Latest news with #MikeBenevides
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
What can the B.C. Lions do to get things headed in the right direction?
Frustration isn't a dirty word with Mike Benevides these days. 'It's not a bad thing,' said the B.C. Lions veteran defensive coordinator, whose team gets its latest crack to find traction in this CFL season on Thursday, carrying a 3-5 record into a visit to the 6-2 Hamilton Tiger-Cats. 'If they (Lions players) are pissed off, they should be. We all are. It doesn't feel like a 3-5 team because of the morale, the talent, how they execute, how they practise. All those things are what you want to see. That frustration is not a bad thing. I'll take it. 'They care. You see it in how they come back wanting to do the work. You see it in how they communicate. You see the text messages at night, doing the extra work. It matters to them. If they didn't care or if they felt there was no chance, then it would be different. 'Frustration is OK. Like I told them, we've been around a long, long time and I can tell them all the stories — from 0-5 to 5-0 and all the rest, from a 5-9 team to winning the Grey Cup in 2001 (with the Calgary Stampeders). All those things are good if you place them in the right place. And I think the men are in the right place.' The Lions are coming off a bye week. Their last action was July 27, when they gave up a 10-point lead in the final three minutes in a 37-33 setback to the Tiger-Cats at B.C. Place. B.C. has two victories this season over the 1-6 Edmonton Elks. Their other win was a walk-off on a Sean Whyte field goal versus the Montreal Alouettes. That's all true. There have been stretches, though, like in the Hamilton game where they've also looked every bit a legit contender. And then there have been these lapses like in Hamilton game where they've simply failed to make plays. Penalties, missed tackles, failed connections on offence have been among the culprits along the way. The stats show some of that. The Lions lead the CFL in net offence (408.3 yards per game). They're seventh in scoring (24.5 points per game). They're second in net defence (344 yards per game). They're sixth in points against (27 per game). Lions running back James Butler leads the CFL in rushing yards (619), averaging a career-best 5.5 yards per carry. There have been six 100-yard rushing games in the CFL this season and Butler had three them, including going for 115 yards on 16 carries in that last Hamilton game. B.C. is eighth in the league in turnover ratio (minus-eight). They did take a step forward in that regard in the most recent outing against Hamilton at least, winning that category on the night 3-1. 'We have all the pieces to be an undefeated team,' said Lions left tackle Jarell Broxton. 'I feel like we beat ourselves. That's what practice is for — so we can clean up the mistakes. 'This is to create a user group for Sports Writers, to pull stories into the sports slider widget on the home page.'This is to create a user group for Sports Writers, to pull stories into the sports slider widget on the home page.' 'It's about everybody focusing, everybody doing their job. It takes everybody on the field.' Lions head coach Buck Pierce added: 'Things are going to happen throughout a game and we can't let four or five plays determine outcomes of games. We have to be able to move on and use that adversity as a tool for us. In certain instances, we've done that, but that's something you always have to work on and go through.' The last time the Lions started a season 3-5 was in 2018. They wound up 9-9 that year, which was good enough for fourth spot in the West Division, but put them before the third-place team in the East and gave B.C. the playoff crossover. B.C. lost that East semifinal to Hamilton by a 48-8 count. The crossover is at play this season for the Lions, considering they've already lost twice to both the 7-1 Saskatchewan Roughriders and the 4-3 Winnipeg Blue Bombers, giving those teams the tiebreaker with the Lions. B.C. has two more games with the 5-3 Calgary Stampeders. The Toronto Argonauts are currently third in the East, at 2-6. 'I think the guys really enjoy coming out here to work,' Pierce said. 'I think it's a tight group. I think it's a group that understands we have got to be better and it's not just one area — it's everything. That's what you really enjoy about the group — 'there's things to be fixed, lets get them fixed and lets get to work.'' Teams coming out of a bye week this season in the CFL are 5-5. Hamilton's on a six-game win streak. A win Thursday would make it the Tiger-Cats' best start since the 2019, when they began 7-2 and reached the Grey Cup. Hamilton quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell is 13-7 all-time against B.C. going into the game. Hamilton has outscored their opponents in the fourth quarter in all of its eight games this season, with their combined total coming in at 103-59. Eight of the past 13 matchups between Hamilton and B.C. since 2017 have been decided in the final three minutes. SEwen@ Nathan Rourke: B.C. Lions offence needs to find a way to 'start fast' against Hamilton Sunday Tiger-Cats 37, B.C. Lions 33: Hamilton completes comeback with last-minute touchdown
Vancouver Sun
5 days ago
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
What can the B.C. Lions do to get things headed in the right direction?
