Let’s get started, shall we.

The Good

Changes needed to happen in Hamilton and it seems they have started as early as this offseason, Hamilton fired head coach Marcel Bellefeiulle. The Ottawa native, got caught somewhere between laughing-stock, mediocrity, and champions. He says he did the best with what he had, which, some might consider a shot at GM Bob Obillivich and team President Scott Mitchell. But, both still have their jobs and don’t seem to be going anywhere, anytime soon.

Coach Bell. was right in one sense that the blame was not entirely on him, as it falls on his coaching staff as well. With Hamilton having it’s most inconsistent season since becoming relevant again almost 3 years ago, I believe there was a strong look (for lack of a better term) into the job security of both Offensive and Defensive Coordinators, Khari Jones and Corey Chamblain.

With Saskatchewan looking for a new head coach and GM Brendan Taman wanting Chamblain last year (ultimately it wasn’t his decision to make and instead, Gregg Marshall Hamilton DC at the time, was hired and then fired), he went out and got his man. The move wasn’t met much dismay from the Ticats (or their fans), who he was also rumoured to be in the mix for head coach.

With the need for upgrades at QB, Head Coach and DC, names like Henry Burris, Dave Dickenson, Mike O’Shea, Gregg Marshall are all being mentioned in rumor mills everywhere. But, we’ll get more into that later.

The Bad

While Hamilton lays back and GM Obie and management spend time with their respective families and stay home for the holidays rival Toronto may have made the biggest move of the offseason, and free agency isn’t for another 2 months, as they acquired Ricky Ray from Edmonton. This coming shortly after they had named former Montreal OC Scott Millanovich head coach. Of course they had that whole tampering thing with Calgary and their DC Chris Jones making a lateral move to Toronto without anyone being aware of the situation in Calgary.

Clearly, nobody was told about it in Calgary because I doubt they would have let any member of their coaching staff make a lateral move had they had prior knowledge. But, moving along, Toronto is now a serious threat to Hamilton next year, especially with a healthy Mo Mann and maybe another receiver. Which now seems to make Hamilton having a new QB next year inevitable.

The Needed

Hmm… this is almost like a puzzle that is missing a piece. Hamilton needs a new QB. They were rumoured to be looking at Ray both last year and this year, with Ray nearly dealt to them last year, but we know how that ended. There is also former all-star QB and now disgruntled back-up Henry Burris inevitably headed for free agency this February. With Hamilton still needing a QB, could we see Burris in Hamilton in 2012?

Everyone already talks about Burris being headed for Hamilton and with Ray now in Toronto, it seems Burris’ Stampeder teammates should already be saying their goodbyes and wishing him good luck. I’m not sure what happens with Glenn as he’s got another year left on his contract and Porter seeming to have that back-up role on lockdown. But, we’ll get into that another day… well, because Burris is currently still a Stampeder.

So, if Henry Burris and Hamilton are all but an inevitability. It leaves Hamilton looking for a Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator…

Let’s first start with potential suitors for that Head Coaching position.

Dave Dickenson – It’s widely believed he’s ready for a promotion and with a chance to re-unite with former teammate and Calgary QB Henry Burris. The Stampeder Offensive Coordinator would seem poised to get his first shot at head coaching with Hamilton.

Craig Dickenson - Brother to Dave and Calgary Special Teams Coordinator, is also a potential candidate and would seemingly become Hamilton’s new head coach for all the same reasons as his brother.

Mike O’Shea - It’s only a matter of time before he becomes a Head Coach in this league and what better place to start than in his own stomping grounds down the QEW at Ivor Wynne Stadium. The Toronto Special Teams Coordiantor would only fuel one of the best rivalries in the game.

Now onto Defensive Coordiantor

Greg Marshall – Well, I think he’ll get another shot at being a head coach in this league, but, I don’t think it’s coming this year and it’s not going to hurt his because he can to return to his old job, as DC somewhere. I imagine he’s also a dark horse to land Hamilton’s head coaching job, and may also be looked at in B.C. and Calgary as DC.

Mike O’Shea - He could be more likely to land in Hamilton as DC as he is second all-time in tackles and… well, his track record speaks for itself.

Otis Floyd – The recently retired Floyd was let go last off-season and requested to be signed by the Ticats so that he could retire and to hear that crowd roar one last time. Now, if he decides he wants to coach, he’d probably join on in a smaller role, such as the defensive line coach or something similar. But, you never know, he brings this type of energy to a club that just gets you pumped and he also seems like an intelligent person, so he may be considered for a larger role. He is also a natural leader, and I think, a guy you’d love to have on your staff.

Sandy Beveridge - Another fan favourite and probably an unlikely candidate, having retired in 2010 after accepting a job with Hamilton’s fire department. But, in the words of Kevin Garnett “Anything is Possible“.

Coaching in his ninth Grey Cup, Wally Buono will tie Don Matthews for most Grey Cup appearances this Sunday evening as the B.C. Lions take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. or Buono, his team struggled out of the gate losing five straight, once to Winnipeg before turning their season around and winning 12 of their 13 games down the stretch to reach the big game. On top of the turnaround that Buono and the Lions endured, the Lions were honoured 14 times over the season with Player of the Week mentions, with six of those going to their special teams.

Runner(s) Up: Kavis Reed, Paul LaPolice

Rookie of the Year:
Chris Williams

Throughout the season, Williams made himself a viable target for quarterbacks Kevin Glenn and Quinton Porter, receiving 70 catches for 1,064 yards and six touchdowns. Williams stock grew tremendously as Arland Bruce’s continued on a downward spiral and took over shortly after Bruce was traded to B.C.

