BC Lions: Buck Pierce or Jarious Jackson?

The B.C Lions are looking to keep pace in the Western Division with a win this week, after a roaring comeback road victory in Edmonton last week. Quarterback Buck Pierce put his team on his back and led the way to a 21-point 4th quarter which lifted the Lions to a 43-28 win.

Pierce, who was pulled the week before, in what he later deemed as the worst performance of his football career, made up for it in Edmonton, as he showed a lot of leadership and heart, putting up with a lot of abuse from the Eskimo defense. Pierce was hobbling on the sidelines, but he hung in there, and it paid off in the end. His two 4th quarter touchdown passes were key in the come from behind victory.

BC Lions

The Lions host the 4-12 Argos from Toronto this week, and they need to keep winning if they want to have any chance to catch the first place Calgary Stampeders. This is out of their hands unfortunately, as a Stampeder victory in Hamilton will clinch first place for Calgary.

Regardless of where the Lions finish, a critical issue remains. All season long, the quarterback position has been up in the air in Vancouver, but does last week’s classic performance by Pierce answer all the critics? Is Buck the undisputable leader of the pack?

I don’t think so. It was great to see him bounce back from the dismal performance from two games ago last week. He definitely showed some gumption playing through the pain and coming out on top, but this was just one game. I don’t think his performance last week erases the performance from the week before. If anything it proves how inconsistent Pierce has been this season.

Again it was a gutsy performance, playing through the rib and ankle injuries, and it was a huge victory. After the last loss, the Lions visibly lost their swagger and were starting to doubt themselves. Pierce, if healthy, deserves a shot to prove he can do it again, but I don’t think coach Wally Buono will hesitate to go to backup Jarious Jackson if he doesn’t see immediate results. He can’t afford to wait…

-By Aleem Peermohamed