The Canadian Press
The end of summer is, for the most part, a depressing time of year. It signifies the end of patios, warmth and long days as it ushers in salt stains, waiting for your car to warm up and the return to school.
On the flip side, fall gives us a couple weeks of brilliant colours on the trees, unlimited sports options and of course that holiday that allows us to put up two middle fingers to our respective diets, Thanksgiving! So with this caloric holiday upon us, it’s time for my annual “What is every team in the CFL thankful for?” column.
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I’m guessing for most people reading this, you’re thankful for health in your family and that second slice of pumpkin pie. But what should each team in the league be most thankful for? I’m glad you asked. Here is what I have come up:
BC Lions
Oh boy, this is a hard one considering I had the Lions in the Grey Cup and Jonathon Jennings winning the MOP. Hmmm, well you can be thankful that Solomon Elimimian is banging out yet another 100-tackle season. It’s like his 2014 Achilles injury never happened! Travis Lulay proved he still has plenty left in the tank when he’s healthy… yikes let’s not mention the word “injury” with Lulay. Hey, Alex Bazzie is back! That’s good news; I mean that dude is a badass when it comes to getting to the quarterback.
All right, I’m going to be honest, I am disappointed with the Lions 2017 season. With the talent on this team and their exciting come-from-behind playoff win over Winnipeg last year I had massive expectations for this squad and, sadly, they have been not been realized. Big picture: Jennings is still young and the front office is smart enough to make the right changes for a more satisfying 2018.
At the very least, the team has a good deal for a swanky seven-night Mexican vacation in March, so that is something to be thankful for … Right?
Calgary
When you’re this good, the list of players would be endless. From the quiet consistency of Marquay McDaniel and the punishing runs of Jerome Messam to the entire defensive line, there are so many deserving names. But I’m going to go with two individuals for whom this organization should be most thankful for: John Hufnagel and Pat DelMonaco.
The first one is obvious. Since taking over as general manager of the Stampeders, Calgary has won 117 games over the past nine seasons (not including this year), which is an average of 13 wins a year! That is a ridiculous statistic. Any team can have a one-year blip of success that can be attributed to luck, good health and a cluster of players performing well above expectations. But to have a near-decade of dominance? That speaks to organizational success, and no organization has dominated quite like Calgary has over the past 10 years.
John Hufnagel has carried over his success from the sideline to the GM chair in Calgary (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
On a small scale, Stamps fans should give thanks to DelMonaco, the team’s offensive line coach. That unit took a big hit when the biggest free agent prize from this off-season, left tackle Derrick Dennis, left for Saskatchewan. Normally you would see a drop off from a team’s offensive efficiency when losing such a dominant offensive tackle. Nope. Calgary has allowed the fewest sacks while ranking second in rushing yards and is also first in yards per play.
Finally, Calgary should be thankful that Bo Levi Mitchell does not run the ball. Hey, no easier way to get hurt than by throwing your body around looking for a first down. The man has thrown the ball 450 times yet only has three rushes on the season. Even Ricky Ray has run the ball more!
Edmonton
Edmonton Eskimos fans should be thankful for the acquisition of Hamilton Tiger-Cats running back C.J. Gable. This two-time all-star is just what the Eskimos’ offence needs right now. It’s hard to win late in the year and especially in the playoffs when you can’t run the ball. Consider Edmonton’s 2016 playoffs: The Eskimos beat Hamilton 24-21 in the first round behind John White’s 160 yard rushing yards and two touchdowns. The following week against Ottawa, Edmonton fell 35-23 to Ottawa as REDBLACKS’ Kienan LaFrance outrushed White 157 yards to 66.
This year, Edmonton’s offensive attack is as about as lopsided as it gets: first in passing yards but a distant sixth in rushing. To make matters worse, Travon Van was injured against Winnipeg, forcing Jason Maas to turn to Pascal Lochard. Gable, fresh off his 157-yard performance against one of the better defences in the league in Toronto, gives Edmonton a viable weapon that can help ease Mike Reilly’s burden.
In the bigger picture, I’m thankful for this move because it shows that Edmonton is not throwing in the towel after losing its sixth straight game. Yes, the Eskimos are hurting. Yes, they have been decimated with injuries, but with the return of Derel Walker and Aaron Grymes and Mike Reilly’s ability to beat any secondary on any given day, I hated the idea of Edmonton not going for it. You’re telling me a crossover Edmonton team wouldn’t scare whoever they would be facing in the East???
