Corey Grant
CFL.ca
It’s the last week of the season and the playoffs are right around the corner… better yet, knocking down the door with some teams going home while others are getting ready to make that run for the Grey Cup.
The Grey Cup! This is what every team has been striving for since the beginning of training camp and the reality is only one team can be crowned champion and getting into the playoffs is the first step to achieve that goal. Each of the six teams in the playoffs start with a clean record (0-0) and the one thing they can each take with them is everyone’s old friend “Mo”…Momentum that is, and the best way to find him/her is to win the last regular season game.
Winning the last regular season game can provide teams with extra confidence and the possibility of finding “Old Mo” who has been known to carry a team to the Grey Cup game and better yet a championship season. Now winning this game doesn’t guarantee anything for your playoff run but it can go a long way to helping a team.
Now I know every game in the season is important, whether it’s Week 1 or Week 18 because it’s the next game on the schedule and an opportunity to play another football game. But this week might seem a little different to the outsider because the playoff matchups are set (except for where BC and Saskatchewan will be playing their game) and nobody wants to see any of their star players go down with an injury in the final week.
The questions that cross the minds of individuals (mostly media and fans) are: Should the starters play? How long do the starters stay in if they’re playing? What about injuries?
These questions are for the coaches and management to answer and every team and situation is different, therefore, there is no right or wrong decision but… as players we just want to play FOOTBALL.
This game is another opportunity for guys to obtain some of those personal goals that were written down in the off-season, whether is was: leading the league in receiving yards, passing yards, rushing yards, special team tackles, interceptions, sacks, defensive tackles, all purpose yards or even touchdowns, sometimes it’s only to improve on last season’s performance. These are the goals that push the athlete to do that little bit of extra work during their off-season workouts.
Most often team objectives such as having the best offense in the league, defence in the league, special teams unit or even individual unit (ie. receiving core) can be a source of inspiration for teammates to pull together to have league-wide bragging rights. Many of us CFL players train together in the off-season. To be able to remind your training partners about your team’s unit dominating the league is just as important during the season as the off-season. The stats that are accumulated in Week 18 count towards these personal and unit goals.
The final game of the regular season means something to every team and this includes the teams missing the playoffs. It’s a chance to PLAY the game we love one more time. It’s a chance for those players thinking of retirement to make that last run out of the tunnel and hear the roar of the crowd a final time. It’s an opportunity to display our talents to the millions of CFL fans who watch this great game. Believe me I can give a million reasons why this final game is so important but it’s up to each player and team to decide what’s best for their team and situation.
Whether it’s your last game of the year or your final tune-up before the playoffs, make sure it’s your best game of the year because it’s your next game of the year.
Corey Grant is a 10 year CFL veteran who has played with the Ti-Cats, Alouettes and, for the last 7 seasons, the Roughriders. A Stoney Creek, Ont. native, Corey has won Grey Cups in 1999 and 2007. He was named the East Division Outstanding Rookie in 1999.
