THE CANADIAN PRESS
It’s now a guarantee we’ll see four West Division playoff teams in the 2014 CFL playoffs. That was decided in Week 18 over the weekend, and it leaves us with very few things still to be figured out. First, we need to figure out what two East Division teams will be postseason bound, and then we need to figure out which Western counterpart is crossing over. It’s a good thing we’ve still got two more weeks to go!
Tale of two seasons
The start the Winnipeg Blue Bombers got off to this season had us talking about them amongst the West Division heavyweights. Winnipeg’s finish, however, will be punctuated by an eight-game losing streak that saw them eliminated from playoff contention on Saturday. With just one game left to play, the end of the 2014 campaign really can’t come soon enough.
So what went wrong following a 5-1 beginning? Well, that’s a fair question, but before we delve too deep into that, it might be helpful to look at the big picture.
If someone had told you in June that the Bombers would finish 6-12 or 7-11, you probably would have understood. Let’s not forget this is Winnipeg’s first year back in the West Division, and there’s no question the west has held the balance of power in this league for the last number of years. On top of that, the Bombers had a rookie head coach and a first-time starting quarterback. It was unfortunate that Winnipeg’s 2014 campaign has seen such highs and lows, but in the end, it’s kind of where many thought they would be.
Head Coach Mike O’Shea did some good things in his first year at the helm. More than anything, it seems like he’s done a decent job of instilling an identity in the Bombers dressing room. This team has been an also ran for five of the last six seasons, so bringing in a “winning is everything” culture is something that was very much needed. O’Shea does not like to lose, as his Saturday news conference will attest to, and if he can get his players to despise the feeling as much as he does, that could be a very good thing.
Yet, in the eyes of many, 2014 was also a learning process for O’Shea. His team had a tendency to lack killer instinct in second halves of football games, and it ended up costing them wins on a few different occasions. Yes, that’s on the players, but when it’s a trend, it’s also on the coach. There were times when it seemed like O’Shea had troubles getting his team back on the rails, and in the end, a 1-10 stretch speaks to the team’s inability to resume proper course.
| The stretch run |
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While the pieces are beginning to fall into place, there’s plenty more to be decided in the East, as the top three teams are all within a single game of one another. |
When you add in an offensive line that struggled for most of the season and a shallow pool of Canadian players, you can see why the Bombers struggled the way they did. But it isn’t all bad news.
Quarterback Drew Willy did show some really encouraging signs in 2014. Yeah, he regressed a little bit from his world beating form in the first few weeks, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t any positives. Willy has a good arm, can make big plays, and seems to bring a fired up confidence onto the field with him. He’ll work on his decision making during the off-season, but there are qualities to build on.
Clarence Denmark had his third straight improved season and set career highs in yards and yards per reception. And, in a short period of time, Paris Cotton gave Bombers fans some hope that there might be a running game next season, despite the departure of Nic Grigsby a few weeks ago. Not everything was negative in Winnipeg.
That said, finishing the way the Bombers have will leave a bitter taste in everyone’s mouths: players, coaches, and fans. If you’re inside that locker room, maybe keeping that sour taste with you all winter might be exactly what Winnipeg needs in 2015.
Tale of two seasons . . . again
I know we wrote about this a few weeks ago, but I continue to be amazed at the turnaround from the Montreal Alouettes. They haven’t clinched a playoff spot yet, and their final two games against Toronto and Hamilton, respectively, will determine everything when it’s all said and done. But the mere fact the Als are in a position to control their own destiny with two weeks remaining is worth talking about some more.
It’s probably time for me to change the word amazed to impressed, because that’s really what it comes down to. I’m impressed by Jonathan Crompton, I’m impressed by Duron Carter, I’m impressed by Bear Woods, I’m impressed by John Bowman, and it goes on and on and on. This team started 1-7 and has gone 7-1 ever since, and they figured it out inside the room.
There’s one person who deserves some real recognition in this, because it sure does seem like he’s been lost in the shuffle. Tom Higgins had to endure a lot in the early stages of his first year with Montreal, and yet here his team is, holding down top spot in the East Division with a legit chance to finish 10-8.
Remember, this was a team that had all kinds of leadership questions just a few months ago. Don Matthews, Turk Schonert, and Jeff Garcia were all brought in, and we didn’t know whose decisions those really were. Was Higgins a lame duck coach? Did he even have control of the football team? All those questions have been answered not by words, but by results, and Higgins found a way to lead his team out of the muck.
In the end, I guess we shouldn’t be hugely surprised, though, should we? Higgins has been successful in his prior stops with Edmonton and Calgary, and has only finished a regular season below .500 on one occasion. Perhaps many of us, this columnist included, were far too hasty in writing him off. Good on him and it sure is cool to see the Alouettes return to prominence so emphatically in the latter stages of 2014.
It’s not over, though. The Als have got two huge games to finish the season, and they still have very little margin for error. Granted, their second half run has afforded them more breathing room than the Argos and Tiger-Cats, but their division lead is still tenuous at best. All those accolades we just gave Higgins won’t mean much if they end up missing the playoffs.
| It’s always better live! |
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 The East is on the line heading into Week 19, and the Argos and Alouettes are set to battle in a marquee matchup that could determine who takes home the division title on Sunday in Montreal.  |
Still, for us on the outside, it’s pretty remarkable to know Montreal has destiny in its own hands going into the final two weeks of the season. Had you told me that would have been the case prior to the start of the season, I might have believed you. Had you told me three and six weeks into the season, I would have laughed in your face. It’s fun to be wrong, though.
Versatility
The one thing I noted more than anything else in Toronto’s 26-24 win over Hamilton on Saturday was how versatile a few Argos players truly are. That was led by Steve Slaton’s 157 yard performance, but he’s not the only one capable of hurting you in a few different ways.
Slaton is slowly coming into his own as a CFL running back. The former Houston Texans product has had a few really solid outings this season, but I think we’re starting to see more consistency arrive in his game. Saturday against Hamilton and last weekend at home to Montreal, Slaton seemed to be a regular factor, and this is something the Argos are going to need to be a playoff team.
We know that Chad Owens is a versatile threat, as well. The 2012 Most Outstanding Player can burn you with big gainers on a deep pass as much as he can with a short toss into the flat. He remains Toronto’s most dynamic offensive target, and having him and Slaton give you multiple options is a luxury quarterback Ricky Ray must enjoy having. If Andre Durie returns at some point, the versatility on the field goes up that much more.
The Argos bounced back nicely over the weekend as they get set for the most important game of their season this Sunday. Toronto will visit the Als in Montreal, and a win there will be crucial in their hopes to winning the division. Unlike the Alouettes, Toronto takes on a much easier foe to conclude the season in the Ottawa RedBlacks, as opposed to Montreal’s season finale in Hamilton.
Whether it be to beat Montreal this weekend, or win the games they need in the playoffs, Ray and the Argos are going to need all the options they can get their hands on. They always have Owens in their back pocket, but adding Slaton to the mix in similar fashion to this weekend could be absolutely crucial. If the last two weeks are any indication, there’s a good chance that will be the case.
