Is this the best version of Lions’ QB Nathan Rourke we’ve ever seen?

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Nathan Rourke took the CFL by storm with the B.C. Lions in 2022, winning the league’s Most Outstanding Canadian Award despite missing half the campaign with an injury.

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It still feels like he’s getting better all the time. This current version could be the best we’ve seen so far in Lions’ garb. Anecdotally, he seems faster and more elusive this year. His arm seems stronger. He’s getting the ball out quickly and spreading it around to all his receivers just like he did in 2022.

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His numbers are similar. Rourke had thrown for 3,281 yards and 25 touchdowns when he went down with a Lisfranc sprain in August 2022 after nine games. Rourke’s made nine starts for B.C. going into their Friday visit to the Ottawa Redblacks and is at 3,012 yards passing and 18 touchdowns.

He’s rushed for 316 yards on 31 carries to date, compared with 304 yards on 39 carries in 2022.

He’s only 27 years old. It’s no surprise that he’s still trending up. It’s widely apparent, though, that 2022 wasn’t a one-off, and that last year’s 1,781 yards passing in six starts after coming back from the NFL midseason was an aberration.

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TSN analyst Luke Willson was singing Rourke’s praises on his X feed Thursday, writing: “Buzzing Nathan Rourke film right now. He should be in the NFL. CFL is lucky to have him. Just being honest.”

Rourke sits 12th on the Lions’ all-time passing yards list, with 8,896, and he needs 307 yards against Ottawa to leapfrog into ninth. He hits that total and he passes his current head coach, Buck Pierce (8,964), followed by Casey Printers (9,185) and Vernon Adams Jr. (9,202).

With 55 yards, Rourke will move past Don Getty into third place in CFL history among Canadian-born quarterbacks. Russ Jackson (24,952) and Gerry Dattilio (9,952) are the top two.

“I think he’s extremely excited to grow and get better and that’s what makes him better,” Pierce said of Rourke, the pivot who was born in Victoria and grew up in Oakville, Ont. “You look at each rep and you look at each game and you look at ways to improve. He’s growing and he’s getting better.

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“Just the type of leader and perfectionist he is, he wants to be the best at his craft and that’s how he approaches his day.”

Running back James Butler added: “It’s just Nate. He’s great. I’ve been saying and I’ll continue to say it: When Nate’s in there, it gives you a chance.”

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This whole comparison between the 2022 and the current incarnation of Rourke would be a more compelling discourse undoubtedly if the Lions were farther up in the standings. That 2022 Lions team was 8-1 when he was sidelined. This team is currently 5-6 — Rourke missed two games due to injury — and coming off a bye week following a disappointing 52-34 shellacking at the hands of the Toronto Argonauts on Aug. 23.

The Lions are fourth in the West Division, trailing the Saskatchewan Roughriders (9-2), Calgary Stampeders (8-3) and Winnipeg Blue Bombers (6-5).

Winnipeg already has the season series tiebreaker with the Lions, so B.C.’s best route to the playoffs is looking like a crossover game with the Eastern Conference. Toronto (4-8) is in third place there currently and has the bye this week, so a B.C. win over Ottawa (3-8) would create some extra cushion for the Lions if they have to go that direction for a post-season berth.

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The Lions come into the week at or near the bottom in several defensive categories across the nine-team CFL, including points allowed (eighth, 29.5 per game); opponents rushing yards (eighth, 107.2 per game); and opponents big plays (tied for seventh, 33), which takes into account things like rushes of 20 or more yards, pass receptions of 30 or more yards and kick returns of 40 or more yards.

B.C. is also last in the league in turnover ratio (minus-11).

“I think you trust your coaches and you’re constantly looking at different things and different ways,” Pierce said. “I think we’re on the same page with the things we need to get better at and that’s where our focus is. And I believe we’ll get better.

“The guys understand where we are and what we have in front of us.”

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The Lions tweaked the defensive lineup this week, bringing in defensive lineman Levi Bell, 26, a Cedar Park, Tex., native who had training camp stints with both the Seattle Seahawks and the Indianapolis Colts. His last collegiate season was 2022, with Texas State. He’s listed in the starting lineup for Friday, despite the limited practice time.

Asked this week about what he can bring to the defence, the 6-foot-1, 255 pound Bell said: “A beast mentality, effort and a lot of sacks.”

B.C. also gets defensive halfback Jalon Edwards-Cooper (thigh) returning to the lineup after missing the past four games with injury. Cornerback Garry Peters (knee) is a game-time decision, but Peters is in line to play his 116th consecutive contest Friday since joining the Leos ahead of the 2018 season.

Centre Michael Couture (thumb) is back in the lineup as well after missing the past six games.

SEwen@postmedia.com

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