Runner(s) Up: Craig Butler

Most Outstanding Canadian:
Jerome Messam

This season, Jerome Messam was able to accomplish something great on the field, rushing for 1,057 yards and six touchdowns, as well as being named the Canadian of the Week five times. The last time a Canadian running back rushed for over 1,000 yards has not since been accomplished since the days of Sean Millington back in the 2000 season.

Runner(s) Up: Paul McCallum

Most Outstanding Spec. Teams Player:
Paul McCallum

How do you not give this man his credit, kicking 30 straight field goals to set a new record, being the top consistent kicker this season completing 50 of his 53 attempts for 94.3 percent completion.

Runner(s) Up: Justin Medlock

Most Outstanding Defensive Player:
Jovon Johnson

In his first season with the Blue and Gold, Johnson recorded 57 tackles, four special team tackles, fumbled twice and three interceptions while returning two for touchdowns. For an encore, Johnson recorded 75 tackles and one special teams tackle while returning one of his six interceptions for a touchdown. That allowed Johnson to be selected as the Eastern All-Star and to the All-Star team. Now in his fourth season with the Blue and Gold, Johnson has won the Eastern All-Star title for the third straight time in his career while helping lead his 2011 Bombers to the Grey Cup.

Runner(s) Up: Justin Hickman, Jerrell Freeman

Most Outstanding Offensive Player:
Jamel Richardson

Each of his four seasons, Richardson has achieved the 1,000 yard receiving mark and this season smashed his highest point by almost 500 yards. Jamel Richardson acclaimed twelve games on the season in which he either had or received more than 100 yards and on average had 98.7 yards per game. His average yards per catch were the highest in his career as well at 15.9 yards a catch and had 117 catches overall.

Runner(s) Up: Geroy Simon, Brandon Whitaker

Most Outstanding Player:
Travis Lulay

Coming into the season, Lulay wasn’t even the confirmed starter, but going into the Grey Cup, he’s been as hot as it gets. Having thrown for over 4800 yards, and a league leading (tied with A Calvillo) 32 TDs, naming Lulay his starter is one of Wally Buono’s better decisions over the past few years.

Runner(s) Up: Jamel Richardson, Ricky Ray

A few notes from The Finals

The good

• I guess Hamilton can finally move on, now that it has been proven that Kevin Glenn is a .500 QB
• The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will get another opportunity to end their 20 year Grey Cup drought on Sunday after defeating the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 19-3. The game will be played against no one better than the B.C. Lions, a true test to the Winnipeg team.

The bad

• The Bombers may have been the better team on the day. But, it wasn’t without a few lucky bounces and bad weather.
• To everyone that’s on their knees unbuttoning Travis Lulay’s pants. Let’s not forget his team was 0-5 before a certain Arland Bruce showed up.
• Three points were all that the Hamilton offense was able to scrum together after scoring 52 to defeat the Montreal Alouettes just a week earlier to advance to the Eastern finals. There are questions going into the offseason that Hamilton will need to address and one of them certainly will be targeting the coveted pivot situation.

The ugly

• Hamilton didn’t even get into the red zone after that first quarter field goal.
• The East Final.
• If I hear those cheap maroons on Winnipeg say “Swaggerville” one more time. I will flip my lid.
• The -20C weather that Bomber fans had to endure last Sunday was something for the ages. Typical Winnipeg style weather for a playoff game, everyone gets prepared the same way and still ends up cold. Fans hope what they endured last weekend was worth the price of the Bombers raising the Grey Cup tonight.

The Extremely Lucky

• The Bombers virtually turned the ball over 5 times…Fumbling it 3 times and recovering it all 3 times.Turnover on downsInterception

  …Yet,only actually turned it over twice.

Fact of the Day

As ineffective as Cobourne was, he did only get the ball 9 times. Thus, Hamilton ended their season undefeated when he gets 10 or more attempts.

Players of the week

Offence: Chris Garrett – Rushed for 190 yards behind 29 attempts and a touchdown in Winnipeg’s win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Defence: Rodney Fritz – Was able to rotate into the lineup behind some creative ratio shuffling and paid dividends for Winnipeg, registering the only two sacks and four tackles.

Special Teams: Paul McCallum – Continues to build his legacy as a kicker, completing all four of his field goal attempts and adding four extra points.

Now… on to The 99th Grey Cup!

Sunday Nov 27 6:00PM EST
		VS
Breakdown: Chris: I have to go with BC. Why? They are riding a hot streak that they have been on for a while, and show no signs of slowing down. Brandon: With my team out. I can at least cheer for Winnipeg to get their asses handed to them and for former Ticat and current Lion great Arland Bruce to get another ring. Jay: The home field advantage will loom large, even though fans of all teams will be there. My gut tells me that Buck could be in for a very long (or short) afternoon. The Lions front 7 is a relentless and nasty bunch. Dorian: If Winnipeg wants to win this game, not only will they need to play together on all three phases but the team that wins the battle in the trenches, the line of scrimmage, will undoubtedly win this game. During the regular season Winnipeg has hit one or two of the three but on Sunday it will require an effort unlike any game before. For B.C., ball control and containment. Everyone knows that Winnipeg and B.C. both have strong defenses and Travis Lulay will need to play at a level he’s never met before. The pressure will get to Lulay and turnovers will factor in as they have for Winnipeg all season. The final score will end 28-20 for Winnipeg ending their 20 year Grey Cup drought.
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela	Jay
Results:
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela	Jay
1-0	1-0	0-1	1-0	1-0
Playoffs to Date:
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela	Jay
4-1	4-1	3-2	4-1	4-1
Regular Season:
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela	Jay
38-34	43-29	37-27	21-19	3-5