Frustration isn't a dirty word with Mike Benevides these days. 'It's not a bad thing,' said the B.C. Lions veteran defensive coordinator, whose team gets its latest crack to find traction in this CFL season on Thursday, carrying a 3-5 record into a visit to the 6-2 Hamilton Tiger-Cats. 'If they (Lions players) are pissed off, they should be. We all are. It doesn't feel like a 3-5 team because of the morale, the talent, how they execute, how they practise. All those things are what you want to see. That frustration is not a bad thing. I'll take it. 'They care. You see it in how they come back wanting to do the work. You see it in how they communicate. You see the text messages at night, doing the extra work. It matters to them. If they didn't care or if they felt there was no chance, then it would be different. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'Frustration is OK. Like I told them, we've been around a long, long time and I can tell them all the stories — from 0-5 to 5-0 and all the rest, from a 5-9 team to winning the Grey Cup in 2001 (with the Calgary Stampeders). All those things are good if you place them in the right place. And I think the men are in the right place.' Your Lions week 10 depth chart is set! Here's how we lineup for Thursday's matchup with Hamilton. #BCLions | @PlayNowSports The Lions are coming off a bye week. Their last action was July 27, when they gave up a 10-point lead in the final three minutes in a 37-33 setback to the Tiger-Cats at B.C. Place. B.C. has two victories this season over the 1-6 Edmonton Elks. Their other win was a walk-off on a Sean Whyte field goal versus the Montreal Alouettes. That's all true. There have been stretches, though, like in the Hamilton game where they've also looked every bit a legit contender. And then there have been these lapses like in Hamilton game where they've simply failed to make plays. Penalties, missed tackles, failed connections on offence have been among the culprits along the way. The stats show some of that. The Lions lead the CFL in net offence (408.3 yards per game). They're seventh in scoring (24.5 points per game). They're second in net defence (344 yards per game). They're sixth in points against (27 per game). Lions running back James Butler leads the CFL in rushing yards (619), averaging a career-best 5.5 yards per carry. There have been six 100-yard rushing games in the CFL this season and Butler had three them, including going for 115 yards on 16 carries in that last Hamilton game. B.C. is eighth in the league in turnover ratio (minus-eight). They did take a step forward in that regard in the most recent outing against Hamilton at least, winning that category on the night 3-1. 'We have all the pieces to be an undefeated team,' said Lions left tackle Jarell Broxton. 'I feel like we beat ourselves. That's what practice is for — so we can clean up the mistakes. 'This is to create a user group for Sports Writers, to pull stories into the sports slider widget on the home page.'This is to create a user group for Sports Writers, to pull stories into the sports slider widget on the home page.' 'It's about everybody focusing, everybody doing their job. It takes everybody on the field.' Lions head coach Buck Pierce added: 'Things are going to happen throughout a game and we can't let four or five plays determine outcomes of games. We have to be able to move on and use that adversity as a tool for us. In certain instances, we've done that, but that's something you always have to work on and go through.' From above #BCLions | #RoarAsOne The last time the Lions started a season 3-5 was in 2018. They wound up 9-9 that year, which was good enough for fourth spot in the West Division, but put them before the third-place team in the East and gave B.C. the playoff crossover. B.C. lost that East semifinal to Hamilton by a 48-8 count. The crossover is at play this season for the Lions, considering they've already lost twice to both the 7-1 Saskatchewan Roughriders and the 4-3 Winnipeg Blue Bombers, giving those teams the tiebreaker with the Lions. B.C. has two more games with the 5-3 Calgary Stampeders. The Toronto Argonauts are currently third in the East, at 2-6. 