The Battle of Ontario brings a cap to week number three of the 2012 CFL season.
The Toronto Argonauts making the trek down the Queen Elizabeth Way destined for that famed Argo graveyard of Ivor Wynne, the first of perhaps two, maybe three (playoff positioning depending) visits that they will make in this farewell year to the venerable old field.
The Argos come down the road with a 1-1 record thus far, last weeks victory over Calgary a last minute barn burner which provided no shortage of excitement and a bit of hope for the future for the Double Blue, which seems to finally be finding its pace with Ricky Ray at the helm.
The Cats on the other hand are in a bit of disarray, something that wasn't anticipated heading into the 2012 season, rumblings of discontent between players and new head coach George Cortez are beginning to surface, understandable we imagine when a team which entered the season with much promise is struggling as the Cats are.
Still, it's not a good thing when the fingers start to fly and the players give the impression that revolt is in the air, especially when the troubles don't seem quite as bad as they are being made out to be.
Other than the week one blow out against the Riders, the Cats seem to be getting a handle on their troubles, last weeks narrow loss to the Lions showed much promise that the pieces are starting to come together, which makes it curious that the complaints became public this week.
As always in Hamilton, the perfect tonic for a troublesome week is a match up with the arch rivals from Toronto, Ricky Ray may have thought that the days of the Calgary/Edmonton rivalry brought the fans to full voice, but we're not sure anything has prepared him for wearing Double Blue in Tiger town.
Likewise, Henry Buris who knows a thing about inter provincial rivalry from his days with the Stamps, will want to compare notes with Ray on the atmosphere at Ivor Wynne, though we recommend he not do that in any public forum in Hamilton...
Saturday night's week three wrap up may provide yet another lesson in Argology 101 for the new QB.
Game Time 7 PM ET, 4 PT Ivor Wynne Stadium (TSN)
Toronto 27 at Hamilton 36 (24,264)
Pre Game
CFL Video Preview
Globe and Mail-- Tiger-Cats hope to get season on track against Argos
National Post-- Hamilton Tiger-Cats deny they are 'a team in trouble'
Hamilton Spectator-- New Ticats learn fast to hate Argos
Toronto Sun-- Welcome to the Argos-Ticats rivalry
Toronto Star-- Toronto Argonauts wet to renew heated rivalry with Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Team Backgrounders
Toronto Argonauts
Hamilton Tiger Cats
Post Game
CFL.ca-- Game Recap
CFL.ca-- Video Highlights
Globe and Mail-- Chris Williams' three touchdowns lead Ticats past Argos
National Post-- Ticats hold off Argos to earn first win of the season
Hamilton Spectator-- Ticats roll over arch rival Argos 36-27
Toronto Sun- Ticats look special against Argos
Toronto Star-- Toronto Argonauts fall to arch rival Hamilton Tiger Cats 36-27
Saturday, July 14, 2012
CFL Game Day: British Columbia at Saskatchewan (July 14, 2012)
Two undefeated teams, early as the season is, take to the field in Regina today as the British Columbia Lions seek to keep their roll going taking on the rejuvenated Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The Riders, who entered the season with more than a few questions to answer for their fans, have had a rather successful couple of weeks to open the season, a resounding thumping of the Tiger Cats on the road and a less than thumping victory over the Eskimos last week, still when November comes about the only thing people will remember is the four points in their favour in the standings.
The Lions may provide a better measuring stick for the Riders heading into week three, the Eskimos clearly had a bad week last weekend, taking their frustrations out on the Bombers last night. A signal to their neighbours in the east that perhaps it's best not to plan victory parades just yet.
Saskatchewan for its part will wish to show the home side that the offence they watched on television in week one will be making an appearance at Mosaic this year. The task however may be a tough one going up against the always punishing BC Lions defence which has had a rather impressive debut to the 2012 season.
Add into the mix the potentially explosive Lions offence and the defending Grey Cup chance could be considered the favourite to exit Mosaic still holding that undefeated status.
The Lions have a vast number of resources for putting points on the board, a strong running game, sure handed and fleet receivers and steady leadership with Travis Lulay at the helm of the offensive unit, they all combine to make a sturdy test for the Riders defensive corps today.
Game Time 1 PM ST ( 3 PM ET, Noon PT ) Mosaic Field TSN
British Columbia 20 at Saskatchewan 23 (32,080)
Pre Game
CFL Video Preview
Globe and Mail-- New Roughriders defence faces tough test against defending champion...
National Post-- Corey Chamblin has Roughriders heading in the right direction
Regina Leader Post-- Simon says Rider fans are No. 1
Vancouver Province-- Crowd noise falling on deaf ears with Lions
Vancouver Sun-- Lions' Khalif Mitchell vs. Riders' Kory Sheets...
Team Backgrounders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
British Columbia Lions
Post Game
CFL.ca-- Game Recap
CFL.ca-- Video Highlights
Globe and Mail-- Riders edge Lions to remain unbeaten
National Post-- Roughriders continue strong start with win over Lions
Regina Leader Post-- Riders down B. C. Lions to improve to 3-0 on the season
Vancouver Sun-- Johnson's bad break makes loss to Roughriders even more painful
Vancouver Province-- B. C. Lions done in by missed kicks, big returns in Regina
The Riders, who entered the season with more than a few questions to answer for their fans, have had a rather successful couple of weeks to open the season, a resounding thumping of the Tiger Cats on the road and a less than thumping victory over the Eskimos last week, still when November comes about the only thing people will remember is the four points in their favour in the standings.
The Lions may provide a better measuring stick for the Riders heading into week three, the Eskimos clearly had a bad week last weekend, taking their frustrations out on the Bombers last night. A signal to their neighbours in the east that perhaps it's best not to plan victory parades just yet.
Saskatchewan for its part will wish to show the home side that the offence they watched on television in week one will be making an appearance at Mosaic this year. The task however may be a tough one going up against the always punishing BC Lions defence which has had a rather impressive debut to the 2012 season.
Add into the mix the potentially explosive Lions offence and the defending Grey Cup chance could be considered the favourite to exit Mosaic still holding that undefeated status.
The Lions have a vast number of resources for putting points on the board, a strong running game, sure handed and fleet receivers and steady leadership with Travis Lulay at the helm of the offensive unit, they all combine to make a sturdy test for the Riders defensive corps today.
Game Time 1 PM ST ( 3 PM ET, Noon PT ) Mosaic Field TSN
British Columbia 20 at Saskatchewan 23 (32,080)
Pre Game
CFL Video Preview
Globe and Mail-- New Roughriders defence faces tough test against defending champion...
National Post-- Corey Chamblin has Roughriders heading in the right direction
Regina Leader Post-- Simon says Rider fans are No. 1
Vancouver Province-- Crowd noise falling on deaf ears with Lions
Vancouver Sun-- Lions' Khalif Mitchell vs. Riders' Kory Sheets...
Team Backgrounders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
British Columbia Lions
Post Game
CFL.ca-- Game Recap
CFL.ca-- Video Highlights
Globe and Mail-- Riders edge Lions to remain unbeaten
National Post-- Roughriders continue strong start with win over Lions
Regina Leader Post-- Riders down B. C. Lions to improve to 3-0 on the season
Vancouver Sun-- Johnson's bad break makes loss to Roughriders even more painful
Vancouver Province-- B. C. Lions done in by missed kicks, big returns in Regina
Friday, July 13, 2012
CFL Game Day: Winnipeg at Edmonton (July 13, 2012)
Friday night delivers us two teams struggling early out of the gate in the 2012 season. The Eskimos coming off a horrid review from last week in Saskatchewan will be looking to reverse the bad vibes of week two when they take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Commonwealth Stadium.
The Esks offered up little in the way of offence in week number two, the only positive thing of their efforts being that they were on the road and at least the home side wasn't booing within earshot. That of course won't be the scenario tonight, where the Eskimo faithful having already registered their disapproval over some of Eric Tillman's moves in the off season, most likely won't be shy to express their feelings should things go wrong for the Esks early on.
It's to that goal that perhaps the Bombers should address their plans, seeking to have the fans provide the bulk of the animosity on the night, Winnipeg simply there to collect some points and get their game back on track.
The Bombers on the road for their third consecutive week have yet to pick up their first win on the 2012 campaign after losses to BC and Montreal, their arrival in Edmonton which is in a bit of confusion of late could be the tonic for the rough start and set up the stage for a visit to the win column, especially with another road game to come next week in Toronto.
The weaknesses for both teams are rather apparent, the Eskimos clearly are struggling to generate offence, Steve Jyles confidence from week one, left a tad damaged in week two's loss to Saskatchewan, a situation that wasn't enhanced by the GM's regrets of making the off season trade.
In Winnipeg, the offence seems to go about as far as the game to tame shelf life of quarterback Buck Pierce, who it seems is always but a hit away from taking the rest of a game off. While capable back ups are there for the Blue and Gold, they seem to struggle when pushed into the lineup whenever Pierce is injured.
It's been one of the themes of Blue Bomber football over the last few years, and the plot never seems to change from game to game.
At any rate, fans of high scoring CFL action must be hoping that the Eskimos of last week are long forgotten, while the Bomber faithful will be hoping for a complete game for the QB and a few points on the board to go with his longevity on the field.
Game Time 7 PM MT ( 9 ET, 6 PT) Commonwealth Stadium TSN
Winnipeg 10 at Edmonton 42 (32,607)
Pre Game
CFL Video Preview
Globe and Mail-- Eskimos confident offence will be much improved against Blue Bombers
National Post-- Eskimos' offence hopes confidence is answer
Winnipeg Free Press-- Oh, it was nice when Blue used to win
Winnipeg Sun-- Bombers' Sears making impact in secondary
Edmonton Journal-- Esks coach Reed finding positives in Jyles's approach
Edmonton Sun-- Eskimos put faith in Jyles Friday
Team Backgrounders
Edmonton Eskimos
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Post Game
CFL.ca -- Game Recap
CFL.ca-- Video Highlights
Globe and Mail-- Eskimos turn things around in 42-10 rout of Blue Bombers
National Post-- Eskimos' defence keeps raising its game
Winnipeg Sun-- From bad to worse for Bombers
Winnipeg Free Press-- Eskimos trounce Bombers 42-10
Edmonton Sun-- Eskimos dominate Blue Bombers
Edmonton Journal-- Eskimos stomp Blue Bombers
The Esks offered up little in the way of offence in week number two, the only positive thing of their efforts being that they were on the road and at least the home side wasn't booing within earshot. That of course won't be the scenario tonight, where the Eskimo faithful having already registered their disapproval over some of Eric Tillman's moves in the off season, most likely won't be shy to express their feelings should things go wrong for the Esks early on.
It's to that goal that perhaps the Bombers should address their plans, seeking to have the fans provide the bulk of the animosity on the night, Winnipeg simply there to collect some points and get their game back on track.
The Bombers on the road for their third consecutive week have yet to pick up their first win on the 2012 campaign after losses to BC and Montreal, their arrival in Edmonton which is in a bit of confusion of late could be the tonic for the rough start and set up the stage for a visit to the win column, especially with another road game to come next week in Toronto.
