October 9, 2018

Landry’s 5 takeaways from Week 17

The Canadian Press

Hello, Calgary Stampeders. I dunno, maybe roll into Montreal three or even four days ahead of the game so that it doesn’t feel kinda like you’re playing at eleven in the morning. Just a thought.

Hello, Montreal Alouettes. Maybe schedule all your games for one o’clock when western teams are visiting. Actually, how does noon work for you?

Here are this week’s takeaways.

1. TURKEY DAY IS FOR STUFFING

Stuffing is very much enjoyed with Thanksgiving dinner, but not necessarily when your team’s QB is on the menu. (The Canadian Press)

Turkey Day must be all about the stuffing, at least when it comes to football and defence. Two games, four teams, dozens of drives, and only one offensive touchdown scored in the entire 120 minutes.

Say what you will about struggling offences, but this day was largely choreographed by four smash-mouth defences, at their disruptive best all over those two fields.

Numbers? There were 17 sacks in all, I believe, and 10 turnovers forced.

Who’s lying around on their couches, belts loosened, moaning about overdoing the feasting? Guys like Micah Johnson, and Nick Marshall and J.C. Sherritt and Dominique Ellis, that’s who.

BONUS TAKEAWAY: Included in those four defences; Montreal’s. And don’t you just wonder how good that unit could be if it didn’t have to spend such an inordinate amount of time on the field?

2. IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, ADAM BIGHILL

 

What more is there to say? There are a good many reasons why the Winnipeg Blue Bombers signed free agent linebacker Adam Bighill shortly before training camp. One of them was that they needed someone to come up with big plays at crucial times.

Bighill’s leadership abilities were certainly a major factor in the signing, with his day-to-day, exemplary habits expected to do much to forge a more steely Bombers’ defence, overall.

But they also got him because he’s gonna be a round the ball and he’s gonna need to make a difference when he is. Friday night, during overtime in Ottawa, with the Bombers in danger of perhaps letting a comfortable win turn into a disastrous loss, Bighill smashed into REDBLACKS’ receiver Brad Sinopoli and forced a massive fumble to ice the game.

We should start calling him Adam Hugehill.

3. IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, WILLIE JEFFERSON

 

Willie Jefferson is another good guy to have around when things become urgent.

Trailing Edmonton by a score of 12-9, late in the game, and hot on the heels of an Eskimos’ interception, the tall and speedy Saskatchewan rush end came up with the big defensive play, the one that meant a probable loss was turned into a victory and a firm, firm grip on second place in the West.

Stepping out of his pass rush and getting in line with a Mike Reilly dart just a few yards away from where the pass was launched, Jefferson turned all that Saskatchewan pressure into a diamond when he stabbed that pigskin like a bear nabs a salmon and headed to the end zone with what would become the winning score.

When Jefferson shows up on the scene like that during crucial times, he ought to have flashing lights on his shoulder pads and a siren blaring from the top of his helmet.

BONUS TAKEAWAY: In Case of emergency, Ed Gainey. When Reilly let loose with the final pass of the game – a Hail Mary that was tipped and then completed to receiver Bryant Mitchell – it was Gainey who brought him down just as Mitchell was accelerating, ten yard aways from pay dirt. Miss that tackle and Mitchell had a very good chance to score.

4. THE CATCH OF THE WEEK CAN BE MADE BY A PUNTER

Oh yes it can. That was one heck of a snag by Calgary punter Rob Maver, a high snap on a field goal operation whistling back at him and over his head. Bam! Maver’s hands shot up just in the nick of time and either he caught the ball or it was embedded in palms, I’m not sure which.

Wait, let’s give full credit. Had it been embedded, Maver wouldn’t have been able to complete the process and have Rene Paredes kick it out of there. Yet he did, getting the ball down on time and with LACES OUT, I BELIEVE, as Paredes swung his leg through on a 49-yard attempt that was good. That field goal gave the Stamps a four-point lead on a day when points were sort of at a premium. If that ball sails past Maver, the Alouettes are probably getting it around midfield, down by just one.

We’ve seen some great, great catches this year and receivers get all kinds of credit for that. But not one of them had to immediately pin the ball, spin it precisely and angle it just so for the play to be
completed.

Catch of the year? C’mon, put it in the montage.

5. WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE

 

I’m not sure who’s right and who’s wrong but I do know that the air could use a little filtering in Vancouver right about now.

Lions’ General Manager Ed Hervey complains that his quarterback, Jonathon Jennings, doesn’t put in the real tough hours that elite
quarterbacks are supposed to.

Jennings’ agent fires back that Hervey wouldn’t know how early Jennings gets in because he ain’t in that early, himself. And that his client does tons of film study on his own time, so, yeah.

After the Lions held on to beat Toronto on Saturday night, Jennings was asked about Hervey’s comments and shrugged while offering an icy “I’m just thankful for my teammates. I got a lot of support from them. I’m just happy we got the win.”

This isn’t what you’d call the best situation to have around your club, especially at a time when, you know, the brass tacks are being pounded in.

Nothing a chat over a coffee couldn’t remedy, I reckon, and that’s precisely what I’d suggest for the two of them. Maybe you should buy, Ed. I hear pumpkin spice something-or-others go over well.

AND FINALLY…

Time to jazz up the coach’s challenge. I mean, Rick Campbell barely even dropped his flag the other night as he walked over to the official. Borrrrring. Proposal: Instead of challenge flags, let’s adopt challenge flare guns. No, wait. Challenge cannons. Yeah, that’s it, challenge cannons.