A few notes from the Semi-Finals

The good

• Everything about the East Semi-Final.
• Andre Proulx officiating the East Final (because that means he isn’t officiating the West Final).
• Both Winnipeg and Edmonton will be in their respected divisional finals after Winnipeg locked up first place and Edmonton defeated Calgary at home to make it to the finals. Both teams missed the playoffs a season ago and have gone through a lot to get where they are now.

The bad

• Hamilton better fix their non-tackling situation. They made Calvillo have a better game than he actually did.
• Andre Proulx officiating the East Final.
• No matter which way you look at it, Montreal losing to Hamilton after dominating them for the last decade will be looked at as weak. Anthony Calvillo will most likely retire at the end of the season with his head between his legs.

The ugly

• As if anyone would think about picking Edmonton over the two-headed monster of BC, that just died with Messam out.
• Andre Proulx officiating the East Final.
• Winnipeg announced Thursday that they released receiver Terence-Jeffers Harris. Albeit a weird move no question, it was cited that team violations by Harris led to his release, fair enough. Not even six hours later it was reported that Harris was off to Hamilton, Winnipeg’s opponent Sunday and signed a practice roster agreement. Harris will be ineligible to play Sunday so is there simply for ‘other reasons’. The way the whole situation unfolded is certainly one that will be looked upon in the offseason.

Players of the week

Offence: Bakari Grant – 7 receptions, 120 yards, 1 TD

Defence: Jovon Johnson – 6 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT, 1 forced fumble

Special Teams: Justin Medlock – 3/4 FG, 5/5 XP, 14 pts; 6 punts, 224 yards AND Sean Whyte – 3/3 FG, 5/5 XP, 14 pts; 6 punts, 233 yards

Now… on to The Finals!

East Final Sunday Nov 20			AT
Breakdown: Chris: For the last two seasons I’ve picked Hamilton to represent the East in the Grey Cup. Last year, I was wrong, this year, I am still one game away, and while I can’t GUARANTEE a Hamilton win, I can at least predict that they will win. Brandon: Great back story to this that can be read at TheSpec.com/sports. To sum it up the Ticats have dedicated these playoffs to a teen cancer patient, who will be lucky to see the game this weekend, nevermind if Hamilton is to make it to the Grey Cup. The Ticats have all the inspiration they need and are going to kick some Blue Bomber ass for Jake Rayner! Dorian: Winnipeg will need to limit Avon Cobourne, throw Kevin Glenn off his game and remove the big play that Hamilton continues to rely on and they will advance to the Grey Cup. Hamilton on the other hand will look to cover down deep to force Pierce to throw short passes and bring heavy pressure. Winnipeg won three over Hamilton in the regular season and say it’s hard to win four straight. It has happened before and will happen again as Winnipeg is off to the Grey Cup.
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela	Jay
West Final Sunday Nov 20			AT
Breakdown: Chris: When I was a guest on Punt For The Win podcast I picked Saskatchewan to represent the West in the Grey Cup, and I couldn’t have been further from the truth on that, but fear not, the West Final will be a damn good game. Featuring the hottest western team from the first half of the season, and the second half of the season, it’s gonna be good. With BC leading the season series 3-1, I expect them to lead the post-season series 1-0 after this Sunday, especially since Edmonton will be without Messam. Brandon: If Lulay can’t get it going. All he has to look for is Bruce or Simon. I doubt all three of them will have a crap game. Plus, Messam is out. Dorian: For B.C. they need to strike quick and hard against Edmonton and score first to set the tone of the game. B.C. made it to the Western final after starting the season winless after five games before winning eight straight and finishing the season at 11-7. Statistically everything points into B.C.’s favour and will need to be more than perfect if they want to leave Sunday with a trip booked to the 99th Grey Cup. Unfortunately this is B.C.’s destiny to play and host the Grey Cup and nothing Edmonton throws at B.C. will stick.
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela	Jay
Results:
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela	Jay
1-1	1-1	2-0	2-0	2-0
Playoffs to Date:
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela	Jay
3-1	3-1	3-1	3-1	3-1
Regular Season:
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela	Jay
38-34	43-29	37-27	21-19	3-5

After nineteen gruelling weeks, the play-offs are here (I don’t know who those nineteen weeks are more gruelling for… the fans or the players), and with that the slates have been wiped clean, and all that matters is this week. There’s no looking to next week, because next week isn’t guaranteed. It’s win or go home. Period. And, with only a few weeks left until the Grey Cup, the stakes don’t get much higher.

