July 27, 2016

The Weekly Say: A question for every team in Week 6

THE CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO — Injuries have put the quarterback carousel in full force in the CFL, and the questions continue in Week 6.

The Bombers are in search of a spark from Matt Nichols; Logan Kilgore will look to follow the path set by those before him; the Alouettes need some answers, and fast; and who will lead the backfield on the west coast?

With Week 6 matchups fast approaching, we want you to have your say.

Here are nine pressing questions for Week 6:

1. Are the Stampeders the new favourite to win the West?

The Stampeders went 29-7 from 2014 through 2015, but the rise of the Edmonton Eskimos made them a slight afterthought in some CFL circles heading into 2016. Teams like Edmonton and Ottawa were the talk of the league, while the loss of some key players on both sides of the ball was compounded by giving up a two-score lead in a season-opening loss to the BC Lions.

Since then, however, the Stampeders have done nothing but silence their detractors. Bo Levi Mitchell has made it work with a new-look receiving corps and Jerome Messam has become the league’s leading rusher. On the other hand, while the offence ranks third in the league with 383.8 yards per game, the defence has also seen little drop-off in its transition from Rich Stubler to rookie defensive coordinator DeVone Claybrooks.

True, their only two wins this season have come against a Winnipeg team that’s 1-4 thus far, but that isn’t deterring the public’s confidence in them. If the Stamps aren’t ranked first in various power rankings in the media, they’re second behind only the team they tied — the Ottawa REDBLACKS.

We may really know the answer to this question after Week 6 and a clash with the first-place BC Lions.

Fan Poll
Who is the favourite to win the West?
BC Lions
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Calgary Stampeders
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Edmonton Eskimos
Vote

 

 2. Will Logan Kilgore follow the same path as those before him?

Fans and some media have been critical of the Argos for allowing Trevor Harris to get away last off-season, and nothing has happened lately to dispel those concerns – Harris has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league while the Argos’ offence floundered.

Jim Barker and Scott Milanovich had a backup plan, though, and his name is Logan Kilgore. With Ricky Ray out 3-6 weeks with a sprained MCL in his left knee, the 6-foot-3 gunslinger will get a chance to make Argos fans forget about No. 7 in Ottawa.

» Ray to miss 3-6 weeks with sprained MCL

Ricky-Ray-2016 (3)

The Argos will be without quarterback Ricky Ray for the next month or so due to a sprained MCL (CFL.ca)

Remember: there was a time when no one knew who Zach Collaros, Trevor Harris or Mitchell Gale were. Scott Milanovich developed all of them behind the veteran Ray, and all enjoyed immediate success when called upon. Kilgore may have the higher ceiling than all of them.

Fan Poll
How do you see Logan Kilgore's future as a CFL QB?
He'll be better than Collaros and Harris
Vote
He'll be an average starting QB
Vote
He'll be a solid backup
Vote
He won't be in the league long
Vote

 

 3. Can Matt Nichols provide the spark the Bombers are looking for?

Some say the Bombers made the change to Matt Nichols too late; others say it’s too early. Ah, the joys of a quarterback controversy.

Mike O’Shea turned to Nichols in the fourth quarter of last weekend’s loss to Calgary, then made the call to start Nichols and relegate Drew Willy for the Bombers’ Week 6 matchup with the Eskimos.

The Bombers have their issues and they don’t all start with the quarterback — the ground game ranks seventh in the league (60.4 yards per game) while the defence sits dead last in allowing 438.2 yards per game. The point in the change to Nichols is to provide a spark, one the team is in serious need of after a disappointing 1-4 start.

Will it provide the desired effect?

Fan Poll
Can Matt Nichols provide the spark the Bombers need?
Yes, he'll bring a new energy to the team
Vote
No, there are too many other problems
Vote

4. What’s ailing the Montreal Alouettes?

The Alouettes showed improvement in a 30-17 loss to the Argos on Monday in Toronto, but still struggled to correct some of the issues that have plagued them this season — namely finishing drives with touchdowns. That was no doubt the issue in Week 5, as Kevin Glenn and the Alouette offence came up empty-handed twice in the red zone, coughing up a potential 14 points that could have made the difference in a 13-point loss.

