The top of the standings is getting a little congested after fifteen weeks of football above the 49th, both the East and West Divisions feature close races, the West a three way tie at the moment which seems to be tilted towards the BC Lions. All three teams have sixteen points atop the West, the Lions have the top seeding at the moment owing to their success against the Stamps and the surge of seven wins in the last seven weeks.
In the East the Montreal Alouettes have been battling the Blue Bombers through the late summer and into the fall, finally scaling the walls of Swaggerville to claim their hunk of the CFL East's top spot, setting the scene for a showdown in Winnipeg in two weeks time.
The Als and Bombers at the moment each have eighteen points, with the TiCats keeping close but running out of time with their fourteen points on the year thus far.
The results of week fifteen provided much of the accounting for the standings this week, the games played out as follows.
Saskatchewan at Edmonton
Week fifteen came along as part of Canada's celebration of Thanksgiving, a weekend where families and friends gather and give thanks, perhaps watch a little football on the tube and of course, carve into a giant bird.
And if Saturday gave us perhaps the best game of the year in the form of the Stamps and Lions and early Monday afternoon gave us the historic game of the year, thanks to the arm of Anthony Calvillo, the wrap up game to the weekend on late Monday afternoon brought the turkey.
The Riders and Eskimos provided perhaps one of the most boring and less than rewarding of football experiences that we've seen all year, the only saving grace for the 38,000 plus in attendance in Edmonton the fact that at least the home side collected the two points for the win as a result of the 17 to 1 Eskimo victory.
The nature of the West Division game, most likely provided more than enough incentive for even the most devoted of CFL fans to abandon the pigskin to other pursuits, most importantly we imagine the opportunity to chow down on the family bird.
The Eskimo victory moved the Esks into a tie for first in the West, but realistically if Sunday's performance is any indication as to their plans for holding onto that spot, their grasp one imagines will be short lived.
For Saskatchewan, once again an inability to score points highlighted the problems that have afflicted the RiderNation since the season began, Sunday's loss all but assuring that playoff tickets won't be a hot commodity in Regina this fall..
Edmonton Sun-- Loss puts Riders outside looking in
Edmonton Journal-- Victory leaves sour taste in fans' mouths
National Post-- Eskimos top Riders in a snoozer
Canada.com-- A turkey of a game
Toronto at Montreal
The Argonauts were part of some history on Thanksgiving Monday, well to be more exact they watched a bit of history on Monday, as Anthony Calvillo rose to the top of the quarterback ranks and was feted near and far for his accomplishment.
The Alouettes victory, vital as it was to the race for the top in the CFL East was overshadowed for the most part by the remarkable achievement of Calvillo, who crossed the 72,429 yard mark for professional football passing as part of Monday's game.
The CFL stopped play at that point, ran the video tributes and let Calvillo basked in his much deserved glory, as the video played some classy observations from Dan Marino, Warren Moon, Damon Allen and ESPN's Chris Berman, the fans in Montreal offered up their own tributes to Calvillo who has become the face of football in Quebec over his many seasons in rouge, blanc et bleu.
Calvillo's third quarter toss to Jamel Richardson (who tossed the historic ball into the stands upon crossing the goal line, a ball which was quickly recovered by Alouette officials) beyond setting records, pretty well ended the Argonauts season, the seven points pushed the Als ahead of Toronto on the scoreboard for the day and they never looked back again.
If Argo coach Jim Barker was to look for something good out of Monday's game, other than the recognition of one of the CFL's long running stars, it was the fact that for most of three quarters his team finally showed a bit of resolve.
In the end however, the same problems that have haunted the Argos all season reoccurred, as telling a tale for them as there is and the main reason as to why their season had pretty well come to an end just as Canadians were settling down to their Thanksgiving turkeys.
The Montreal win by a margin of 29 to 19, brought the Als back into a tie for first with the Blue Bombers, two teams that are destined for a showdown on October 22nd when the hew record holder of yards gained through passing will bring his team into Canad Inn Stadium, making for a late season game that should feature much in the way of drama and more than a bit of importance as to how the final standings may shape up in 2011.