A few notes from Week 19

The good

• We are seeing some great homegrown talent finally, as we witnessed last year with guys like Fantuz and Stala, the trend has continued this year with names like Cornish, Messam and Getzlaf becoming not just starters, but, go-to-guys whether you’re looking for that spark to ignite your offense or you need that first down real bad, these guys have come up in the clutch time and time again and it’s great to see!
• We finally see the Roughrider’s season end, I’m not sure I’ve seen a more inconsistent sea– oh, hey Marcel.
• Paul McCallum’s right leg. Not only does he set a new consecutive FG record, he has the most accurate season in league history, all the while becoming the scoring leader in the CFL.
• Both the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Edmonton Eskimos will head into the playoffs after missing out last season. For Edmonton this will mark their return to the postseason following their 9-9 record in 2009. This will be their first home playoff game since 2004.
• For Winnipeg, this will be their first trip back to the postseason since 2008 after finishing 8-10. For Winnipeg they will also finish first place, an accomplishment not made since 2001.

The bad

• Hamilton had a chance to go into the playoffs on a three game win streak, instead they go in losing two in a row and losing 4 of their last 5. Not to mention there is a bunch of confusion in the locker room as to who Hamilton is going to start at QB coming into these playoffs. And it’s not that good kind of calm,relaxed confusion as if both QB’s have played well Kevin Glenn has thrown a shitload more interceptions than touchdowns in the last 9 games and Quinton Porter hasn’t been able to pick up the slack much if at all.
• Lucky for Hamilton, we have seen a bad and seemingly unfocused Alouette team, led by the usually complete opposite Anthony Calvillo, who has also thrown more interceptions than TD’s recently.
• Calgary and Edmonton both struggled mightily against weakened opponents. Yeah, Cgy started fast, but Wpg stormed back and made the game interesting.
• The Hamilton Tiger-Cats will head into Montreal to face the Alouettes for a fifth time this season, having lost two previous games on the road to Montreal already. They will look for an upset behind their two-quarterback system, something that has shown little success so far.
• In his final head coaching game, Ken Miller will be remembered this season for returning at the Labour Day Classic, winning three straight games then losing their last five of their six games and finishing last in the league.

The ugly

• I’d say the same about Toronto that I did about Saskatchewan except they’re the only team that actually ended up exactly where we expected and that’s in last place looking as shit as ever before and like a typical Toronto team trying to sell their fans the false hope from last season. What’s that? There are no Argos fans? Sure there are, just look how many showed up to that game where they wore their vintage jerseys with the water buffalo logo on them.
• Hamilton looked like they got better this year with additions like Rey Williams and Avon Cobourne, which they did… individually. As a team looking to get over that .500 hump, that inconsistent hump, they actually regressed having the most inconsistent year yet. As if that Moncton game taking away a home game wasn’t bad enough, they failed to make it up by finishing 8-10 and 3rd in the east. It can’t get much more mediocre than that.
• Montreal’s offensive line without Josh Bourke.
• There’s no easy way to put it but the way both the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Montreal Alouettes entered the post season can be labeled nothing but ugly.
• For Winnipeg, they lost their last two games while finishing 3-8 down the stretch. Montreal didn’t fare much better, losing their last three games and finishing 3-8 down the stretch.

Players of the week

Offence: Adarius Bowman for the majority of his career has always been highlighted by his drops and his hands. For one night in his four-year career, he put all that behind and became a player many thought he could be. Bowman on the night caught ten passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns. Beyond that, Bowman finished tied with teammate Fred Stamps for most receiving yards this season.

Defence: Juwan Simpson finished with 55 tackles on the season; ten of those came against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as Simpson was making his presence felt flying all over the field.

Special Teams: Rene Paredes landed with Calgary following Rob Maver’s injury after being released from Winnipeg in the pre-season. Paredes would hold onto the kicking job following his solid play and on Sunday afternoon did his part to keep Calgary’s hopes at finishing first or second in the West alive making good on all three of his field goals.

Now… on to The Division Semi-Finals!

East Semi-Final Sunday Nov 13			AT
Breakdown: Chris: It’s time for a changing of the guard in the East, and that starts with a Hamilton win. Brandon: Alls’ it takes is one spark for everything to come together in the playoffs. You get hot and you don’t cool off. Which Hamilton has shown they can do this year, they’ve also shown about just as often. How they can be ice-cold and not able to get anything going. The Question is which team is going to show up the one that came within a blown call of beating Montreal 3 times or the one that got dominated by them 43-13. Dorian: Montreal has the power and size to beat Hamilton however if Anthony Calvillo is not at his best, it is almost certain the rest of the team will falter as well. To pick a winner here between two struggling teams, you’d have to look at experience and behind Calvillo’s postseason stretch have to give the old man the nod here.
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela	Jay
West Semi-Final Sunday Nov 13			AT
Breakdown: Chris: Neither team has been great this season, but when it comes down to it, but Edmonton is 2-1 against the Stamps this year, and will be 3-1 after this weekend. Brandon: Calgary, also has me confused as to who is going to start at QB, Burris has brought them success in the past. But, has been keeping the bench warm for a few weeks. Drew Tate is the new kid on the block and has looked very comfortable behind center. It’s kind of like an “Any Given Sunday” situation. Calgary has the experience in other positions on the field, but, Ricky Ray has the experience in the most vital position on the field. Which is why I see Calgary going with Burris and that’s why I’m picking them to advance. Dorian: One rough patch that I believe Edmonton will overcome this weekend is although they have a mix of quality receivers, at times only one would get hot while the rest fizzles. This weekend they will need to all be on the same page and make plays in order to take down Calgary. If Ricky Ray can find a way to keep his receivers involved they will undoubtedly win this game.
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela	Jay
Results:
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela	Jay
2-0	2-0	1-1	1-1	1-1
Playoffs to Date:
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela	Jay
2-0	2-0	1-1	1-1	1-1
Regular Season:
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela	Jay
38-34	43-29	37-27	21-19	3-5

