BC Lions 2021 Season Preview & Predictions

The CFL season was completely wiped out last year by Covid. With no fans allowed, the league wasn’t going to make any revenue. They would make some from the TV contract, but it isn’t like the NFL. The CFL is a gate driven league that needs fans in the seats. Fans will be back with Covid under control in Canada this season. Players will receive a paycheque for the first time in over a year from their team. That’s the good news, and more good news for sports bettors is that we have one more thing to gamble on this year. The CFL usually begins in the spring, but it has been pushed back to early August.

We have a month of CFL action before the NFL regular season starts. The NFL Preseason is back in 2021, but if you want to bet on football that counts, then the CFL regular season begins on August 5. It will be a re-match between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the season opener. The Blue Bombers beat the Tiger-Cats, 33-12, in the 2019 Grey Cup. These teams are going to be contenders again, but can a team from the outside pull off an upset? The BC Lions might be the team to do it.

“My first go-around here. Players on this team love Kamloops. It’s been great.”

Rick Campbell wraps up his 1st #CFLTC in the Tournament Capital and the decision to leave one day early and shift into regular season mode 💪🏿#ThisIsOurPride pic.twitter.com/vMTHp0wJIo

— BC LIONS (@BCLions) July 28, 2021

There are three teams with odds of +1000 or greater to win the Grey Cup at BetOnline. The Lions might have a chance to move up if their new defence can gel quickly. Rick Campbell is in his first season as the head coach of the Lions. He was hired in late 2019, so has been working with BC for more than a year now. Campbell won the Grey Cup as head coach of the Ottawa Redblacks in 2016, and reached the Grey Cup in 2018. However, the Redblacks didn’t care after the team went 3-15 in 2019.

Campbell inherits a Lions squad that went 5-13 in the West Division in 2019. The offensive line was a disaster that season. The Lions got their quarterback in Michael Reilly, but offered him no protection. He was running for his life in the backfield. In a league that is predicated by the pass, it’s impossible to have success this way. Head below for our free BC Lions season preview and predictions for 2021. You can find a season preview for the Ottawa Redblacks and Montreal Alouettes at TheSportsGeek as well.

Offence

The Lions thought they had their offensive problems all figured out when they signed Mike Reilly. The former Edmonton Eskimo, now the Elks, had a successful six-year career. He’s passed for 168 touchdowns and 99 interceptions on 66.8% completions in his career. Reilly threw for 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, 30 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, and then 30 touchdowns and 18 interceptions.

He entered British Columbia as the guy to get the Lions back to the Grey Cup. If Reilly had some help from his offensive line then, yeah, then he would have led this team to a potential run in the postseason. As things played out, the Lions allowed a sack a staggering more than 10% of the time when Reilly dropped back in the pocket. No quarterback can make that work. And all things considered, he did well passing for 20 touchdowns and 15 interceptions on 69.5% passing with no time to think.

The Lions showed improvement on the offensive line late in the season. They won four straight games from September to October, and finished with a record of 4-3. Despite losing their last three games, the Lions were competitive and Reilly had more time. The front office addressed the offensive line by signing Ryker Mathews. Mathews is a big blocker that should immediately make his presence felt.

A big signing for the @BCLions… literally.#CFLFA | https://t.co/ZcuTYNmVH9 pic.twitter.com/IljYB77AEn

— CFL (@CFL) February 12, 2020

That’s a pretty nice deal for the Lions, though don’t expect this to suddenly be the best unit in the CFL. That said, they can’t be any worse than they were, and Reilly should have more time to find weapons downfield. Bryan Burnham should have a big campaign if the offensive line is better. Expect Lemar Durant to find room for a productive season as well. The Lions added running back Shaq Cooper in free agency and should give the ground game a bit of pop.

Former Michigan Wolverine, Shea Patterson, signed with the Lions a month ago. However, he’s third on the depth chart and has a lot to learn in Canada. The CFL can have a learning curve, so unless Reilly drops off considerably, it’s hard to see Patterson getting playing time. Look for the Lions to be much improved on the offensive side of the ball. There are pieces to like on this roster. After finishing second worst in the league with 330.6 yards per game expect a lot more in BC.

Defence

The Lions’ defence was the anchor of the 2019 team. Considering how much they were on the field thanks to an anemic offence that couldn’t stay on the field, the Lions didn’t get enough credit for their effort. They’d probably be the top ranked defence in the league if there was more time for them to catch their breath on the sidelines.

The Lions finished third with 326.8 yards allowed per game. They allowed 25.1 points per game only because the offence put them in bad spots often. Opposing teams had solid field position throughout against the Lions in 2019.That sounds great, but there could be a problem looming for the Lions. This is a new look defence. Seven starters for the Lions from that team are not in BC any longer. It’s hard to see them stuffing too many offenses on the goal line like we see from the 2019 season below.

STUFFED!

The @BCLions defence comes up with a goalline stop! 🙅‍♂️ #CFLGameday pic.twitter.com/0CUaAMb89S

— CFL (@CFL) October 13, 2019

Their secondary largely remains together, though. Cornerback Garry Peters and halfback T.J. Lee is back with the Lions, as are linebackers Adam Konar and Isaiah Guzlak-Messem. I’m still concerned that the Lions are going to fail to get a strong push up front on the defensive line, leaving the secondary to fend for itself.

This is a new coaching staff, with only one defensive coach from the previous regime staying on. With new players and new coaches, the defence could regress this season. East Carolina’s Jordan Williams went No. 1 overall to the Lions in the past draft. The linebacker should help, but likely won’t be an impact player in his first season.

BC Lions Season Prediction

I’m confident in the offence showing improvement for the Lions this season with a more balanced approach. The offensive line was a train wreck and can’t be any worse than allowing a sack 10% of the time on passing attempts. With the addition of Ryker Mathews, the offensive line should see some improvement. Mike Reilly isn’t getting younger as a 36-year-old, so protection will be of the utmost importance for the Lions.

While the Lions’ offence shouldn’t be as much of a mess, the defence carries a big question mark after a strong campaign in 2019. New coaching staff with a lot of new parts on the defence in BC this season. It’s hard to see them duplicating their defensive success from 2019 if the big bodies up front don’t find much traction. The secondary could be under a lot of pressure. Don’t expect much from the Lions, as a mediocre season is likely in store, but going in the right direction. They could be in for some entertaining games if the offensive line holds up, though. For betting purposes, I am going to take a wait and see approach.