'I think the guys really enjoy coming out here to work,' Pierce said. 'I think it's a tight group. I think it's a group that understands we have got to be better and it's not just one area — it's everything. That's what you really enjoy about the group — 'there's things to be fixed, lets get them fixed and lets get to work.'' Teams coming out of a bye week this season in the CFL are 5-5. Hamilton's on a six-game win streak. A win Thursday would make it the Tiger-Cats' best start since the 2019, when they began 7-2 and reached the Grey Cup. Hamilton quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell is 13-7 all-time against B.C. going into the game. Hamilton has outscored their opponents in the fourth quarter in all of its eight games this season, with their combined total coming in at 103-59. Eight of the past 13 matchups between Hamilton and B.C. since 2017 have been decided in the final three minutes. SEwen@
National Post
5 days ago
- Sport
- National Post
What can the B.C. Lions do to get things headed in the right direction?
Frustration isn't a dirty word with Mike Benevides these days. Article content 'It's not a bad thing,' said the B.C. Lions veteran defensive coordinator, whose team gets its latest crack to find traction in this CFL season on Thursday, carrying a 3-5 record into a visit to the 6-2 Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Article content Article content 'If they (Lions players) are pissed off, they should be. We all are. It doesn't feel like a 3-5 team because of the morale, the talent, how they execute, how they practise. All those things are what you want to see. That frustration is not a bad thing. I'll take it. Article content 'They care. You see it in how they come back wanting to do the work. You see it in how they communicate. You see the text messages at night, doing the extra work. It matters to them. If they didn't care or if they felt there was no chance, then it would be different. Article content 'Frustration is OK. Like I told them, we've been around a long, long time and I can tell them all the stories — from 0-5 to 5-0 and all the rest, from a 5-9 team to winning the Grey Cup in 2001 (with the Calgary Stampeders). All those things are good if you place them in the right place. And I think the men are in the right place.' Article content Your Lions week 10 depth chart is set! Here's how we lineup for Thursday's matchup with Hamilton. #BCLions | @PlayNowSports — BC LIONS (@BCLions) August 6, 2025 Article content Article content The Lions are coming off a bye week. Their last action was July 27, when they gave up a 10-point lead in the final three minutes in a 37-33 setback to the Tiger-Cats at B.C. Place. Article content Article content B.C. has two victories this season over the 1-6 Edmonton Elks. Their other win was a walk-off on a Sean Whyte field goal versus the Montreal Alouettes. That's all true. Article content There have been stretches, though, like in the Hamilton game where they've also looked every bit a legit contender. And then there have been these lapses like in Hamilton game where they've simply failed to make plays. Penalties, missed tackles, failed connections on offence have been among the culprits along the way. Article content The stats show some of that. The Lions lead the CFL in net offence (408.3 yards per game). They're seventh in scoring (24.5 points per game). They're second in net defence (344 yards per game). They're sixth in points against (27 per game). Article content Lions running back James Butler leads the CFL in rushing yards (619), averaging a career-best 5.5 yards per carry. There have been six 100-yard rushing games in the CFL this season and Butler had three them, including going for 115 yards on 16 carries in that last Hamilton game.
