Introduction | Week 1 | Week 3
The season continues! Lots of ups and downs on this one with some surprising outcomes!
WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS @ OTTAWA REDBLACKS
Played: Thursday June 13
Final Score: WPG 19 – OTT 23
Points Breakdown by Quarter: Q1: WPG-0 OTT-10 | Q2: WPG-10 OTT-6 | Q3: WPG-7 OTT-0 | Q4: WPG-2 OTT-7
Game VOD
I know I keep banging this drum, but there is something wrong with this Winnipeg team. Zach Collaros only made fifteen of his thirty-one pass attempts. He just could not find his receivers. They still managed to slightly outperform Ottawa in passing yards, but the Redblacks racked up over three times as many running yards as the Bombers did. Combine that with Collaros getting sacked multiple times and throwing two interceptions, and it’s not surprising that Winnipeg didn’t win this one. The Bombers did pull off some impressive plays and turned them into two touchdowns, but there were more drives that ended two and out. I’m completely baffled at this team. This is the best score they’ve put up so far, and they still have yet to crack twenty. This was, admittedly, a close game, but close does not cut it. Some adjustments need to be made for next week to win against the Lions.
This Ottawa defence was hot all game long. They did not give the Bombers a moment to breathe, and also managed to snag two interceptions in the process. Beyond that, they put up a rock solid defence in the fourth quarter to stuff Winnipeg’s last chance drive with only fifty seconds left on the clock. This game looks very different without Damon Webb’s huge dive to block a touchdown pass that would have given Winnipeg a substantial lead. Their offence also put in a very solid performance, particularly on the ground. Ryquell Armstead ran for 95 yards, good for second most of anyone in the game, including all the receivers on both teams. A win like this is a huge morale boost, especially for the home opener. I’m really liking what I’m seeing from this team. They have to face down a scary Montreal team in their own house next week, though. We’ll see if they can carry this momentum forward and take them down a peg.
MONTREAL ALOUETTES @ EDMONTON ELKS
Played: Friday June 14
Final Score: MTL 23 – EDM 20
Points Breakdown by Quarter: Q1: MTL-7 EDM-7 | Q2: MTL-10 EDM-6 | Q3: MTL-0 EDM-0 | Q4: MTL-6 EDM-7
Game VOD
Montreal’s defence have really been putting in work this season. They made two huge interceptions, one of which was in their own endzone and set them up for the touchdown that won them the game. That’s the second time in two games a Montreal player has snatched points away from the other team at the last possible second. The defence harassed Edmonton all night long, and kept the pressure up on McLeod Bethel-Thompson. The offence played well, but they did have issues finishing drives. They moved the ball, but stalled out outside of field goal range surprisingly often. They started out the game very hot with a fast touchdown, but were unable to keep that momentum going. Running back Walter Fletcher had an amazing game, making some incredible runs and catches, and picking up a touchdown. This team is still very scary, but I would like to see the offence finish stronger.
I really think this Edmonton team is better than their record shows. Unfortunately, they now sit 0-2 in the standings. Their defence is playing solid, but the offence is letting them down. Most concerning is how often McLeod Bethel-Thompson is throwing interceptions. While the Al’s did end up punting on the first, the second was critical to them winning the game. If that second interception doesn’t happen, this is an Elks win by a significant margin. The Elks also need to improve on finishing drives. After a fast touchdown on their second possession of the game, they only kicked 2 field goals until the last minute of the 4th quarter. Even then, Montreal managed to delay that drive until only 30 seconds were on the clock, and Edmonton could not recover the onside kick. They kept it close until the end, but a handful of errors on offence were all it took to take away the win.
CALGARY STAMPEDERS @ BC LIONS
Played: Saturday June 15
Final Score: CGY 17 – BC 26
Points Breakdown by Quarter: Q1: CGY-7 BC-0 | Q2: CGY-3 BC-14 | Q3: CGY-7 BC-3 | Q4: CGY-0 BC-9
Game VOD
While Calgary didn’t come away with the win, I think they still had a lot to be proud of. In particular, their defence made life a living hell for Lions quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. There were some plays where the Stamps were sending 8 guys to run Adams down, and it worked more often than it didn’t. Calgary even managed to block 2 extra point kicks on touchdowns. While the offence did put in a solid showing, there were a few unfortunate turnovers, one of which cemented the win for BC. I’m liking quarterback Jake Maier more the more I see of him; he’s got a good arm and can scramble with the best of them. It’s just unfortunate that they couldn’t quite crack BC’s defence. If they can reduce their turnovers, I think this team could be really scary.
