Morning-After Thoughts (Week 15)

With Thanksgiving weekend having come and gone, the 2011 CFL season is officially in its final stages. Canada Day weekend is the beginning, Labour Day weekend is the midpoint, and Thanksgiving weekend is when it all starts coming to an end. We still have over a month left of great football, but the season is near its completion. Seems like just yesterday the whole thing started. Funny how fast time can go by.

1. Where else to start but with giving a huge congratulations to Anthony Calvillo on becoming pro football's all-time leading passer. He surpassed Damon Allen's mark with a 50-yard touchdown pass to Jamel Richardson on the final play of the third quarter.
2. The video presentation of the top-five passers in pro football history was phenomenal. It was very classy of Dan Marino, Warren Moon and Damn Allen to congratulate Anthony Calvillo. I was especially surprised to see Marino, who has no ties to the CFL. Nice job to whoever put that video together.
3. With Calvillo now owning the most significant records for Quarterbacks in the CFL, the inevitable question of where he ranks will come up. Glen Suitor called Calvillo "the best pure passer" in league history, but I really don't know what that means. I still think Calvillo ranks behind Doug Flutie, and probably Warren Moon, but being third is nothing to sneeze at.
4. Congratulations on Paul McCallum on setting the record for most consecutive field goals. But, boy, was his first miss a bad one. Larry Taylor took McCallum's missed field goal 122 yards for a touchdown. Buuuuuuuuut, McCallum redeemed himself by nailing a 53-yard field goal with no time left to win the game. From hero to goat to hero. Only in the CFL.
5. Can someone explain to me why it's called "forward pass interference"? Is there such a thing as backward pass interference?
6. A year after finishing 4-14, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers were the first team to secure a playoff spot. That's a mighty impressive turnaround.
7. Kevin Glenn knows he doesn't play for Winnipeg anymore, right? In three games against Winnipeg this season, Glenn has thrown an interception for a touchdown in each game.
8. While the trash talk this week seemed to be all in good fun, perhaps the loquacious Stevie Baggs should say less next time around. At least when asked about it post-game, Baggs admitted he stuck his foot in his mouth. That shows he's got a little more class than Ejiro "Mr. One Tackle" Kuale, who was still running his mouth a week later.
9. Would someone mind telling me what the hell happened to Terrence Edwards? He seems to be a forgotten man in Winnipeg's Offense.
10. Two trick play attempts on Special Teams by Winnipeg, two illegal procedure calls. A fake field goal by Calgary negated by by an illegal formation call. Like Duane Forde said, teams only get one chance at that play. Both teams wasted that chance.
11. I hope Bob O'Billovich grimaces every time Arland Bruce catches a pass for the Lions. (Yes, I'm still bitter about that trade.)
12. If Travis Lulay doesn't win the MOP award this year, he will be the early favourite next year. The light has gone on for the former Montana State Bobcat, and he is ready to become the next star of the league.
13. Nik Lewis is upset with the amount of passes coming his way. He even went as far as stating that he needed to keep his mouth shut because if he talked, he'd get cut. For someone who says they wanted to end their career in Calgary, he sure seems to be angling for ticket out of town.
14. The last offensive play that BC ran had to be one of the worst plays I've ever seen. They had 14 seconds left on the clock, they use 12 of those seconds to lose two yards. What kind of call is that? Yes, they won the game, but that call still sucked.
15. Chad Owens is one of the best returners in the CFL, if not the best returner, and I think the Argos would be wise to have him concentrate on that. He has dropped an inordinate amount of passes this season, and perhaps he could be better utilized by simply being a punt and kick returner.
16. In all the hoopla over Anthony Calvillo, the fact that the Alouettes have clinched a playoff spot for the sixteenth consecutive season seems to be getting overlooked. The Als have not missed the playoffs since returning to the league in 1996.
17. Much the same as Nik Lewis in Calgary, Cory Boyd seems to be rather upset with how he is being used in Toronto. I doubt he wants out, but he does not seem very happy with his role in the Argos' Offense.
18. If Darian Durant was healthy enough to play "if need be," why was he not on the field to start the game? I can't think of a game that defined "if need be" more than one that all bout decided Saskatchewan's playoff fate.
19. Wes Cates has been a complete after thought in Saskatchewan's Offense this season, and I am at a lose as to why. He's still a very good player, so why he has been neglected is something I do not understand.
20. While it wasn't 4-0, it was the next best thing, as I went 3-1 in my weekly picks. My only incorrect selection was Hamilton. My overall record is now at a very respectable 33-23. Not too shabby.