Two blow outs (one of them rather surprising), one game that was closer than the home side would have hoped for and a showdown that turned into a showdown, that was the weekend that was in week number 12.
Fans in Hamilton saw a glimpse of that team many thought was going to call Ivor Wynne home this year, the Eskimo fans saw a glimpse of a ghost they thought had left while in Montreal, the Riders gave away a game and then decided half way through it seemed to battle back for it.
Only in Vancouver, did the game go according to script, a very entertaining battle between the teams that held first place in each division going into the weekend play.
Our review of the week just past follows.
Winnipeg at Calgary
The opening game to weekend 12 went about as bad as a Winnipeg fan could have hoped for. the Bombers setting a new standard in ineptitude, topping even the Labour Day debacle in Saskatchewan in lack of interest to the task at hand.
The Bombers can change all the coaches they wish (and if the fans have their way they can send a GM packing as well), but it's the players on the field that dictate the fate of the game for the most part and it would seem that this collection of Bombers is just hoping for the season to end.
Granted winning in Calgary is never an easy thing for Winnipeg, a stretch of win less games going back to 2002 testifies to that, but Friday night's 44-3 slaughter is about the worst performance the Blue has provided for in a long time and just this year there have been a few candidates for that title.
Calgary was totally dominant, on offence, on defence, on special teams and in coaching, the Stamps made it all look far too easy, the Bombers all but running up a white flag by the time the opening kick off had been completed.
There are so many things that need to be addressed in Winnipeg one wonders where they will start, confidence though seems to be the biggest trouble now, they simply have none left. The only motivating factor left for Tim Burke is to try and get his players to play for next years jobs, though there's not much of a guarantee that even Burke will be there when all the reviews are done on this year of horror.
As for the on field attack, the Stamps found much success with Kevin Glenn to Nik Lewis, with Jon Cornish once again giving CFL GM"s cause to consider an all Canadian running game heading into 2013.
If Cornish is the new benchmark of Canadian running backs, then the future is very bright, unless of course you end up in Winnipeg...
The previews and then the reviews of the weekend opener can be found here.
Edmonton at Hamilton
The blowout fever moved east on Saturday, as Hamilton provided for their most complete game of the season, a timely arrival what past the halfway mark of the campaign as they destroyed the Eskimos 51-8, as unlikely a result as you might have considered heading into the game.
The Cats finally looked like that team we had been waiting for, Henry Burris on his game like the ancient days, finding a corps or receivers that finally not only hit their stride but held on to the football, a key two part approach to the Cats season it seems.
Defensively Hamilton was all over the Eskimos, making life a misery for Kerry Joseph, who after his third consecutive start with the Esks found that the day would be a memorable one, but for all the wrong reasons.
The Eskimos losing skid has taken the team from a challenge for first in the West to now hanging on to perhaps requiring the CFL's crossover rules to qualify for a playoff spot.
That in itself should not be surprising, the Esks weren't expected to be all that competitive when the season started and surprised everyone with a remarkable start to 2012, the mid season swoon in a way is just a levelling of expectation.
Still, when you have had glimpses of success and the giddy thought of dominating the West, the sudden decline probably provides for a bit of a shock for the supporters of the Green and Gold.
The Cats on the other hand were supposed to be the dominant team of the East this year, all those pre season changes designed to make the final year at Ivor Wynne a party atmosphere with the Cats marching all the way down the QEW to the Grey Cup.
It hasn't exactly gone to plan this year, the Tiger Cats have struggled in every facet of the game throughout the year, loss after loss without an answer to their problems.
Saturday provided some much needed therapy for a team that seemed to have lost its way, something as coaches would say for the team to build on, a reminder that when they put it all together on the field, they are very much still in the mix for a playoff spot, that Grey Cup dream not quite extinguished yet we would suspect.
The preview and review of the Cats and the Esks can be found here.
Toronto at British Columbia
It was the marquee match up for the weekend and for the most part the Argos and the Lions delivered on those lofty expectations.
The two top teams of the CFL heading into week 12 offered up an entertaining late afternoon of football at BC Place, the Lions holding off the last minute surge of the Argos to take the two points in the standings on the strength of their 28 to 23 victory.
The Lions for the most part looked to be in control of the game, while struggling through the first quarter they started to get it all going into the second and nursed the lead it into a fourth quarter nail biter, a quarter that showed up a few flaws for the BC coaching staff to work on.
Turnovers provided for some of that Argo comeback, the Lions apparently in a giving mood through interceptions and fumbles,
Ricky Ray once again rallied his squad for a late game march, getting oh so close to providing the Argos with their first win in BC since 2002, however, when needed most, the Lions defence rose to the occasion, forcing a fumble as the Argos where edging closer to the Lions end zone, a pivotal play that secured victory and kept the Lions atop the CFL standings for another week.
While a loss is never easy to digest for a team, the Argos had a better measure of themselves after their trip to the West, once again exhibiting that never say die mentality that seems to be their domain this year and while the comeback came up short once again, the mechanics of it were spectacular to watch.
In the end, the owner went home happy, though in this case it was a natural, David Braley owner of both the Lions and the Argos had a large crowd at the turnstile, a win for the western branch office over the eastern one, with the eastern collective showing that they have every right to think that a challenge for the East title and a Grey Cup berth may just be within reach after all.
Previews and reviews of the Lions and Argos can be found here.
Saskatchewan at Montreal
For the majority of Sunday's week 12 finale, the Riders looked very much like a team that had enjoyed their stay in Montreal so much that they didn't want to offend their hosts with something so tawdry as taking two points home with them.
The Riders were in a very accommodating mood with their Montreal hosts, providing them with the football almost by request and clearing a path for Anthony Calvillo to throw more than a few points up on the board for the home side fans to celebrate.
For the majority of the game the Riders stumbled for back up Drew Willy, who was making his first CFL start for the injured Darian Durant. They took too many penalties for their own good against a Montreal team that tends to capitalize on such things, providing for a healthy lead for the Als after thirty minutes.
Then, the undisciplined and sloppy play settled over the Alouettes as well, giving life to the Riders who took those miscues as a sign that the Als were possibly still there for the taking.
A horrid third and fourth quarters left the Als reeling a bit as the Riders mounted their comeback, though in the end, despite all the drama and such, the score was what most likely was anticipated prior to kick off, a 28-17 victory for the home side, their fifth win in six and combined with the Argos loss in Vancouver on Saturday a win that moved the Als back into first in the CFL East.
However, the warning signs are clearly there for the Als, a sputtering offence in the second half, a nasty hit to Anthony Calvillo that perhaps rattled him a bit more than the Als were letting on, sets the stage for the battle for first with the Argos.
The Toronto squad suddenly looking to perhaps have a little more potential for a Grey Cup berth now than their competition in Montreal.
For Saskatchewan, the first half struggles gave way to a half decent comeback, providing much in the way of game time experience for Drew Willy to draw on should he be required to take charge from Darian Durant once again down the stretch.
The second half for the most part provided Saskatchewan with something to build on, the knowledge that despite a terrible effort at the start, it's how you finish it up that makes the difference. The Riders could very well make use of that in the weeks to come.
The previews and reviews for Sunday's wrap to Week 12 can be found here.
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