CBC
20-06-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Lions, Bombers head into rematch with wounded stars
Micah Awe feels like he's unlocked something new in his arsenal — and that could spell trouble for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers this weekend. Midway through a game against the Bombers in Winnipeg last week, the B.C. Lions linebacker started to see everything in front of him differently. The run game simply opened up, he said. "To be honest, probably for the first time in my eight-year career, I started seeing linebackers kind of like a painting," explained Awe, who registered 10 tackles in the contest. "It's kind of like art. You see the art differently [once something clicks]." The switch in perception came from working with Lions defensive co-ordinator Mike Benevides and playing behind defensive linemen Mathieu Betts and Sione Teuhema, Awe said. "The difference with this D-line, it's the physicality and the violence," the 31-year-old Texas Tech product said. "That allows me to play a different way that I don't think people have seen, that I haven't seen myself. Because I'm able to do it now, it kind of unlocks that next level of linebacker for me. "If I was a Pokemon, this might be, like, the third evolution or something." B.C. (1-1) dropped a 34-20 decision to Winnipeg (1-0), but Awe and the rest of the Lions will have an opportunity for revenge Saturday when the two sides meet for a rematch in Vancouver. B.C. knows the key to earning a different result this time out is shutting down Winnipeg's potent rush, Awe said. "If we can't stop the run, they can do whatever they want to do, so that's going to be our main goal." That all comes down to want, he said. "Play professional football long enough, you realize, OK, all right, this is what I'm supposed to do, but I've still got to go do it." Winnipeg's offence will be without a key piece on Saturday after the team officially ruled Brady Oliveira out with a shoulder injury. The 27-year-old running back, who was named both the league's most outstanding player and most outstanding Canadian last season, contributed 49 yards on two carries last week before getting hurt. Bombers head coach Mike O'Shea said he isn't concerned about slotting someone else into the running back role. "We've got lots of ways to move the roster around," he said. "We've always been pretty comfortable with everybody in our locker room. The belief is if they're here, they're going to help us win football games this year." The Lions, too, could miss a prime offensive player for the rematch. Starting quarterback Nathan Rourke picked up a core injury in last week's loss and left in the fourth quarter. He was limited in practice on Tuesday, and did not take the field with his teammates on Wednesday or Thursday, working instead with trainers on the sidelines. B.C. has listed him as "questionable" for Saturday's game. Veteran QB Jeremiah Masoli is expected to start for the Lions. Every quarterback on B.C.'s roster is ready to play, said Lions head coach Buck Pierce. "All the guys have now had time under centre, and whether it be in training camp, whether it be out here each week, I'm a big believer in getting everybody reps. So they've been taking reps, they've been learning," he said. "Jeremiah has a lot of experience in this league, and he's seen a lot of things. He's got a great mind for the game. He sees things quickly, he processes information fast. So I'm confident in whoever we have back there." Masoli believes seeing the same team two weeks in a row will be a boon for B.C. "Obviously we weren't as successful as we wanted to be last game," he said. "So we're just working hard to be able to make sure that turns in our favour this weekend." The Bombers will also have a different starting quarterback on Saturday, as Zach Collaros returns to the lineup after serving a one-game suspension for failing to respond to an off-season drug-testing request. Pierce is uniquely primed to game plan for facing Winnipeg's usual No. 1, having worked with him for several seasons in his previous role as the Bombers' offensive co-ordinator. "[Collaros is] a hell of a player. I've got a lot of respect for what he's done," Pierce said. "Obviously, I credit a lot of my success to him, and he's dynamic, right? He's dynamic, he's tough, he loves to compete. "So we're going to have to make sure that we understand his strengths and know how to play against him." Collaros enters the game with 199 regular-season touchdown passes across his CFL career. Only 14 players have reached the 200 mark across the league, and Bo Levi Mitchell is the only active player to have hit the milestone. The Bombers have fared well against the Lions in recent years, going 7-2 in matchups between the two sides since 2022.
