B.C. Lions head coach Wally Buono talks to Ryan Phillips during the first half of CFL action against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Winnipeg on October 8, 2016.John Woods/The Canadian Press
Wally Buono's explanation for the B.C. Lions' recent failings is simple.
"Stupidity," said the club's head coach and general manager. "The games that we've lost in the last [month] have been basically a result of not being smart, not playing smart."
B.C. downed the Montreal Alouettes at home on Sept. 9 to improve to 8-3 on the season and looked like a pretty good bet to host a CFL playoff game for the first time since 2012.
But following their bye, the Lions have dropped three of four, including back-to-back losses to Winnipeg that saw the Blue Bombers move past B.C. into second place in the West Division standings.
Last weekend's defeat to Winnipeg at home was especially tough to swallow. The Lions blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter thanks to their fifth and six turnovers of the evening – an ill-advised interception from quarterback Jonathon Jennings with under three minutes to play and a fumble by kick returner Chris Rainey after the Blue Bombers tied the score that set up the winning field goal.
Buono, the CFL's career wins leader at 263 and counting, said his team has done a lot of good things over this difficult stretch, but key mistakes, especially late, have cost them dearly.
"Sometimes, it's who makes the least mistakes at the most critical times," he said. "If you look at the three games out of four that we've lost, the [formula is play well] down to the wire and then piss it away."
Jennings has led the Lions to comeback wins in the fourth quarter this season, but he was still kicking himself this week after his third interception against Winnipeg.
"We're not going to win football games playing like that," said the second-year pivot. "I can't lead the team to a win playing football like that. I can't have turnovers like that. It's something we've got to learn from."
B.C. linebacker Adam Bighill said it was important that the team let the loss linger a little longer than normal to ensure the mistakes, which also included bad penalties and missed tackles on defence, aren't repeated.
"You've got to let it sting and understand the opportunity that was missed," Bighill said. "You have to reflect on how things are going to have to be changed and what needs to be done and be honest with yourselves.
"There's a time where you have to reflect and let it burn a bit, but you quickly thereafter have to make the necessary changes to overcome it."
The Lions (9-6) will look to make those changes when they host the Edmonton Eskimos (8-7) at B.C. Place Stadium on Saturday. The Eskimos have won three straight – including a 27-23 victory over B.C. last month that started the Lions' slide – and are coming off a bye of their own.
"We were playing good football before the break and it's imperative for us to pick up where we left off," Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly told reporters in the Alberta capital this week. "Half the struggle with a bye week is trying to make sure you can continue that momentum that you built up."
The Lions will have to be wary of a potent aerial assault led by Reilly and the CFL's top two receivers, Adarius Bowman (1,609 yards) and Derel Walker (1,464 yards).
"They're playing some good ball," said B.C. linebacker Solomon Elimimian, the league's leading tackler with 113. "What's big when you play football is confidence. They have some confidence."
While both teams have already clinched playoff spots, another loss to the Eskimos would bump the Lions to fourth in the West and put them in position for the crossover berth in the East, with both Winnipeg and Edmonton owning a tiebreaker over B.C.
That might not be such a bad thing.
The Lions are 7-1 against the East this season and just 2-5 against the West, but with three games to go they want to hit the post-season on a high.
"If we're going into the playoffs with a 3-0 record, I'll take that any day," said B.C. defensive back Ryan Phillips. "Going into the playoffs without confidence never breeds wins. That's just the reality.
"I'll take my confident team with a 3-0 record going against anybody in the West, I don't care who it is, than a team that's not winning and making the crossover."