The B.C. Lions are unbeaten where it matters most -- the win column -- but not necessarily in the dressing room.
The unexpected 8-0 start to the Canadian Football League regular season has left the Leos in a remarkably humble frame of mind as they prepare to continue without No. 1 quarterback Dave Dickenson for several games.
Dickenson has been declared out for possibly up to four weeks after suffering a separated left shoulder last weekend against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Before he left, he directed touchdown drives on B.C.'s first three series.
"We've realized how good we can be, but I don't feel we've played that great," Dickenson said yesterday while watching practice.
"We know we're 8-0, yet we've got improving to do."
Still, the Lions haven't seemed to miss a beat as they get ready for Saturday's game in Regina against the rested Saskatchewan Roughriders (15 days between games) with a revitalized Casey Printers anxious for the starting assignment.
On some teams this might be a disruptive situation, a time when fortunes can take a sudden downturn. But the Lions know they can rely on Printers, the CFL's most valuable player in the 2004 season.
"We have a lot of confidence in both quarterbacks," Lions head coach Wally Buono reiterated. "From a depth perspective, we couldn't be in better shape."
Printers has had toe and shoulder problems since the end of last season, when he had a breakout year after Dickenson was sidelined after knee surgery. Printers played in relief of Dickenson last game and wasn't sharp after missing almost a week's practice suffering from the flu.
Now he's throwing again with some zip on his passes, noting it seems like training camp for him because he has been inactive for a long period.
Printers hasn't shared in much of the success of the Lions this season, other than one emergency start against the Edmonton Eskimos when Dickenson came up with back spasms.
"It's been difficult from the standpoint I wasn't able to participate," said Printers, an icepack wrapped over his right shoulder after practice. "We're 8-0, things are going well, but it's really hard for me to enjoy every win because I haven't been able to produce and help the team.
"If there's an issue with me, that's what it is. I was such a big part of what we were doing last year and everything was great. But this is like my training camp, still learning and trying to get better."
Dickenson was hurt while throwing a touchdown pass to Paris Jackson. He was caught by the backside rush and jammed into the turf by blitzing Donnavan Carter, jamming his left shoulder into the turf.
Printers produced a scoring drive on his first series against Hamilton, but in the second half was ineffective, showing a lack of fundamentals at times after missing so much practice time. Third-stringer Buck Pierce, a rookie, was used, too, and actually got more snaps than the MVP quarterback.
The Lions were in contract negotiations with Printers before the season, but they have been put on hold until after the season. B.C. would like to extend the three-year deal, plus option, signed by Printers in 2003.
Meantime, Dickenson had regained form before his latest injury, completing 75.4 per cent of his passes, throwing for 12 touchdowns, with only three interceptions.
The Lions have controlled the football almost every game, averaging 33 minutes 50 seconds of possession a game, best in the league.
B.C. is ranked the top passing team as Dickenson, Printers and Pierce have combined to complete 73.6 per cent of their passes.
Dickenson hasn't thrown deep as often as Printers did last season, but he's been the master of the short pass, especially on second-down crossing plays.
"We've been steadily moving the ball, our time of possession is up and our punts down," Dickenson said. "Maybe we don't score every drive, but we've been very consistent as far as first downs.
"We haven't had as many big plays, but overall we're right on track. I thought, potentially, maybe the last game could have been our breakout performance until [the injury]."
Last season, when Printers started for the first time in the CFL, he passed for 5,088 yards, with 35 scoring passes and only 10 interceptions in 18 games.
This year, Dickenson in seven games has passed for 2,175 yards.
The unexpected 8-0 start to the Canadian Football League regular season has left the Leos in a remarkably humble frame of mind as they prepare to continue without No. 1 quarterback Dave Dickenson for several games.
Dickenson has been declared out for possibly up to four weeks after suffering a separated left shoulder last weekend against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Before he left, he directed touchdown drives on B.C.'s first three series.
"We've realized how good we can be, but I don't feel we've played that great," Dickenson said yesterday while watching practice.
"We know we're 8-0, yet we've got improving to do."
Still, the Lions haven't seemed to miss a beat as they get ready for Saturday's game in Regina against the rested Saskatchewan Roughriders (15 days between games) with a revitalized Casey Printers anxious for the starting assignment.
On some teams this might be a disruptive situation, a time when fortunes can take a sudden downturn. But the Lions know they can rely on Printers, the CFL's most valuable player in the 2004 season.
"We have a lot of confidence in both quarterbacks," Lions head coach Wally Buono reiterated. "From a depth perspective, we couldn't be in better shape."
Printers has had toe and shoulder problems since the end of last season, when he had a breakout year after Dickenson was sidelined after knee surgery. Printers played in relief of Dickenson last game and wasn't sharp after missing almost a week's practice suffering from the flu.
Now he's throwing again with some zip on his passes, noting it seems like training camp for him because he has been inactive for a long period.
Printers hasn't shared in much of the success of the Lions this season, other than one emergency start against the Edmonton Eskimos when Dickenson came up with back spasms.
"It's been difficult from the standpoint I wasn't able to participate," said Printers, an icepack wrapped over his right shoulder after practice. "We're 8-0, things are going well, but it's really hard for me to enjoy every win because I haven't been able to produce and help the team.
"If there's an issue with me, that's what it is. I was such a big part of what we were doing last year and everything was great. But this is like my training camp, still learning and trying to get better."
Dickenson was hurt while throwing a touchdown pass to Paris Jackson. He was caught by the backside rush and jammed into the turf by blitzing Donnavan Carter, jamming his left shoulder into the turf.
Printers produced a scoring drive on his first series against Hamilton, but in the second half was ineffective, showing a lack of fundamentals at times after missing so much practice time. Third-stringer Buck Pierce, a rookie, was used, too, and actually got more snaps than the MVP quarterback.
The Lions were in contract negotiations with Printers before the season, but they have been put on hold until after the season. B.C. would like to extend the three-year deal, plus option, signed by Printers in 2003.
Meantime, Dickenson had regained form before his latest injury, completing 75.4 per cent of his passes, throwing for 12 touchdowns, with only three interceptions.
The Lions have controlled the football almost every game, averaging 33 minutes 50 seconds of possession a game, best in the league.
B.C. is ranked the top passing team as Dickenson, Printers and Pierce have combined to complete 73.6 per cent of their passes.
Dickenson hasn't thrown deep as often as Printers did last season, but he's been the master of the short pass, especially on second-down crossing plays.
"We've been steadily moving the ball, our time of possession is up and our punts down," Dickenson said. "Maybe we don't score every drive, but we've been very consistent as far as first downs.
"We haven't had as many big plays, but overall we're right on track. I thought, potentially, maybe the last game could have been our breakout performance until [the injury]."
Last season, when Printers started for the first time in the CFL, he passed for 5,088 yards, with 35 scoring passes and only 10 interceptions in 18 games.
This year, Dickenson in seven games has passed for 2,175 yards.
