Darkness lifting on Lions' dismal season

The conclusion to Saturday afternoon’s game between the B.C. Lions and Toronto Argonauts was unlike any other at Empire Field this season.
The fans gave the Lions a rousing send-off after they handily beat the Argos 36-17 before a crowd of 22,703. As the Lions exited the field and walked up a ramp to their makeshift dressing room, fans gave them high-fives and loud ovations.
As he opened the door to the trailer that serves as a temporary dressing room, B.C. coach Wally Buono angrily looked for late arrivals to the post-game meeting. But, after witnessing the throng of fans giving Sanchez and Simon their due, Buono was not complaining.
“(The win) means a lot to the guys, but also it means a lot to our fans,” said Buono. “We’ve disappointed our fans for about four or five weeks now. To win a game like this at home with some excitement and some big plays obviously helps our players but also helps our fans, which is important.”
The Lions (3-7) posted their second straight victory after seven consecutive losses. Unlike during his other post-game scrums at Empire this season, Buono stood and answered questions in daylight following their first home win. All of his other sessions were after losses at night.
The scene was symbolic, because the darkness on B.C.’s dismal season is lifting. But as the overcast sky above Buono also symbolized, clouds still lurk on the Lions’ ability to salvage a playoff spot in either of the Canadian Football League's two divisions.
“It’s an indication that we’re getting better,” said Buono of the upswing. “I don’t want to downplay anything, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement. There’s still a lot of room for correction. The thing is, we’re going in the right direction.”
Quarterback Casey Printers and rookie running backs Jerome Messam and Yonus Davis kept the Lions going the right way in the air and along the ground. Printers threw for two touchdowns as he completed 25 of 39 passes for 302 yards.
“We’re trying to make the playoffs, and this is a great win for us,” said Printers.
Messam ran for two short-yardage touchdowns on eight carries and also caught a pair of passes in what he called his best game as a pro.
“I definitely feel like it’s my breakout game,” said Messam, who helped B.C. overcome an early 8-0 deficit. “(Jamal Robertson) went down with his rib injury (suffered in a game against Montreal) and I got an opportunity and came in and tried to do my best to help the team win.”
Davis scampered for 52 yards on 13 carries and also caught a four-yard touchdown pass. He left the Argos lunging in vain at his slippery moves as he repeatedly helped the Lions get into the red zone and then the end zone.
Messam praised the patch-work offensive line for opening holes.
You never would have known B.C. surrendered eight sacks, because Printers had much more time than in previous games to do his work. One of his finest plays came as he turned around and threw to Davis as he stood all alone just over the goal line.
Printers picked up his first regular-season win since re-joining the Lions late last season while they were dealing with injuries to three quarterbacks.
“I thought, overall, he made some great plays,” said Buono. “He made some great throws. The game is going to get better and slower, because you have to, maybe, at times slow down.
“This is Casey. He’s an excitable guy … With time, with more games under his belt, with more comfort with the protection … That’s a very good team out there. They got into it. They got after us pretty good and yet we scored … 37 points.”
Meanwhile, B.C.’s defence racked up six sacks and defensive back Korey Banks continued his fine play with a fumble recovery. But the Lions’ best fumble recovery came early in the fourth quarter after Toronto defensive end Ron Flemon took a loose ball away from Pinters, romped untouched toward the end zone and then dropped it just before crossing the goal line.
Rookie B.C. receiver Steve Black pounced on it and the Lions preserved a 34-15 lead.
"It just slipped out of my hands," Flemons said dejectedly. "I was just trying to reposition it because it was in my left hand.
"I felt awful because it could have been a big momentum-changing play. It happens. You just move on."
Buono and Simon said the Lions would not have caught such a break earlier in the season.
“They made some mistakes and we capitalized on those,” said Simon, who caught seven passes for 133 yards. “That’s the sign of a good team, when you capitalize on the other team’s mistakes.”
The veteran receiver, who moved into fifth place among all-time B.C. receivers, was full of praise for his club after often accusing it of causing its own demise earlier in the campaign.
“We’re starting to come together as a team and you’re seeing that the talent is starting to show,” said Simon. “We feel good about the direction we’re going in.”
NOTES: Black caught B.C.’s other touchdown pass while Paul McCallum booted three field goals … The Argos (5-5) lost top running back Corey Boyd to a concussion as they suffered their third straight loss … B.C.’s Rolly Lumbala, playing his first game back with the Lions after being cut by the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, was dominant on special teams as he made a number of tackles ... B.C. lost recently-signed defensive end Jeremy Geathers to a knee injury that is expected to keep him out for an extended period ... The Lions are still trying to woo defensive lineman Ricky Foley back to the fold after he was cut by the NFL's Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets.