Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
Defences making some statements. A loss that can be called a win. And proof, once again, of how the little things make a big difference.
Here are the Week 14 takeaways:
1. You can win even when you lose.
That can often seem like cold comfort but in the case of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, it shouldn’t. The Bombers were absolutely outclassed in the first half against Calgary and I, for one, kept watching only because 1) I really love football and 2) wanted to see if that Winnipeg team had some real fight in them.
The game was lost, I figured, but the Bombers could salvage a little something if they tightened up and merely made the second half more competitive than the first. What they did was a heck of a lot more than that, surging into an unlikely lead with 15 seconds left to play in the game.
Yes, the Stampeders put together a superb micro-drive to put kicker Rene Paredes in range for a 52-yard winning field goal in that final 15 seconds – and that is not something the Winnipeg Football Club should be happy about – but if they were looking for signs that they are to be taken seriously in November, they provided them with a tremendous second half pushback against the best team in the league.
2. The Ottawa defence is ready for the stretch drive.
They played fast, smart and mean against the Toronto Argonauts on Friday night, especially members of the secondary, who have a reputation for being pretty nasty to opposing receivers.
The Argos’ offence might not be the most high-powered in the CFL, it’s true. But it was the way the Ottawa defence played – not against whom they were playing – that shone brightly.
Quick decisions, quick closing, nasty finish. After coming out of the ravages of a mid-season spate of injuries, the REDBLACKS defence looks primed for wrecking ball fun down the stretch. Now, if only that offence could flip the switch in the red zone.
3. The Edmonton defence might also be ready for the stretch drive.
Almondo Sewell (pictured rolling behind Jonathon Jennings) was part of the second half success for Edmonton’s defence (The Canadian Press)
That unit has taken a lot of heat in 2016 and so has its coordinator, Mike Benevides. Yes, there have been times when the defence has let the Eskimos down over the course of the season. However, there has never been a real, awful, extended unspooling of the Edmonton defence and if you’ve been watching closely, there’ve been signs of late that they are toughening up.
After BC quarterback Jonathon Jennings ripped the Eskimos’ D for two first half touchdowns on Friday night, Benevides made the right adjustments and his crew made the right plays in shutting down one of the more dynamic offences in the CFL.
It’s all being keyed up front by defensive tackle Almondo Sewell and with the recent addition of Phillip Hunt (free agency), that line is more formidable than it’s been all season. “Coach Benny just let us go, tonight,” said Sewell after the win over the Lions. “He was, like, ‘go get ’em.'” As good as last season’s defence? No. Good enough to be a difference maker? Sure looked that way on Friday night.
4. The difference between a loss and a win is 110 yards. Plus an inch or two.
When the ball was knocked from Saskatchewan quarterback Mitchell Gale’s grasp at the Ticats’ goal line and scooped up by Hamilton’s Adrian Tracy, who ran it all the way back for a defensive score, it appeared the Ticats had forged a 16-10, second quarter lead over the Riders.
However, upon further review, Gale’s knee touched the turf an instant – barely an instant – before he started to lose possession and that meant he was down by contact, with the Roughriders getting another crack at a score. They got it and took the lead themselves.
While the Ticats would go on to claim the lead late in the fourth quarter, Gale marched his team down field for a game-winning field goal, in a 20-18 decision. You can do the math on this one; If Gale’s knee is an inch or two higher when the ball comes loose, Hamilton wins the game because that’s a 13-point swing (fourteen if you assume Hamilton would’ve converted) more than enough to make up for that late field goal.
5. Listen to your body. It knows best.
Rene Paredes kicks a field goal during his team’s victory on Saturday (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
Stampeders’ kicker Rene Paredes felt a little twinge in his groin after a kick-off, early in Saturday’s game. He didn’t keep it quiet, letting team medics and brass know.
It was decided that they should let him avoid the running, high torque nature of the mechanics of a kick-off for the rest of the game, just to be safe.
So, when he went out there to blast a 52-yard game-winning field goal (longest game-winner of his career) with no time left on the clock, he was able to do so. “If I’d been kicking off all game, I don’t (think) I could’ve made it, though,” Paredes said afterwards. There are crucial ways to manage a game – ways that go beyond merely making the right decision on 3rd and two or challenging an iffy PI call.
And finally…
Edmonton centre Justin Sorensen is having an all-star calibre season and he made it even better on Saturday. A victory over the Lions was immediately followed by him proposing to his girlfriend, Madyson, on the field. There’s video of it on the Esks’ website and it shows Sorensen – as you’d expect – being assignment sound, executing beautifully.
