Morning-After Thoughts (Week 12)

It was a busy week in the CFL prior to Week 12 action. Ricky Foley signed in Toronto; Stevie Baggs signed in Hamilton; Eric Tillman was named the General Manager in Edmonton. But that action paled in comparison to the action on the field on Friday and Saturday. Two exquisitely played games in Regina and Vancouver got the weekend off to a good start. CFL football is still the best football on the planet.

1. I don't care if the Riders won the game; the decision to try for the single instead of kicking a 35-yard field goal was stupid beyond belief. What was the coaching staff thinking?
2. What an amazing game by Andy Fantuz. He showed why people think he's the best Canadian Receiver in the CFL. Also, it was the second big game for a Receiver at Mosaic. Arland Bruce had his career game there earlier in the season. Mosaic seems to be the place for awesome performances.
3. Speaking of awesome performances, what a great game that was between the Riders and Stamps. The best game of the year after the Canada Day Comeback. Maybe this one can be called the Mosaic Miracle because it was a miracle that the stupid call to try for the single didn't cost the Riders the game. Aside from that, this was one of the most interesting football games all year. Another great one for the Americans watching on NFL Network.
4. James Patrick has had a great season so far, but imagine how good it would be if penalties hadn't stolen three of his interceptions. The guy seems snakebitten since his big three-interception day.
5. With Jon Cornish already in-house, why are the Stamps even considering talking to Jesse Lumsden? Lumsden is not needed in Calgary (or anywhere else, in my opinion). Then again, maybe the Lumsden signing will make Cornish want to move elsewhere. I know a nice, blue-collar city in Southern Ontario that would love have him call it home.
6. Coming on the heels of the instant classic between Calgary and Saskatchewan, there was no way the Hamilton-BC game could match it. Well, it came pretty close. It was a very exciting and entertaining game. Those that stayed up late (in the Eastern time zone) were rewarded with a great contest.
7. Congratulations to Reggie Fish on getting his first catch in the CFL. Hopefully that is the first of many, not only in the CFL, but with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
8. That was a great catch by Arland Bruce for the touchdown. Just another reason why he's the very best in the CFL.
9. Welcome back to the CFL, Paris Jackson. He had been MIA for most of the year, but finally broke out against Hamilton. That's the Paris Jackson we all remember.
10. I know Winnipeg are 3-8, but I cannot stop gushing over Steven Jyles. I just really enjoy watching him play. Winnipeg has found a really good one in Jyles. If his Receivers could hold on to the bloody football, he'd look even better than he already does.
11. On the flip side, Cleo Lemon is not the answer in Toronto. He doesn't seem to be progressing at all. In fact, I'd hazard to say he's regressing. Sure, the Argos are 6-5 (and raise your hand if you thought they'd win six games all season), but they will not win in the playoffs with Lemon at QB.
12. With Winnipeg having lost the season series to both the Tiger-Cats and the Argonauts, it is going to be a tough sled for the Bombers to get into the playoffs, at least in the East. They still have the chance to cross over to the West (they are tied with BC currently), but they would have to win one more game than both the Argos and Cats to get a spot in the East bracket. That's not likely.
13. Mike O'Shea is showing that he is one gusty play caller. Calling for a direct-snap fake punt on 3rd and 16? That shows a lot of stones.
14. I know that a win is a win is a win, but the Argos are in trouble without Cory Boyd. The replacements (Jeff Johnson, Andre Durie, Bryan Crawford and Anthony Aldridge) filled in admirably, but the Bomber Defense did not respect the run at all. With Boyd in there, teams are forced to focus on stopping him. Without him in there, the game is put in Lemon's hands, and that's a recipe for disaster.
15. Anthony Calvillo didn't look rusty at all in his return from injury. He didn't dominate, but he looked like Anthony Calvillo. There were a couple of near interceptions (as well as one actual interception), but the Als won 31-14, and that's really all that matters.
16. Sometimes we make proclamations that turn out to be not so wise. My declaration that Montreal would not finish first in the East is turning out to be one of those. I have always given Montreal the benefit of the doubt, but for some reason I went against my better judgment. I won't be doing that again.
17. Eric Tillman has a lot of work to do in Edmonton. They are going to win a couple more games this year, but for all intents and purposes, the season is over for the Eskimos. They still have a chance to get to the playoffs, but does this look like a playoff team to anyone? I didn't think so.
18. I wondered last week why the CFL would schedule games on Sunday once the NFL started back up, and now I have to wonder why the CFL would schedule a double header on the second Sunday of September? One of the games was in Toronto, where they have a hard enough time getting fans without the NFL on TV. I know the CFL is a great league, but like I said last week, they cannot compete with the NFL machine. Play the games on Thursday, Friday and Saturday (there was one game on Saturday, and it didn't start until 10PM EST) and avoid Sunday at all cost.
19. I know it has nothing to do with this week, but I am really excited for next week's game in Moncton between Edmonton and Toronto. Hopefully this is the first step in seeing an expansion team in Atlantic Canada.
20. Another very good week for my picks as it was another 3-1 week, with the only blemish being the Bombers losing to the Argos. That puts my yearly mark at a very respectable 25-19.