Healthy Adams Jr. leads Lions into playoff rematch with Maier, Stampeders on TSN
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For the second season in a row, the Western semifinal runs through BC Place as the Lions host Jake Maier and the Calgary Stampeders in the nightcap of a Saturday doubleheader on TSN.
While it will be the second kick at the can for Maier, it’s the first for Lions quarterback Vernon Adams, as he acquired in a 2022 mid-season deal with the Montreal Alouettes following an injury to then-Lions starter Nathan Rourke.
Rourke returned in time and threw for 321 yards and a pair of touchdowns to send the Lions to the West Final against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
After six seasons with the Alouettes and splitting time with Trevor Harris, the former Oregon Duck has had a renaissance in Vancouver this season. With a career-high 4,769 passing yards, Adams leads the Canadian Football League and was behind only Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros (33) for the most touchdowns with 31 on the season.
Saturday will be Adams’ second start since suffering a knee injury against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Week 19.
“I feel great,” Adams said Tuesday. “I feel good. We’re in the dome, getting some real practices in on our game field. It feels great to be out here.”
Adams, who had been wearing a knee brace since the injury, said he’ll play without it come kickoff. He also said they are looking forward to a second shot at the Stampeders after losing to them 41-16 in Week 20.
“We didn’t want to lose in front of our crowd like that as the last home game,” Adams said on the Lions’ regular-season finale. “We know definitely can’t start or play like that come the playoffs.”
“We’re ready for Calgary to bring their best shot. We’re going to bring our best shot and we’re going to do some good things this Saturday,” Adams added.
For Lions head coach Rick Campbell, the way their regular season ended will have no impact on how his team prepares for Saturday.
“If we had won that game by 30 points or lost by 30 points, I don’t think that’s going to affect this game,” he said. “This is playoffs, and we have to make sure we’re looking forward to Saturday.”
The Stampeders share a similar mindset, seeing the postseason as a clean slate and an opportunity to reset.
“Everyone is 0-0,” Stampeders head coach and general manager Dave Dickenson said Tuesday. “Some teams will get their first win by just hanging out on the couch and that’s the byes, but we’ve got to go play a great game on the road.”
Having been in this position before, Maier is looking to use what he learned in last season's Western semifinal to help him this time.
"That was a night to forget for sure," he said Tuesday. "Looking back at it, you learn how to manage high-pressure situations and just make the plays when they're presented.
"I've watched that film plenty since it happened, and I'm kind of glad at this point that I went through something like that because I feel much more confident."