Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca
Hello, Manny Arceneaux. You kidding me? Clutch catches and smooth moves on the winning touchdown drive for BC on Saturday night AND dazzling break dance spins on the celebration? Manny Show goes retro on the celly.
Can’t wait for another TD and a nod to another era. Macarena?
Locomotion? Twist? Do-si-do?
Here are this week’s takeaways:
1. Bo Levi Mitchell is some kind of masochist.
Near as I can figure, the Calgary quarterback likes pain. The pain of being a social media target and the pain of being belted in the pocket. Okay, maybe he doesn’t LIKE it. But he’s prepared to take it on.
He could have waited until after the Stampeders’ game in Regina to start making noise about the Roughriders’ roster moves – moves that led the CFL to fine the Riders 60 thousand dollars and ding them with a cap hit of 26 thousand more.
You knew he was going to get a rough ride from the Regina faithful on Saturday night and he did. Then, late in the fourth quarter, with the game very much in doubt, Mitchell saw a blitz coming and hung in long enough to hit Simon Charbonneau-Campeau for a dagger of a 64 yard bomb.
As was pointed out on the broadcast, Mitchell knew he was going to get flattened on a zero blitz and he chose to take that path rather than quickly dump it away to avoid a hit. Never get into a face-slapping contest with Bo Levi Mitchell. He’ll just smile and say “please, may I have another?”
Know what? Generally speaking, just don’t go around getting into face-slapping contests, period.
2. Zach Collaros is back, baby.
Zach Collaros made his 2016 season debut on Saturday night (CFL.ca)
It’s all there. Rocket arm, quick feet, on-the-fly improv. Would he be a different guy after coming back after rehabbing a knee injury for nearly a year? Tentative? Careful? Nah. The 27-year-old Ticats’ quarterback played with exactly the same adventurous spirit as always.
If his timing was a little off for a bit, his attitude certainly was not. I actually think the Lions did him a favour when linebacker Loucheiz Purifoy blasted him on his first pass attempt, knocking the ball loose on a turnover that would lead to a Lions’ touchdown.
On this night, Collaros was not quite the Collaros we’ve gotten used to but he was not far off. Get ready for a show.
3. It’s happening, Winnipeg. It’s really, really happening.
Clarence Denmark had seven receptions for 195 yards and two touchdowns in the Bombers victory this week (The Canadian Press)
Your team is emerging as a force.
Yes, they beat an Argos squad that had its quarterback and top three receivers out of the lineup and is still trying to put a healthy secondary together. So what? It’s the way the Bombers played that has to get you jazzed if you’re in their camp.
On defence, with each passing week, the crew plays with growing confidence and precision. You see it in the quick decisions they make and the force of the hits they apply. On offence, this Andrew Harris thing is coming together beautifully and the new guy – what’s his name? Clarence Denmark? – Yeah, he’s pretty good, where’d they get him?
Is Matt Nichols truly a number one, Grey Cup worthy quarterback? He’s tapered off after quick starts before so we’ll see but he does seem to be more comfortable than ever before. If he’s not, having a former number one quarterback with something to prove on your sideline ain’t a bad thing to have in reserve.
I say it again, Winnipeg. It’s happening.
4. A reminder: Diontae Spencer is a game-breaker.
You may have forgotten about him because the Argos’ diminutive receiver saw his first action of 2016 on Friday night.
He was as elusive as he showed in his rookie season, pulling in 11 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown, coming within a hair of nabbing another bomb that would have given him two touchdowns and over 200 yards receiving. His small stature means he will not win jump balls as often as you’d like but he so often gets so wide open that he won’t need to.
Spencer also had three tackles against the Bombers and while you don’t really want your receivers piling up those numbers because it means there’s been a fumble or interception, it shows that he never gives up on a play and will do the dirty work too.
Once he really gets his game legs, the Argos will be able to use him on returns again and that will be a bonus.
5. I’ll have what Lion’s punter Richie Leone is having.
Dude, what did you have for your pre-game meal? Seven punts for an average of 62.8 yards with a longest of 78 yards. In a facility with no wind and at sea level.
TSN’s Rod Black and Matt Dunigan were giggling over how close your punts were getting to the giant video board that hangs over the field at BC Place. Tell us. What kind of energy source did you harness in order to pull that off?
Please, please, please tell me it was chicken wings, or a whole pizza or a half dozen sour cream glazed donuts. Even if it wasn’t, please tell me that anyway.
And finally… Remember the movie “The Fog”? The fog would roll in and bad things would happen to the good people of the town. They could remake that flick with quarterbacks in the roles of the townsfolk and call it “The Fogg.”
