September 9, 2024

Landry’s 5 takeaways from Week 14

Chris Tanouye/CFL.ca

Hello, Willie Jefferson. A blocked punt now, eh?

Tell me, how much would it cost me to have you and your big swattin’ arm escort me everywhere I go, just knocking everything out of my way and making my life generally easier? Let’s talk terms, Willie. Football ain’t forever. Gotta think about the future.

Here are this week’s takeaways.

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» 3 stats that defined Ottawa’s Week 14 win over Toronto

HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY

In Week 14, two of the happiest places in the CFL were arguably the two most deflated over the first six or seven weeks of the season.

Sun-splashed Commonwealth Stadium looked just marvellous with a big crowd and the Elks winning their fifth game in the last six. That after an oh-and-seven start to the season.

And sold out Princess Auto Stadium – equally sun-splashed – was a rollicking sea of humanity as the Blue Bombers earned their seventh win of the season to take over first place after an oh-and-four start.

To begin this season, the Elks were the same old same olds that fans had become accustomed to and Winnipeg had gotten too old to compete, remember?

Now, the Bombers have a legit shot to win a fourth straight West Division crown and the Elks have a legit shot to make the playoffs for the first time since they crossed over to the East in 2019.

Mood is not a forever thing. It just feels like it is when you’re in a bad one.

HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY PART II

 

There was no sun in Ottawa, but there was the colourful fluttering of ponchos with REDBLACKS fans dancing in the rain while their team continued to successfully defend Lansdowne Park with a dominant win over Toronto.

Six wins and a tie, now, at home in 2024, making TD Place the toughest venue for visiting teams to play this season. The REDBLACKS had gone 5-29 at home over the course of the four prior regular seasons.

Used to be that teams would head to the Capital, get a quick two points and then head over to Hull for beer and shawarmas before hightailing it outta there.

Now, they face the real threat that they’ll be flattened like a beavertail by the home side.

That hosting dominance will get its toughest test in two weeks, when the Montreal Alouettes pay a visit. If the REDBLACKS are able to grind out a road win in Hamilton this week, they will give themselves a shot to, at least, climb to within a point of East-leading Montreal.

HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY PART III

How happy are the BC Lions after heading into Montreal and upending the league-leading Alouettes?

So happy that head coach Rick Campbell started his post-game speech to the team by taking off his shirt.

“One of us!” the players chanted.

Ending a five-game losing streak by beating the Ottawa REDBLACKS was one thing. Consolidating the break, as they say in tennis, with a signature win against the CFL’s best team right in their own park?

Let’s just say we’re fortunate Campbell stopped at his shirt.

WE KNOW MISERY LOVES COMPANY BUT HOW DOES IT FEEL ABOUT AN ARRAY OF COLOURS?

 

Red and green, and two shades of blue.

If Winnipeg, Edmonton, BC and Ottawa are places of joy right now, then Calgary, Saskatchewan and Toronto are places of grim but determined commiseration.

After setting down a seventh consecutive game without a win, Roughriders’ head coach Corey Mace was continuing to search for answers and welcoming the relief of a bye after his team had played for ten straight weeks. “Boy do we have a lot of important games comin’ up ahead of us,” Mace said, noting that he wanted his players to recharge but also refocus when they get back for a Week 16 game in Calgary.

Stampeders’ head coach Dave Dickenson bemoaned the state of his team after a change at quarterback failed to ignite the Stamps, who lost their fourth straight. “We’re doing very little well,” said Dickenson, who was then asked by a reporter if he felt his team was close to a breakthrough in any given area. “Not really, no,” he replied. “No.”

And after his team suffered a second consecutive loss, Argos head coach Ryan Dinwiddie offered this quick assessment: “We’re going back to the drawing board. We’ve gotta find ways to get better.” Many of Dinwiddie’s post-game answers veered into some version of that last part, as he kept coming back to the theme of finding a way.

Week 14 results see the brains in Calgary, Regina and Toronto searching for answers.

THE MATH HAS CHANGED

 

Not so long ago, talk of a crossover playoff spot happening this season just kind of evaporated with the East winning so often against Western teams and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats being pinned to the bottom of the standings.

Now, though, the conversation can be revisited again, what with Toronto facing a tough schedule to close and the Edmonton Elks – fourth in the West currently – just two points back of the Argos, who hold down the final East playoff spot currently. And those two, by the way, will meet in Edmonton on October 25, during the last week of the season.

Mind you, the way the red-hot Elks are playing – and the skid the Saskatchewan Roughriders are currently on – the battle for the final playoff spot in the East might come down to the Roughriders trying to scramble in for it. And do not forget that the Hamilton Ticats are not out of the picture either.

Here’s the thing, though. The math looked so much different than it does now just a few weeks ago. And it can change again just that quickly.

AND FINALLY… Saskatchewan’s Rolan Milligan Jr. continues his fine, fine season and deserves to hear his name mentioned often. But is it not now time to add the names of Edmonton’s Nyles Morgan and Nick Anderson and Winnipeg’s Tyrell Ford into the West Division’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player conversation?

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