The weaknesses for both teams are rather apparent, the Eskimos clearly are struggling to generate offence, Steve Jyles confidence from week one, left a tad damaged in week two's loss to Saskatchewan, a situation that wasn't enhanced by the GM's regrets of making the off season trade.
In Winnipeg, the offence seems to go about as far as the game to tame shelf life of quarterback Buck Pierce, who it seems is always but a hit away from taking the rest of a game off. While capable back ups are there for the Blue and Gold, they seem to struggle when pushed into the lineup whenever Pierce is injured.
It's been one of the themes of Blue Bomber football over the last few years, and the plot never seems to change from game to game.
At any rate, fans of high scoring CFL action must be hoping that the Eskimos of last week are long forgotten, while the Bomber faithful will be hoping for a complete game for the QB and a few points on the board to go with his longevity on the field.
Game Time 7 PM MT ( 9 ET, 6 PT) Commonwealth Stadium TSN
Winnipeg 10 at Edmonton 42 (32,607)
Pre Game
CFL Video Preview
Globe and Mail-- Eskimos confident offence will be much improved against Blue Bombers
National Post-- Eskimos' offence hopes confidence is answer
Winnipeg Free Press-- Oh, it was nice when Blue used to win
Winnipeg Sun-- Bombers' Sears making impact in secondary
Edmonton Journal-- Esks coach Reed finding positives in Jyles's approach
Edmonton Sun-- Eskimos put faith in Jyles Friday
Team Backgrounders
Edmonton Eskimos
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Post Game
CFL.ca -- Game Recap
CFL.ca-- Video Highlights
Globe and Mail-- Eskimos turn things around in 42-10 rout of Blue Bombers
National Post-- Eskimos' defence keeps raising its game
Winnipeg Sun-- From bad to worse for Bombers
Winnipeg Free Press-- Eskimos trounce Bombers 42-10
Edmonton Sun-- Eskimos dominate Blue Bombers
Edmonton Journal-- Eskimos stomp Blue Bombers
Thursday, July 12, 2012
CFL 2012 Regular Season: Week 3
Week Number three offers up a number of themes for consideration, chief among them the second guessing that Eric Tillman is suffering in Edmonton these days.
While Mr. Tillman reconsiders his past decisions, Game Time arrives for the Eskimos on Friday, where the Winnipeg Blue Bombers continue their marathon road excursion, which we imagine was created so as to enjoy the ambiance of the new stadium in the fall, a plan which of course has been tossed as the stadium won't be ready until next year. So the road warriors will make one last road game before a journey home, Friday's game yet another attempt to ruin Mr. Tillman's day once more.
Before that tough, the Stamps and Als will kick off the week with a Thursday night game, the Stamps without Drew Tate, who is out for five to six weeks, leaving Kevin Glenn in charge and no doubt anxious to show that perhaps the East gave up on him just a little bit too soon.
Saturday provides a showdown of the Western leaders as the league's two undefeated teams thus far take to the field at Mosaic, the Green Riders riding the fun of a two game winning streak, though no doubt with memories of last weeks offensive struggles still on their minds. For the Lions, it's an opportunity to keep the good vibe rolling along, knocking down a Western rival in the process.
The wrap to week three takes us to Hamilton where the rivalry of Southern Ontario resumes, as the Argos travel to Hamilton to take on the Cats, always an entertaining affair and this one steeped in the history of Ivor Wynne and the countdown to closing time.
Thursday, July 12-- Calgary 32 at Montreal 33 (21,074)
Friday, July 13-- Winnipeg 10 at Edmonton 42 (32,607)
Saturday, July 14-- British Columbia 20 at Saskatchewan 23 (32,080)
Saturday July 14-- Toronto 27 at Hamilton 36 (24,264)
Twelve Men Prognostications: Predicted Winners
Montreal
Winnipeg
British Columbia
Hamilton
Weekly Record
2 - 2
Overal Record
8 correct, 4 wrong
While Mr. Tillman reconsiders his past decisions, Game Time arrives for the Eskimos on Friday, where the Winnipeg Blue Bombers continue their marathon road excursion, which we imagine was created so as to enjoy the ambiance of the new stadium in the fall, a plan which of course has been tossed as the stadium won't be ready until next year. So the road warriors will make one last road game before a journey home, Friday's game yet another attempt to ruin Mr. Tillman's day once more.
Before that tough, the Stamps and Als will kick off the week with a Thursday night game, the Stamps without Drew Tate, who is out for five to six weeks, leaving Kevin Glenn in charge and no doubt anxious to show that perhaps the East gave up on him just a little bit too soon.
Saturday provides a showdown of the Western leaders as the league's two undefeated teams thus far take to the field at Mosaic, the Green Riders riding the fun of a two game winning streak, though no doubt with memories of last weeks offensive struggles still on their minds. For the Lions, it's an opportunity to keep the good vibe rolling along, knocking down a Western rival in the process.
The wrap to week three takes us to Hamilton where the rivalry of Southern Ontario resumes, as the Argos travel to Hamilton to take on the Cats, always an entertaining affair and this one steeped in the history of Ivor Wynne and the countdown to closing time.
Thursday, July 12-- Calgary 32 at Montreal 33 (21,074)
Friday, July 13-- Winnipeg 10 at Edmonton 42 (32,607)
Saturday, July 14-- British Columbia 20 at Saskatchewan 23 (32,080)
Saturday July 14-- Toronto 27 at Hamilton 36 (24,264)
Twelve Men Prognostications: Predicted Winners
Montreal
Winnipeg
British Columbia
Hamilton
Weekly Record
2 - 2
Overal Record
8 correct, 4 wrong
CFL Game Day: Calgary at Montreal (July 12, 2012)
Calgary continues their road warrior ways, having encamped in Kingston for the week, they travel eastbound on the 401 for tonight's week three opener in Montreal.
The Stamps arrive in Montreal less their starting quarterback, Drew Tate was injured in week two, suffering a shoulder injury at the hands of the Toronto Argonauts and sidelines reportedly for 5-6 weeks.
That leaves the quarterbacking duties in the hands of Kevin Glenn, not a bad insurance policy for the Stamps who acquired Glenn as part of the Henry Burris trade of the off season.
With their injury woes, the Stamps have also invited Brad Sinopoli back into the big tent, the Canadian QB joined the Stamps during their layover in Kingston.
Key for the Alouettes on Thursday night will be to keep a rein on the down field wanderings of Larry Taylor, the Stamps Wide Receiver and Kick Returner ran the length and breadth of the CFL plain on Saturday in Toronto, earning himself Special Teams player of the week honours.
His explosive returns provided the Stamps with some impressive field position time and time again, among the highlight reel material was a 125 yard kick return for a TD, overall in the course of Saturday he 222 kick return yards, making him job one for the Alouettes special teams coverage we would imagine.
His return to face the team that let him get away could very well provide him with the chance to secure honours for two weeks in a row.
The Als also suffered a scare at quarterback, Anthony Calvillo was injured in the Als victory over the Blue Bombers, however, as the preparation for week three continued he was reported fit for duty.
The Als will be watchful over his shoulder issues, however it may be that Adrian MacPherson will be receiving a bit more game time experience should Calvillo suffer a relapse.
Another concern for the Als is the state of their special teams, which as Herb Zunkowsky of the Gazette says "show signs of becoming an albatross", it's a position that seems to have haunted the Als last year and so far this one.
Game Time 7 PM ET (4 ET) Molson Stadium (TSN)
Calgary 32 at Montreal 33 (21,074)
Pre Game
CFL Video Preview
Globe and Mail-- Stampeders backup Glenn to face Calvillo in rematch with Alouettes
National Post-- Stampeders prepare for Alouettes, not just Anthony Calvillo
Montreal Gazette-- Larry Taylor's long gone, Als' special teams problems persist
Calgary Sun-- Stamps get serious in "Laughs" city
Calgary Herald-- Stamps put offence in QB Glenn's experienced hands
TSN-- Alouettes to start Calvillo on Thursday against Stampeders
Team Backgrounders
Montreal Alouettes
Calgary Stampeders
Post Game
CFL.ca -- Game Recap
CFL.ca -- Video Highlights
Globe and Mail-- Lavoie TD caps Alouettes comeback victory over Stampeders
National Post-- Alouettes come from behind to beat Stampeders
Montreal Gazette-- Alouettes edge Stampeders 33-32
Calgary Sun-- Stamps roadtrip to forget
Calgary Herald-- Crushing collapse sends Stamps to 1-2 record
The Stamps arrive in Montreal less their starting quarterback, Drew Tate was injured in week two, suffering a shoulder injury at the hands of the Toronto Argonauts and sidelines reportedly for 5-6 weeks.
That leaves the quarterbacking duties in the hands of Kevin Glenn, not a bad insurance policy for the Stamps who acquired Glenn as part of the Henry Burris trade of the off season.
With their injury woes, the Stamps have also invited Brad Sinopoli back into the big tent, the Canadian QB joined the Stamps during their layover in Kingston.
Key for the Alouettes on Thursday night will be to keep a rein on the down field wanderings of Larry Taylor, the Stamps Wide Receiver and Kick Returner ran the length and breadth of the CFL plain on Saturday in Toronto, earning himself Special Teams player of the week honours.
His explosive returns provided the Stamps with some impressive field position time and time again, among the highlight reel material was a 125 yard kick return for a TD, overall in the course of Saturday he 222 kick return yards, making him job one for the Alouettes special teams coverage we would imagine.
His return to face the team that let him get away could very well provide him with the chance to secure honours for two weeks in a row.
The Als also suffered a scare at quarterback, Anthony Calvillo was injured in the Als victory over the Blue Bombers, however, as the preparation for week three continued he was reported fit for duty.
The Als will be watchful over his shoulder issues, however it may be that Adrian MacPherson will be receiving a bit more game time experience should Calvillo suffer a relapse.
Another concern for the Als is the state of their special teams, which as Herb Zunkowsky of the Gazette says "show signs of becoming an albatross", it's a position that seems to have haunted the Als last year and so far this one.
Game Time 7 PM ET (4 ET) Molson Stadium (TSN)
Calgary 32 at Montreal 33 (21,074)
Pre Game
CFL Video Preview
Globe and Mail-- Stampeders backup Glenn to face Calvillo in rematch with Alouettes
National Post-- Stampeders prepare for Alouettes, not just Anthony Calvillo
Montreal Gazette-- Larry Taylor's long gone, Als' special teams problems persist
Calgary Sun-- Stamps get serious in "Laughs" city
Calgary Herald-- Stamps put offence in QB Glenn's experienced hands
TSN-- Alouettes to start Calvillo on Thursday against Stampeders
Team Backgrounders
Montreal Alouettes
Calgary Stampeders
Post Game
CFL.ca -- Game Recap
CFL.ca -- Video Highlights
Globe and Mail-- Lavoie TD caps Alouettes comeback victory over Stampeders
National Post-- Alouettes come from behind to beat Stampeders
Montreal Gazette-- Alouettes edge Stampeders 33-32
Calgary Sun-- Stamps roadtrip to forget
Calgary Herald-- Crushing collapse sends Stamps to 1-2 record
Gibson's Player of the Week (Week Two) July 10 2012
The British Columbia Lions led the pack this week, with two placements in the Gibson's Players of the Week nominations, spurred on by their thrilling 39-36 victory over Hamilton on Friday night.