A few notes from Week 18

The good

• Lions defense.  Oh boy, down to 3 defensive lineman after an injury to Keron Williams, and Brent Johnson no-shows to be with his wife.  Keron Williams and Adam Bighill step in and fill in admirably.  What we do know, is that Randy Melvin has his hogs in really good shape.  Mitchell, Hunt and Smith.  It to have big Khalif Mitchell back in the middle.  Seeing as how you could almost build another team with the number of guys the Lions have injured, it’s impressive to see them plug along as if nothing’s wrong.
• The B.C. Lions lost on the road in a way they were unfamiliar with after winning eight straight games and that was losing but not just losing, losing horribly. Hamilton got after Travis Lulay and disrupted his game while nixing running back Andrew Harris, winning 42-10. B.C. would then rebound this week at home against Edmonton in a big way, notching their tenth win of the season and controlling their spot at the top.

The bad

• Last week’s predictions.  Almost as bad as the Ticats performance against the Riders.
• Winnipeg was one game away from clinching first in the East after only a season ago they finished last. With their 11th win, they would rest easy knowing they were simply one game away from the Grey Cup, then they self-imploded against Toronto. Buck Pierce was insufficient and Alex Brink couldn’t pull them back. They have one last shot this week against Calgary.

The ugly

• The Lions injury situation seems to get worse.  How massive would it be for this team to beat Montreal and lock up the first round bye.
• Kevin Glenn threw four interceptions in their 19-3 loss on Saturday. Not only that, but two of them were in the end zone, costly interceptions which could have turned the game around. They will face Toronto as they look to fix any issues as fast as possible with the Eastern semi-finals just around the corner.

Players of the week

Offence: Jamel Richardson – Notched his 12th game of the season with over 100 receiving yards after Montreal’s loss to Calgary Sunday evening. Richardson had 111 yards on five receptions.

Defence: Byron Parker – Notched three tackles in Toronto’s win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers however more importantly was his pick-six in the second quarter that ultimately helped lead Toronto to a win.

Special Teams: Chris Milo – Helped push Saskatchewan to a win over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats with his three field goals while adding three single points, one off a 108 yard punt that tied a CFL record.

Now… on to Week 19!

Thursday Nov 3			AT
Breakdown: Chris: This could be a lot closer than it would be if this game happened a few weeks ago with the Ticats having struggled last weekend against the Riders, but I think they should be able to get it done. Brandon: A rule of mine is to never bet against my home team, no matter the meaning of the game or how bad their record is. So, even though it seems like there is more reason for Toronto to win this game, I’m still going with my tabbies. Dorian: Heading into the final game the Argonauts will be without quarterback Steven Jyles after he was placed on injured reserve following his hit by Johnny Sears last weekend in Winnipeg. Either way, this will be a good test for Toronto with several of their back-ups as they certainly prepare for the 2012 season. Meanwhile, Hamilton will simply look for any shot at consistency and putting up offense after being shut down a week ago in Saskatchewan.
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela	Jay
Friday Nov4			AT
Breakdown: Chris: Last week was likely a fluke in Regina, so I’m bound to get this one right. Brandon: Saskatchewan didn’t look good last week, Hamilton looked bad and so Saskatchewan’s trail of awfulness will continue and will finally put a stamp on this season with one big “L”. Dorian: For Edmonton, they have had a bumpy ride since the start of the season and have an opportunity to rebound and secure a spot in the Western final Friday night. For Saskatchewan they will continue their spoiler role while many players will be auditioning for jobs in the offseason while the Eskimos will look to fine tune any issues they might have as they prepare for the postseason. This will be a must-win for Ricky Ray if he wishes to host the Western final and will do all he can to put a win on the board.
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela	Jay
Saturday Nov 5			AT
Breakdown: Chris: Drew Tate is good, but three great games in a row is a bit much to start. Watch for a decent game, but a few rookie mistakes. Brandon: Calgary will win and will put themselves in a position to be 1st in the West once again. Although, I hope for their sake they don’t get that bye week in the post-season because it doesn’t seem to do them much of a service if at all. As far as what it means for Winnipeg I still think they will get that bye week and first in the East and it will set up a very intriguing first round match up of Hamilton and Montreal. Which most people would call a no brainer, however, before you do examine the season series tied 2-2, let’s further indulge into the scores. 34-26 Hamilton, 44-21 Hamilton, 43-13 Montreal, 27-25 Montreal. Dorian: With Pierce out, this will give Alex Brink just his third start in two years however has shown a lot more poise and pocket awareness since his inception. For Calgary, they will need to provide better coverage in the secondary and limit Greg Carr’s presence while keeping the run game to a minimal. Through the last three games, Calgary has allowed 479 yards on the ground. Between the two clubs, you would have to nod your head towards Winnipeg wanting to win this game more, with the new stadium next season, 20 years without a Cup and their first postseason game since 2008.
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela	Jay
Saturday Nov 5			AT
Breakdown: Chris: BC gets a chance at home to earn a first round bye, and the only thing standing in their way are the Allouettes. It won’t be easy, but Lulay and Co can do it. Brandon: BC has been merely unstoppable with Arland Bruce leading the charge as they’ve gone 10-1 since his acquisition from Hamilton, who ironically has handed BC their only loss in 11 weeks, they will get the bye and seem like they could use it with their injury riddled D. Dorian: One shocking statement to look at is how over the course of the season quarterback Anthony Calvillos age may have caught up on him. No more has Calvillo looked like the dominant quarterback the league has seen him as for many years. Through the latest set of games you can see Calvillo struggle, overthrowing or missing his receivers, unable to scramble and made to look well, human. B.C. will look towards exploiting that as they try to wrap up first in the West while Montreal tries for a win to potentially secure the East.
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela	Jay
Results:
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela	Jay
2-2	3-1	2-2	2-2	2-2
Year to Date:
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela	Jay
38-34	43-29	37-27	21-19	3-5

