The race to playoffs has begun and we are starting to see the contenders separate from the pretenders (at least in the East). Montreal and Toronto look to be on a collision course for the East Final, while BC looks like they will win the West and face whichever team survives the death match that is ensuing between the Stamps, Eskimos and Riders. Should be an interesting second half of the season.
(1) Three teams sweep the back-to-backs
Often heard during the two weeks where the eight teams play back-to-back games is how hard it is for a team to sweep their opponent. This season, that didn't prove to be the case. The Argos, Stamps and Riders swept both games of the back-to-back, while BC and Montreal split theirs with the home team winning both times. So next year, when people say that a team cannot sweep, remember how three teams did it this season.
(2) Play of the Year
Not for its artistry, but for its result, the botched snap Hail Mary touchdown from Matt Nichols to to Corbin Sharun might end of being the bets play of the year. The Eskimos were attempting a field goal at the end of the first half and a bad snap forced Nichols to improvise. He hit Sharun, who did an excellent job of fighting for the end zone, for a touchdown. It ultimately didn't help Edmonton, but it was a great play to witness live.
(3) Ending of the Year
In the same game, the best ending to a CFL game might have taken place as well. Down by two with under 90 seconds left, the Eskimos drove the field, picking up a third-and-18-conversation along the way and set up Grant Shaw for the winning field goal from 42 yards out. Shaw clanked the kick off the upright and the Eskimos lost. The amazing confluence of events that set up that ending was nothing short of spectacular.
(4) Ricky Ray starting to get comfortable
While he still isn't perfect, it does look like Ricky Ray is beginning to get really comfortable in his new offense in Toronto. Ray looked crisp and sharp in back-to-back games against Hamilton, and despite a porous offensive line and less than stellar receiving corps, he is starting to play like the Ricky Ray that won two Grey Cups in Edmonton.
(5) Punt vs. Field Goal
One of the most debated decisions from the past week will be Tim Burke's choice to punt instead of kick a field goal in the dying moments of the Banjo Bowl. The problem wasn't so much with the decision as much as it was with the execution. If Mike Renaud pins the Riders deep instead of kicking it through the end zone, the Riders probably have too much space in too little time to drive for the winning field goal. Burke said later that he made the wrong call, but that's with knowing the result. If things had gone the way the Bombers had hoped, the decision would have been a smart one.
(6) Nik Lewis: Mr. Dependable
When it comes to receivers, the stats show that there is no one more dependable than Nik Lewis. Amazingly, Lewis, who is nearly 700 career catches and 10,000 career yards, has caught a pass in every game he has played in his CFL career. In that span, the streak has only been in jeopardy three times (meaning he had just one catch)" June 24, 2006 against Saskatchewan, September 29, 2007 against BC and September 1, 2008 against Edmonton. Lewis is a future Hall of Famer and it is pretty obvious why.
(7) Calvillo's streak ends
The consecutive 300-yard game streak came to an end, unsurprisingly, against the Lions. BC's defense might be the best in the league and Calvillo has not been great on the west coast throughout his career. Calvillo is still having an excellent season, he leads the league in passing yards, but the streak of 300-plus-yard games ends at eight.
(8) BC is Montreal's kryptonite
Montreal is probably pretty happy to see their game at BC in their rear-view mirror. BC has been a house of horrors for the Als. Since Marc Trestman took over in 2008, the Als have not won in BC Place and were only able to beat the Lions in 2010 when the team played at Empire Field. The last two losses have been blowouts, 38-10 this year and 43-1 last year, and haven't won at BC Place since 2000. If there is one place the Als do not perform well, it's BC.
(9) Willy gets first real action
An injury to Darian Durant forced Drew Willy to see some significant action in the Banjo Bowl and he looked decent. His numbers weren't spectacular, 17 for 23 for 188 yards, one touchdown and one interception, but he looked poised and calm in playing most of the game for Durant. It is way too early to make any sorts of judgments on Willy, but he is a young signal caller to keep an eye on.
(10) Players of the Week
The awards were pretty easy this week. Offensive player goes to Chad Kackert. Kackert had 239 total yards and three touchdowns against the Ti-Cats on Saturday. The guy carved up the Hamilton defense all afternoon.
Defensive player goes to Chris Thompson. Thompson had two end zone interceptions for the Eskimos. Thompson is one of those guys that can go unnoticed for a few games, but he is always capable of pulling off games like the one he had against Calgary on Friday night.
Demond Washington is special teams player of the week. Return a punt for a touchdown and you pretty much get this award. Return a punt for a touchdown when no other special teams player does anything else of note and you definitely win this award.
Top Canadian was Jon Cornish. A career best 185 rushing yards and one touchdown, on a beautiful 59-yard run at that, makes this a no brainer. After a somewhat slow start, Cornish is really starting to turn it on and now leads the league in rushing by a significant margin after 10 games.