Running backs and kick returners provided the spark in Week Number Two and as we find in the Gibson's Players of the Week awards, their efforts did not go unrewarded.
CFL.ca Press Release
Offensive Player of the Week
Brandon Whitaker Montreal Alouettes RB
Montreal's Brandon Whittaker galloped his way across the TV screens on Friday night, a powerful stride that put points on the board for the Alouettes and votes on his ballot for award time this week.
Defensive Player of the Week
Adam Bighill British Columbia Lions LB
The Lions defense once again proved to be troublesome for opposing offences, this time providing misery for both Henry Burris and Quinton Porter of the Tiger Cats. Key among the Lions line backing corps was Adam Bighill who found much success roaming the Tiger Cat backfield.
Special Teams
Larry Taylor Calgary Stampeders WR/KR
Taylor lit up the highlight reels with some spectacular kick returns in Friday's game against the Argonauts, providing for an entertaining night of Canadian Football as he gave CFL special teams coaches cause to redesign their coverage plans, lest they suffer the fate that Toronto did.
Top Canadian
Andrew Harris British Columbia RB
Much is made of the arm of Travis Lulay and the receptions of Geroy Simon et al, but as Friday night offered up, the Lions might have a pretty good running game to go to as well. Andrew Harris rambled along the BC Place turf with some stellar runs through the night, earning him the title of Top Canadian for Week 2
CFL Video Zone
Players of the Week highlights (view here)
Top Ten Plays of the Week (view here)
Ultimate Replay of Week 2 (view here)
Gibson's Players of the Week Archives for 2012
Monday, July 09, 2012
Twelve Men Review-- Week Two (ending July 8, 2012)
Three fairly entertaining games and one that had a resounding thud, that was the week that was in the CFL.
The Als and Bombers kicked the weekend off with a reminder that there may yet be a few miles in the Anthony Calvillo odometer, as the Als QB returned to the kind of form we have grown accustomed to. The nightcap of the Friday Night Football doubleheader should give the fans of the Ti Cats some hope for the season as Hamilton battled back to fall just short of the BC Lions.
Saturday provided for one of the most enjoyable of Toronto Argonaut games in recent times as the Double Blue grabbed a victory in their home opener with Ricky Ray once again showing how valuable an asset he could be to a team. Have any doubts about that theory, then just ask the folks in Edmonton, who no doubt sat in front of their TV sets in shock as the results of the trouncing of the Eskimos by the Riders came through in full view. We examine all of the above further below.
Winnipeg 30 at Montreal 41
It was the Alex Whitaker show in Montreal to open up week number two, as the Alouettes tailback accounted for three of the Alouettes touchdowns on the day, running and catching his way into the imagination of the Alouettes faithful. Whitaker's success as a highlight reel subject meshed nicely with the return of form of Anthony Calvillo, who after a less than Calvillo like day in Calgary last week took out his frustrations on the Bomber defence, completing 31 of 39 passes for a total of 443 yards.
AC tossed three TD passes on the way to the Als victory and most importantly after last week, did not have an interception during the course of Friday's game and while the Bombers in the end made a game of it closing towards the Alouettes, they never seemed to be able the leap into dominating the Als in week two.
Winnipeg's defensive play couldn't answer the Calvillo challenge, as he managed to find holes and exploit coverages seemingly whenever he wished.
Offensively, the Bombers cobbled together a fairly consistent effort, Buck Pierce who was forced out of game one, held his ground in week two, but untimely interceptions and stalled drives would prove to slow down any progress the Bombers might have been able to put together.
The final score, more or less flattering the Bombers a bit, seven of the points were surrendered by the Als in the final minute of play, by that point the game was more or less in the books as an Als win.
Winnipeg continues the long march on the road in week three, no doubt when the schedule was drawn up, the dream of stepping into the new stadium in the fall was in the minds of all, now with the Bombers residency deferred until 2013, the schedule may prove to be another challenge that the Bombers need to overcome.
Week three finds them travelling once again, this time to Edmonton, which is probably nice for their air miles accounts, but with stops in Vancouver, Montreal and now Edmonton and then back to Toronto in Week four, the road is going to be a very weary place before the Blue play their first game at home on July 26th.
For week three, the one ace they may hold is that the Eskimos clearly are struggling as well and with the noise building in Edmonton about their offensive woes, the Bombers may find that Commonwealth may be a neutral site game.
The Als host the Calgary Stampeders on Thursday for week three, offering up another chance for Calvillo and company to put some points on the board and climb the standings in the east.
The reviews and background of the Bombers/Als game can be found here.
Hamilton 36 at British Columbia 39
Perhaps the most exciting game of the weekend didn't seem to be heading in that direction in the first half. The BC Lions who squeaked out a victory at BC Place, appeared to be cruising to a victory in the first 30 minutes of play overcoming an early Hamilton lead to take advantage of turnovers to move into the lead by half time.
On the Hamilton side of the field a struggling Henry Burris was replaced in the second quarter, head coach George Cortez making that move after the Hamilton QB threw an interception that propelled the Lions to their lead.
Burris didn't seem particularly thrilled at having to give way to back up Quinton Porter, perhaps with visions of last year in Calgary replaying through his mind, though Cortez, knocked down any thoughts of a QB controversy, inserting Burris back into the game in the third.
From there, it was a back and forth kind of affair, the Lions holding the lead and controlling the clock quite effectively, yet the Cats didn't go away, Burris taking them down field in less than three minutes to pull within three points of the Leos with time winding down.
For the most part however, the second half was a special teams showcase, with kick returners shining and providing for the bulk of the offensive display at BC Place.
Hamilton's defence couldn't slow down the Lions to force one more set of downs for Burris, the Leos ran out the remaining time and put the two points for the win in the bank.
The second half outlined a few things for the Lions to consider however, having rattled the Cats in the latter stages of the first half, they couldn't put them away, allowing Burris and his team to regroup and mount the charge, something that may prove troublesome later on towards playoff time.
The Lions have become known for the efforts of Travis Lulay et al on the offensive side of the ball, Friday however served up a reminder that they're solid on defense as well, it was the defensive squad that provided much of the effort to secure the win.
BC heads off to Saskatchewan to take on the Riders in week three, the Cats return home to renew acquaintances with the Argos at Ivor Wynne.
The reviews and background of the Tiger Cats/Lions game can be found here.
Calgary 36 at Toronto 39
It proved to be a costly afternoon for the Stampeders, who in addition to coming up just short on the scoreboard finished the game without the services of starter Drew Tate. The Calgary QB was injured in the first half, leaving the field in visible pain and returning to the sidelines with his arm in a sling, leaving the game in the hands of back up Kevin Glenn.
The former Ti Cat and key component in the Henry Burris deal, proved to be a handy thing to have around as he helped the Stamps stay close and almost snatch victory from the Argos in their home debut.
Larry Taylor's efforts proved to be key to the Stamps attack as he returned a missed Noel Prefontaine field goal attempt for 125 yards and a Stampeder touchdown, that monster of a return just part of the big picture for Taylor who had an awesome day in the losing cause.
The Argos held the bulk of the play for the first half, but the third quarter signalled that the Stamps were going to make a game of it, assisted by timely interceptions and sloppy ball play by the Argos.
Kevin Glenn who took over the reins from Tate, began to shake off some of the rust and pushed the Stampeders down the field, accounting for two touchdown passes to go along with Taylor's offensive output.
Ricky Ray continues to fit into the Argonaut offensive plans nicely, providing for a first half of success to push the Argos on, over 400 yards in passing and two touchdowns on the ledger for Ray, as he offers up the calm and confident presence that the Argos have been looking for.
The dynamic in Toronto is such, that even as things tended to go off the rails for a bit, the team collectively managed to shake those incidents off, refocus and persevere, attributes that their coach Scott Milanovich seems to have brought to the team and a culture that could prove quite useful heading into the meat of the 2012 season.
The Stamps head on down the 401 to Montreal for week three, spending the days leading up to the contest to refocus the offence around Kevin Glenn for the short term, the Argos meet up with their old friends the Ti Cats, heading off to Ivory Wynne for a Saturday night showdown.
The reviews and background to the Argos/Stampeders game can be found here.
Edmonton 1 at Saskatchewan 17
If the first three games if week three were explosive affairs (a combined total of 221 points over three games) the wrap to the weekend was the polar opposite.
For anyone holding an over under ticket at ten points, the future probably looked pretty good heading into the latter stages of the fourth quarter.
Neither Saskatchewan, nor Edmonton could provide for a touchdown until Saskatchewan finally broke the logjam for a TD late into the fourth.
It was not the kind of game that one would use to highlight the offensive displays that the CFL is known for, instead, a dull plodding affair played out for the TSN audience, the Eskimos woeful with neither Steven Jyles or Kerry Joseph able to put together anything resembling a drive.
Likewise, until the late game surge (such as it was) Darian Durant was hard pressed to recapture some of that offensive largess that was showcased last week in Hamilton.
With over 31,000 fans crammed into Mosaic Field, eager to celebrate the return of Rider football, the anticipation of a Rider charge never quite played out, instead, it was kick, kick, kick that played out for the bulk of the game.
With the victory, we imagine the shortcomings of the home opener will soon be forgotten, the Riders now off to a 2 and 0 start can just count the points in the standing, the fans can proudly boast of an undefeated season thus far.
In Edmonton, however, the reaction is going to be a little bit different. GM Eric Tillman was already getting ready to absorb most of the anger from the home side, quite aware that his off season trade of Ricky Ray to Toronto was going to be the focus of much of the Eskimo fans anger this week.
The lack of success of Jyles and Joseph only served to highlight the nature of that off season move and Tillman surely must know that it's going to be a sore point until the Esks find someone to take charge of that position and start to put some points on the board.
It has been the main theme of the off season and two games into the regular campaign, it no doubt will remain the top talking point for the Eskimos in the weeks to come.
Judging by the morning reviews in the Edmonton media, it's going to be a rather long week for Eric Tillman, the Esks face the Bombers on Friday while the Riders are home to BC Saturday night.
The reviews and background to the Eskimos/Riders game can be found here.
Errors and Corrections: As pointed out by a helpful reader, we seem to have been living in the past keeping Henry Burris in Stampeder colours as opposed to his new fashion in Hamilton, we have corrected those errors in the first two paragraphs and thank our reader for the proof reading faux pas...
The Als and Bombers kicked the weekend off with a reminder that there may yet be a few miles in the Anthony Calvillo odometer, as the Als QB returned to the kind of form we have grown accustomed to. The nightcap of the Friday Night Football doubleheader should give the fans of the Ti Cats some hope for the season as Hamilton battled back to fall just short of the BC Lions.
Saturday provided for one of the most enjoyable of Toronto Argonaut games in recent times as the Double Blue grabbed a victory in their home opener with Ricky Ray once again showing how valuable an asset he could be to a team. Have any doubts about that theory, then just ask the folks in Edmonton, who no doubt sat in front of their TV sets in shock as the results of the trouncing of the Eskimos by the Riders came through in full view. We examine all of the above further below.
