CFL Week 6 Review

Article by Duncan Gray

 

Is there finally, after 6 weeks,  one team emerging as a clear leader in the CFL? Edmonton Eskimos took their fourth win in a row and with a defence that has conceded only one touchdown in their last three games they look like they might be in place on top of the West Division for a while. In the East meantime it's hard to pick a top team, all four still look strong.

 

BC Lions  13 - 23 Winnipeg Blue Bombers

After he was  forced out of last week's game with a knee injury there was a lot of speculation as to whether Winnipeg's quarterback Drew Willy was going to be fit for this game. Anyone who thought he might be a bit fragile was soon put right when he scrambled for 13 and then 30 yards to make first downs on the Bomber's first two drives. In total Willy rushed for 72 yards and passed for 269 yards and two touchdowns as he led his team past their West Division rivals. The Lions had started strongly with a 95 yard scoring drive which took up most of the first quarter but they couldn't build on it. Winnipeg contained the chief BC threat, running back Andrew Harris, and Willy threw touchdown passes to Justin Veltung and Darvin Adams  to give them a comfortable win.
Highlights

 

 

 

Saskatchewan Roughriders 5 - 30 Edmonton Eskimos

Even before kick off the Roughriders didn't have much chance in this game. So far this season they've depended on their offence to give them any chance of winning. Reduced to back up quarterbacks for this one and facing the Eskimos' fearsome defence they were never in it. Brett Smith performed well enough at quarterback but he threw back to back interceptions in the third quarter which cost the 'Riders ten points and put the game out of sight. After last week's heroics from James Franklin, Matt Nichols was back at quarterback for Edmonton and he put in a solid 300 yard, 2 touchdown performance. Saskatchewan's record is now 0 & 6 and they're facing a trip to Toronto next. The “sack the coach” bandwagon in Regina is gaining momentum.
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Montreal Alouettes 22 - 25 Calgary Stampeders
Calgary were treating this as a “revenge game” after their week 2 humiliation in Montreal. They got their revenge, but it took a big comeback to get it. A strong wind blowing down the field had a big effect on this game. The Alouettes had it at their backs in the first quarter and raced to a 17-0 lead with touchdowns from S J Green on a 51 yard  pass and Stefan Logan who ran a punt back for 74 yards. Once they turned round for the second quarter Calgary replied with their own 17 points.  Marquay McDaniel and Eric Rogers caught the TDs. To the surprise of many Calgary elected to keep the wind advantage for the third quarter. They took the lead when Bo Levi Mitchell passed 41 yards to McDaniel for his second score, but then it almost went wrong for them. Against the wind, Dobson Collins looked to be going all the way for Montreal from a Rakeem Cato pass only for him to fumble the ball short of the goal line and Calgary to recover it on their 2.  Despite the wind advantage in the fourth quarter there was no more scoring from Montreal until the Stampeders conceded a safety on the last play, just to make sure they ran out the clock.

Highlights

 

Toronto Argonauts 18 - 34 Hamilton Tiger-Cats

After a long month on the road for the Tiger-Cats they were welcomed home to Tim Hortons Field by a holiday Monday sell out crowd ready to see them battle with their local rivals.

Hamilton opened the scoring with a clever play by Jeff Reinbold's Special Teams. Their first punt was kicked short into a “no man's land” zone. Before any of the Argonuts players could react Brandon Stewart, who'd run from an onside position behind the kicker and was therefore eligible to recover the ball, dived on it and, before the defence worked out what was happening, got up again and ran it in for the touchdown. A sudden rainstorm blew in in the second quarter, putting a stop to a Toronto drive after a fumble recovery which looked like it could change the momentum and then halting the game completely for 20 minutes due to the danger of lightning. Hamilton had a 21-7 lead by then and their quarterback Zach Collaros was outshining his rival Trevor Harris.  Toronto never got back in the game and by the end they'd been stopped four times on third down attempts while the newly installed fifteen foot gold steam whistle which signals home team touchdowns had sounded four times. Hamilton have jumped to a share of the lead in the East Division but they have worries as both running back C J Gable and receiver Andy Fantuz suffered arm injuries.