BC Lions Beat Edmonton Eskimos To Take Top Spot in the CFL West

The BC Lions got a big 43-28 road win against the Edmonton Eskimos, avenging their home loss to the Eskimos last week. The win gives the Leos a 10-6 record, putting them in a tie for first place in the Western Division with the Calgary Stampeders.

The Lions were led by quarterback Buck Pierce, who racked up 378 yards and completed 25 of 40 passes. Pierce's main targets were receiver Geroy Simon, who scored two touchdowns, and veteran wideout Paris Jackson, who benefited from the fact that Simon was double-teamed for much of the night.

Jackson ended the game with eight catches for 127 yards and a touchdown. The 6'3 receiver also had several key receptions, including a 37-yard catch that led to a rushing touchdown. Jackson broke the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the season, the first time he has done that in his six-year career.

"Paris is always there for me," said Pierce after the game. "He's always in the right spots. Geroy got the TDs but everybody contributed."

The first half was a see-saw battle that saw both teams march up and down the field almost at will. The Eskimos had a 21-17 lead at halftime, but the Lions engineered three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to seal the win

After the game, Eskimos head coach Danny Maciocia blamed the loss on two critical turnovers that led to a Lions touchdown and field goal.

Although the outcome had been decided well before the final whistle, both teams played hard due to the CFL's little-known tiebreaker rule. The Lions needed to win the game by at least 13 points to give them an edge over the Eskimos should the teams end up with identical records at the end of the season.

With seven seconds left, the Eskimos attempted a 34-yard field goal, which would have cut the Lions lead to 12 points. The Lions managed to block the kick, giving them a little breathing room if the teams do end the season deadlocked.