Lions' Campbell sticking with Rourke: 'I'm just trying to win games'
Published
The BC Lions are sticking with Nathan Rourke as the starting quarterback for the remainder of the season as they seek a third consecutive playoff berth.
Head coach and Rick Campbell told reporters after practice on Monday that the team is "going to go with the continuity," at the position.
Campbell pulled Rourke at halftime of BC's 33-17 loss to the Toronto Argonauts in Week 15, after he completed six of 12 passes with a touchdown and 110 yards.
"Nathan's been playing the last several weeks and we think we have room to improve," Campbell said. "I don't want to make any proclamations about what's going on forever. For now, this is what we're doing. I want there to be clarity and not a debate going on."
Vernon Adams Jr. came in to relieve Rourke in the loss to the Argonauts, and he didn't fare much better, throwing for 75 yards and an interception before third stringer Chase Brice came in for mop-up duty in the fourth.
Adams started the first eight games of the season for BC before he went down with a knee injury. His 2,469 yards at the time of the injury were best in the CFL, and the Lions were 5-3 with Adams at the helm.
"I'm just trying to win games. I don't want to mess with our guys. It's not about trying to motivate people or anything like that it's just ... I think that was our whole football team that last game, we didn't have the energy I was hoping we'd have," Campbell said.
Adams has taken the role change with the team in stride.
"It is what you make it, I just always look at the positive side of it," Adams said after Monday's practice.
"If I'm going to sit around and mope, what is that going to do for me? I'm out here, I'm blessed, I'm thankful ... I'm in good spirits and I'm going to stay ready. I'm going to push Nate to be the best that he can be."
"He's a good dude and he's a good leader. You really find out about people when things don't go exactly the way it's planned ... the way he helps out our coaches, Nathan. Everybody's been beyond great," Campbell said of Adams.
Rourke, for his part, is focused on trying to will the Lions back to the playoffs as they enter Week 16 second in the West Division.
"I always appreciate the vote of confidence. Obviously the reality is we have to have a sense of urgency here, myself included," Rourke said.
Rourke has been inconsistent since returning to the CFL. The 26-year-old spent the last season-and-a-half trying to stick with an NFL roster. He made stops with the Jacksonville Jaguars, New England Patriots, New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons, but never saw action in a regular-season game.
In five games this year, he has completed 79 of 126 passes for 1,099 yards with four touchdown and seven interceptions.
"We don't want to look big picture at this point, we don't want to look at the standings, we just need to take it one game at a time," Rourke said.