As bad as Sask and Toronto have been all season, it was a little surprising to see their opponents be worse. At Saturday’s tailgate party, I made a rather unflattering comparison between the Ticats and something else.  Last week vs BC, they played like world-beaters while the Lions came out flatter than a pancake. So, even with their inconsistent ways, you’d think they’d be able to beat a Sask team that seemed to be sitting a lot of their big names. Oops.

As for the Bombers, well, could it be that the early season success of Swaggerville got them believing they were close to invincible or did opposing teams just figure them out. Granted, there was no Fred Reid, but if you wanna start talking injuries, I point you towards my BC Lions. More on them shortly. To me, Alex Brink seems more comfortable in the Bomber offense than Buck Pierce. Perhaps it’s the fact that Pierce is in and and out of the lineup on seemingly a weekly basis.  The Bombers are now learning why Wally dumped Pierce.  A lot of Lions fans still respect Pierce’s tenacity and desire to win, but I think all football fans cringe whenever he gets hit.

The Lions were in a must-win game against division rival Edmonton.  With a win, Edmonton could lock up 1st place and the road to BC Place would go through Edmonton.  BC jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead, courtesy of Jamal Robertson and Paris Jackson, two vets who were passed by young guns, Harris and Foster. Edmonton clawed their way back to close the deficit to two with a TD toss to Tyler Scott.  The next drive would be an indicator as to whether the Lions loss to Hamilton was nothing more than a blip on the radar.  Lulay guided the Lions down the field and found Arland Bruce in the endzone to restore the 2 possession game.  This response drive ensured that the 3 games involving the Western playoff teams mattered, culminating in the Lions/Als tilt on Saturday night.

Perhaps the most notable difference was the vastly improved special teams coverage by the Lions. Having been torched by Larry Taylor, Chad Owens and others in past weeks, this was the only mole on what has been an incredible run since starting the season 0-5.

As for the final game this past week, the Als were handed a golden opportunity to force Winnipeg into a must-win next week and still have an opportunity to finish 1st in the East, but Drew Tate and the Stampeders had other ideas.  The Stamps, unlike many teams, walked into Percival Molson Stadium and walked out of there with with a win, creating a 3-way logjam in the West Division, leaving Winnipeg and Montreal in a tie for 1st in the East.

For the Lions and Bombers, the math is easy:  They win their respective games, they win their respective divisions and only have to win 1 to get to the Grey Cup game in Vancouver.

If I had to pick divison finalists for the major awards it would go:
MOP:  Lulay vs Richardson
ST:  McCallum vs Owens
Defensive Player:  Keron Williams vs Odell Willis
Rookie:  Craig Butler vs Chris Williams
Lineman:  Jovon Olafioye vs Scott Flory
Canadian: Jerome Messam vs Sean Whyte (?)

I could be way off, and probably am, but whatever.  I’ll post official predictions when the actual nominees are announced.

A few notes from Week 17

The good

• Calvillo returns to form and obliterates Calgary’s secondary.
• Porter was behind centre for the cats when they really blew that one open against b.c.
• That’s 1 for Porter and 0 for Glenn.
• Ray Mariuz had the best quarter of his life in the third; INT TD, and fumble recovery. To think this guy was playing in the alumni game a few weeks ago.
• Hamilton may have finally found a good secondary as they held the hottest team in the league to 10 points and Carlos Thomas may have FINALLY found his spot at free safety.
• When was the last time you saw a quarter back who gets pulled from the game involuntarily actually embrace and wish good luck to his replacement?
• We saw it on saturday against B.C. when Glenn and Porter shook hands as the transaction was being made.
• Hamilton could enter the playoffs on a 3 game win streak with 2 very winnable games in Regina and Toronto.
• Eat your heart out Jesse Lumsden! With 964 rushing yards and two games to play, Edmonton’s Jerome Messam is surely going to become the first Canadian to rush for 1,000 yards since Sean Millington in 2000.
• And just the second since Orville Lee hit that mark in 1988.
• Both Edmonton and Winnipeg will head to the playoffs after missing out last season. Both teams have enjoyed success this season and I only see better things in their future.
• As well, there must be congratulations regarding receiver Chad Owens out of Toronto who on Friday became the first pro-football player ever to go over 3,000 all-purpose yards in back to back seasons.

The bad

• Calgary’s penchant to take bad penalties continues and they get dissected.
• How long can this 2 QB system really last until emotions get the better?
• With Drew Tate the Stampeder QB of the future. Where does that leave Hank Burris who at 37 is still athletically gifted enough to be a starter.
• But, with very few if any guaranteed starter’s jobs that will be available next season.
• Can a two QB system really work in the post-season?
• The decision-making by Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Ken Miller when deciding to start quarterback Darian Durant against the Calgary Stampeders. Darian Durant is currently working through a foot injury and played in a meaningless game which could have made the injury more severe.