Hamilton
That at 4:48 of the first quarter, Andy Fantuz made a 10-yard reception against the Argonauts on Saturday night. After suffering a devastating ACL injury in late Octoberr last year, many people wondered what the future held for Fantuz. The injury must have been even tougher to take for Andy as he had earlier set a personal high with 101 receptions and had scored the most touchdowns since 2012.
At the age of 33, it wasn’t that farfetched to wonder if Fantuz’s football career had come to an end. Instead, he rehabbed like crazy in the off-season and started his first game in nearly a year. In a season filled with disappointment, the return of Fantuz is something that Tiger-Cats fans (and all CFL fans) can be thankful for.
Sidelined for nearly a year, Andy Fantuz wasted no time making an impact vs. the Argos (The Canadian Press)
Montreal
Yeesh, this has been about as tough a year as it can get for any football team. Hey, it happens in the cyclical world of sports, but damn does it hurt when it’s your team in the middle of it. So I say to all Alouettes fans: sit back, pour yourself a glass of wine, ignore the upcoming doom coming for the Montreal Canadiens and enjoy the moment that Nik Lewis became the all-time leader in receptions.
Ottawa
Listen REDBLACKS fans, I get it, this year has been snakebit. You lost several games you should have won and you’re down to your third-string quarterback. Hey, it stinks. But you should be thankful that your team was involved in maybe the greatest Grey Cup of all-time. Your 2016 starting quarterback played the best single game I have ever seen from any CFL quarterback. Despite all of this, your team still is in control of its playoff destiny so you can be thankful for that.
But to get back to my point, any time you feel a little low just click on this link (Ernest Jackson‘s game-winning touchdown) and re-live one of the greatest Grey Cups of all-time.
Saskatchewan
For starters, Roughriders fans — heck, every CFL fan — should be thankful for this picture of Chris Jones sitting front and centre in Parliament Hill! I love seeing how comfortable Jones looks sitting in the Speaker’s chair in the House of Commons. I imagine him faking that he had NO interest in sitting in such a powerful/prestigious seat. “No, no Kevin Glenn you sit in this …. Well, if you insist, don’t mind if I do!” as in the back of the mind he considers an eventual run for some seat in government.
In 2016, Jones would not have received much of the popular vote (of course, really, what does it matter who won the popular vote??? …. moving on), but if the vote was held this year, he would probably win. Total credit to Jones, Glenn and the entire team for such a turnaround from an offence that was last in points scored in 2016 to third this year in both points scored and offensive touchdowns. The Roughriders’ offence has scored 37 touchdowns so far this year compared to just 27 touchdowns all of last season.
As a fan of this league, I’m just thankful the Roughriders are relevant again after two dismal seasons. The league is more fun when they’re in the conversation.
Chris Jones’ approval rating has taken a drastic turn over the past few months in Riderville (The Canadian Press)
Toronto
This one is easy. Every Toronto Argonauts fan has to be thankful that Ricky Ray is healthy and is playing some of his best football. Ray played in only 12 games total the past two seasons and has already started 13 this year as he is on pace for 5,000-plus yards passing, a feat he has not accomplished since 2008! No team needs one player as much as the Argos need Ray. He’s the Carey Price of the CFL. The Argonauts have lost 10 of their past 11 games without him.
Now consider what he did to help bring Toronto back against Hamilton. With his team down 35-27 with less than two minutes to go, Ray threw two of the prettiest passes you will see all year. The first came when he was facing a third-and-18. Most teams do not convert such a down and distance. Facing serious pressure, the league’s unofficial slowest player rolled out to his right and delivered a 31-yard strike to DeVier Posey. Everyone at Tim Hortons Field had the same “How did he do that??” reaction that I did. Two plays later, Ray found Posey again in the end zone with a perfect 25-yard pass to tie the game.
Winnipeg
Blue Bombers fans should be most thankful for the much maligned Matt Nichols. After I have spent the past two years vacillating about whether or not Matt Nichols is the dreaded “game manager,” it is time to give him his due. If you took away the name and just told me that Quarterback X was first in both touchdown passes and passer efficiency while having the lowest percentage of his passes intercepted, I would have to say this is a good quarterback.
In the bigger picture, if you then mentioned that his team was the CFL leader in offensive points scored, and that the team sported the second-best record in the CFL, I would have to say that this mysterious passer was indeed “elite.” Well, those are the numbers for Nichols, and those are the team records for the Blue Bombers. So congratulations to Nichols for ignoring all of us naysayers and having such a great season. Your fans should be really thankful to have you as their starter. Now please win at least one playoff game to get us Debbie Downer media people off this narrative.
