Printers frustrates fans again as Lions lose

Casey Printers tormented more than 27,000 B.C. Lions fans on Friday night.
The B.C. quarterback performed brilliantly at times and dreadfully at others as the Lions fell 16-12 to the Montreal Alouettes at Empire Field.
“It was a game that we coulda won, shoulda won let get away,” said B.C. coach Wally Buono, whose team is now 1-2 on the season. “We had opportunities to get points on the board and we didn’t do that.”
Late in the second quarter, Printers looked like the quarterback who was chosen the Canadian Football League’s outstanding player in 2004 as he rallied the Lions from a 6-2 deficit to a 9-6 advantage. With two Montreal defensive lineman running straight at him, he connected with Jamal Robertson on a screen pass for a 14-yard touchdown.
He also took charge in the third quarter as the Lions built a 12-6 lead on a Paul McCallum field goal. But in the final 10 minutes, he suffered a meltdown, overthrowing and underthrowing open receivers as Montreal’s Damon Duval booted three field goals and a punt single to put the Als ahead.
The Lions’ shoddy fourth quarter spoiled a strong effort from a rookie-laden defensive backfield and a rebuilt D-line.
“There was a lot of concern about five rookies on defence,” said Buono. “They didn’t cave. There was a lot of concern about our offensive line, and I thought overall they did a good job.”
But with the game on the line in the closing minutes, Printers tossed three straight incomplete passes, one to Emanuel Arcenaux and pair to O’Neil Wilson. The B.C. quarterback caught a break as Montreal was called for pass interference on second attempt to Wilson, putting the ball on the B.C. 48-yard line.
On the very next play, Printers threw the ball behind Paris Jackson and Montreal defensive back Jerald Brown hauled it in to preserve the victory.
“There was miscommunication with the receivers,” said Buono. “You can’t put the onus just on the quarterback and you just can’t put the onus on the receivers. That’s a part of working together and making sure that … the receiver has an option. The quarterback has to see the same thing. Tonight, too often, that wasn’t the case.”
As a result, the Lions lost a regular season game at home to Montreal for the first time in 10 years – while holding one of the league’s best offences without a touchdown.

Printers completed 20 of 40 passes for a modest 253 yards and the lone touchdown while also tossing two interceptions.
“Everybody played their tails off, and it’s just too bad we came up short,” said Printers.
It might have been a different story if Robertson had not fumbled in the third quarter to set up Duval’s game-tying field goal early in the fourth. But the bottom line is that Printers had to be better.
Fortunately, he did not use a quadriceps injury suffered against Saskatchewan on Saturday as an excuse, noting it slowed him down at times but was fine at others. But he also could have accepted more responsibility for his mistakes.
“You’ve gotta watch the field,” said Printers. “It’s tough to sit back and say what we coulda did and what we shoulda did … It’s just a growing process and we’ll get it together.”
Sooner rather than later.