackles.
"I'm always happy for guys like him. He's a really hard working, gives a great effort, has a high motor and plays like that all the time," Campbell said of his star lineman. "He's mixed in more pass rush moves and he's understanding the game better [and that's why] the stats are starting to show up."
"The thing I like best about [the defence] is that they play together, it isn't just one superstar. It's more about 12 guys hustling and running to the ball and they've done a great job over the year."