Morning-After Thoughts (Week 8)

With the CFL entering the two-week bye-week portion of the schedule, there were only two games to watch in Week 8. One featured two 1-6 teams going head to head, while the other featured a 1-6 team taking on a team on a two-game losing streak. On paper, these games were duds; on the field... pretty much the same. As far as I am concerned, football is football; however, the games this week were not great.

1. The news of the week doesn't involve any game, but is obviously the firing of Saskatchewan Head Coach Greg Marshall. Marshall was given eight games before the rug was pulled out from under him. Eight games hardly seems like a big enough sample with which to judge Marshall's abilities as the head man. It strikes me as a knee-jerk reaction. Marshall is being replaced by former Head Coach Ken Miller. We'll see how well this move works out.
2. There are two times when you can usually be guaranteed a loud crowd. The first is when the game gets underway and the home-team Defense takes the field for the first time. The second is when the home team is on Defense at the end of the game nursing a one-score-or-less lead. The crowd at the Rogers Centre SkyDome passed the second part with flying colours, but failed miserably on the first. You could hear a pin drop when the game started. That was the quietest I've heard a crowd that early in a game.
3. Underrated is a term that is often misused. I heard Argo Running Back Jeff Johnson referred to as underrated, and I have to disagree. I think he is properly rated. He's a highly regarded player whose place in the pantheon of CFL history is about where it should be.
4. I know it's still waaaaaaaaaaaay too early, but are we looking at the year that an East Division team finally crosses over into the West for the playoffs? That team would likely be the Argos, which could lead to my personal dream Grey Cup: Hamilton vs. Toronto. It's unlikely to happen (both the crossover and the Cats-Argos Grey Cup), but I wouldn't mind if it did.
5. Having cameras close to the action gives the viewer at home great access to the teams on the field. Sometimes, however, the camera catches things that would be better left uncaught. That's the case with Jim Barker telling his team to get into their "Victory Offense" with about two minutes remaining. Toronto then proceeded to go two and out in the span of about four nanoseconds. If that's Toronto's "Victory Offense" it's no wonder they've only managed to win two games all year. (Before anyone jumps down my throat claiming I'm biased against the Argos, please note that that was a joke. It was meant to be funny, so just laugh and move on.)
6. Are we seeing the annual BC comeback? With two games against the Argos coming up, the Lions could put some serious distance between themselves and the Boatmen for the sixth and final playoff spot.
7. We've now seen the Edmonton Offense put up five – yes, FIVE! – points in their last eight quarters of football. I can't recall a worse two-game stretch of offensive football than I have seen from Edmonton these last two games. It's just been ugly.
8. Arland Bruce is back! He nearly matched his season high in yards against Edmonton. My feelings are well known on the trade that sent Bruce to BC, so I'll just say that the Lions could scare a lot of people if Bruce and Geroy Simon get going. If Friday night is any indication, the other seven teams should start to worry. A motivated Arland Bruce is a very scary Arland Bruce.
9. Does any team need a bye week more than the Eskimos? Not only will it help them get healthy, but they've lost three in a row and could use a week off to right the ship and recharge the batteries.
10. Went 1-1 this week on my picks. Got the Basement Bowl right (Toronto), but whiffed on the Eskimos game. That puts me at 17-13 for the year.