Tuesday, 11 September 2012
Sunday, 9 September 2012
Toronto 45, Hamilton 31
Positives
One player who refused to give up, and this should come as no surprise, was Avon Cobourne. Cobourne had his best rushing day in his two years with the Tiger-Cats, picking up 119 yards on 13 carries. He ran like a man possessed and was the only good thing about the Tiger-Cat for most of the day.
Not much to rave about defensively, but Jermaine McElveen was a force out there, at least in the first half. He had two sacks and made a great read on a screen pass to break it up in the backfield. McElveen was probably the best player on the defense today, not that that is really saying all that much.
Negatives
Don't let those two garbage-time touchdowns fool you, Henry Burris was terrible today. In fact, Burris has been pretty terrible since his great July. Sure, his numbers look good, but he hasn't been reliable at all. He's thrown two pick sixes in the last two games and that just can't happen. I held back on issuing my mea culpa on Burris until later in the season. I didn't want to jump to any conclusions until I saw what he had left around Labour Day. Well, Labour Day has come and gone, and I will not be writing any sort of apology to Burris for what I said when he was brought in. I'm starting to wonder if it might be time for Smilin' Hank to be put out to pasture.
Another big-name acquisition who has been invisible is Andy Fantuz. Like Burris, his final stats mask what has been a disappointing first season in Hamilton for Fantuz. Perhaps it is lingering effects from the injury he suffered against Calgary, because ever since he took that hit, he hasn't been the same player. The team signed him expecting to get the 2010 version of Fantuz and instead they have been treated to the 2011 version.
Dropped pass absolutely killed the team against the Argos. Bakari Grant, who I am a fan of, was the worst offender, dropping, by my count, four catchable passes. But he was far from the only player that let the ball hit the turf. Everyone, with the exception of Dave Stala, let a ball or two go through their hands.
Missed tackles were a killer on defense. Time and time again, Argo players shook off the first tackle and picked up additional yards, with Chad Kackert becoming an expert in the field in one afternoon. I lost count of how many times Kackert simply swatted off the first defender to touch him. It was an atrocious display of tackling out there.
Final Thoughts
I have to think that there is going to be changes of some sort coming this week. We already know that the team has brought in Torrey Davis, so one of the usually active defensive linemen are out. But more changes that than need to be made.
At 3-7, it sure looks like a lot of moves the club made since the end of last season wee the wrong ones. Some bigger than others, but at this point is there anyone out there that wouldn't be happy with the Bellefeuille-Glenn tandem?
There isn't a whole lot to be optimistic about right now and it sure does look like this season will end like every other since 1999: in disappointment. A Greu Cup berth, let alone a win, seems almost impossible to fathom at this point. I'm not even sure this team will win enough games to qualify for the playoffs.
But despite all that, I'll still keep hoping that next week is the week everything starts to turn around. I still hold out hope, because I always hold out hope, that the team will turn the season around and make a run at the Grey Cup. That's probably not realistic, but at heart I am a fan and a fan will always keep hope alive.
Friday, 7 September 2012
Preview: Tiger-Cats at Argonauts
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| 3-6 |
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| 5-4 |
The Ti-Cats did a decent job of limiting the Argo offense during he first three quarters of Monday's game; it was the fourth quarter that was a problem. An 11-point lead evaporated into a three-point loss in the span of 15 minutes. That's not just on the defense for allowing the points, but on the offense for not delivering some of their own. Both units will have to perform better if the Cats are to escape Toronto with a victory.
One area that doesn't need any work is special teams. Yes, the Cats gave up a lot of return yards to Chad Owens, but they gained a bunch of their own thanks to arguably the best player in all of football, Chris Williams. Williams was once again terrific and will look to equal or better that performance tomorrow afternoon in Toronto.
Injuries are also a story for the Ti-Cats, who will be without the services of centre Marwan Hage and running back Chevon Walker for tomorrow's game. With Walker out, Avon Cobourne will see action for the second time this season. Cobourne had over 90 total yards and a touchdown in the only game he's played in so far this season. A repeat of that would be excellent. Also returning to the lineup is receiver Bakari Grant. Grant has been out with a hand injury, suffered on July 21st against the Alouettes, and he can be a big part of what the Ti-Cats do offensively.
This is an important game for the Cats. A win gets them right back into the thick of things in the East Division, while a loss likely dooms them to no better than a third-place finish. This was a team that many saw as being Grey Cup calibre before the season began, so now is the perfect time to remind everyone why they thought that back in June. The game kicks off tomorrow afternoon at the
What's Wrong With the Cats; Baggs is a Stamp
What's wrong with the Ti-Cats? It was a question I was asked by Drew Edwards on Wednesday and today you can see my answer. Drew decided he wanted to ask a smattering of people just what is wrong with the team right now. He got answers from Bob Young, George Cortez, Andy Fantuz, Avon Cobourne, Dave Naylor, John Salavantis, a CFL insider who wished to remain anonymous and myself. If this song popped into your head reading that list of names, you're not alone. Anyway, my answer was a simple one: change. Click the link and read my take as well as the take of the others.
