VANCOUVER 鈥� Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. says winning doesn鈥檛 need to be so hard for the B.C. Lions.
Sean Whyte kicked a 42-yard field goal in the dying seconds as the Lions battled from behind to defeat the Edmonton Elks 24-21 in a back-and-forth CFL game Thursday night.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got to clean it up,鈥� said Adams. 鈥淲e鈥檙e way better than that.鈥� We鈥檝e got to make those plays early and not make such a tough game. It can be a little bit easier for us.鈥�
Edmonton had tied the game 21-21 on a 52-yard Boris Bede field goal with just over a minute left to play.
The Lions took over the ball and their final drive was aided by a face-masking call against the Elks. Whyte calmly kicked the winning points for his 28th consecutive field goal.
Rick Campbell, B.C.鈥檚 head coach and co-general manager, said Whyte did the expected.
鈥淭he cool thing about Sean Whyte is you just totally expect him to make it and it鈥檚 not a big deal,鈥� said Campbell. 鈥淏ut I know it鈥檚 a big deal. 鈥淗e鈥檚 money in the bank. It鈥檚 comforting when you鈥檙e making decisions knowing that the odds are pretty good. Get him anywhere in field-goal range and he鈥檚 going to knock it through.鈥�
Whyte also connected on kicks of 29 and 24 yards. Fullback Davie Mackie made up for an earlier fumble by scoring on a one-yard plunge late in the fourth quarter to give the Lions a 19-18 lead.
The B.C. drive was aided by an Edmonton pass interference call on the Elks' five-yard line. Justin McInnis made a fingertip catch for a two-point convert to make the score 21-18.
鈥淚t shows the confidence the coaching staff has in me,鈥� said Mackie. 鈥淚t鈥檚 nice we got back in that situation and they had the trust to make the call again.鈥�
The win improved the Lions' record to 3-1. The Elks, playing just five days after losing in Toronto, dropped to 0-4. It was the third consecutive week Edmonton had lost a game by three points.
鈥淧retty damn tough,鈥� said Chris Jones, Edmonton鈥檚 head coach and general manager. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the first time I think I鈥檝e ever lost a football game on the last play.鈥�
Jones said his team is 鈥渋n a hard sport鈥� but saw positives despite the loss.
鈥淲e have to realize that we鈥檙e not very far away,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat we鈥檙e going to do is continue to dig and keep doing the things that we did to get out of wherever we came from.鈥�
Adams, who completed 27 of 38 passes for 330 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions, didn鈥檛 show the effects of the abdominal injury that caused him to miss practice Tuesday. Adams has thrown 103 passes without an interception.
The Lions have also gone three games not allowing a sack after giving up six in a season-opening loss to Toronto.
Adams believes the Lions can play better. 鈥淚鈥檓 just proud of these guys,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey just keep fighting . . . but I know we can be better, especially as an offence.鈥�
Running back William Stanback also scored for B.C. on a five-yard pass, his first touchdown since joining the Lions as a free agent. Second-year receiver Ayden Eberhart had six catches for 78 yards. Edmonton quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson completed 19 of 30 passes for 247 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Slotback Kurleigh Gittens Jr. had a 21-yard touchdown catch for the Elks. Bede also kicked a 39-yard field goal. Punter Jake Julien added singles of 64 and 55 yards.
The Lions looked poised to take the lead early in the fourth quarter, driving to the Edmonton 10-yard line. Mackie tried to gain some extra yards on a third-and-one gamble but fumbled. Former Lion Loucheiz Purifoy recovered the ball. The Elks took over on their own four and the following drive was aided by two B.C. roughing penalties.
Bethel-Thompson led the Elks on a nine-play, 106-yard drive, putting them on the doorstep with a seven-yard rush. Backup quarterback Dakota Prukop scored on a one-yard plunge to give Edmonton an 18-13 lead with just over seven minutes remaining.
Bethel-Thompson鈥檚 two-point convert attempt was picked off in the end zone by cornerback Garry Peters. The Lions led 13-12 at halftime after a 29-yard Whyte field goal with 10 seconds left. The Lions' drive was aided by an Edmonton penalty.
UP NEXT
Edmonton: The Elks host Ottawa on July 14.
B.C.: The Lions, who play one home game over the next eight weeks, are in Hamilton on July 7.
NOTES: The Elks last defeated the Lions at BC Place on Aug. 19, 2021. 鈥he 36 points Edmonton scored in a 39-36 loss to Toronto last week was the most points by the Elks in a loss since they lost 45-37 to Ottawa on June 25, 2016. 鈥� In their last eight games, the Lions have outscored the Elks 289-103.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2024.
Jim Morris, The Canadian Press
