Steinberg’s MMQB: Nothing meaningless about Week 19

Even though Week 19 meant absolutely nothing in terms of final standings, it still served a purpose. Teams knew exactly what they were getting set for, and the teams that needed to finish the season strong did just that.  

Now we get to sit back and watch two outstanding Semi-Final matchups, which are now less than a week away.

A costly loss

You can’t imagine a Week 19 going much worse for the Calgary Stampeders.  Yes, they lost 26-7 at the hands of the BC Lions, which robbed them of finishing a season with 15 wins for the first time in 18 years.  

They also lost in fairly underwhelming fashion to a Lions team that was determined to finish off on the proper note (more on that later). But the result is far less important than some of the other losses Calgary suffered on the field.
    
The most important thing in a game like Friday’s in BC is to make sure you stay healthy if your playoff fate is already sealed. Through no fault of their own, the Stampeders failed at doing that and now have some serious question marks heading into two weeks of preparation for the November 17th Western Final at McMahon Stadium.
    
The Stamps lost not one, but two starting defensive tackled to leg injuries at BC Place, as both Demonte’ Bolden and Micah Johnson were forced out of the game in the first half.  

The two have combined for six sacks this season and have given Calgary a very consistent penetration threat in the interior of the defensive line. Not having one or both of these guys ready in two weeks is a very scary proposition.
    
Both DT’s are down with knee injuries and the Stamps are now waiting to get conclusive timelines as to when they’ll be able to return.  Bolden said his injury is to his MCL while Johnson told the Calgary Sun he suspects his issue is with his ACL.  

Those are scary three letter acronyms to be throwing around at this time of year.
    
Things were just as scary on the offensive side of the ball.  Fresh off posting the first 1,000-yard season of his career, receiver Marquay McDaniel went down with an ankle injury in the first half of Friday’s loss.  

He’d return to the field later on, only this time he was sporting street clothes and crutches as opposed to a helmet and cleats.
    
Losing McDaniel would be heartbreaking for Calgary, as he stepped up to fill a role vacated when fellow slotback Nik Lewis went down earlier this season.  McDaniel has a noticeable connection with quarterback Kevin Glenn and has been the team’s most reliable possession threat all year long. Fingers and toes are crossed in Stampeder Land right now, because the three injuries they suffered against BC are serious ones.
    
It wasn’t all bad news for the Stamps, however.  Running back Jon Cornish did indeed enter the 1,800-yard club, joining only Willie Burden and Mike Pringle as CFL tailbacks to eclipse that mark.  

While he wasn’t able to break Burden’s franchise record for rushing yards in a season, the better news probably came on the injury front.  

Cornish left the game with a shoulder injury, but we found out this weekend that it is nothing serious and he’ll be just fine to tangle with either BC or Saskatchewan in a couple weeks.

Finishing strong

There were two teams I felt needed strong finishes to the season heading into their respective Semi-Final matchups.  One was Montreal and the other was BC, and both teams have to feel nice finishing their seasons on a winning note.  

As mentioned, the Lions were victorious at home to Calgary, while the Alouettes got it done on the road, taking out Toronto 23-20.
    
For both teams, that strong finish relates most notably to their quarterbacks and how they’re feeling heading into the post-season.  The Lions won’t name their starting pivot until much later this week, but at least Head Coach Mike Benevides might have some true options heading into Mosaic Stadium in Regina.
    
For the first time in six weeks, Travis Lulay got into game action against the Stamps and scored the final touchdown of the contest on a one-yard plunge.  That’s the same play that cost him a good chunk of his season, a play that injured his shoulder and kept him out far longer than most expected.  

In the end, he didn’t answer any burning questions, but at least he played.  And at least there’s a chance he can go against the Riders.
    
As for the Alouettes, the spotlight was focused on Troy Smith once again.  And once again, he gave fans in Montreal something to be excited about heading into their meeting with the Tiger-Cats in Guelph.  

Smith threw three touchdown passes in Montreal’s road win in Toronto, and just as importantly, got another 60 minutes under his CFL starting belt.
    
Smith hasn’t thrown for a high completion rate, and he hasn’t always racked up a ton of yardage.  But he’s thrown touchdown passes, and he’s been confident in delivering the ball.  

No one is going to confuse the former Heisman Trophy winner with Anthony Calvillo, and nor should they.  

But having Smith finish the regular season in fairly strong fashion is encouraging and raises hope he could be just as effective, if not more, come playoff time.
    
Neither BC nor Montreal changed their circumstances with wins over the weekend.  They’re both going on the road in an attempt to go on the road again, and both teams knew that heading into Week 19.  

But both teams saw positive signs from vitally important members of their attack.  For a pair of squads who have limped their way through much of the season, that in of itself is enough to raise spirits.