Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca
Hello, Dejon Brissett. Damn, that was some fine footwork in the end zone after your touchdown catch against the Lions.
Looks like you were hit by… you were struck by… a smooth criminal. The celly dance bar has been set and it’s kinda high.
Here are the Week 1 takeaways.
RELATED
» Als win 110th Grey Cup rematch over Bombers
» Bane scores three times in Riders’ comeback win over Elks
» Stamps spoil Mitchell’s homecoming, down Ticats
» Argos close out Week 1 with back-and-forth win over Lions
» Sign up and watch CFL games on CFL+ in the U.S. and Internationally
LOOKS LIKE THEY’LL MANAGE
A lot of talk about just how decimated that Toronto defence was in off-season moves that gutted the unit of a handful of 2023 stars as well as its coordinator, Corey Mace.
But Toronto’s defence loomed quite large in the Argos’ 35-27 victory over the BC Lions, especially in the second half and super-especially in the fourth quarter when the Argos turned up the pass rush pressure on Vernon Adams Jr.
On the night, the Toronto defence piled up six sacks (four in the fourth quarter), and five turnovers and while the unit also gave up some big yardage and a number of chunk plays, that’s kinda what they did in 2023 as well, so carry on.
BONUS TAKEAWAY: You have our attention, Cameron Dukes.
FEEL FREE TO GIVE ‘EM A POP QUIZ, THEY’RE READY FOR IT
The Calgary Stampeders came away with a 32-24 win over Hamilton on Friday night, and in that victory came something very satisfying for the offence, especially for quarterback Jake Maier.
That something was the ability to respond with positive ball movement.
“When they scored points, or touchdowns, or field goals, we answered with a really good drive,” said Maier. “Whether we flipped the field, or kicked field goals, or scored touchdowns, we had an answer.”
“And I don’t know if you could say that about last year’s team,” Maier continued. “So that was really fulfilling for us to get that done.”
Nice to have answers at the ready.
BONUS TAKEAWAY: Dave Dickenson will have full access to his inner boldness in 2024. Going for it on third and one from your own 19-yard line, in the first quarter, is the sign.
HE DOESN’T WANT ANY MORAL VICTORIES
Credit to Edmonton Elks’ receiver Hergy Mayala on a couple of fronts in Week 1.
Firstly, Mayala stamped his first game with the Elks by catching five passes for 40 yards, including receptions of 22 and of six yards for a couple of touchdowns.
Secondly, and more importantly, he said afterward that those numbers meant nothing, considering the Elks fell to Saskatchewan, 29-21.
“We need letters not numbers,” said Mayala, and I’m pretty sure he meant one letter in particular. Not the “L” the Elks got in an uneven, sometimes sloppy effort – against a team that was also intermittently uneven and sloppy – but the “W” they feel they should’ve had.
BONUS TAKEAWAY: It’s nice when you can get both numbers and the letter you want in a game. Looking at you, Shawn Bane Jr.
AS YOU WERE, GENTLEMEN
Say, just how long will it take for the Montreal Alouettes defence to ramp back up to the late-season, dominating heights of 2023?
As long as it took for you to read that sentence, really.
They returned a lot of personnel from last year’s Grey Cup-winning campaign so you’d have figured they would get back to riding high in the saddle sometime early in the season.
Can’t get any earlier than straight away in game one, though, and that’s what the Als did in stifling the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on opening night, not allowing a touchdown until way late in the game with the outcome already sealed.
The tone is set. There will be no waiting. It will continue to be a miserable thing for opposing offences to try to make their way through Montreal fortifications.
AS YOU WERE, GENTLEMAN
Say, how long will it take for Tyson Philpot to ramp back up to his late-season, dominating heights of 2023?
As long as it took for you to read that sentence, really. (Two things I really love: callbacks and cut-and-paste)
Can’t get any earlier than straight away in game one, though, and that’s what Phipot did in rifling the Winnipeg Blue Bombers defence on opening night.
The tone is set. There will be no waiting. It will continue to be a miserable thing for opposing defences to try to stop Tyson Philpot.
The Grey Cup’s Most Valuable Canadian proved to us that if you figured his improvement last season was merely the beginning of something more, you were right.
Ten catches for 141 yards and two touchdowns all say so.
BONUS CUT-AND-PASTE TAKEAWAY: It’s nice when you can get both numbers and the letter you want in a game. Looking at you, Tyson.
AND FINALLY… Ante Milanovic-Litre, short-yardage quarterback. A new era begins.
