Morning Afternoon Evening After Thoughts (Week 14)

With less than one-third of the CFL season remaining, I have one question to ask: do we know anything? What I mean is, at this point in the season, usually we have a pretty good grasp on what's to come. Upsets happen all the time, but the cream usually rises to the top, and by now teams have separated themselves. In 2010, that hasn't happened. Parity has found a home in the CFL.

1. That was a game that Calgary had to win. At 9-3, and having lost two in a row already, a loss to Montreal could have seen the Stamps drop five straight, with upcoming games at Montreal and at Saskatchewan.
2. I hate Nik Lewis, I really do. I think he's a loud-mouth idiot. But that hit he laid on Mark Estelle en route to a touchdown made me jump out of my seat. That, in video-game parlance, is called using the truck stick.
3. Very nice bounce-back game for Henry Burris. When he's on, the Stamps are the best team in football.
4. Big week for two Calgary Receivers. Ken-Yon Rambo took one catch 100 yards for a TD, and Romby Bryant put together a heck of a game as well. When the Stamps click on all cylinders, I don't see a team that can beat them.
5. While I doubt it, I hope the rough stuff at the end of the Stamps-Als game carries over to the rematch next weekend. I love when games are played with a hate-on for the opponent. I'm sure nothing will happen, but I hope it does.
6. The Argos are a different team with Cory Boyd in the lineup. He's by far their best player. If the award was MVP, not MOP, Boyd would be the winner, hands down. He is the most important player for any team, and that includes the top QBs.
7. While it wasn't a roaring success, I was pleased with Dalton Bell's first start. The play calling was very conservative, so I'll wait to see some more of Bell before I pronounce anything.
8. Teams always hit a rough patch at some point in the season; the Argos have been in the middle of theirs since mid-August. They've lost five of their last six, and the road ahead isn't easy. The dream season has turned very quickly into a nightmare.
9. Gotta give it to Andy Fantuz on getting his first 1,000-yard season. Fantuz is probably the best Canadian Receiver in the CFL. (Though Dave Stala ain't too shabby either.)
10. Where the heck has Ricky Foley disappeared to? All that hype and he's been virtually invisible. Stevie Baggs has made one big play in each of his two games with the Cats, and Foley has been a non-factor after his first play with the Argos. He needs to show up before it's too late.
11. While I'm asking, what the heck has happened to Wes Cates? This guy was a monster during the first half of the season and he's basically been invisible since Labour Day weekend.
12. Where would the Bombers be without Terrence Edwards? He is tied for the league lead with 10 TDs and is the league leader in receiving yards. If the Bombers had a better record, more people would recognize just how great a season Edwards is having.
13. Welcome to the weekly "Josh Smith Praises Steven Jyles Despite a Loss" comment. One of these days, he's going to put it all together and win some games. This guy will be a star. He has it all. Winnipeg will be a very scary team with Jyles.
14. I know BC has turned it on lately, but their QB problems cannot be ignored. Whether it's Lulay or Printers, the Offense just can't get it together. I know the only stat that matters is wins, but they won't win playoff games with an Offense that scores 16 points. That won't get it done in late November.
15. Every week a player comes out of nowhere and has a great game. This week it was Greg Peach. Peach's strip of DeAndra' Cobb in the fourth quarter was the turning point of the game. That allowed Edmonton to kick a much needed field goal in a game that was decided by only two points. That was Peach's best play, but hardly his only play.
16. I already spoke at length about my problems with the Referees, so I won't rip them, but it looked to me like Arland Bruce was mugged on the two-point conversion attempt by the Tiger-Cats. I'm not saying that the play was going to Bruce (in honesty, it didn't look like the play was designed for him), but on the replay the Ref is looking right at Bruce getting taken down and did not throw the flag. I don't mind missed calls, I accept that they are going to happen. But something as blatant as that on such a crucial play needs to be called.
17. Don't look now, but the Eskimos are right back in the thick of the West playoff race. They sit one game behind the Lions for third in the West, and the Eskimos have a shot to make the playoffs despite their terrible start to the season.
18. I say often that Arland Bruce is the best Receiver in the CFL. I might have to amend that. Fred Stamps is just out of this world. When healthy, he can play with anyone. Is it any wonder that the Esks started winning games once Stamps came back?
19. I know it's getting old, but the 13 men on the field thing is reaching beyond Regina. The Stamps were called for it this week, but it also happened in the NCAA. The Tennessee Volunteers were called for too many men against LSU this past weekend. In the US, teams play with 11 players at a time, unlike in Canada, where the game is played with 12. That didn't stop the Vols from having 13 men on the field on the last play of the game against LSU. This penalty also cost the Vols a game. Maybe Tennessee should watch last year's Grey Cup in order to avoid this happening again.
20. After last week's horrendous 1-3 finish, I rebounded somewhat by posting a 2-2 record. I started the week with two wins, but sputtered out in the final two games. My record for the year now sits at 28-24. Not bad, but not great either.