Winnipeg 30 at Montreal 41
It was the Alex Whitaker show in Montreal to open up week number two, as the Alouettes tailback accounted for three of the Alouettes touchdowns on the day, running and catching his way into the imagination of the Alouettes faithful. Whitaker's success as a highlight reel subject meshed nicely with the return of form of Anthony Calvillo, who after a less than Calvillo like day in Calgary last week took out his frustrations on the Bomber defence, completing 31 of 39 passes for a total of 443 yards.
AC tossed three TD passes on the way to the Als victory and most importantly after last week, did not have an interception during the course of Friday's game and while the Bombers in the end made a game of it closing towards the Alouettes, they never seemed to be able the leap into dominating the Als in week two.
Winnipeg's defensive play couldn't answer the Calvillo challenge, as he managed to find holes and exploit coverages seemingly whenever he wished.
Offensively, the Bombers cobbled together a fairly consistent effort, Buck Pierce who was forced out of game one, held his ground in week two, but untimely interceptions and stalled drives would prove to slow down any progress the Bombers might have been able to put together.
The final score, more or less flattering the Bombers a bit, seven of the points were surrendered by the Als in the final minute of play, by that point the game was more or less in the books as an Als win.
Winnipeg continues the long march on the road in week three, no doubt when the schedule was drawn up, the dream of stepping into the new stadium in the fall was in the minds of all, now with the Bombers residency deferred until 2013, the schedule may prove to be another challenge that the Bombers need to overcome.
Week three finds them travelling once again, this time to Edmonton, which is probably nice for their air miles accounts, but with stops in Vancouver, Montreal and now Edmonton and then back to Toronto in Week four, the road is going to be a very weary place before the Blue play their first game at home on July 26th.
For week three, the one ace they may hold is that the Eskimos clearly are struggling as well and with the noise building in Edmonton about their offensive woes, the Bombers may find that Commonwealth may be a neutral site game.
The Als host the Calgary Stampeders on Thursday for week three, offering up another chance for Calvillo and company to put some points on the board and climb the standings in the east.
The reviews and background of the Bombers/Als game can be found here.
Hamilton 36 at British Columbia 39
Perhaps the most exciting game of the weekend didn't seem to be heading in that direction in the first half. The BC Lions who squeaked out a victory at BC Place, appeared to be cruising to a victory in the first 30 minutes of play overcoming an early Hamilton lead to take advantage of turnovers to move into the lead by half time.
On the Hamilton side of the field a struggling Henry Burris was replaced in the second quarter, head coach George Cortez making that move after the Hamilton QB threw an interception that propelled the Lions to their lead.
Burris didn't seem particularly thrilled at having to give way to back up Quinton Porter, perhaps with visions of last year in Calgary replaying through his mind, though Cortez, knocked down any thoughts of a QB controversy, inserting Burris back into the game in the third.
From there, it was a back and forth kind of affair, the Lions holding the lead and controlling the clock quite effectively, yet the Cats didn't go away, Burris taking them down field in less than three minutes to pull within three points of the Leos with time winding down.
For the most part however, the second half was a special teams showcase, with kick returners shining and providing for the bulk of the offensive display at BC Place.
Hamilton's defence couldn't slow down the Lions to force one more set of downs for Burris, the Leos ran out the remaining time and put the two points for the win in the bank.
The second half outlined a few things for the Lions to consider however, having rattled the Cats in the latter stages of the first half, they couldn't put them away, allowing Burris and his team to regroup and mount the charge, something that may prove troublesome later on towards playoff time.
The Lions have become known for the efforts of Travis Lulay et al on the offensive side of the ball, Friday however served up a reminder that they're solid on defense as well, it was the defensive squad that provided much of the effort to secure the win.
BC heads off to Saskatchewan to take on the Riders in week three, the Cats return home to renew acquaintances with the Argos at Ivor Wynne.
The reviews and background of the Tiger Cats/Lions game can be found here.
Calgary 36 at Toronto 39
It proved to be a costly afternoon for the Stampeders, who in addition to coming up just short on the scoreboard finished the game without the services of starter Drew Tate. The Calgary QB was injured in the first half, leaving the field in visible pain and returning to the sidelines with his arm in a sling, leaving the game in the hands of back up Kevin Glenn.
The former Ti Cat and key component in the Henry Burris deal, proved to be a handy thing to have around as he helped the Stamps stay close and almost snatch victory from the Argos in their home debut.
Larry Taylor's efforts proved to be key to the Stamps attack as he returned a missed Noel Prefontaine field goal attempt for 125 yards and a Stampeder touchdown, that monster of a return just part of the big picture for Taylor who had an awesome day in the losing cause.
The Argos held the bulk of the play for the first half, but the third quarter signalled that the Stamps were going to make a game of it, assisted by timely interceptions and sloppy ball play by the Argos.
Kevin Glenn who took over the reins from Tate, began to shake off some of the rust and pushed the Stampeders down the field, accounting for two touchdown passes to go along with Taylor's offensive output.
Ricky Ray continues to fit into the Argonaut offensive plans nicely, providing for a first half of success to push the Argos on, over 400 yards in passing and two touchdowns on the ledger for Ray, as he offers up the calm and confident presence that the Argos have been looking for.
The dynamic in Toronto is such, that even as things tended to go off the rails for a bit, the team collectively managed to shake those incidents off, refocus and persevere, attributes that their coach Scott Milanovich seems to have brought to the team and a culture that could prove quite useful heading into the meat of the 2012 season.
The Stamps head on down the 401 to Montreal for week three, spending the days leading up to the contest to refocus the offence around Kevin Glenn for the short term, the Argos meet up with their old friends the Ti Cats, heading off to Ivory Wynne for a Saturday night showdown.
The reviews and background to the Argos/Stampeders game can be found here.
Edmonton 1 at Saskatchewan 17
If the first three games if week three were explosive affairs (a combined total of 221 points over three games) the wrap to the weekend was the polar opposite.
For anyone holding an over under ticket at ten points, the future probably looked pretty good heading into the latter stages of the fourth quarter.
Neither Saskatchewan, nor Edmonton could provide for a touchdown until Saskatchewan finally broke the logjam for a TD late into the fourth.
It was not the kind of game that one would use to highlight the offensive displays that the CFL is known for, instead, a dull plodding affair played out for the TSN audience, the Eskimos woeful with neither Steven Jyles or Kerry Joseph able to put together anything resembling a drive.
Likewise, until the late game surge (such as it was) Darian Durant was hard pressed to recapture some of that offensive largess that was showcased last week in Hamilton.
With over 31,000 fans crammed into Mosaic Field, eager to celebrate the return of Rider football, the anticipation of a Rider charge never quite played out, instead, it was kick, kick, kick that played out for the bulk of the game.
With the victory, we imagine the shortcomings of the home opener will soon be forgotten, the Riders now off to a 2 and 0 start can just count the points in the standing, the fans can proudly boast of an undefeated season thus far.
In Edmonton, however, the reaction is going to be a little bit different. GM Eric Tillman was already getting ready to absorb most of the anger from the home side, quite aware that his off season trade of Ricky Ray to Toronto was going to be the focus of much of the Eskimo fans anger this week.
The lack of success of Jyles and Joseph only served to highlight the nature of that off season move and Tillman surely must know that it's going to be a sore point until the Esks find someone to take charge of that position and start to put some points on the board.
It has been the main theme of the off season and two games into the regular campaign, it no doubt will remain the top talking point for the Eskimos in the weeks to come.
Judging by the morning reviews in the Edmonton media, it's going to be a rather long week for Eric Tillman, the Esks face the Bombers on Friday while the Riders are home to BC Saturday night.
The reviews and background to the Eskimos/Riders game can be found here.
Errors and Corrections: As pointed out by a helpful reader, we seem to have been living in the past keeping Henry Burris in Stampeder colours as opposed to his new fashion in Hamilton, we have corrected those errors in the first two paragraphs and thank our reader for the proof reading faux pas...
Sunday, July 08, 2012
CFL Game Day: Edmonton at Saskatchewan (July 8, 2012)
With a convincing week one victory under their belt, the Saskatchewan Roughriders perhaps have begun the road of reassurance in Riderville for 2012.
The Riders overwhelmed the Hamilton Tiger Cats in Hamilton's home opener last Friday, this weekend the Riders open up the home schedule with the Edmonton Eskimos arriving in town, no doubt quite aware that Darian Durant will be feeding off of the season debut of last week.
Durant had a fairly impressive kick off to the 2012 campaign, leaving behind the troubles of last season far in the prairie dust, both by air and on the ground the Rider pivot led the charge, backed up impressively by the team's defensive corps which shut down the highly touted Tiger Cat offence .
Both will turn their attention to the Green and Gold on Sunday, a team which while rebuilding in 2012 always proves to be a challenge for the Riders.
Edmonton, which survived an error plagued season opener last week with the Argonauts, will be looking to build on their winning start, Steven Jyles, who has been tasked to help rebuild the Eskimos in the now post Ricky Ray era, had a fairly decent debut in the Eskimo colours, the shadow of Ray looming large upon his return to Commonwealth last weekend.
This week, Jyles will gain a bit of insight into the ancient battles of the Riders and the Esks, should he come out of Mosaic Field with a victory, he'll be adding to the confidence level of a team looking to move forward from last season and return to the days of frequent Grey Cup appearances.
Likewise, should Durant and the Riders prove to carry the day, the ghosts of 2011's disastrous season will be fading further into the background of the Rider landscape.
It may be early in the season, but a Rider / Eskimo match up always seems to bring out the kind of drama that a late season showdown demands, a preview perhaps of what we may see later into November.
Game Time 7 PM ET (5 CT) 4 PT Mosaic Field (TSN)
Edmonton 1 at Saskatchewan 17 (31,459)
Pre Game
Globe and Mail-- Roughriders players and coaches preaching renewal in young season
National Post-- Roughriders have chance to erase poor record against Western foes
Regina Leader Post-- Riders look to re-establish home-field advantage
Edmonton Journal-- Eskimos remain wary of Roughriders versatile defence
Edmonton Sun-- Durant, Dressler a dynamic duo
TSN-- Roughriders hots Eskimos in Home opener on TSN
Team Backgrounders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Edmonton Eskimos
Post Game
CFL.ca-- Game Recap
Globe and Mail-- Roughriders' defence runs wild in 17-1 win over Eskimos
National Post-- Roughriders stifle Eskimos offence in 17-rout
Regina Leader Post-- Roughriders roll over Eskimo
Edmonton Journal-- Eskimos offence can barely muster a sputter in a loss to Riders
Edmonton Sun-- Eskimos serve up a dud
The Riders overwhelmed the Hamilton Tiger Cats in Hamilton's home opener last Friday, this weekend the Riders open up the home schedule with the Edmonton Eskimos arriving in town, no doubt quite aware that Darian Durant will be feeding off of the season debut of last week.
Durant had a fairly impressive kick off to the 2012 campaign, leaving behind the troubles of last season far in the prairie dust, both by air and on the ground the Rider pivot led the charge, backed up impressively by the team's defensive corps which shut down the highly touted Tiger Cat offence .
Both will turn their attention to the Green and Gold on Sunday, a team which while rebuilding in 2012 always proves to be a challenge for the Riders.