CTV News
20-06-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
B.C. Lions, Winnipeg Blue Bombers both expected to miss stars for rematch
Winnipeg Blue Bombers' Brady Oliveira (20) runs for the first down during first half CFL action against the BC Lions in Winnipeg Thursday, June 12, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods Micah Awe feels like he's unlocked something new in his arsenal — and that could spell trouble for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers this weekend. Midway through a game against the Bombers in Winnipeg last week, the B.C. Lions linebacker started to see everything in front of him differently. The run game simply opened up, he said. 'To be honest, probably for the first time in my eight-year career, I started seeing linebackers kind of like a painting,' explained Awe, who registered 10 tackles in the contest. 'It's kind of like art. You see the art differently (once something clicks).' The switch in perception came from working with Lions defensive coordinator Mike Benevides and playing behind defensive linemen Mathieu Betts and Sione Teuhema, Awe said. 'The difference with this D line, it's the physicality and the violence,' said the 31-year-old Texas Tech product. 'That allows me to play a different way that I don't think people have seen, that I haven't seen myself. Because I'm able to do it now, it kind of unlocks that next level of linebacker for me. 'If I was a Pokemon, this might be, like, the third evolution or something.' B.C. (1-1) dropped a 34-20 decision to Winnipeg (1-0), but Awe and the rest of the Lions will have an opportunity for revenge Saturday when the two sides meet for a rematch in Vancouver. B.C. knows the key to earning a different result this time out is shutting down Winnipeg's potent rush, Awe said. 'If we can't stop the run, they can do whatever they want to do. So, that's going to be our main goal,' he said, adding that all comes down to want. 'Play professional football long enough, you realize, 'OK, all right. This is what I'm supposed to do, but I've still gotta go do it.' Winnipeg's offence will be without a key piece on Saturday after the team officially ruled Brady Oliveira out with a shoulder injury. The 27-year-old running back, who was named both the league's most-outstanding player and most-outstanding Canadian last season, contributed 49 yards on two carries last week before getting hurt. Bombers head coach Mike O'Shea said he isn't concerned about slotting someone else into the running back role. 'We've got lots of ways to move the roster around,' he said. 'We've always been pretty comfortable with everybody in our locker room. The belief is if they're here, they're going to help us win football games this year.' The Lions, too, could miss a prime offensive player for the rematch. Starting quarterback Nathan Rourke picked up a core injury in last week's loss and left in the fourth quarter. He was limited in practice on Tuesday, and did not take the field with his teammates on Wednesday or Thursday, working instead with trainers on the sidelines. B.C. has listed him as 'questionable' for Saturday's game. Veteran QB Jeremiah Masoli is expected to start for the Lions. Every quarterback on B.C.'s roster is ready to play, said Lions head coach Buck Pierce. 'All the guys have now had time under centre. And whether it be, in training camp, whether it be out here each week, I'm a big believer in getting everybody reps. So they've been taking reps, they've been learning,' he said. 'Jeremiah has a lot of experience in this league, and he's seen a lot of things. He's got a great mind for the game. He sees things quickly, he processes information fast. So, I'm confident in whoever we have back there.' The Blue Bombers will also have a different starting quarterback on Saturday as Zach Collaros returns to the lineup after serving a one-game suspension for failing to respond to an off-season drug-testing request. Pierce is uniquely primed to game plan for facing Winnipeg's usual No. 1, having worked with him for several seasons in his previous role as the Bombers' offensive coordinator. '(Collaros is) a hell of a player. I've got a lot of respect for what he's done,' the coach said. 'Obviously, I credit a lot of my success to him and he's dynamic, right? He's dynamic, he's tough, he loves to compete. 'So we're going to have to make sure that we understand his strengths and know how to play against him.' WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (1-0) AT B.C. LIONS (1-1) B.C. Place, Saturday MR. 200: Collaros enters the game with 199 regular-season touchdown passes across his CFL career. Only 14 players have reached the 200 mark across the league, and Bo Levi Mitchell is the only active player to have hit the milestone. WINNER-PEG: The Bombers have fared well against the Lions in recent years, going 7-2 in matchups between the two sides since 2022. BACK TO BACK: Masoli believes seeing the same team two weeks in a row will be a boon for B.C. 'Obviously we weren't as successful as we wanted to be last game,' he said. 'So, we're just working hard to be able to make sure that turns in our favour this weekend.' This report by Gemma Karstens-Smith The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2025.