Finishing, or lack there of, isn’t the only issue, however. Explosive plays have been lacking and so has consistency; the Alouettes rank last in the CFL in first downs (82), eighth in the league in offence (334.5 yards per game) and last in the league in points (14.8 per game) by a longshot. The defence hasn’t been its usual self, ranking sixth in the league in points allowed (25.8 per game) and opponent net offence (386 yards per game) as Noel Thorpe’s unit struggles to make plays the way we’ve been accustomed to in the past.

Injuries don’t help — S.J. Green, Kenny Stafford and last year’s rushing leader Tyrell Sutton have been mostly unavailable while quarterback Glenn also missed a game — while the offence is in its first year under newly-appointed offensive coordinator Anthony Calvillo.

In the end, though, Head Coach and General Manager Jim Popp had to be expecting bigger things this season than the team’s 1-3 start and minus-44-point differential.

Fan Poll
What's ailing the Montreal Alouettes
Too many injuries
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Quarterback play
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Struggles on the O-line
Vote
The defence
Vote
Other
Vote

 

 5. Who should start at running back for the Lions?

You aren’t hearing a lot of Andrew Harris’s name around the west coast of Canada any more; the BC Lions are 3-1 and own the league’s number one rushing attack with 107.3 yards per game on the ground.

For the first time in recent memory, the Lions lined up an American in their backfield on opening day instead of a Canadian, changing their approach to the ratio in 2016 following Harris’s departure to Winnipeg. The problem: both of their international running backs in Anthony Allen and Jeremiah Johnson appear equally capable.

Johnson flew out of the gate for the Lions, rushing for 120 yards on 21 carries (5.7 yards per carry) in two contests, including three runs of 10 yards or more. An injury to Johnson gave Allen a chance to only one-up his teammate and counterpart, and he responded with 168 yards on 28 carries (6.2 yards per carry) in two contests, including seven runs of 10 yards or more.

Allen has been the more explosive back thus far, but each have their strengths. And while the insurance policy is nice either way, the question for the Lions is who should carry the mail going forward — or is there room for both?

Fan Poll
Who should be the Lions' starting RB?
Jeremiah Johnson
Vote
Anthony Allen
Vote

 

 6. What will become of Jeremiah Masoli?

There’s no quarterback controversy in Hamilton, even if Jeremiah Masoli ranks second in the CFL in passing yards (1,532) and is coming off a record-breaking performance in which he completed 23 straight passes and led the Ticats back from a 25-point deficit to defeat the Edmontont Eskimos.

Zach Collaros is firmly entrenched as the Ticats’ starter whenever he’s ready to return from the torn ACL that cut short his 2015 season, and that could be as soon as Week 7 when the Tabbies return from the bye.

The question here is what becomes of Masoli? The 27-year-old dual-threat quarterback who played for Oregon and Mississippi has completed 73 per cent of his passes this season and thrown eight touchdown passes while leading his team to a 3-2 record through five games.

» Cauz: Masoli’s record more than just a footnote

THE CANADIAN PRESS

Jeremiah Masoli set a record with 23 straight completions in Week 5 (The Canadian Press)

Sure, he’s been frustrating for some at times, like when he played a large hand in the Ticats’ six turnovers in a loss to Winnipeg earlier in the season — and even in the first half against Edmonton when the Ticats faced a huge deficit. But while Masoli has thrown a league-high five interceptions this season, he’s also showed he fits the CFL game to a T.

It’s no secret that CFL teams covet two starting-calibre quarterbacks these days, and Masoli has proven himself to be a quality backup to Collaros. Does he have the ceiling to do more in this league down the road?

Fan Poll
What is Jeremiah Masoli's future in the CFL?
He'll be a starter with the Ticats
Vote
He'll be a backup with the Ticats
Vote
He'll start somewhere else
Vote
Other
Vote

 

 7. Is Naaman Roosevelt a top-five CFL receiver?

His jerseys are hanging in the Riders store right there alongside Darian Durant and Rob Bagg’s, making it official — Naaman Roosevelt is a household name in Saskatchewan and should also be one across the Canadian Football League.