Edmonton, which survived an error plagued season opener last week with the Argonauts, will be looking to build on their winning start, Steven Jyles, who has been tasked to help rebuild the Eskimos in the now post Ricky Ray era, had a fairly decent debut in the Eskimo colours, the shadow of Ray looming large upon his return to Commonwealth last weekend.
This week, Jyles will gain a bit of insight into the ancient battles of the Riders and the Esks, should he come out of Mosaic Field with a victory, he'll be adding to the confidence level of a team looking to move forward from last season and return to the days of frequent Grey Cup appearances.
Likewise, should Durant and the Riders prove to carry the day, the ghosts of 2011's disastrous season will be fading further into the background of the Rider landscape.
It may be early in the season, but a Rider / Eskimo match up always seems to bring out the kind of drama that a late season showdown demands, a preview perhaps of what we may see later into November.
Game Time 7 PM ET (5 CT) 4 PT Mosaic Field (TSN)
Edmonton 1 at Saskatchewan 17 (31,459)
Pre Game
Globe and Mail-- Roughriders players and coaches preaching renewal in young season
National Post-- Roughriders have chance to erase poor record against Western foes
Regina Leader Post-- Riders look to re-establish home-field advantage
Edmonton Journal-- Eskimos remain wary of Roughriders versatile defence
Edmonton Sun-- Durant, Dressler a dynamic duo
TSN-- Roughriders hots Eskimos in Home opener on TSN
Team Backgrounders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
Edmonton Eskimos
Post Game
CFL.ca-- Game Recap
Globe and Mail-- Roughriders' defence runs wild in 17-1 win over Eskimos
National Post-- Roughriders stifle Eskimos offence in 17-rout
Regina Leader Post-- Roughriders roll over Eskimo
Edmonton Journal-- Eskimos offence can barely muster a sputter in a loss to Riders
Edmonton Sun-- Eskimos serve up a dud
Saturday, July 07, 2012
CFL Game Day: Calgary at Toronto (July 7, 2012)
It's Stampede time in Calgary and that means a road trip for the Stamps, a journey taking them into Toronto for Saturday and a visit with an old familiar face from their Alberta civil wars..
The Stamps take on Ricky Ray and the Toronto Argonauts, looking to improve on last weeks impressive start against Eastern competition.
Drew Tate will be seeking to test the Argonaut DB's, perhaps creating a bit of space for Jon Cornish to break free for another successful weekend of rambling upon the CFL plains. Cormish's success last week against Montreal propelled him to the Gibson's Stars of the Week podium as top Canadian.
The Argos now following a new blue print with a new on field leader will be hoping to showcase the new Argonaut direction for the home folks, with Ricky Ray making his regular season home debut in Double Blue.
Ray of course can't do it all by himself, so the test for the Argos is to show that they are on the same page with the plan of action from new head coach Scott Milanovich, what they won't want to show the home crowd is a re occurrence of some of the mental miscues that cost them a chance at a victory in Edmonton last week.
The season opener against the Eskimos looked at times more like Pre season game number three than the start of the regular campaign, if the bugs were worked out on the road, the home debut may provide a bit more of a vision as to what the Argos can deliver heading through the 2012 campaign.
To remind the fans in Toronto of the impact that the Argos once had on the city, the team is celebrating the 1971 version of the Double Blue which of course became part of CFL legend with their Grey Cup loss to the Stampeders on a wet Vancouver field.
It remains one of the most discussed Grey Cups of CFL history and as part of the move to rebuild the Argos in the imagination of Toronto and Southern Ontario they are bringing back many of the names that in the seventies were the talk of the town and villain for every road appearance.
If the blue print for 2012 should hold true, one day, Ricky Ray and his Argos of today might find some of that spotlight for themselves...
Game Time 3 PM ET (Noon PT) Rogers Centre (TSN)
Calgary 36 at Toronto 39 (20,682)
Pre Game
Globe and Mail-- Argos strive to impress fans with solid home opener
National Post-- Jason Barnes looking to give Argos fresh new look
Toronto Sun-- Rambo can't catch a break
Toronto Star-- Toronto Argonauts vow to cut down on mistakes in home opener...
Calgary Herald-- Tate returns to Coronation Street
Calgary Sun-- Bring on the heat - Cornish
TSN-- Argos look to find home identity vs. Stampeders on TSN
Canada.com-- Horsemen ready to face Argos' defensive mayhem
Team Backgrounders
Toronto Argonauts
Calgary Stampeders
Post Game
CFL.ca -- Game Recap
Globe and Mail-- Prefontaine's last second field goal lifts Argos over Stampeders
National Post-- Larry Taylor's performance overshadowed by Stampeders' loss to Argo
Toronto Sun-- Argos pull out a thriller
Toronto Star-- Toronto Argonauts beat Calgary Stampeders 39-36 in wild home opener
Calgary Herald-- Stamps lose game, two starters and their cool in Toronto
Calgary Sun-- No quit in Stamps despite losses
The Stamps take on Ricky Ray and the Toronto Argonauts, looking to improve on last weeks impressive start against Eastern competition.
Drew Tate will be seeking to test the Argonaut DB's, perhaps creating a bit of space for Jon Cornish to break free for another successful weekend of rambling upon the CFL plains. Cormish's success last week against Montreal propelled him to the Gibson's Stars of the Week podium as top Canadian.
The Argos now following a new blue print with a new on field leader will be hoping to showcase the new Argonaut direction for the home folks, with Ricky Ray making his regular season home debut in Double Blue.
Ray of course can't do it all by himself, so the test for the Argos is to show that they are on the same page with the plan of action from new head coach Scott Milanovich, what they won't want to show the home crowd is a re occurrence of some of the mental miscues that cost them a chance at a victory in Edmonton last week.
The season opener against the Eskimos looked at times more like Pre season game number three than the start of the regular campaign, if the bugs were worked out on the road, the home debut may provide a bit more of a vision as to what the Argos can deliver heading through the 2012 campaign.
To remind the fans in Toronto of the impact that the Argos once had on the city, the team is celebrating the 1971 version of the Double Blue which of course became part of CFL legend with their Grey Cup loss to the Stampeders on a wet Vancouver field.
It remains one of the most discussed Grey Cups of CFL history and as part of the move to rebuild the Argos in the imagination of Toronto and Southern Ontario they are bringing back many of the names that in the seventies were the talk of the town and villain for every road appearance.
If the blue print for 2012 should hold true, one day, Ricky Ray and his Argos of today might find some of that spotlight for themselves...
Game Time 3 PM ET (Noon PT) Rogers Centre (TSN)
Calgary 36 at Toronto 39 (20,682)
Pre Game
Globe and Mail-- Argos strive to impress fans with solid home opener
National Post-- Jason Barnes looking to give Argos fresh new look
Toronto Sun-- Rambo can't catch a break
Toronto Star-- Toronto Argonauts vow to cut down on mistakes in home opener...
Calgary Herald-- Tate returns to Coronation Street
Calgary Sun-- Bring on the heat - Cornish
TSN-- Argos look to find home identity vs. Stampeders on TSN
Canada.com-- Horsemen ready to face Argos' defensive mayhem
Team Backgrounders
Toronto Argonauts
Calgary Stampeders
Post Game
CFL.ca -- Game Recap
Globe and Mail-- Prefontaine's last second field goal lifts Argos over Stampeders
National Post-- Larry Taylor's performance overshadowed by Stampeders' loss to Argo
Toronto Sun-- Argos pull out a thriller
Toronto Star-- Toronto Argonauts beat Calgary Stampeders 39-36 in wild home opener
Calgary Herald-- Stamps lose game, two starters and their cool in Toronto
Calgary Sun-- No quit in Stamps despite losses
Friday, July 06, 2012
Celebrating Geroy
Geroy Simon took care of business right out of the gate in week one, eclipsing Milt Stegall's reception yardage record in the fourth quarter of the Lions home opener against Stegall's old team (and as we were reminded, the team that brought Simon to the CFL).
The achievement was celebrated on field with the Commissioner Mark Cohon and the always classy Milt Stegall, who congratulated Simon for passing his mark on the record books, a meeting between two CFL legends that tells you more than a few things about the calibre of the people who call the CFL their home.
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Simon reached 15,192 with ten minutes left in the Lions victory over the Bombers, with a full season ahead of him, we imagine that number will grow exponentially through the way towards the end of the season.
His will be a standard of excellence in the CFL that will stand for a few seasons we would imagine, especially considering the fact that Simon still seems in top form for a few more years of CFL success..
So, what does the guy who has most of it all do for an encore, well add on the yardage and focus on the next milestone for CFL achievement.
While he adds onto the record for yardage he can keep an eye on the record for most receptions, a mark of 1.017 set by Ben Cahoon who retired in 2010. Heading into game number two, Geroy has made 940 catches, so the prospect of another celebration before November is a definite possibility.
Geroy's fans can follow along the path this season, the Lion receiver has his own website, facebook page and twitter feed, portals that will no doubt be busy through the summer.
Some of the reviews of Simon's record breaking night can be found below.
Vancouver Sun-- Geroy Simon contemplates next milestone afte record-setting night
Vancouver Sun-- Geroy Simon sets record, Lions down Bombers
Vancouver Sun-- One night for Geroy Simon, maybe a year for Lions
Vancouver Sun-- Geroy and Lions were just super, man
Vancouver Sun-- Simon makes history in style
Vancouver Sun-- 'Back to business as usual' for Geroy Simon
Vancouver Province-- Geroy Simon's legendary career a testimony to hard work ...
Vancouver Province-- Lions win 33-16 on Geroy's night
Vancouver Province-- B. C. Lions' win over Bombers makes Geroy Simon CFL's ...
Vancouver Province-- Simon goes the distance
Vancouver Province-- Record for Superman
Globe and Mail-- Geroy Simon sets receiving record in Lion's win over Blue Bombers
Globe and Mail-- Geroy Simon never far from his blue-collar roots
National Post-- Geroy Simon sets CFL record as Lions beat Blue Bombers
National Post-- Geroy Simon's son following Lions receiver's quest for record
Toronto Star-- Lions' Geroy Simon breaks CFL career receiving record
CBC-- Lions' Geroy Simon sets CFL receiving mark in win over Bombers
CFL 2012 Regular Season: Week 2
For the eastern based teams week number two is a hopeful bounce back week, with week one a sweep by the West, the second week of CFL play finds a few eastern teams looking to prove that they're ready for prime time after all..
The Alouettes will hope to show that they actually do have a defence this season when the host the Bombers, the Blue once again facing questions as to the survivability of their Quarterback Buck Pierce, injured in the season opener, but a possible starter Friday.
The Ti Cats travel West to face the Lions, eager to showcase their rejuvenated offence, of Burris, Fantuz, Giguere, Cobourne et al, an offence that sputtered out of the gate in their season debut last week at Ivor Wynee.
The Stamps having vacated McMahon for Stampede week are in Toronto for the Argos home opener, a familiar face to meet them on the offensive side of the ball for the Double Blue as Ricky Ray renews his acquaintances from his days with the Esks and Stamps.