The Lions had a real rough start to the game. Vernon Adams Jr. spent most of the first quarter running for his life as it felt like half of the Stampeders’ roster was barrelling down on him every play. Things got a little better after some adjustment, and Adams started being able to get the ball out. The passing game continues to be this team’s strong point, but bringing in William Stanback has had a huge impact in their running offence. The most important play of the night was also one of the stranger ones as BC linebacker Josh Woods batted a Calgary fumble out of bounds to give BC possession with less than 4 minutes left in the game, which the Lions used to extend their lead. Not exactly the flashiest play, but without it this game looks very different. One thing that concerns me about this team is Adams’ decision to stay in for short yardage. Most teams will employ a quarterback whose job is specifically to pick up short 1-2 yard gains to avoid potentially injuring their starter in a very physical play. Adams has been choosing to stay in for short yardage, which I’m not a fan of. If he gets injured, that will be a huge setback to this team.
SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS @ HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
Played: Sunday June 16
Final Score: SSK 33 – HAM 30
Points Breakdown by Quarter: Q1: SSK-7 HAM-3 | Q2: SSK-0 HAM-17 | Q3: SSK-10 HAM-7 | Q4: SSK-16 HAM-3
Game VOD
Well, that was a heart-breaker. The Cats did a great job of extending the lead early and spent most of the game up two scores. They were even the recipients of a gift from god when a fumble call on running back James Butler got overturned by illegal participation on Saskatchewan, which kept Hamilton’s drive alive and lead to a touchdown to seriously extend their lead. Unfortunately, we then saw something we didn’t get to last week; a classic fourth quarter meltdown. Hamilton only scored three points in the fourth quarter, and completely threw the game away with an interception while they were tied with less than a minute left. On offence, this team relies too heavily on receiver Tim White and running back James Butler. Both players are very good, but if you only run plays involving them it becomes very predictable and easy to counter. In fact, despite the sheer number of times the ball was given to White and Butler, all of the Ticats touchdowns were scored by other receivers. On defence, they really need to force turnovers. This team is pretty decent at stopping the play, but they have yet to get a single interception or to force a fumble. Rounding out the problems is special teams. Lawrence Woods III averaged a little under thirteen yards per return, which makes the offence’s problems moving the ball even worse as they start with worse field position. I really don’t know what the solution is going forward, but they need to figure something out.
I swear the weirdest games I’ve seen at Tim Hortons Field are always when Saskatchewan comes to town. This team isn’t bad, but they seem to manage to squeak out wins at the last minute. Maybe that’s just my perception though. They literally won this one in the final minute when the ball bounced off of Tim White and into the waiting arms of Riders linebacker CJ Avery. I really don’t know how to assess this team. I don’t think they’re bad, and their defence did a great job controlling things, especially the run, and their offence was pretty strong. They play very undisciplined, constantly getting penalties, but it doesn’t seem to matter. I’ll be the first to admit, it makes exciting football watching the Riders scramble their way to a miraculous fourth quarter win, I just don’t think it’s going to be enough going forward. Hamilton and Edmonton are not exactly top tier teams in the league right now, and once the Riders start playing against teams like Montreal I think they’re going to come up short. At the very least, they need to focus on discipline and stop taking so many penalties.
STANDINGS AT THE END OF WEEK 2
EAST
MONTREAL ALOUETTES 2 – 0
TORONTO ARGONAUTS 1 – 0
OTTAWA REDBLACKS 1 – 0
HAMILTON TIGER-CATS 0 – 2
WEST
SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS 2 – 0
CALGARY STAMPEDERS 1 – 1
BC LIONS 1 – 1
EDMONTON ELKS 0 – 2
WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS 0 – 2
NEXT WEEK: WEEK 3
Ottawa @ Montreal – Thursday June 20 7:30PM EDT
BC @ Winnipeg – Friday June 21 8:30PM EDT
Edmonton @ Toronto – Saturday June 22 7PM EDT
Hamilton @ Saskatchewan – Sunday June 23 7PM EDT
