Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
Way back in Week 1 we got a matchup preview of both the Eastern and Western Final. The Eskimos took on the REDBLACKS while Calgary and BC clashed. It was a day of new beginnings for many.
Jason Maas set sail on his maiden voyage as a CFL head coach, Mike Reilly took play calls from a new voice, one that would lead him to historic heights, while Henry Burris had a new play caller as well and a fresh faced backup staring over his shoulder in free agent acquisition and assumed eventual replacement Trevor Harris.
Week 1 in the CFL is always exciting because, well, long winters suck. When the games begin to count for real it’s a turning of the page for Canadians signalling the return of patios, cottages and a trip to your favourite CFL stadium with friends.
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For Burris, his new offensive coordinator Jamie Elizondo and the REDBLACKS Week 1 served as a chance to turn the page on the 103rd Grey Cup from eight months earlier when they took a 13-0 lead in the first quarter only to watch Eskimo’s QB Mike Reilly and Edmonton raise the trophy first awarded in 1909. A loss which continued the REDBLACKS winless streak against Edmonton since Ottawa’s return to the CFL in 2014.
For the Eskimos Week 1 was an opportunity to forget about their recent championship glory. Strange concept, but the unique situation required it. Chris Jones’ move to Regina shook up the entire coaching staff and created an opening for Jason Maas who of course lost the Grey Cup to Edmonton as REDBLACKS offensive coordinator.
Maas joined the team that beat him. By Week 1 he was ecstatic to forego the ring talk and city of champions references in order to replace them with actual on field football and a chance to beat his old squad. Simply put he wanted to embrace change and begin building his own Grey Cup Championship story.
Despite all that change in the form of coaching movement, player acquisitions, new faces in new places and a different voice in each quarterback’s helmet speaker, the game itself, and the X’s and O’s, remain consistent.
The more things change the more they stay the same.
Football is a game built on evolution and the CFL is no different. From single wing running attacks, to spread pass happy ball control offences and beyond the CFL game is consistently ahead of the times. However, within that evolution there are systematic staples of the game which have always and will always work.
One such staple displays how regardless of all the changes from the final game of 2015 to the first of 2016, more might be similar about these two teams competing for a 104th Grey Cup berth Sunday than the storylines will suggest.
When the Eskimos and REDBLACKS clashed in Winnipeg late last November, Henry Burris was the league’s Most Outstanding Player after being able to dodge injury and play in all 18 regular season games for the fourth straight. Part of what allowed Burris to stay healthy was his quick passing attack as directed by his opponent Maas this Sunday. That constant quick pass threat has not deviated in Ottawa this season despite the offensive coaching staff changing.
Before the snap Burris has three receivers to the wide side of the field where his running back also stands. He also has the swiss army knife of any good CFL offence – a fullback, tight end, H-back type – on the short side of the field.
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Burris uses a fake handoff to the running back to hold the linebackers as his multipurpose back – Lavoie in 103rd Grey Cup, LaFrance in Week 1 – goes flying across the formation to the flats on the wide side of the field.
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At this point the defence is out leveraged.
They had the right number of people on the shorter side of the field when Lavoie or LaFrance were there. When the REDBLACKS renaissance men cross the formation and release to the flats there are two things the defence can do.
- Have the outside linebacker on the wide side of the field cover Lavoie or LaFrance. Usually this is the task of the outside most linebacker.
Which explains Odell Willis’ glare at fellow Eskimos linebacker Kenny Ladler who decided to hit Burris instead of covering Lavoie last November.
- If there is no outside linebacker who can cover – or who forgets to cover – Lavoie or LaFrance then it becomes the responsibility of the free safety (FS) to win the race to the spot where Burris is throwing the ball.
This was the case in Week 1 this season with Neil King unable to get to LaFrance on time due to the savvy play design. King gets caught looking in the back field and by the time he realizes he’s in a race with LaFrance Ernest Jackson is making him take the long way to get there.
Result: touchdown REDBLACKS, just like in the Grey Cup.
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The coaches have changed, the storylines are deep but much of the personnel is similar and the desire to win is unwavering. Through injuries, coaching changes and a greatly different journey to the Eastern Final there is one constant. Henry Burris.
Smilin’ Hank is likely as good a reason as any why the REDBLACKS continue to attack in ways they did in 2015. Henry has been there, done that. Seen it all, lived to tell about it and refuses to take no for an answer when told he can’t do something.
There is a lot on the line this Sunday in the Eastern Final and despite the many faces in new places the 2016 Ottawa REDBLACKS have numerous on field similarities to their 2015 selves.
The only question now is whether the new altered 2016 version of REDBLACKS football is enough to overcome the men who wear rings signifying a 2015 championship. Rings which just as easily could have been sized for Ottawa players.
Maybe, just maybe that will be the case next week in Toronto.