The week wraps up on Sunday with a home opener for the Roughriders, as the Eskimos make the trek into Saskatchewan. The Riders were the toast of week one with an impressive display over the Ti Cats, Rider fans are no doubt hopeful for an encore against the Esks to bring week two to an end.
Friday, July 6 -- Winnipeg 30 at Montreal 41 (21,016)
Friday, July 6 -- Hamilton 36 at British Columbia 39 (25,109)
Saturday, July 7 -- Calgary 36 at Toronto 39 (20,682)
Sunday, July 8 -- Edmonton 1 at Saskatchewan 17 (31,459)
Twelve Men Prognostications: Predicted Winners
Montreal
British Columbia
Calgary
Saskatchewan
Weekly Record
3 - 4
Overall Record
6 correct, 2 wrong
The Alouettes will hope to show that they actually do have a defence this season when the host the Bombers, the Blue once again facing questions as to the survivability of their Quarterback Buck Pierce, injured in the season opener, but a possible starter Friday.
The Ti Cats travel West to face the Lions, eager to showcase their rejuvenated offence, of Burris, Fantuz, Giguere, Cobourne et al, an offence that sputtered out of the gate in their season debut last week at Ivor Wynee.
The Stamps having vacated McMahon for Stampede week are in Toronto for the Argos home opener, a familiar face to meet them on the offensive side of the ball for the Double Blue as Ricky Ray renews his acquaintances from his days with the Esks and Stamps.
The week wraps up on Sunday with a home opener for the Roughriders, as the Eskimos make the trek into Saskatchewan. The Riders were the toast of week one with an impressive display over the Ti Cats, Rider fans are no doubt hopeful for an encore against the Esks to bring week two to an end.
Friday, July 6 -- Winnipeg 30 at Montreal 41 (21,016)
Friday, July 6 -- Hamilton 36 at British Columbia 39 (25,109)
Saturday, July 7 -- Calgary 36 at Toronto 39 (20,682)
Sunday, July 8 -- Edmonton 1 at Saskatchewan 17 (31,459)
Twelve Men Prognostications: Predicted Winners
Montreal
British Columbia
Calgary
Saskatchewan
Weekly Record
3 - 4
Overall Record
6 correct, 2 wrong
CFL Game Day: Hamilton at British Columbia (July 6, 2012)
It's back to the workday grind for Geroy Simon, the week of celebration over his latest accomplishment in the CFL giving way to the task at hand, that of propelling the BC Lions towards November and a trip to Toronto for the Grey Cup.
Of course along the way to that goal, Simon will probably add a few more yards to his record, maybe snare another or at least work within striking distance of it and as Lions fans could testify to, provide some entertaining football along the way.
The Lions seek to continue along their winning ways on Friday as the Hamilton Tiger Cats arrive at BC Place Stadium to try and remove the disappointment of their home opener last week.
The Cats feature one of the most renovated offensive units in the league this year, some blue chip players inserted but yet to mesh it seems if week one is any indication at any rate.
Henry Burris has no shortage of offensive options whether by air or on the run and with more than a few critics suggesting that the Stamps were correct in moving to the future with Drew Tate, the Ticat QB has more than a few things to say we imagine about all of that.
His latest opportunity to quiet down the nay sayers however finds him facing a pretty stern defensive unit in BC that will no doubt wish to show the home fans that the Cats reputation thus far is all on paper and not through any success on the field.
One thing to keep a watch for in this one will be how the Cats head coach George Cortez fares with some of the CFL's rules, many suggest that his missed opportunity to challenge an officials ruling last week was the turning point in the Cats home opening loss.
We imagine he reviewed that play and many others and has rededicated his attention to when and when not to throw the challenge flag.
Game Time 7 PM (PT) BC Place (TSN)
Hamilton 36 at British Columbia 39 (25, 109)
Pre Game
Vancouver Sun-- Lions excited about linebacker Adam Bighill
Vancouver Province-- B. C. Lions' Mitchell and Taylor make fine defensive marriage
Hamilton Spectator-- Ticats hope Knowlton and Stala can help obtain "W"
Toronto Sun-- Ticats big-game hunting
Team Backgrounders
Hamilton Tiger Cats
British Columbia Lions
Post Game
CFL.ca-- Game Recap
Globe and Mail-- Shawn Gore's two touchdowns lead Lions past Tiger-Cats
National Post-- Lions hold off Ticats comeback for second straight win
Vancouver Sun-- Lions hold off Tiger-Cats 39-36
Vancouver Province-- Lions squeak by Ticats 39-36 in a thriller
Hamilton Spectator-- No problem between Burris, Cortez over QB's benching...
Toronto Sun-- Lions stay perfect at BC Place with big win
Of course along the way to that goal, Simon will probably add a few more yards to his record, maybe snare another or at least work within striking distance of it and as Lions fans could testify to, provide some entertaining football along the way.
The Lions seek to continue along their winning ways on Friday as the Hamilton Tiger Cats arrive at BC Place Stadium to try and remove the disappointment of their home opener last week.
The Cats feature one of the most renovated offensive units in the league this year, some blue chip players inserted but yet to mesh it seems if week one is any indication at any rate.
Henry Burris has no shortage of offensive options whether by air or on the run and with more than a few critics suggesting that the Stamps were correct in moving to the future with Drew Tate, the Ticat QB has more than a few things to say we imagine about all of that.
His latest opportunity to quiet down the nay sayers however finds him facing a pretty stern defensive unit in BC that will no doubt wish to show the home fans that the Cats reputation thus far is all on paper and not through any success on the field.
One thing to keep a watch for in this one will be how the Cats head coach George Cortez fares with some of the CFL's rules, many suggest that his missed opportunity to challenge an officials ruling last week was the turning point in the Cats home opening loss.
We imagine he reviewed that play and many others and has rededicated his attention to when and when not to throw the challenge flag.
Game Time 7 PM (PT) BC Place (TSN)
Hamilton 36 at British Columbia 39 (25, 109)
Pre Game
Vancouver Sun-- Lions excited about linebacker Adam Bighill
Vancouver Province-- B. C. Lions' Mitchell and Taylor make fine defensive marriage
Hamilton Spectator-- Ticats hope Knowlton and Stala can help obtain "W"
Toronto Sun-- Ticats big-game hunting
Team Backgrounders
Hamilton Tiger Cats
British Columbia Lions
Post Game
CFL.ca-- Game Recap
Globe and Mail-- Shawn Gore's two touchdowns lead Lions past Tiger-Cats
National Post-- Lions hold off Ticats comeback for second straight win
Vancouver Sun-- Lions hold off Tiger-Cats 39-36
Vancouver Province-- Lions squeak by Ticats 39-36 in a thriller
Hamilton Spectator-- No problem between Burris, Cortez over QB's benching...
Toronto Sun-- Lions stay perfect at BC Place with big win
CFL Game Day: Winnipeg at Montreal (July 6, 2012)
Week two provides a chance for redemption for one of two teams kicking off the weekend, a victory by one will soothe the jangled nerves of the faithful, a loss... well tune into the talk shows after for that review..
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers travel to Montreal for the debut game for week number two, injury concerns once again stalking the Bombers, with thoughts of the football mortality of Buck Pierce who left game one against the Lions last week due to injury.
As Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette outlines, we can imagine that Mr. Pierce will start the game, whether he finishes... well that's not quite so certain.
Protecting Pierce is priority one for the Bomber offensive line, as heavy a work load as there could be in the CFL considering the frequency of injuries that have sidetracked the Bombers game plans over the last few years.
A healthy and mobile Pierce is key to the Bombers success, every defensive line knows that and its up to the Bombers O line to ensure that he has no cause to leave the game.
As for Montreal week one was a disaster, with many questions arising over the state of readiness for the defensive squad and whether age has indeed perhaps caught up with the Als offensive players, with as tough a smack down as they received last week, the Als will be looking to show the home folk that the season debut was but a blip on the over all game plan of success.
The heat however will be on quickly for the Alouettes defensive coordinator Jeff Reinebold, who at least has one thing going in his favour heading into week two, the former Bombers head coach is at least somewhat familiar with some of the Bombers attitudes and inclinations in the game.
Whether he can turn some of those fond remembrances into a defensive game plan to stop the Bombers will go a long way towards reducing the amount of worrisome chatter around Montreal over the state of the Als so far this year.
Game Time 7 PM at Molson Stadium (TSN)
Winnipeg 30 at Montreal 41 (21,016)
Pre Game
National Post-- Bombers' Buck Pierce not afraid to put his body on the line
Montreal Gazette-- Calvillo and Company need to step up
Winnipeg Free Press-- Is Calvillo kaput?
Winnipeg Sun-- Time for Bombers offence to step up
TSN-- Alouettes, Blue Bombers looking for first win of the season
Team Backgrounders
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Montreal Alouettes
Post Game
CFL.ca-- Game Recap
Globe and Mail-- Whitaker scores three touchdowns as Alouettes top Bombers
National Post-- Alouettes' Brandon Whitaker shoulders load in win over Blue Bombers
Montreal Gazette-- Als neutralize Bombers 41-30
Winnipeg Free Press-- Blue 'D' blasphemously bad
Winnipeg Sun-- Bombers have got the red-zone blues
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers travel to Montreal for the debut game for week number two, injury concerns once again stalking the Bombers, with thoughts of the football mortality of Buck Pierce who left game one against the Lions last week due to injury.
As Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette outlines, we can imagine that Mr. Pierce will start the game, whether he finishes... well that's not quite so certain.
Protecting Pierce is priority one for the Bomber offensive line, as heavy a work load as there could be in the CFL considering the frequency of injuries that have sidetracked the Bombers game plans over the last few years.
A healthy and mobile Pierce is key to the Bombers success, every defensive line knows that and its up to the Bombers O line to ensure that he has no cause to leave the game.
As for Montreal week one was a disaster, with many questions arising over the state of readiness for the defensive squad and whether age has indeed perhaps caught up with the Als offensive players, with as tough a smack down as they received last week, the Als will be looking to show the home folk that the season debut was but a blip on the over all game plan of success.
The heat however will be on quickly for the Alouettes defensive coordinator Jeff Reinebold, who at least has one thing going in his favour heading into week two, the former Bombers head coach is at least somewhat familiar with some of the Bombers attitudes and inclinations in the game.
Whether he can turn some of those fond remembrances into a defensive game plan to stop the Bombers will go a long way towards reducing the amount of worrisome chatter around Montreal over the state of the Als so far this year.
Game Time 7 PM at Molson Stadium (TSN)
Winnipeg 30 at Montreal 41 (21,016)
Pre Game
National Post-- Bombers' Buck Pierce not afraid to put his body on the line
Montreal Gazette-- Calvillo and Company need to step up
Winnipeg Free Press-- Is Calvillo kaput?
Winnipeg Sun-- Time for Bombers offence to step up
TSN-- Alouettes, Blue Bombers looking for first win of the season
Team Backgrounders
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Montreal Alouettes
Post Game
CFL.ca-- Game Recap
Globe and Mail-- Whitaker scores three touchdowns as Alouettes top Bombers
National Post-- Alouettes' Brandon Whitaker shoulders load in win over Blue Bombers
Montreal Gazette-- Als neutralize Bombers 41-30
Winnipeg Free Press-- Blue 'D' blasphemously bad
Winnipeg Sun-- Bombers have got the red-zone blues
Wednesday, July 04, 2012
Durant is looking to change the dynamic in Saskatchewan
With 2011 a memory not best brought up for the followers of the Rider nation, Durant provided the perfect opener for 2012, an outstanding offensive display that combined both his arm and his feet as he passed and rushed his way to leading the Riders to an impressive 43 to 16 victory over the Tiger Cats.