Globe and Mail-- 72,429 yards and counting for Anthony Calvillo
National Post-- Alouettes' Calvillo breaks pro football's passing record
Canada.com-- Confirmed: Anthony Calvillo is the best
Toronto Star-- Calvillo surpasses Allen as CFL passing leader
Calgary at British Columbia
Saturday night's showdown between the Stamps and Lions offered up some of the best football of the season, wild offensive swings, dramatic field goals, record setting performances and streak ending misses.
In amongst the hard hitting action on the floor of BC Place, the hometown fans would eventually leave for home happy, but exhausted, after the Lions battled to reclaim their early lead of the game, requiring a last second field goal to secure the 33-31 victory and lay claim to the top spot in the CFL West.
The game started out well for the Lions, who appeared to be in control of events right from the opening play of the game as they rocked Henry Burris, forcing a fumble and setting up the opening score for the Lions, seven points on the board before the faithful had even cleared the concession stands.
Another touchdown before the first quarter came to an end put the Lions into a fourteen point advantage, but any thoughts of a runaway victory would be dashed before the final whistle would sound.
The Stamps charged back at the Lions however and made the Saturday night game some fine counter programming to the week two fare of Hockey Night in Canada, a game which featured both Travis Lulay and Henry Burris in a pass happy mood, picking their spots against defenders for yardage and points along the way.
Paul McCallum had one of those amazing games that come around for kickers from time to time, he tied and then set a new CFL record for field goals, both kicks that would never be considered gimmes. Once he marked his name into the CFL record books, he then went out and muffed one that would have added to the totals, making the mark for future CFL kickers to be 28 in a row.
But any disappointment for him at the end of the streak would be quickly diminished, called up on by Wally Buono to make a 53 yard attempt as the last play of the game, McCallum stood focused on the field put in motion his stride and knocked the ball through the uprights, sending the Lions on to victory and adding to their amazing surge of seven straight victories.
The night provided for as exciting a night of football as we've seen this year, a dramatic last second victory that adds to the build up to the final weeks of the season as the CFL West teams juggle for playoff positions.
Vancouver Province-- Lions kicker McCallum scores when it counts
Vancouver Sun-- McCallum's monster boot saves Lions' win streak
Calgary Herald-- Lions overtake Stamps atop CFL West
Calgary Sun-- Stamps booted in B. C.
Winnipeg at Hamilton
The Tiger Cats keep finding ways to lose out on opportunity when it's knocking at the door. The knock this time around came from Winnipeg, which while injury depleted still has managed to keep afloat in the CFL East. The Cats should have had the momentum going into Friday night's weekend opener, but alas some of the old problems for Hamilton came for a revisit at a most inopportune time.
Penalties, turnovers, missed tackles, dropped passes, incomplete passes and a problem converting to first downs kept the Cats off balance for most of the game, the Bombers on the other hand picked up their pace and found little trouble on a Friday night, dismissing the Cats by a score of 33-17 and securing a hunk of first place as their own as well as ensuring that there will be playoff football in their 2011 season.
It was a win that the Bombers needed at a most crucial time, having lost two in a row and with a MASH unit taking residence outside Canad Inn stadium these days, the opportunity to begin to obsess on the season that could have been was beginning to gain a bit of traction, as dangerous a problem as growing injury lists could ever be.
Instead, with their convincing victory the Bombers once again have declared to the CFL that they have the depth and the dedication to their cause that the folks of Swaggerville had been celebrating earlier this year.
The Alouettes may yet have something to add to the discussion in Winnipeg about any Grey Cup travel arrangements, but with their win on Friday, the Bombers have served notice that the road to Vancouver may require a pit stop in Winnipeg, the first of those pit stops comes up in a few weeks when the Als and Bombers have a showdown at CanadInn Stadium, a game which is shaping up to be one of the Big Ones of the end of the CFL season.
Winnipeg Free Press-- Bombers come up big
Winnipeg Sun-- Bombers clinch playoff spot
Hamilton Spectator-- Ticats fall to Bombers, hear boo birds
National Post-- Blue Bombers thump the Tiger Cats
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