The Canadian Press
Week 20 is a wrap, and we still have more football!
I have to admit, the extra bye week this year was amazing but it feels strange to turn the calendar to week 21 this week. The divisional matchups down the stretch have – for the most part – been great and gave plenty of tape moments worthy of including this week.
We begin in Winnipeg where – don’t mention Kevin Fogg, don’t mention Kevin Fogg – the weather reminded us all how Winnipeg can bring you anything from lightning in week 1 to haziness in week 20.
Through the grey low hanging sky, Matt Nichols continued to impress as he has for the last month, proving again why Winnipeg’s offence might be the most threatening entering the playoffs.
The play design of the week – yet again – goes to Winnipeg’s offensive coordinator Paul LaPolice for this beauty. The Bombers ran their fly sweep series all game and set up a Drew Wolitarsky touchdown with a variety of motion and misdirection.
This was a live mic game as well, a format I’ve enjoyed this year more than any other. I especially love picking up little moments like this. Winnipeg backup quarterback Chris Streveler comes in for a short yardage play. You — and the defence — are expecting a sneak but you can tell right away by the urgency and tone of Streveler’s voice that something different has been called in.
Any call that begins with the quarterback saying “hey listen up, here’s the call” is usually something funky that the QB is processing while making everyone hyper-aware. Love the call, love the mics.
On Saturday it was time for the Ticats and Redblacks to clash for the East division title. A wet, sloppy, windy game that featured Trevor Harris somehow completing a majority of his passes such as this touchdown to Greg Ellingson.
That was just Ellingson’s fourth touchdown of the season which just feels wrong. Thankfully for him, number five was just minutes away on a Streveler-esque fake short yardage play with a great wet ball by former Bombers QB Dominique Davis, who came in cold off the bench for the play.
Later on it was Diontae Spencer joining the party with this deep ball.
Harris threw that ball 39 yards into a stiff Tim Hortons Field wind. Pretty damn good and extremely similar to the Ticats being victimized back in week 11 by Mike Reilly and Duke Williams.
On Saturday evening it was the Riders and the BC Lions from Regina in a game that looked to be in control for Saskatchewan from the start until Zach Collaros took a high hit from Odell Willis. This is the third time – on memory – that Odell has hit Zach his and it needs to stop.
The CFL was very forthright in the way the play was officiated which is the only way to handle a play like that, but the root of the issue here is the high hit and its nonexistent future in football. It needs to stop.
Collaros was replaced by Brandon Bridge who might have a playoff game start in his future. I will never for the life of me understand how Bridge can load his back leg from this awkward angle and somehow burst out of the pocket.
Try that at home and you’ll fall on your back every time.
As much as the offence matters for Saskatchewan and everyone wants to see Collaros healthy we all know that the Riders just want to beat you with defence and special teams. They did just that when Willie Jefferson forced a fumble, which was recovered by Zach Evans for a touchdown. Later on, the Riders continued their defensive scoring with this Ed Gainey pick-six.
Look how smooth Gainey is with the ball in his hands while hunting the end zone. Just like a young Ed Reed.
For BC the result was disappointing as they’ll have to cross over all the way to Hamilton on November 11th for the playoffs, but it’s plays like this that will remind Ticats fans of how damn scary Bryan Burnham can be.
To cap off the weekend it was the basement of the East division getting into it. So both teams just ran the ball 50 times and got out of there healthy right? Nope.
What a play call and most importantly what a throw by Eugene Lewis! The best part about it is on a cold, wet day in Montreal Lewis did this without any laces and on the run. Gloves help but that’s still crazy based on the conditions.
The Alouettes rolled to a 40-10 win with plays like this William Stanback – who was great by the way – powerful romp down the far sideline.
We also saw some more progression from Johnny Manziel as he ignored the costume wearing Montreal man at the start of the next clip before throwing a strike in space.
Manziel was pulled at halftime and I was stunned. He deserves to get every snap Saturday night of Week 21 in Hamilton. One more week before the real fun begins!