Durant who struggled along with his team mates last season, found his mark early in game number one of the new CFL season, a performance that should serve to reassure the Riders fan base that this year is destined to be very different than last.
Despite losing one of his top targets in Andy Fantuz (who has joined the Tiger Cats this year) Durant found other hands to haul in his on target passes, when his receiving corps were covered (not a frequent thing in game number one) Durant took flight, making plays out of possible set backs, exhibiting the kind of leadership the Riders will need for 2012.
It may only be one game, but clearly, Durant isn't going lose too much sleep on what happened last season, 2012 is a new year and if he can continue on with his domination of the first game, then there may be cause for celebration in Saskatchewan this football season.
Durant's efforts found him announced as the CFL's Offensive Player of the Week, judging by his work on Friday, it may very well be just the first of a few spots on the Gibson's roll call this year.
His strong start to the year was noted by a variety of observers, some of their thoughts can be found below.
Globe and Mail-- Durant, Dressler spoil debut of Burris, Fantuz with Ticats
National Post-- Roughriders' Darian Durant wastes no time silencing critics
National Post-- Ticats have no defence against Roughriders
Regina Leader Post-- Durant wins CFL's offensive player of the week award
Toronto Sun-- Saskatchewan rides over Ticats
CBC Sports-- Roughriders beat up on Hamilton in CFL season opener
Gibson's Players of the Week (Week One) July 3 2012
The first reviews are in and four CFLers were chosen for their outstanding performances over the weekend for Week One of the 2012 season.
CFL.ca Press release
Offensive Player of the Week
Darian Durant Saskatchewan Roughriders QB
Darian Durant answered more than a few of his critics in his 2012 debut as the Riders QB, with an impressive display Durant picked up the Outstanding Offensive player for week one. Durant who had a 2011 to forget, found his pace quickly in the season opener, a good omen for the Rider nation as the season moves forward.
Defensive Player of the Week
JC Sherritt Edmonton Eskimos LB
The Eskies linebacker had a game to remember, one of the key components of the Eskimo defence he proved to be a thorn in the side of the Argonauts Ricky Ray, timely hits and fumble recoveries by Sherrit went far towards the defensive honours of the week.
Special Teams
Grant Shaw Edmonton Eskimos K
Kicker Grant Shaw of the Eskimos made his debut as the Special Teams player of the week in fine style, thanks to the consistency of his kicking foot and the twelve points it provided for Edmonton going 4 for 4 in FG attempts. Shaw's contribution was particularly useful to coach Kavis Reed, haunting his former team the Argos by providing points when Eskimo drives stalled.
Top Canadian
Jon Cornish Calgary Stampeders RB
The Stamps Canadian running back celebrated Canada Day with a pretty impressive appearance picking up the award for Top Canadian, thanks to his performance in Calgary's victory over the Montreal Alouettes. Cornish ran roughshod over the Alouettes defence, the main thrust of the Stampeders offensive domination of Montreal on Sunday.
CFL Video Zone
Players of the Week highlights (view here)
Top Ten plays of Week 1 (view here)
Ultimate Replay of Week 1 (view here)
Sunday, July 01, 2012
Twelve men Review-- Week One (ending July 1, 2012)
The kick off to the 100th season of the CFL provided a few surprises, with the key one being the dominance of the West over the East, a trait that was supposed to have been changed with all the off season movement, yet after one week, once again the best of the CFL would seem to reside west of the Manitoba/Saskatchewan border.
Toronto 15 at Edmonton 19
The return of Ricky Ray to Edmonton provided a nice little storyline for the season debut, another case of an Alberta resource heading East, though in this case it could be considered a transfer payment to a struggling province at least in the world of football.
The Eskimo fans at the prompt of the big screen at Commonwealth saluted Ricky Ray for his years of service to the Green and Gold, Grey Cup rings and banners from his stewardship the short film review was received with warm applause.
And then, with the realization that Ray now plays for everyone's favourite villain the Toronto Argonauts the starting quarterback for the Double Blue started to hear the boos, perhaps not directed to him personally, but clearly designed to reflect the change that came last December.
Statistically by games end, Ray had the better of Steven Jyles in yards passing, completions and all of that, but where it counts on the scoreboard well on opening day the Eskimos had Ray's number.
The game itself was not a masterpiece of Canadian football, frequent offsides, confusion in the backfield, curious play execution and far too many turnovers suggested that this was more like pre season game number three as opposed to the opening day of the regular season for the two teams.
Shaking off the rust and getting everyone in sync is clearly still going to be on the agenda in both camps during this week of practice.
The Eskimos new starter Jyles, who will either finally achieve that success that many suggest he is destined for or fade from CFL view had a fairly productive day for the Esks. While not bringing back the days of Moon, Wilkinson or even Ray for that matter, the Esks clearly a work in progress did find scoring plays when they needed them.
Kavis Reed's blue print perhaps is still in development to best suit Jyles skill set and the sputtering at times offence offers up the thought that a bit of tweaking is still required, but for an opening effort the Esks did rather well.
Though the ability to put away an opponent that is struggling isn't there yet, something that the fabled Eskimo teams of the past never had any problem summoning up when the time arrived.
For the most part the Argonauts fumbled and dropped this game away, untimely penalties suggest that its more the mental game than the physical play that Scott Milanovich will have to address with his squad.
The Argos hung around through the day, Ricky Ray finally hitting a comfort zone in the second half, if not for the sloppy play and miscues the Argos would most likely be celebrating their star quarterbacks first win in Double Blue.
However, when the season ends and the timeline is reviewed, week one belonged to the Eskimos, it wasn't pretty but the win is the win.
A look back at the Eskimos and Argos game can be found here.
Winnipeg 16 at British Columbia 33
Game number two on the weekend was the Geroy Simon show and while it took about a quarter or so to get everyone on the same page, but once they did, Geroy became the showcase and didn't disappoint.
The countdown to a new CFL record began slowly and worked its way through the first two quarters, short little out patterns or crosses picked up small gains towards 15,192 (and counting) with the occasional long toss that taunted us with the potential of a showcase record making grab.
The third quarter saw Simon shut out, leaving the drama for the final frame, with ten minutes left in the game the new mark of excellence was reached, the CFL interrupting play to celebrate, included in the on field recognition was Mitt Steagall, the previous record holder.
One of the class acts of the CFL handing over a torch of sorts to another, with a new standard of excellence yet to be finalized, though when it is Geroy Simon's stamp will be on the CFL record books.
As for the remainder of the game's talking points, the Lions looked very much ready to pick up where they left off on that last Sunday of November of 2011, Travis Lulay looked quite in control of his game, still confident and no doubt thankful at the assets at his disposal on the offence.
Defensively the Lions would seem to be solid as well, frequently in the face of Buck Pierce until his departure after injury, they then made life quite uncomfortable for Alex Brink, though he did have his successful moments and that's a good thing, considering the obvious fragility of Pierce once again.
The question in Winnipeg every year seems to be how long their starter can last this year and while the Bombers are hopeful that Pierce will be back for week two's match up with Montreal, the fact that their quarterback was knocked out of action less than half a game into the season probably isn't the best of omens.
You can check out the background on the Bombers/Lions game here.
Saskatchewan 43 at Hamilton 16
The season got underway in Hamilton where with much anticipation CFL fans settled in to see if Henry Burris and his arsenal of receivers would lay waste to the Roughriders, dressed in bright white, in honour of the surrender we imagine most suspected was destined on opening day.
However, a funny thing seemed to happen on the way to Ivor Wynne, nobody told the Riders they were to be doormats this season.
What we seem to have learned after the season opener is that when Cory Chamlis left his defensive responsibilities in Hamilton to take on the top job in Saskatchewan he took the Defensive playbook with him and the Ticats didn't bother to change anything.
The Riders defensive squad laid waste to the Ticats ambitions, frequently harrassing Burris and making Ticat receivers and running backs pay the price of crossing the scrimmage line.
All in all it was a performance from Hamilton that leaves one to wonder aloud that if the Cats are going to make good use of their beefed up offense, it might be an idea for the defensive squad to give them something to work with.
For Saskatchewan, while just one game, Chambliss already has provided for some tangible success that will warm the hearts of the always faithful Rider fanbase, if one game is any indication, whatever change in dynamic he brought with him from Hamilton is being taken as gospel by those in Green and White.
You can review the results from the Riders/Ticats game here.
Montreal 10 at Calgary 39
Alouettes fans won't be liking the omens that they saw in the season opener, while Anthony Calvillo may still have a rocket for an arm, the offensive group couldn't get off of the launching bad on Canada Day, a week one ending matchup with the Stamps that provided for most of the fireworks with the home side.
When they break down their game film from Sunday's game, defensive flaws and miscues will make for a rather worrisome bit of viewing, the Als defensive side were clearly outplayed and overwhelmed by the Stampeders offensive team, with Jon Cornish running through and over Alouette defenders seemingly at will.
Concerns for Calvillo must be creeping in the back of head coach Marc Trestman's mind, not that he isn't up to the job but rather that perhaps some of those protecting him and or running the pass routes may not be up to their jobs.
Dropped passes and what can only be described as a lethargic effort on the offence provided for most of the Alouettes troubles, combined with woeful special teams and a defensive side that took far too many bad penalties and game one clearly wasn't going to be the Als best effort, well at least Als fans best hope that wasn't the best that they have to look forward to.
On the other side of the field, the Stampeders new parts from an off season of change managed to fit nicely together, with Drew Tate settling into the undisputed number one position at QB quite well directing some impressive drives in the Stamps season opener.
Defensively the Stamps totally dominated the Als and the day was such that everything seemed to work out as John Hufnagel would wish.
So much had the stars aligned that even with as raw a rookie as you could find in the defensive backfield success was impressive, as Keenan MacDougall, who was making his CFL debut and made the best of it with some big time plays including a 63 yard fumble return for a TD, later on in the game MacDougall on a blitz rushed Anthony Calvillo into tossing an interception, which snuffed out pretty well any hope the Als had of putting any tangible points on the board.
The Stampeder win completed a western sweep for week one, with three out of the four western based squads winning quite convincingly, it may be a new season, but after week one it would seem to be a rather familiar pattern is once again starting to form.
The reviews and background to the Alouettes/Stampeders game can be found here.
Toronto 15 at Edmonton 19
The return of Ricky Ray to Edmonton provided a nice little storyline for the season debut, another case of an Alberta resource heading East, though in this case it could be considered a transfer payment to a struggling province at least in the world of football.
The Eskimo fans at the prompt of the big screen at Commonwealth saluted Ricky Ray for his years of service to the Green and Gold, Grey Cup rings and banners from his stewardship the short film review was received with warm applause.
And then, with the realization that Ray now plays for everyone's favourite villain the Toronto Argonauts the starting quarterback for the Double Blue started to hear the boos, perhaps not directed to him personally, but clearly designed to reflect the change that came last December.