The ugly

• The Lions injury problem. Upwards of 15 guys injured makes them the walking wounded with 2 weeks left.
• “The Ugly” Continues to be the Sask. Roughriders who already knew they were playing for fun this past weekend yet, sent all of their starters out there despite some of them having nagging injuries.
• The destructive season continues and has now found itself reaching the personnel, where will it stop? Nobody knows!
• The fact that it took this long for somebody to sign last year’s most outstanding Eskimo rookie RB Daniel Porter.
• The fact that Messam and other top CFL players will find themselves spending half the CFL season on an NFL roster and will be lucky if 1 of them sticks. Then will probably come back all banged up and basically useless until the post-season (would you want your first game back to be in the playoffs?) or next season depending on their teams situation.
• Barring something unforeseen during the final two weeks of the regular season, Montreal will finish with the CFL’s leading passer (Anthony Calvillo), receiver (Jamel Richardson), and running back (Brandon Whitaker). Yet, may not be in first place in their Division never mind the CFL.
• The decision by Hamilton Tiger-Cats head coach Marcel Bellefeuille to think that running a two-quarterback system will work down the stretch.
• During the third quarter of the Winnipeg vs. Montreal game punter Jamie Boreham took the snap, ran five yards and attempted to punt the ball which was hit and sailed about zero yards, setting up Montreal that allowed them to drive and score a major.

Players of the week

Offence: Chad Owens – 9 receptions, 97 yards; 4 kick returns, 77 yards; 5 punt returns, 84 yards

Defence: Jason Vega – 4 tackles, 2 sacks

Special Teams: Sean Whyte – 6/6 FG, 1/1 XP, 19 points

Now… on to Week 18!

Friday Oct 28			AT
Breakdown: Chris: This shouldn’t even be close with Winnipeg still vying for a first place spot in the East. Brandon: If Cory Boyd rushes for over 100 and you still don’t win. You know your team has already called it quits. Dorian: This is a game that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will focus on and mentally prepare themselves. Whether or not they execute their game plan properly will remain to be seen but I suspect nothing less than a win.
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela	Jay
Saturday Oct 29			AT
Breakdown: Chris: With several notable starters sitting this one out, the Riders have already phoned this one in. I honestly think that Bergquist should start instead of Dinwiddie. Brandon: The debacle that is the Saskatchewan Roughriders ain’t going to end anytime soon with the likes of Durant, Simpson, and Fantuz out. Dorian: One of the problems for the Saskatchewan Roughriders over the last few weeks has been their offensive attack. Through the last five games, they’ve scored 40 points, while allowing the opposition to score 153. This will be a simple win for Hamilton as long as everything stays according to plan. Ryan Dinwiddie has shown through the last few weeks he is incapable of leading a team.
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela	Jay
Saturday Oct 29			AT
Breakdown: Chris: My gut says BC, but everything else says Edmonton. Brandon: This is where it gets tough… My gut feeling and knowledge is telling me when you lose after a long winning streak. You kind of forget how to bounce back and I have to believe this is what will happen to B.C. Edmonton wins. Dorian: In their last four games, Ray has thrown five touchdowns on just two interceptions while throwing for 1,019 yards. Running back Jerome Messam has rushed for over 100 yards twice in their last four games, as well as two touchdowns but has fumbled twice against Toronto last week. With the steady hand of Ricky Ray and his receiving core, this will be a tough injury-filled day for B.C. to overcome.
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela	Jay
Sunday Oct 30			AT
Breakdown: Chris: Whenever I pick either of these teams it normally bites me in the ass, but this week they play each other, so it can only bite me once. I’ll take AC and the over DT and the highly inconsistent Stamps. Brandon: Burris looks like he will be in emergency use these next two weeks. Not sure Tate has the experience or knowledge on how to beat a Montreal never mind an Anthony Calvillo coming off a 3 pick game Montreal. Dorian: Drew Tate will need to be near perfect if he wants any chance at beating the great Anthony Calvillo and although he has shown poise and good structure so far, this will be too much for him to overcome.
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela	Jay
Results:
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela	Jay
0-4	0-4	0-4	1-3	1-3
Year to Date:
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela	Jay
36-32	40-28	35-25	19-17	1-3

A couple of weeks ago, Cory Boyd and the Argos were running roughshod over the Stamps in the first half, while their passing game was struggling. As the game progressed, Elizondo and Co strayed away from Boyd and relied on the arm of Jyles. Yes, they won the game, thanks in part the continued lack of discipline by the Stamps defense.

As for the other obvious case, am I the only that thinks leaving Miller in charge of playcalling was a mistake when they canned Marshall and Berry? I haven’t watched every Rider game this year, but have there been many new wrinkles since the transition? Sure, they beat Winnipeg in the traditional Labour Day back-to-back, but after that, it was a quick crash back to earth.

As a Lions fan, we’ve had the (mis) fortune of having Chapdelaine as OC for longer than I care to remember. Yes, he’s a member of Wally’s Old Boys Network, but should that give him carte blanche as far as being predictable? No, but that’s a different discussion for a different day.

Simon has been the best receiver for the Lions for the past few years, but he can't be relied upon to account for every offensive yard.

Sure, when your primary receiver is Geroy Simon, the tendency is to rely on him, especially early in the season, when he’s surrounded by inexperience, in the form of Gore, Foster and the departed Dobson Collins.

