CFL.ca Staff

TORONTO -- In a new feature on CFL.ca, Game Notes will bring you the latest information regarding your favourite team each week throughout the 2012 CFL season.

Equipped with the most up-to-date storylines, roster moves, stats, milestones and trends, Game Notes will provide you with everything you need for the upcoming week of Canadian football.

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» Stats Watch: 2012 League Leaders
After one week of play, here's a look at the current stat leaders for each major category.

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By the Numbers:

While taking a look at the standings, it’s easy to recognize which division was more successful in Week 1. In a week that featured four inter-division matchups, the West came out on top in each one, outscoring the East 133-57.

Taking the scoring into account, it’s no coincidence that the West also dominated the East on net yards through Week 1, 1,578-1,151.

The East Division also had difficulty moving the chains, registering a total of 64 first downs, compared to a whopping total of 95 by the West.

Though teams will in fact get a taste of their division rivals in Week 2 for the first time this season, the East will likely be focused on not stumbling out of the gate. Last week, the four teams combined to score just six points in the opening quarter. The West, meanwhile, put up 38 points on the board in the first frame.

Top Performers
Throughout their week at practice, teams have been working diligently on perfecting their game plan, while continuing to familiarize themselves with their respective playbooks.

Heading into the new week, teams have no doubt been developing game plans for specific players, who dominated the opposition during opening weekend.

Weston Dressler: Last week, Dressler hauled in 13 receptions for 180 yards and three touchdowns. The most impressive stat connected to Dressler? His 121 yards after catch.

Darian Durant: Facing immense pressure to rebound following a less-than-stellar 2011 campaign, Durant waltzed into Ivor Wynne Stadium and took the spotlight away from Henry Burris and the new-look Ticats offence. Durant completed a stellar 73.5 per cent of his passes for 390 yards and four touchdown passes. The last time Durant eclipsed 390 yards was Week 12 of the 2010 season.

Chevon Walker: Making his CFL debut, Walker spearheaded the Hamilton offence, rushing for 132 yards on just seven carries. However, his number may have been inflated due to a massive 89-yard touchdown run. Regardless, there’s no telling how many more yards he would have gained had he been given more carries like Jon Cornish and Kory Sheets, the second and third leading rushers respectively.

Ball Hawks: Last week, eight different players had one interception. Quincy Butler, Tyron Brackenridge, Brandon Smith, Billy Parker, Jonathan Hefney, Dwight Anderson, Jordan Younger and James Yurichuk all picked off opposing pivots. Among them, only Butler, Brackenridge, Smith and Parker had return yards, with Butler leading the way with 36. It was the sophomore’s first-career interception.

Bryant Turner: In 2011, the 24-year old registered three sacks in 12 games. Last week, Turner matched that output in one game, sacking Travis Lulay on three occasions.

JC Sherritt: Last season’s West Division Most Outstanding Rookie nominee, JC Sherritt earned Top Defensive Player honours following Edmonton’s win over the Argonauts at Commonwealth Stadium. The sophomore registered a game-high 11 tackles, good enough for tops in the West Division, and second overall in the league.

Paul McCallum: The reigning Most Outstanding Canadian once again leads all kickers in points with 15, connecting on four field goals in BC’s Week 1 victory.

Throwing the Flag
Despite taking the most penalties last week with 18, the Toronto Argonauts were not the most penalized team in terms of yardage. That unfortunate honour belongs to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who took 16 penalties for 136 yards.  In total, teams took 81 penalties for 639 yards.

Milestone Watch
After a record and milestone-filled 2011 season, Paul McCallum might be at it again in his Week 2 matchup against the Tiger-Cats. McCallum needs just nine points to surpass Sean Flemming for fifth place on the All-Time scoring leaders list. McCallum currently sits in sixth with 2,561. He’s played 11 fewer games than Flemming, and averages .37 more points.

Argonauts quarterback Ricky Ray is also closing in on a milestone of his own. Ray needs 527 yards to pass Doug Flutie for seventh on the all-time passing yards list. Ticats QB Henry Burris accomplished that feat last week.

Roster Moves
After suffering an injury that forced him out of the game midway through Week 1, Bombers QB Buck Pierce is slated to start in Montreal against the Alouettes according to the team’s official depth chart.

Justin Sorensen will get the start at centre ahead of Chris Kowalczuk. The Als, meanwhile, will start Wopamo Osaisai instead of veteran DB Dwight Anderson.

The Tiger-Cats are starting import linebacker Markeith Knowlton, rather than Canadian Kevin Eiben. To balance out the ratio, the Ticats will start Sam Giguere, Dave Stala and Andy Fantuz at receiver.

Player Chatter
Earlier this week, Montreal Alouettes receiver Brandon London and Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive tackle Brandon Collie had a rather ‘friendly’ exchange over Twitter:

Brandon London ‏@yourboyBLONDON
Back to work today...0-1 is unALSlike!

To which Collier replied:

Brandon Collier ‏@BCollier56
"@yourboyBLONDON: Back to work today...0-1 is unALSlike!" So how 0-2 gone feel?