THE CANADIAN PRESS
In selecting the most memorable games through the first half of the 2017 season, I didn’t have set criteria. Some of my selections highlight a particular individual performance while others were great examples of how exciting CFL football can be.
So, going in chronological order, here they are:
Week 2: Ottawa at Calgary
It seems we always get a thrilling affair whenever the REDBLACKS and Stampeders get together. Their week two meeting was no exception, as the two teams went back and forth all night in a game Calgary would eventually win 43-39. This was the third straight meeting between Ottawa and Calgary, after the former’s triumph in last November’s Grey Cup and a week one 31-31 tie.
What set this game apart was how many different types of fireworks we got to see. We saw a 62-yard touchdown on a quarterback sneak, a pair of punt return majors, and a forced fumble returned 46 yards for six points. That came on top of outstanding individual performances from Trevor Harris, Greg Ellingson, and Lemar Durant. It’s a shame the Stamps and REDBLACKS don’t play again this regular season.
Week 3: Toronto at Ottawa
While there was lots of excitement in Toronto’s 26-25 win over their provincial rival, this showdown stood out thanks to an emphatic declaration from S.J. Green. The Argonauts’ receiver caught ten passes for 210 yards and a touchdown in just his third game with his new team. In doing so, Green screamed the entire league “I’m back and better than ever”.
Of course, Green missed almost all of the 2016 season after suffering a major knee injury in week two. After a long, intensive road back, Green was traded from Montreal to Toronto prior to the season and he hasn’t looked back since. With 124 yards on seven catches in his Argos debut, Green had already put the league on notice. His week three performance, however, cemented once again that Green is one of the most dominant receivers in the CFL.
Week 6: Montreal at Winnipeg
Seemingly every Blue Bombers game this year could be on this list thanks to how many exciting finishes we’ve seen from them. Already this season, Winnipeg has two overtime wins and a pretty entertaining comeback win over Ottawa. The most exciting of their seven wins this season, though, came in week six at home to Montreal.
Down by 12 points with less than two minutes remaining, the Bombers started their comeback at their own 41 yard line before marching down the field on eight plays to get within one score. Following an onside kick recovery, quarterback Matt Nichols made a few huge plays including a 15-yard run to set up the game’s final play. As time expired, tailback Andrew Harris punched in a one-yard touchdown to stake Winnipeg to an improbable 41-40 win.
Week 6: Toronto at Saskatchewan
This 38-27 was big for the Riders as it started their run back to .500 with wins in three of four. For me, though, this game was all about Duron Carter’s touchdown grab late in the second quarter, which may be the best catch I’ve ever seen. Carter finished with 131 yards and a pair of touchdowns on nine receptions, but none better than his catch to pull Saskatchewan even heading to halftime.
With Toronto’s Akwasi Owusu-Ansah all over him, Carter climbed the ladder on Kevin Glenn’s 18-yard pass and, with his back to the play, managed to get his right hand on the ball to start things off. Unable to control the ball with one hand, Carter knocked it down, spun mid-air, and caught it once again for his first touchdown of the game. To do all that in a split second is crazy and it’s why Carter’s catch easily earns a spot on this list.
Week 6: Hamilton at Calgary
It’s been a tough go for the Tiger-Cats this season, but late July’s 60-1 drubbing at McMahon Stadium is undoubtedly the lowest point. If anyone had any doubts about how good the Stampeders were, they were quashed before halftime as they led 39-1 after two quarters. With this win, Calgary cemented themselves once again as one of the CFL’s elite squads, but it had a knock on affect for Hamilton, too.
A loss this lopsided in a winless campaign was bound to signal changes, and it did just that. In fact, the ball got rolling on some important changes for the Ticats following their loss to Calgary. June Jones was hired as an assistant coach four days later and he’s since been installed as Kent Austin’s replacement as head coach. Hamilton has made a couple personnel moves and we’ll see if that can help them turn things around.
Week 8: BC at Saskatchewan
This was a pretty important win for the Riders. One week prior, Saskatchewan lost fairly convincingly to the Lions, setting up their rematch one week later in Regina. Well, the results the second time around were strikingly different; Kevin Glenn threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns while Ed Gainey had a career day defensively with four interceptions in a 41-8 win for the Riders.
For Saskatchewan, the win made the rest of the league take notice of how much they’ve improved from a year ago. For the Lions, though, it was a rough return for Jonathon Jennings after sitting for a few weeks with injury. Jennings hasn’t looked anywhere near as good as he did prior to the injury and it sounds like BC is set to go back to Travis Lulay for their next contest.
Week 9: Winnipeg at Edmonton
After a 7-0 start to the season, we were all wondering who would be the first team to knock off the Eskimos. We got our answer on this night as the Bombers put together one of their most impressive performances in years en route to a 33-26 win. At the time, it was Winnipeg’s fourth straight win (they’ve since added one more to that streak), and it flew in the face of those questioning their place near the top of the West Division.
It was a pretty special night for quarterback Matt Nichols, too. The Bombers’ quarterback was stellar against his former team as he moved to 16-5 as the team’s starter (he’s now 17-5). Winnipeg still has some tests to pass if they’re to be considered a title contender, but knocking off Edmonton in a game they never trailed was a huge feather in their cap.
Week 10: Winnipeg at Montreal
We got a very special individual performance just before the halfway mark of the season courtesy of Alouettes receiver Nik Lewis. Lewis moved into top spot on the CFL’s all-time reception list as part of Montreal’s 34-31 overtime setback to the Bombers. Despite the result, it was cool to see Lewis make history in typical fashion.
Averaging five catches per game, Lewis entered Thursday’s contest eight shy of Geroy Simon’s previous record of 1,029. Late in the fourth quarter, and with his ninth catch of the game, Lewis set the new mark with his trademark stuff. He caught Darian Durant’s pass over the middle in a high traffic area, something he’s made a Hall of Fame career of.
