Morning-After Thoughts (Week 15)

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. I love football in the fall, and the two games on Monday are always a great way to end the long weekend. Thanksgiving is one of those times of year where we can enjoy the weather (which was beautiful here in Hamilton) and where the games mean something. Now that the season is coming to a close, some of us have things to be thankful for, while others do not. It all depends on which team's merchandise you wear.

1. When a guy breaks an all-time record, he goes first. No burying the lead here. Congratulations to Ben Cahoon on breaking Terry Vaughn's record for most receptions in a career.
2. I understand that when milestones are reached, that the player deserves to have his moment in the sun, but I don't like stopping the game midway through to recognize the accomplishment. It happened back in 2006 when Damon Allen broke the all-time passing yard record and they stopped the game (the Labour Day Classic at Ivor Wynne Stadium) to celebrate Allen's achievement. My main complaint is that it goes against everything we know about football that it's a team sport and individual accolades are only praiseworthy in the context of the team.
3. So what have the last two weeks proven? For me, nothing I didn't already know. Home teams win more than they lose: 6-2 over the last two weeks. Winning both games of a back-to-back is hard: all eight teams went 1-1 the last two weeks. Nothing was proven the past two weeks.
4. Congratulations to Tiger-Cat rookie Ryan Hinds on notching his first career interception. That's the first of many for the young Canadian.
   
5. The Geoff Tisdale interception was a thing of beauty. Not just ripping the ball out of Fred Stamps's hands, but having the wherewithal to keep his feet in bounds. Great INT.
   
6. I think it is safe to say that Perry Lefko is a fool. I know, this hardly comes as news to many CFL followers, but his assertion that Stevie Baggs was a waste of money has turned out to be about the stupidest thing he has ever written. Every week, Baggs makes at least one game-altering play. This week, he made two: a nice sack and a fumble recovery on the opening kickoff of the second half. Stevie Baggs has, so far, been worth every single penny.
   
7. I can't recall ever seeing a wedge busted up the way Ike Brown busted one up. I literally jumped out of my seat when he absolutely clobbered an Eskimo. That was as hard a hit as I have seen in a long time.
   
8. Edmonton's loss, which puts them at 4-10, really hurt their playoff chances. One more win each by the Argos and Ti-Cats kills any hope of a crossover. However, the Eskimos only sit one game back of BC with four games left to play. While not completely out of it, I would be surprised if the Eskimos were a playoff team in 2010.
   
9. Mike O'Shea (Toronto's Special Teams Coordinator) and Jim Barker are showing that they have balls for days. The Statue of Liberty play (which Jamie Boreham pulled off superbly) and the direct snap on two successive punt plays shows that the Argos are not scared of taking chances. Gutsy, ballsy, whatever you want to call it, it worked.
   
10. Every time I think Darian Durant is ready to take the next step, he takes two steps backward. His is a very good QB, but all the talk of him being an elite QB or the best QB in the CFL was a bit premature. He has the tools, but he still has a long way to go before he joins the likes of Henry Burris, Ricky Ray and Anthony Calvillo.
    
11. With the Argos winning as many games this year as they have the last two seasons combined, is it safe to say that Jim Barker is the CFL's Coach of the Year? No one has done a better job this season than Jim Barker. (Man, that was really hard to type. I feel dirty.)
    
12. I don't think there is any player more important to their team's success than Cory Boyd is to the Argonauts. With Boyd in the lineup, the Argos are a different (read: better) team. Boyd is, without a doubt, the most valuable player in the CFL. However, the CFL does not have an MVP award; they have the MOP award. Has Boyd been outstanding? You betcha. Most Outstanding? I gotta give that nod to Calgary QB Henry Burris.
13. Due to the back-to-back games, TSN showed highlights of Stampeder DB Brandon Browner covering Alouette WR Jamel Richardson. One thing I noticed was that Browner interferes, like, a lot, with Richardson. Browner gets credited as one of the best, if not the best, DB in the CFL, but he does clutch and grab a lot.
14. While that wasn't the worst outing he's ever had, that was a very bad game by Henry Burris. His four turnovers were the main reason that Calgary was blown out in Montreal. If he shakes it off and shows it was an aberration, he's still my favourite to take home the Most Outstanding Player award in November.
15. Romby Bryant scored a TD which, to the naked eye, looked incomplete. Bryant was unable to get a foot down before he landed out of bounds, so the pass was called incomplete. Calgary challenged the ruling, and when TSN kept showing the replay, it seemed obvious to me that Bryant's elbow hit in bounds. The command centre agreed and Calgary was awarded a touchdown. Glen Suitor was dumbfounded as to how the call could be overturned because he didn't think there was conclusive evidence to overturn the call. What replay was he watching? It was quite clear that Bryant was in. Suitor might need some new glasses.
16. Winnipeg's playoff chances still hang by a thread, but that was one awesome comeback this week. Down 21 in the fourth quarter, the Bombers rally to win in double overtime. Like the Eskimos, the Blue Bombers have a tough climb to make the playoffs, but this win was a big one for the franchise going forward.
17. Is there any doubt that Steven Jyles is the best QB in Winnipeg? Alex Brink looked terrible, absolutely terrible. Steven Jyles comes in, and the Bombers take off. Imagine what they could have done with Jyles on the field for the entire game.
18. They say that a change of scenery is sometimes needed for a player. For Justin Palardy, that seems to be the case. Usually it doesn't happen during someone's rookie year, but Palardy has been very good since he became a Blue Bomber. He seems to have been miscast as a Punter for the Tiger-Cats, but as a Kicker for the Blue Bombers, he seems to have found a home.
19. Idiot of the Week is a three-way tie this week. At first, Jonathan Hefney (with four stupid penalties) was the leader in the clubhouse. Then Davis Sanchez (with two stupid penalties on one play) usurps the pole position. After that, Khalif Mitchell (with perhaps the stupidest penalty I've ever seen) takes the crown. The Lions-Bombers game was a Battle of Morons.
20. Another 2-2 week for me. I nailed the Cats and Als, but lost on the Riders and Lions. That puts me at 30-26 for the year. I think that's pretty good considering this is my first year making predictions.