SURREY, B.C. — Nathan Rourke will get the start in his birthplace on Saturday, when the BC Lions host the Ottawa REDBLACKS in the Touchdown Pacific game.
Saturday’s contest, from Royal Athletic Park, kicks off the biggest regular season weekend on the schedule — the OK Tire Labour Day Weekend.
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Rourke will look to end the Lions’ five-game losing streak on Saturday, as he’ll start his third game in a row since re-joining the team (Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca)
“Nathan’s taking all the reps and V.A. (Vernon Adams Jr. is) not at that stage yet, but definitely coming along,” Campbell told reporters after the Lions’ Tuesday practice, confirming the question that Rourke would get the start this week.
Rourke made 22-31 passes for 234 yards with an interception last week in the Lions’ loss to the Ottawa REDBLACKS. Playing in just his second game with the team since he returned to the CFL from exploring NFL options for the last year and a half, Rourke showed improvement from his debut game a week earlier, but still had things he wanted to improve on as the Lions get set to travel to Victoria this week.
“I think he’s going to continue to get better,” Campebell said of Rourke. “I think about what he pulled off in a month of going from the (New York) Giants to the (Atlanta) Falcons to being a starting CFL quarterback. I don’t know how he does that.
“The two things I’m really looking forward to is Nathan is going to continue to get better and more comfortable with things and VA being healthy is only going to make our football team stronger.”
Adams continues to work to return from the knee injury that took him out of the Lions’ Week 9 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He told reporters on Tuesday that he’s getting more comfortable in his individual workouts, but that cutting movements didn’t quite feel right yet. Campbell said Adams may dress as a backup this week.
“I’m feeling good. I’m going to keep ramping it up each day,” Adams said.
“If (Rourke) wasn’t here I’d be out here playing, but he’s here and there’s no need for me to rush my injury or anything like that. I’m going to get 100 per cent and work that way.”
After starting the season 5-1, the Lions have dropped five straight to sit at 5-6 and are now third in a very tight West Division.
“We know that we didn’t win five in a row for no reason,” Adams said. “We haven’t been finishing lately. That’s what it takes in a league like this, especially with the West being so close. All these teams are good. We have to finish, we have to play our game to our standard and have fun while we’re doing it.”
The Lions and REDBLACKS kickoff at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday.