Morning-After Thoughts (Week 10)

Labour Day is when the real CFL season begins. Contenders distance themselves from the pretenders, and the push to the playoffs begins in earnest. Now the CFL season starts to get really interesting.

1. Enough with calling every game played on Labour Day weekend "The Labour Day Classic." The only game that deserves that title is Toronto versus Hamilton. I could see Edmonton versus Calgary believing they have the right because at least they play on Labour Day, but Winnipeg and Saskatchewan? BC and Montreal? Get real. From here on out, if it's not played on Labour Day, it cannot be considered a Labour Day Classic.
2. No one thought Chris Leak would look like Doug Flutie, but I don't think anyone expected him to look like Timmy Chang either. To put it bluntly, Leak was terrible. He looked rattled and never seemed to gain any confidence. It was only his first start, so he shouldn't be written off, but his first start is hardly something he'll want to relive.
3. I think Montreal's performance this week proved how badly they need Anthony Calvillo in the lineup in order to win. With Calvillo out, Montreal is beatable. With Calvillo out, the East Division is now up for grabs.
4. Avon Cobourne seems to have completely disappeared. While everyone has focused on DeAndra' Cobb's struggles, Cobourne has been struggling just as mightily. While he is not the most important player for the Alouettes, Montreal will need him to perform if they hope to defend their Grey Cup championship.
5. October 26, 2008. That was the last time the Montreal faithful had to watch the Alouettes lose in Montreal. That was a streak of 13 games. Another streak was also broken in that game, as the Lions snapped a seven-game losing streak by beating Montreal.
6. There isn't much to say about BC's performance, but they just beat Montreal. It felt more like Montreal beat themselves, but take nothing away from the Lions. It's hard to go into any opposing stadium and get a win, especially when that stadium is on the McGill campus. Kudos to BC for pulling off such a big upset.
7. For three quarters Darian Durant looked almost as bad as Chris Leak did. Then, in the blink of an eye, he turned it around. Maybe that was Durant getting out of his slump, but he finally looked like the guy we all saw prior to the beating the Riders took in Calgary. I still have very high hopes for Darian Durant, but my faith is beginning to waver somewhat. He needs to go back to being the guy that played in Weeks 1, 2 and 3.
8. Chris Davis was cut from the Tiger-Cats, if I recall correctly, because he couldn't catch the football. Well, that was one hell of a catch he made on Sunday. He catches it one-handed, then spins out of a tackle, and gets the first down. Not too shabby.
9. Does Wes Cates already have 10 rushing TDs in 2010? Last year he was the only Running Back in the CFL not to rush for over 1,000 yards. He's shown in 2010 that 2009 was an aberration.
10. Poor Buck Pierce. That elbow injury was gruesome. Buck Pierce just cannot stay healthy. It's a shame, too, because Pierce could be one heck of a QB in this league, except his body just won't let him play. He's the QB equivalent of Jesse Lumsden.
11. I know it's hard to love a Punter, but Eric Wilbur does not act like a normal Punter. He plays like a Linebacker, and hits like one too. He is quickly becoming a fan favourite in Steeltown.

    

    Tiger-Cat Linebacker Punter Eric Wilbur

12. Still with the Wilbur lovefest. The fake punt? Genius. He faked out an Argo to gain the first down. It was a thing of beauty. How can you not love a Punter who hits and jukes?
13. The blocked punt at the end of the half that resulted in a TD for the Ti-Cats was another genius call. Great job by Markeith Knowlton to not just block the punt, but recover it as well.
14. Even in defeat, Cory Boyd continues to impress. He runs hard, he runs smart, and he refuses to be tackled. I hate the Argos, but I really respect Boyd. After scoring a TD that got the Argos to within a TD, he refused to accept congratulations or celebrate. Going from losing to losing by a little less is not a reason to celebrate. That's the type of player that I like, regardless of the jersey he wears.
15. Injuries hit the Cats hard. Guard George Hudson, Tackle Belton Johnson and Defensive Back Jykine Bradley all went down with injuries, with Hudson's looking the worst. Hopefully all three will be back at full strength sooner rather than later.
16. Congrats to Henry Burris for moving into tenth place on the all-time passing-yards list. Imagine how many more he'd have if he didn't waste those years with the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears.
17. Jon Cornish is everything people thought Jesse Lumsden would be. Cornish is a Canadian playing Running Back, and looks on the cusp of stardom. He will never be that star in Calgary until Joffrey Reynolds rides off into the sunset, but I still think Cornish would be smart to stay in Calgary.
18. Another backup who I am looking forward to seeing more from is Stampeder QB Drew Tate. I have liked Tate since he was at Iowa, and from the way he's looked in garbage time for the Stamps, he could be a great QB in the CFL.
19. I don't even know what to say about Edmonton. Their ineptness is beyond description. If they don't fix their problems, Ricky Ray is going to get killed. I actually feel sorry for him.
20. For the first time since I began making weekly picks, I am above .500. I went 3-1 this week, with the only blemish being the Als losing at home. Who would have thought that going into Week 10? The three wins put my yearly record at 19-17. Not great, but I'm getting better every week. What more can you ask for, eh?