As for the run game, well, no Chapdelaine offense has never been a run first attack. Sure, history contradicts that point, namely in the form of Martell Mallett, but athletes like him don’t come around every day. Be that as it may, the Lions run game isn’t something that I’d be overly afraid of. That was up until about a month ago when Andrew Harris showed that he was more than just a back with decent speed. He was able to break some significant tackles as well. Now that he’s injured, we’ll see what direction it goes.

As for one of the Lions biggest problems: short yardage. Sounds simple, doesn’t it. Pretty much every team uses their backup QB and they do a decent job. So, why has it been a point that makes Lions fans shake their head.

Also, when you see Tim Brown, don’t you usually expect one of two or three plays. Sweep to the outside or a quick dive up the middle. Teams figured that out and yet the Lions continually go back to that. Sure, there’s been some recent creativity to the playcalling, but that could be done because the coaches, save for Wally, are on 1 year contracts.

On the flip side, great players mask below average playcalling. Once again, I look back to my own Lions. I have no look no further than Arland Bruce and his two big receptions this year, 73 and 100 yards. Are they drawn up that way? I can say with almost 100% certainty, they aren’t. Two reasons for that success, I look at the QB (Travis Lulay) and the receiver (Arland Bruce).

So, if something isn’t broken, why fix it? Yes, I’m looking at you Jaime Elizondo and Jacques Chapdelaine.

A few notes from Week 16

The good

• The B.C. Lions continue to keep on winning behind the effective play of their defense and the ability of quarterback Travis Lulay to put together two key drives to put touchdowns on the board. It took almost 50 minutes of game play before either team found a major however.
• I almost pissed my pants a few weeks ago when the announcer called Buck Pierce “Buckwheat”
• Quinton Porter, in his third season looks like he’s starting to blossom as a QB.

The bad

• During Calgary’s loss to the Toronto Argonauts, Henry Burris and the offense were given several opportunities to put in majors and take a lead in the game, however twice they struggled in the red zone and had to settle for field goals.
• Even this late into his career Kevin Glenn has yet to get past “good enough to start”.

The ugly

• The Saskatchewan Roughriders have had their troubles over the last month certainly, having lost their last four games. However one of their biggest issue as of late has been offensive production behind Darian Durant and an offense with what many would say is overloaded in talent.
• Through the last four games, Saskatchewan has failed to find the end zone and their streak sits at 16 quarters and 60 possessions without an offensive touchdown.
• Hamilton is the most recent of a slew of victim’s to get bit by the ref bug.

Players of the week

Offence: Cory Boyd – Responded to criticism Friday night by pounding the ball down the field for 148 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries. This comes after Cory Boyd commented on his lack of involvement over the last few weeks and made up for it in a big way, helping lead his team to a win.

Defence: Chip Cox – Continued his defensive game play as he always does, invoking it against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats Sunday afternoon. Cox finished the day with seven tackles, one sack and an interception.

Special Teams: Paul McCallum – Once again, Paul was clutch for his team after kicking the game-winning field goal a week ago against the Calgary Stampeders. During their offensive struggles against Saskatchewan, McCallum kicked all five of his field goals while the team worked on adding two majors.

Now… on to Week 17!

Friday Oct 21		AT
Breakdown: Chris: Everything points to a big win from Edmonton, but I don’t think Toronto will go down without a fight, but they will go down. Dorian: As this game holds no merit if Toronto wins, they will simply do as they can to stop Edmonton from winning as they did last week against Calgary, scoring 28 of their 31 points in the first quarter. With the playoffs around the corner, Kavis Reed will have his troops in playoff mode and Toronto will attempt but fail at breaking their stride.
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela
Friday Oct 21		AT
Breakdown: Chris: The Riders are only playing for respect, and I don’t think they’ll earn much playing in hostile territory. Dorian: For Calgary, they have yet to lose to Saskatchewan since last season’s divisional finals. Drew Tate will have all the reps this week and Joffrey Reynolds is expected back in the lineup due to injuries. All of this will simply lead up to another Calgary win as they look to bridge themselves closer to B.C. and Edmonton for that first round bye.
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela
			-
Friday Oct 21		AT
Breakdown: Chris: I have to go with AC. As long as he can stay upright, the Als will win this one. Brandon: Ah, my old hate vs. my new. Is it possible for neither team to win and them to just beat the crap out of each other? Seeing as this is football and not MMA, i guess not. Anyways, I’m going to go with Winnipeg on this one, Montreal is finesse and Winnipeg is down right dirty, Montreal can’t handle down right dirty as well as they could in past. Dorian: The key for Winnipeg here is to pressure Anthony and get him out of his rhythm and they will have a good shot at winning this game.
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela
			-
Friday Oct 21		AT
Breakdown: Chris: Both teams want the win, but Hamilton needs it more, but it isn’t likely to happen against the hottest team in the league. Brandon: Bruce makes his return and quite frankly he should have never left. That being said just like before he plays for the opposition and I’ll be rooting against his team, although I hope he has a good game. Nevertheless, I’m picking Hamilton. The only question is who starts at QB, and will it be like last week, one series Glenn, next, Porter? Dorian: B.C.’s determination to stay atop the West and continuity this season at quarterback will give them their 10th win of the season, not since 2008 have they hit that mark.
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela
			-
Results:
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela
2-2	4-0	3-1	0-0
Year to Date:
Chris	Brandon	Dorian	Angela
36-28	40-24	35-21	18-14