The Canadian Press
Every week in the CFL there is an endless amount of little moments that make the league and game so fun to cover. I’ve always wanted to put together a weekly recap of these little moments that result in big plays and memorable finishes and finally have the chance to do so after the great CFL.ca staff agreed it would add a different style of recap than your average article or highlight package.
With that said, let the fun begin!
We begin in Montreal with arguably the biggest surprise of the week, Antonio Pipkin getting a win in his first home start. With arm strength and mobility like this it shouldn’t be his last:
The end cut on this one really shows how hard Pipkin stepped into the throw with great mechanics and ripped it. The degree of difficulty on this is crazy. Going inside-out on a red rushing defender, having the calm to settle down and allowing an extra second of protection before quickly scanning the field and throwing a missile. Pretty, pretty.. pretty good.
One great throw deserves another, and Jeremiah Masoli offered up a gem Thursday night in crunch time.
Hard to believe how much Masoli got on this ball after flipping his hips in a rush and having all his weight off balance to his left side while rolling that direction.
A near impossible throw to make to an uncovered receiver. Back shouldering that throw to a moving target? Wild.
This weekend recap will feature lots of quarterback talk but won’t just focus on the passers. Check out this outstanding play by Alouettes defensive end John Bowman just weeks after tearing his bicep.
Bowman sees Argos right tackle Chris Van Zeyl block down and shoots the gap before the tight end can get a hand on him, forcing the run back inside towards help. A special play by an all-time great Alouette. Also, ever seen a deer realize how good a bear is at doing its job?
Bowman wasn’t the only veteran pass rusher making noise in Week 11. Thirty-three-year-old Odell Willis’ motor just won’t stop as shown on this extended play where he rushes, maintains contain, then rallies to the football. When Cofield’s feet stop, Willis pounces.
The BC Lions defence did give up a couple chunk plays to Saskatchewan Saturday night though, including this ridiculous grab by St.FX X-Men alum Devon Bailey.
I get what Zach saw here, but this ball should have been intercepted in three or four different ways if not for Bailey bailing out quarterback Zach.
Completely unrelated note: How great was it seeing big Joe Montford back in Hamilton Thursday night to be honoured with a place on the wall of honour?
Also, LOOK AT JOE’S ARMS.
I genuinely believe if you put those big pads back on Montford he’s good for 10 sacks right now.
Side note from my Ticats-Eskimos radio game prep is that while James ‘Quick’ Parker owns the single season sack record (26.5) with Montford second on the list after getting 26 sacks in 1999, Parker only surpassed 19 sacks once in his career (the year he hit 26.5) while Montford earned 19-plus sacks four straight years (1998-2001).
Montford frustrated offensive tackles across the CFL but would have met a substantial challenge in Argos Chris Van Zeyl. Late in the game Friday Van Zeyl washed John Bowman down inside, allowing Argos QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson to get out and throw a strike for a big gain.
On Monday Van Zeyl and the Argos will travel to Hamilton for the annual Labour Day matchup with Hamilton, where the Ticats are coming off a big win thanks in part to the late game heroics of Luke Tasker.
Everyone in Hamilton jumped to their feet and celebrated the Ticats biggest play of the game.
What many didn’t realize is the play almost never came to be. Thanks to Masoli’s trigger speed and Tasker’s shiftiness the Ticats fought back into the game before Lirim Hajrullahu hit the game winning field goal as time expired, but the offensive line film review meeting Friday must have had a couple Ticats blockers appreciating Masoli’s quick release.
The most underrated play of the week came from national fullback Spencer Moore. As the clock rolled inside two minutes Moore checked into the game, got the play call and broke the huddle. With quarterback Zach Collaros ready to take the snap, Moore realized the Riders were going to take a procedure penalty for not having seven men on the line of scrimmage and frantically made sure receiver Shaq Evans got on the line before the snap. Moore saved the Riders a penalty with his awareness that saved the Riders a penalty late in the game which would have put them up against the down and distance.
A savvy play from a Canadian veteran who reiterated to Evans after completing his blocking assignment to stay locked in.
That’s it for this week. Enjoy the Labour Day games which I’ll be back to recap next Tuesday!