Roosevelt was a rare holdover from a Riders team that won only three games in 2015, while Head Coach and General Manager Chris Jones offered nothing but praise for the second-year CFL receiver in camp this season.

The 28-year-old has 477 yards in four games (119.3 per game) to rank fourth in the CFL, while his 30 receptions (7.5 per game) rank him fifth in the league (although two players ahead of him have played one extra game). Roosevelt has the skill-set to stretch the field and make big plays for his team, but also the hands and consistency to make a high volume of catches and be the team’s most reliable pass-catcher.

It’s early, but so far the Buffalo graduate is proving he belongs in the elite class of receivers in the league alongside Chris Williams, Adarius Bowman, Derel Walker and Greg Ellingson. Is that where he’ll remain?

Fan Poll
Is Naaman Roosevelt a top-5 CFL receiver?
Yes
Vote
No
Vote

 

 8. Will Esks paint the record book Green and Gold?

If you want to talk big numbers, the Edmonton Eskimos take the cake. The REDBLACKS may own the league’s No. 1 offence but no one is lighting up box scores like the trio of Mike Reilly, Adarius Bowman and Derel Walker.

Reilly is on pace for an absurd 7,110 passing yards through four games, which would shatter the all-time single-season passing record of 6,619 set by Doug Flutie. Meanwhile, not one but two of his targets are on pace to break single-season receiving records, as no one, not even Chris Williams, can hold a candle to Adarius Bowman’s 135.8 receiving yards per game or Derel Walker’s 123.5 per game.

Crazy numbers, sure, and not the first time we’ve seen some gaudy projections through not even a quarter of a CFL season. But could this pace actually be sustainable?

It helps that the Eskimos have the eighth-ranked defence (417.3 yards per game) and have had to play some catch-up, but that certainly wasn’t the case in Week 5 when Reilly eclipsed the 300-yard passing mark early in the third quarter vs. the Ticats. Also, the relationship between Offensive Coordinator Jason Maas and quarterback Reilly has taken no time at all to blossom into one of the league’s best.

There are reasons to be skeptical, but between last year with the REDBLACKS and this year with the Eskimos, no one has had an answer for Maas’s offence, and Reilly and co. are taking that to new heights in 2016.

Fan Poll
Who will set single-season records for the Eskimos?
Mike Reilly
Vote
Adarius Bowman
Vote
Derel Walker
Vote
No one will
Vote
All three will
Vote

 

 9. Does it even matter who plays QB for the REDBLACKS?

Last week we asked if Trevor Harris is the best quarterback in the CFL, and he very well could be — but when Harris went down over the weekend, the REDBLACKS’ offence looked alright considering it was down to its third-string quarterback. Backup and 25-year-old Brock Jensen threw for 271 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 20-of-29 passing, coming up just shy of the victory for the REDBLACKS but showing strong command of the offence in a loss to the Riders.

With no discredit to Harris or Henry Burris, Jaime Elizondo appears to have a pretty well-oiled machine at his disposal in Ottawa, one that includes four 1,000-yard receivers in 2015 and an O-line that has given up just 11 sacks in five games (fourth-best in the CFL).

When Burris got hurt in Week 1 and Harris lit up the scoreboard, all of the talk was on who should start when both quarterbacks are healthy. In the end, does it really matter? Ottawa appears strong in every facet of the game, overcoming injuries at almost every position to ultimately boast the league’s top-ranked offence (476.4 yards per game) and third-ranked defence (358 yards per game).

It’s a question that’ll come up again with Burris starting and Harris now out of the lineup, but it may not be as big a deal as we thought who the REDBLACKS start at quarterback.

Fan Poll
Does it make a difference who starts at QB in Ottawa?
Yes, either Harris or Burris is better
Vote
No, this offence is in good shape either way
Vote