Statistically by games end, Ray had the better of Steven Jyles in yards passing, completions and all of that, but where it counts on the scoreboard well on opening day the Eskimos had Ray's number.
The game itself was not a masterpiece of Canadian football, frequent offsides, confusion in the backfield, curious play execution and far too many turnovers suggested that this was more like pre season game number three as opposed to the opening day of the regular season for the two teams.
Shaking off the rust and getting everyone in sync is clearly still going to be on the agenda in both camps during this week of practice.
The Eskimos new starter Jyles, who will either finally achieve that success that many suggest he is destined for or fade from CFL view had a fairly productive day for the Esks. While not bringing back the days of Moon, Wilkinson or even Ray for that matter, the Esks clearly a work in progress did find scoring plays when they needed them.
Kavis Reed's blue print perhaps is still in development to best suit Jyles skill set and the sputtering at times offence offers up the thought that a bit of tweaking is still required, but for an opening effort the Esks did rather well.
Though the ability to put away an opponent that is struggling isn't there yet, something that the fabled Eskimo teams of the past never had any problem summoning up when the time arrived.
For the most part the Argonauts fumbled and dropped this game away, untimely penalties suggest that its more the mental game than the physical play that Scott Milanovich will have to address with his squad.
The Argos hung around through the day, Ricky Ray finally hitting a comfort zone in the second half, if not for the sloppy play and miscues the Argos would most likely be celebrating their star quarterbacks first win in Double Blue.
However, when the season ends and the timeline is reviewed, week one belonged to the Eskimos, it wasn't pretty but the win is the win.
A look back at the Eskimos and Argos game can be found here.
Winnipeg 16 at British Columbia 33
Game number two on the weekend was the Geroy Simon show and while it took about a quarter or so to get everyone on the same page, but once they did, Geroy became the showcase and didn't disappoint.
The countdown to a new CFL record began slowly and worked its way through the first two quarters, short little out patterns or crosses picked up small gains towards 15,192 (and counting) with the occasional long toss that taunted us with the potential of a showcase record making grab.
The third quarter saw Simon shut out, leaving the drama for the final frame, with ten minutes left in the game the new mark of excellence was reached, the CFL interrupting play to celebrate, included in the on field recognition was Mitt Steagall, the previous record holder.
One of the class acts of the CFL handing over a torch of sorts to another, with a new standard of excellence yet to be finalized, though when it is Geroy Simon's stamp will be on the CFL record books.
As for the remainder of the game's talking points, the Lions looked very much ready to pick up where they left off on that last Sunday of November of 2011, Travis Lulay looked quite in control of his game, still confident and no doubt thankful at the assets at his disposal on the offence.
Defensively the Lions would seem to be solid as well, frequently in the face of Buck Pierce until his departure after injury, they then made life quite uncomfortable for Alex Brink, though he did have his successful moments and that's a good thing, considering the obvious fragility of Pierce once again.
The question in Winnipeg every year seems to be how long their starter can last this year and while the Bombers are hopeful that Pierce will be back for week two's match up with Montreal, the fact that their quarterback was knocked out of action less than half a game into the season probably isn't the best of omens.
You can check out the background on the Bombers/Lions game here.
Saskatchewan 43 at Hamilton 16
The season got underway in Hamilton where with much anticipation CFL fans settled in to see if Henry Burris and his arsenal of receivers would lay waste to the Roughriders, dressed in bright white, in honour of the surrender we imagine most suspected was destined on opening day.
However, a funny thing seemed to happen on the way to Ivor Wynne, nobody told the Riders they were to be doormats this season.
What we seem to have learned after the season opener is that when Cory Chamlis left his defensive responsibilities in Hamilton to take on the top job in Saskatchewan he took the Defensive playbook with him and the Ticats didn't bother to change anything.
The Riders defensive squad laid waste to the Ticats ambitions, frequently harrassing Burris and making Ticat receivers and running backs pay the price of crossing the scrimmage line.
All in all it was a performance from Hamilton that leaves one to wonder aloud that if the Cats are going to make good use of their beefed up offense, it might be an idea for the defensive squad to give them something to work with.
For Saskatchewan, while just one game, Chambliss already has provided for some tangible success that will warm the hearts of the always faithful Rider fanbase, if one game is any indication, whatever change in dynamic he brought with him from Hamilton is being taken as gospel by those in Green and White.
You can review the results from the Riders/Ticats game here.
Montreal 10 at Calgary 39
Alouettes fans won't be liking the omens that they saw in the season opener, while Anthony Calvillo may still have a rocket for an arm, the offensive group couldn't get off of the launching bad on Canada Day, a week one ending matchup with the Stamps that provided for most of the fireworks with the home side.
When they break down their game film from Sunday's game, defensive flaws and miscues will make for a rather worrisome bit of viewing, the Als defensive side were clearly outplayed and overwhelmed by the Stampeders offensive team, with Jon Cornish running through and over Alouette defenders seemingly at will.
Concerns for Calvillo must be creeping in the back of head coach Marc Trestman's mind, not that he isn't up to the job but rather that perhaps some of those protecting him and or running the pass routes may not be up to their jobs.
Dropped passes and what can only be described as a lethargic effort on the offence provided for most of the Alouettes troubles, combined with woeful special teams and a defensive side that took far too many bad penalties and game one clearly wasn't going to be the Als best effort, well at least Als fans best hope that wasn't the best that they have to look forward to.
On the other side of the field, the Stampeders new parts from an off season of change managed to fit nicely together, with Drew Tate settling into the undisputed number one position at QB quite well directing some impressive drives in the Stamps season opener.
Defensively the Stamps totally dominated the Als and the day was such that everything seemed to work out as John Hufnagel would wish.
So much had the stars aligned that even with as raw a rookie as you could find in the defensive backfield success was impressive, as Keenan MacDougall, who was making his CFL debut and made the best of it with some big time plays including a 63 yard fumble return for a TD, later on in the game MacDougall on a blitz rushed Anthony Calvillo into tossing an interception, which snuffed out pretty well any hope the Als had of putting any tangible points on the board.
The Stampeder win completed a western sweep for week one, with three out of the four western based squads winning quite convincingly, it may be a new season, but after week one it would seem to be a rather familiar pattern is once again starting to form.
The reviews and background to the Alouettes/Stampeders game can be found here.
CFL Gameday: Montreal at Calgary July 1, 2012
The first week of the CFL's 100th season comes to an end fittingly enough on Canada Day in Calgary, where the re-engineered Stampeders will play host to the team that has come the closest to dynasty status in the league over the last decade.
The Alouettes, a team perhaps that is not quite rebuilding, but reloading, bring some familiar names to McMahon Stadium, led by the iconic Anthony Calvillo, back for another trot around the circuit, the nineteenth time he has strapped on a chin strap in the CFL.
The always dangerous veteran can manufacture wins out of desperate situations, as few and far as those have been in Montreal over the last many years, still with the East suddenly chock a block full of marquee quarterbacks, it will be worth watching as a sub plot to the season to see how Calvillo answers the challenge offered by points west of Montreal.
Calgary having settled on Drew Tate as their new on field leader, will hope to build on his efforts of last year, the signs were positive for Stampeder fans once the dramatics of Tate's replacing Burris finally settled out.
The departure of Burris for Hamilton solidifying the Stamps as Tate's team this year, complete with a number of additions and departures that have clearly changed the direction and atmosphere of the Stampeders heading into 2012.
Football in Calgary always seems to revolve around two major questions for Stampeder fans, how the home side is doing compared to their northern cousins in Edmonton and to the crew from east in Saskatchewan.
The last few seasons have provided for much comfort for Stamps fans as both Edmonton and Saskatchewan have had their struggles, this year, if the first week is any indication may be different than those previous ones.
The Stamps can offer up their response to the opening week victories of the neighbours when they take on the Alouettes later today at McMahon.
Game Time 5 PM (MT) 7 ET, 4 PT at McMahon Stadium (TSN, RDS)
Montreal 10 at Calgary 39 (26,387)
Pre Game
Globe and Mail-- Larry Taylor, Stampeders prepare for season opener against Alouettes
National Post-- Alouettes still counting on Anthony Calvillo
Montreal Gazette-- Trestman optimistic as season approaches
Calgary Herald-- Stamps an unknown commodity going in
Calgary Sun-- All Canadian on Canada Day
TSN-- Hufnagel, Trestman begin season as longest tenured coaches
Team Backgrounders
Montreal Alouettes
Calgary Stampeders
Post Game
CFL.ca-- Game Recap
Globe and Mail-- Upstart QB Drew Tate steals the spotlight in Stamps win...
Montreal Gazette-- Too early to panic over Als?
Calgary Herald-- Stampeders steamroller Alouettes 38-10 in opener
Calgary Sun-- Stamps run to season-opening win
TSN-- Stampeders crush Alouettes ...
The Alouettes, a team perhaps that is not quite rebuilding, but reloading, bring some familiar names to McMahon Stadium, led by the iconic Anthony Calvillo, back for another trot around the circuit, the nineteenth time he has strapped on a chin strap in the CFL.
The always dangerous veteran can manufacture wins out of desperate situations, as few and far as those have been in Montreal over the last many years, still with the East suddenly chock a block full of marquee quarterbacks, it will be worth watching as a sub plot to the season to see how Calvillo answers the challenge offered by points west of Montreal.
Calgary having settled on Drew Tate as their new on field leader, will hope to build on his efforts of last year, the signs were positive for Stampeder fans once the dramatics of Tate's replacing Burris finally settled out.
The departure of Burris for Hamilton solidifying the Stamps as Tate's team this year, complete with a number of additions and departures that have clearly changed the direction and atmosphere of the Stampeders heading into 2012.
Football in Calgary always seems to revolve around two major questions for Stampeder fans, how the home side is doing compared to their northern cousins in Edmonton and to the crew from east in Saskatchewan.
The last few seasons have provided for much comfort for Stamps fans as both Edmonton and Saskatchewan have had their struggles, this year, if the first week is any indication may be different than those previous ones.
The Stamps can offer up their response to the opening week victories of the neighbours when they take on the Alouettes later today at McMahon.
Game Time 5 PM (MT) 7 ET, 4 PT at McMahon Stadium (TSN, RDS)
Montreal 10 at Calgary 39 (26,387)
Pre Game
Globe and Mail-- Larry Taylor, Stampeders prepare for season opener against Alouettes
National Post-- Alouettes still counting on Anthony Calvillo
Montreal Gazette-- Trestman optimistic as season approaches
Calgary Herald-- Stamps an unknown commodity going in
Calgary Sun-- All Canadian on Canada Day
TSN-- Hufnagel, Trestman begin season as longest tenured coaches
Team Backgrounders
Montreal Alouettes
Calgary Stampeders
Post Game
CFL.ca-- Game Recap
Globe and Mail-- Upstart QB Drew Tate steals the spotlight in Stamps win...
Montreal Gazette-- Too early to panic over Als?
Calgary Herald-- Stampeders steamroller Alouettes 38-10 in opener
Calgary Sun-- Stamps run to season-opening win
TSN-- Stampeders crush Alouettes ...
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