CFL.ca Staff
TORONTO — The home teams dominated Week 3 but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t exciting action. From the overtime thriller in BC to the close games in Calgary and Winnipeg, it’s hard to believe that Week 4 is just around the corner. We look at the latest around the league, including a possible injury to Adarius Bowman and some sudden holes on the Stamps o-line, in the latest edition of Checking Down.
BC Lions
- Courtney Taylor has waited a long time to return to the Lions roster after a foot injury ended his season last year. The slotback then suffered a hamstring injury in training camp but is slated to return to action on Friday.
- The crowd at BC Place nervously watched Travis Lulay compose himself after taking a hit and fumbling the football against the Riders. Lulay was okay and it showed the mental hurdles that he has overcome following his shoulder injury, according to Lowell Ullrich.
- Before Eric Fraser was signed by BC on Tuesday, the veteran defensive back had begun the process of earning his commercial pilot’s license. With Jason Arakgi sidelined, the Lions also activated Casey Chin as his likely replacement.
Edmonton Eskimos
- Adarius Bowman was seen gingerly leaving practice on Tuesday midway through the session. It is unclear at this time what the severity of the injury is but losing Bowman would be a devastating loss to the Edmonton offence.
- Should Bowman miss any time, Kendial Lawrence is ready to step in. Already the team’s starting slotback, Lawrence is prepared to take over running back and kick return duties if needed.
Calgary Stampeders
- The offensive line took a few big hits in the win against Toronto. Edwin Harrison is out for the year with a broken ankle while Dan Federkeil could be out 6-8 weeks with a leg injury. The team is looking for replacements from the roster but options are limited at the moment. Receiver Simon Charbonneau-Campeau could also be lost for the season with a broken leg.
- The patchwork unit that was assembled midgame on the o-line included Brad Erdos and Quinn Smith, who switched over from the defensive side of the ball. Smith credits his teammates for helping him through the contest as he struggled with not knowing many of the plays.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
- Tristan Jackson isn’t showing any remorse following his big hit on the Lions’ Cameron Morrah that left the slotback with torn knee ligaments that will likely cost him the season. “I like physical play. It’s football, so I don’t care,” Jackson said to The Star Phoenix.
- The Riders 0-3 start leaves them as the only team without a victory. Head coach Corey Chamblin responded to the critics that were saying there needs to be a change at his position.
- Rod Pederson digs deeper into the fourth quarter struggles of the Riders and examines the controversial third down play call against the Lions.
- Saskatchewan announced the signing of former CFL All-Star defensive back Geoff Tisdale. The team also revealed that defensive end Levi Steinhauer will miss the rest of the year.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
- Stanley Bryant is preparing to face his old team for the first time as the Bombers travel to McMahon Stadium to face the Stamps in Week 4. He acknowledges that the date has been circled on his calendar.
- Defensive lineman Bryant Turner could be out for a few weeks with a hand injury but the Bombers will welcome back Troy Stoudermire to the team’s secondary.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
- The team announced the release of international running back Nic Grigsby. He was acquired midway through last season.
- Brandon Banks wants to score 18 punt return touchdowns in 18 games. He says it’s possible, and he’s already on pace to reach his goal and shatter the current record of 5, set by Henry Williams and ex-Ticat Chris Williams.
Toronto Argonauts
- Michael Copeland will be the team’s President and CEO once the new ownership group takes control in 2016.
- Two of the Argos newcomers – AJ Jefferson and Akwasi Owusu-Ansah – are paying dividends to the team’s secondary. Jefferson recorded a 100-yard interception return against the Riders.
Ottawa REDBLACKS
- The REDBLACKS defence is taking the blame for the the team’s loss to Edmonton, one in which they gave up 46 points. The unit is promising that they will be better in the rematch this week.
- Tanner Doll, Jefferson Court and Alexandre Laganiere have been released by the team. All three were chosen by the REDBLACKS in this year’s CFL Draft. Doll and Laganiere were both on the practice roster and are expected to return to school for their final year of eligibiltiy.
- A defensive linemen scoring a touchdown is rare, which makes the moment for Zack Evans even more special. He returned a pick 66 yards for the score in the loss to the Eskimos.
- Preparing for a game involves watching film, and in this case, the REDBLACKS are studying the tape of last week’s blowout defeat. Reviewing the footage hasn’t been an enjoyable experience for them.
Montreal Alouettes
- There is no denying that Fred Stamps is a valuable weapon to have on a team’s offence. The Alouettes, however, are still trying to figure out the best way to utilize him.
- Boris Bede’s punt that was blocked and returned for a touchdown against the Bombers has left the Als’ special teams unit intent on learning from the gaffe.
