Jack B. Bedell
CFL.ca
HOW WILL THE WEST BE WON?
Anyone hoping to come out of the West Division showdowns last week with a sense of clarity better put that thought on hold for a while.
Heading into Labour Day weekend, four points separate first place from last place in the division. And while it could be argued that the four teams are headed in different directions, there’s more than enough talent across the board in the division to make anything possible down the stretch.
The Edmonton Eskimos and Calgary Stampeders closed the gap on the division-leading Saksatchewan Roughriders with wins last weekend, and both teams seem to be hitting their strides offensively and defensively going into next weekend’s Battle of Alberta.
It’s definitely going to be very interesting to see who comes out of the back-to-back series on top. If one of the two teams could sweep, it would go a long way towards setting the pace down the home stretch of the season.
The Roughriders and B.C. Lions lost ground last week, and both squads are reeling a bit with questions surrounding performances on both sides of the ball. Saskatchewan saw enough in its two consecutive losses to pull the trigger on a deal to bring Michael Bishop in from Toronto to run its floundering offence.
The Lions have had efficiency problems at pivot, too, behind Jarious Jackson, and the trouble’s been exacerbated by subpar play on the o-line.
Add a little trouble defending the run to both team’s situations and you have the makings of some turbulence for the back nine of the schedule.
All that said, the West sports some of the best coaching and talent in the league, and I’m certain there will be several ebbs and flows before the big question finds an answer.
One thing’s for sure, it’s going to be a wild run to the finish line out west. And I’m more than ready to strap in and get my popcorn on.
RUSH TO JUDGMENT
Thursday night’s match up between the Eskimos and Riders featured one of the league’s most potent passing attacks going up against one of the league’s stingiest pass defences, so it wasn’t a stretch to figure a running back would determine the winner of the tilt.
And as soon as Edmonton fell behind 10-0 in the first frame, I really figured Wes Cates would be that factor back. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
It took a tremendous amount of patience to stick with the run against Saskatchewan’s aggressive front seven, but the Esks’ faith in A. J. Harris and its o-line was more than rewarded.
On a night when Ricky Ray was forced to be a little frugal through the air, Harris racked up one of the finest rushing performances in franchise history, gaining 189 yards and a major on 21 carries.
Harris attacked holes with an aggression I haven’t seen from the Esks’ rushing attack in years, and it allowed Edmonton’s offence to get into a phenomenal rhythm.
The same couldn’t be said for any facet of the Riders’ O, with Marcus Crandell off the mark a bit, receivers dropping balls again, and Wes Cates under wraps. That’s probably as much a testament to the inspired play of the Esks’ defence (particularly Dario Romero and the Esks’ defensive front), as it is an indictment of Saskatchewan’s offence, though.
Edmonton’s victory tightened the race for first place in the West considerably, and it’s going to be interesting to see how Gang Green responds to Michael Bishop being brought in to turn the tide of consecutive losses. I doubt he would’ve slowed Harris down much if he had been in uniform last week…
BUCKING THE TREND
The Stamps rode into B. C. Place Friday night having not won there in years. For Henry Burris and Joffrey Reynolds, those losses involved more than a few turnovers and missed opportunities, but they managed to muscle past all that with a little help from Calgary’s swarming defence.
For his part, Burris moved the ball efficiently against the Lions’ ball-hawking secondary, passing for 282 yards and two majors, and more importantly not going into the tank after he gave up an interception to Korey Banks that went for six the other way.
In the past, Burris might’ve compounded that error by pressing too hard to make up for it. On Friday, he just kept plugging away, finding his playmakers like Nik Lewis and Kenyon Rambo for yards and points that kept the game in hand for the Stamps.
Reynolds pounded the rock for 124 yards and a TD on 15 carries. He had the kind of night that establishes a physical presence and that keeps a defence honest in its schemes and unable to sell out after the passer.
But the real heroes of the night had to be Calgary’s front seven. Mike Labinjo and Charleston Hughes were laying serious leather all night, getting two sacks and numerous hits on Jarious Jackson, knocking the pivot out of the game with a dislocated finger in the second half.
Behind the d-line, Jojuan Armour and Calvin Bannister were all over the field making plays. Even though Stefan Logan got his yards, he wasn’t allowed to break off any long runs for scores, and that put too much pressure on Jackson to handle the load.
The Lions’ offence looked better under Buck Pierce late in the game, but it wasn’t enough to keep pace with Burris and company. Not with the Stamps’ D playing the way they’ve been playing lately…
RWB’S PRIMETIME PERFORMERS
1) A. J. Harris
2) Dario Romero
3) Kamau Peterson
4) Eskimos’ O-line
5) Joffrey Reynolds
6) Rob Lazeo
7) Charleston Hughes
8) Mike Labinjo
9) Stefan Logan
10) Anton McKenzie
WEEK 10 PREDICTIONS DOOMED TO GO WRONG
The West did right for me in week 9, so I’m taking a little momentum into Labour Day weekend.
With big-time emotions and traditional rivalries in play this weekend, though, the games are tough to pick. Since it’s done well the last couple of weeks, I’m sticking with the old gut, and it says to go with Montreal, Winnipeg, Calgary, and Toronto.
UP NEXT
Check back next week to get my takes on all of week 10’s action. I’ll also take a look at some of the questions still hanging around the CFL at the season’s midway point.
Until then, take care. And please bring a little of Ben Franklin’s advice into the holiday—“All things in moderation!”
Jack B. Bedell is a Professor of English at Southeastern
Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana and has followed the CFL for
nearly three decades.