The Good and the Bad
The Good: They've lost their last two by five total points
This cannot be overlooked. Despite all the angst, the Ti-Cats lost their last two games on field goals in the final minute. That tells me that the team isn't as far off and have a chance to turn things around this season.
The Bad: They've lost four in a row
The flip side of that is the old saying that "you are what your record is." The Ti-Cats are 3-6, they have lost four in a row and two of those losses have come at home. Professional sports is a results-oriented business (we have been told this countless times over the years) and the Cats are not getting the results they need. They may not be far off, but moral victories have to start giving way to actual victories very soon (as in Saturday).
The Good: Chris Williams
Getting to watch Chris Williams in person has been a treat for everyone. We are truly watching one of the greatest seasons a player has ever had unfold before out eyes. Whether the team doesn't win another game and finishes 3-15, wins out and finishes 12-6 or does something in between, we all got to watch the Chris Williams show live and in person and that is something to be happy about.
The Bad: Every other receiver not named Chris Williams
Conversely, pretty much every other receiver has been a disappointment. Andy Fantuz has been underwhelming for most of the season and is on pace for less than 1,000 receiving yards. That is not the player the Cats thought they were getting back in February. Sam Giguère, who came to the team with a lot of hype in May, has been invisible. A lot was expected of Giguère and will not live up to those lofty preseason expectations. Dave Stala has been decent, but rarely used; same for Onrea Jones and Aaron Kelly. Bakari Grant is the lone receiver that gets an 'INC' on his report card because he hasn't played since July 21st against the Als.
The Good: The defense during the first three quarters
The Tiger-Cat defense has been a source of much frustration and fan anger, but if you look at their points allowed in the first three quarters of their losing streak (I prefer to judge defenses based on points, not yards, because you win by scoring not by gaining yards) and the defense has actually been pretty good. They allowed 17 to Calgary, 17 to Winnipeg, 18 to Montreal and 11 to Toronto. Those are great numbers. The fourth quarter has been a problem, but the first three quarters of the last four games have shown that the Tiger-Cat defense is capable of playing well.
The Bad: The offense during the last four games
What was supposed to be the better unit has been pedestrian during the four-game losing streak. The team has scored 30 points or more just once, in comparison to four times in their first five games. The biggest problems have come in the fourth quarter, where they have score just 26 points in those four losses. The third quarter used to be the problem quarter for the Cats, but now the fourth seems to be their nemesis.
The Good: Revenge came come quickly
They lost on Labour Day, but have a chance to exact some revenge rather quickly with the rematch scheduled for Saturday. At 4-6, and one game behind Toronto, the Ti-Cats would be back in the thick of things. They would still be in the third spot, but they would recapture the tiebreaker over the Argos (at least until the two teams meet once more in the final week of the season) and would trail them by just two points for second place.
The Bad: The season could be over on Saturday afternoon
A loss to Toronto on Saturday would all but end the Ti-Cats' season. They would sit at 3-7 and would have to go 5-3 over the final eight games just to match last season's 8-10 record (a record that got Marcel Bellefeuille fired) and 6-2 to get to 9-9. They would, at a minimum, be six points back of both Toronto and Montreal (possibly eight back of the Als) and their chances of hosting a playoff game would be over. They might still sneak into the playoffs, but the Grey Cup title that many expected would be a pipe dream.
The Good: Winnipeg's terrible
The only saving grace for the Ti-Cas in their quest to make the playoffs is that they don't have anyone nipping at their heels. The one team below them in the standings is the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and they are so bad they just lost 52-0 to Saskatchewan. Winnipeg might be 2-7 and even own a victory over Hamilton, but the Bombers are no threat to creep up and challenge the Ti-Cats for a playoff spot. In the East, the Cats are pretty secure even at 3-6.
The Bad: The potential for a crossover
Hamilton's playoff hopes will not be derailed by Winnipeg, but by the fourth-place team in the West. As it stands right now, the Roughriders, not the Ti-Cats, would be the third playoff team in the East. There is a very real threat that the last-place team in the West will have a better record than the Tabbies. The Ti-Cats need to get things going in the right direction to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
Things are pretty tense around these parts, but not everything is as hopeless for the Ti-Cats as their 3-6 record makes it appear. Things are bad right now, but I heard in a movie once that it is always darkest before the dawn. Hopefully, dawn arrives on Saturday.
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