The Canadian Press
That was one of the weirdest weekends of football I can remember. From a back and forth affair in Vancouver to a statement win by Hamilton, a wacky interception filled matchup in Winnipeg for the banjo bowl and a finish that didn’t need to be that close in Edmonton, CFL Week 13 delivered.
Let’s begin in BC where right from the coin toss Odell Willis was being himself.
Of course, Odell is as much about on-field production as he is having fun. His closing speed and knowledge of angles on the wide CFL field is still elite.
It must have felt good to get a sack against his ‘former team’ – for all of a couple hours. A deal he seemed to be working out while still in Edmonton in 2017.
The BC Lions defence has been awesome at home. This play by Anthony Orange jumping a screen pass attempt is one of the purest reactions to date in the 2018 CFL season.
The look of a man who knows his film study and/or instincts almost just paid off in a BIG touchdown.
While the defence did their job the offence for the Lions was touch and go for Wally Buono leading to this tricky fake field goal attempt using backup quarterback Cody Fajardo.
Not the prettiest attempt I’ve ever seen, but I get the concept in principle.
This still wasn’t the weirdest looking special teams fake of the weekend though. That award goes to Calgary Stampeders Punter Rob Maver attempting a pass to Stamps are safety Tunde Adeleke.
The result left Calgary Special Teams Coordinator Mark Kilam brandishing one of football’s greatest reactions and its untameable wild animal: The surrender cobra.
The Surrender Cobra (n.) — pose frequently adopted by fans witnessing unfortunate sports happenings, characterized by clasping hands on top of the head as though one is holding their head down to keep attached to the neck featuring a slow, tense exhale of breath.
Mike Reilly very well could have unleashed a surrender cobra of his own after this perfect pass missed its connection
Instead, Mike settled for the coy smile. Savvy veteran play, smiling even when faked forces the body to release positive endorphins to avoid frustration and escalating the situation. Mike has two young children, he knows the science.
Calgary is in tough without Kamar Jorden for the rest of the year. If they’re going to have any success in the passing game this season it has to start and end with Bo Levi Mitchell finding DaVaris Daniels. That started well Saturday.
Later on third and goal Daniels found himself open again on the goalie thanks to a perfect route and play call but just couldn’t finish the deal.
I love Dave Dickenson on the sideline. It’s raw, he acts like cameras aren’t anywhere to be found. It’s how football should be.
Frustrating trip for the Stampeders, but can we appreciate how ridiculous this play by Bo Levi Mitchell was?!
The end cut of this play really emphasizes how crazy it is to pop back up onto your feet like nothing happened and have the vision to find an open receiver in stride at the goal line.
In Winnipeg, the Blue Bombers faithful must be staring towards Calgary with envy about quarterback play as the Banjo Bowl was not kind to starter Matt Nichols. He had not one…
Not two..
But three interceptions.
A couple of these really were not Nichols fault but sometimes the football gods love you, and sometimes they plant a seed in your head to make a play against all odds leading to unfortunate interceptions which occasionally end up 100-yards away in the other end zone.
Nichols got pulled and Chris Streveler came in to do fun things like he seems to always do.
The thought by Streveler is amazing but let’s not ignore the catch by Drew Wolitarsky either.
I love Streveler’s game. To me, he’s like a taller, stronger, faster young Brett Favre. He just has fun and makes plays. That simple combo might be the antidote for whatever is ailing Winnipeg.
Meanwhile the Argos had trouble getting lined up without taking a no end penalty. Not once…
But twice.
For a detail-oriented coach like Trestman, this has to drive him crazy. It’s a big uphill climb for the double blue now but if any coach can lead them back from the deep end of the pool it’s Trestman.
In that game Brandon Banks made one of the craziest catches you’ll see all year in traffic.
How Jeremiah Masoli saw Banks and how they both knew where the ball was going is a matter of practice reps and trust, but I’ll never understand how they made it work.
This isn’t the first time they’ve connected on this fell and tempo route between coverage.
Every time they do it’s spectacular and shows why Masoli to Banks has become one of the CFL’s most dynamic connections in 2018.
It only feels right on a weekend that saw plenty of big hits taken to both team egos – Argos, REDBLACKS, Bombers – and star players that we finish with a look at one of the biggest QB hits of the year.
Blue Bombers free safety Jeff Hecht timed up his blitz beautifully and finished the deal with a clean and legal tackle which was a breath of fresh air after many hits on passers this weekend went unnecessarily high or low.
The side angle slow-mo gives an appreciation for Hecht’s effort on the play to get his head on the outside of Collaros – out of the tackle – and hit him shoulder to shoulder. A good clean legal play that even just a few years ago would have been nothing less than a helmet to helmet explosion of blue and green paint.
The game is evolving and it’s always nice to see when players evolve with it.
That’s it for this week, onto Week 14!
