Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Drew Willy is taken down hard by B.C. Lions' Solomon Elimimian and Alex Hoffman-EllisJohn Woods/The Canadian Press
Darvin Adams' teammates tried to give the Winnipeg Blue Bombers receiver the game ball, but he instead gave it to quarterback Drew Willy.
Despite hauling in four catches for a career-high 127 yards and one touchdown in a 23-13 win over the B.C. Lions Thursday, Adams said his performance paled in comparison to Willy.
Willy passed for 269 yards and two touchdowns on an injured knee, which also held up during his five carries for a career-high 72 yards.
"He's coming off an injury and comes back and plays tough running ball," said Adams. "He's trying to run people over and everything so you've got to love that. I play hard for him."
The victory snapped a two-game losing skid for Winnipeg (3-3) while the Lions (2-3) lost their second straight.
Willy hurt his right knee in a loss to Edmonton last Saturday and hobbled off the field with what looked to be a serious injury.
He was jokingly asked by a reporter to explain how he got more mobile after an injury.
"I'm confident in my ability," said Willy, who completed 17 of 25 pass attempts with no interceptions. "I'm obviously a drop-back quarterback, but at the same I try to be athletic out there and get yards when I can."
Willy put up more rushing yards than Bombers running backs Cameron Marshall (50 yards) and Paris Cotton (11 yards).
The Lions defence knows Willy has the ability to run, although he might have caught them off guard a bit.
"Coming off a lower-leg injury, maybe we were kind of surprised that he did run," said B.C. linebacker Solomon Elimimian. "But there's many times (four) we got sacks on him. A lot of it is just gap integrity and assignment."
Willy said Adams giving him the game ball added to a special week, in which he had family in Winnipeg.
Lions quarterback Travis Lulay was 22-of-33 for 254 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions, while running back Andrew Harris finished with a career-high 24 carries for 117 yards.
"We came out with a really good start and then lost our rhythm once again. That's two weeks in a row," said Lulay, who threw a 17-yard pass to Courtney Taylor for B.C.'s lone touchdown.
B.C. rookie Richie Leone kicked field goals from 23 and 22 yards, keeping him perfect on all 12 field goals he's attempted this season. He was also good on his lone convert.
Bombers kicker Lirim Hajrullahu was good on field goals from 19, 20 and 26 yards and both his convert attempts. Winnipeg rookie receiver Justin Veltung, replacing injured Nick Moore, scored his first CFL touchdown with an eight-yard catch in the second quarter.
B.C. led 7-0 after the first quarter and 10-7 at halftime.
"It's like beating a dead horse," said Harris. "We're just making mistakes and penalties, just not being efficient enough. We have hot spurts and then we're flat."
Defensive back Demond Washington intercepted Lulay with 1:55 left – his first since 2013. He said watching Willy play through injury motivated his club.
"He got all the guys riled up and fired up," said Washington. "Knowing he's out there playing injured, he's putting his body on the line, it got all the guys riled up and wanting to get out there and play."