Did you remember to turn back the clock Sunday morning?

We did, cranking it way back to 2001, in a discussion with Lions head coach Wally Buono, who has seen this predicament/opportunity before.

Buono's 2001 team in Calgary started 1-4, finished 8-10 and went on to win an unlikely Grey Cup.

The fact that he has a championship on his resume doing it the hard way probably isn't getting a warm reception in Vancouver this week, however.

Still, the 2009 Lions began 1-4 and can finish either 9-9, 8-9-1 or 8-10, depending on Friday's result against the Edmonton Eskimos at BC Place. Wherever they land, the Lions will need their bags packed - either because they're going home for good or because of a number of possible out-of-town playoff destinations.

Any chance of a home playoff date in November evaporated after Calgary's Sandro DeAngelis booted a field goal on the final play to defeat the Lions 28-26 Saturday night.

"As much as you can be discouraged, as much as you can be down, a win Friday will put us in the playoffs," Buono said. "And, after that, who knows what's going to happen?"

Barring a tie, the Lions will either finish third at 9-9 or fourth at 8-10 in the West Division. Even fourth could still get them into the East Division playoffs as the crossover team, if the 7-10 Blue Bombers lose to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats Sunday in Winnipeg.

Neither thought offers much encouragement to Lions fans. But it's true that Buono won ugly in 2001 with a journeyman quarterback, Marcus Crandell, not nearly as mobile or fear-inducing as the one he has now, Casey Printers.

Neither was his feature back in '01, multi-purpose Kelvin Anderson, as quick as the Lions tackle-buster, Martell Mallett. And how do the '01 Stampeders most accomplished receivers - Marc Boerigter, Travis Moore and Vince Danielsen - measure up against Geroy Simon, Paris Jackson and Emmanuel Arceneaux?

"I think Geroy was better than all of them," Buono says.

That '01 Stampeder team needed a 22-15 road victory over the 14-3 Blue Bombers in Winnipeg in the final game of the regular season to even qualify for the playoffs. And Buono is aware how much luck it had in getting to the Grey Cup. The three or four plays they needed each time to win could have turned out differently and they would have lost. But that's true of all football games and teams.

On Saturday, the Lions offence performed well when it mattered, Printers completing five straight and throwing a 46-yard touchdown to Jackson to put the Lions ahead 26-25 with just 1:35 left. But the defence didn't tighten up when it was supposed to - just as it failed to do the previous week against Saskatchewan - and the game was lost.

The tension is clearly mounting to put together a complete effort and eliminate the critical mistakes. If it happens sooner than later, the Lions could enter the playoffs on a high.

Highs do happen, and the fragile faith that one could happen again is what sustains Wally Buono.

mbeamish@vancouversun.com