THE CANADIAN PRESS
I don’t know if I have to turn in my badge, or anything, but maybe I should. You know, if CFL.ca actually gave badges to its columnists (memo to self: Suggest to CFL.ca hierarchy that columnists should get way cool badges). When the Saskatchewan Roughriders went up by eleven late on Friday night, I turned in. Seems #NoLeadIsSafe really is back in 2015. Rookie mistake by a veteran observer there. I’ve already done my ten push-ups as penance. Although I had to do them in two groups of fives.
1) The Calgary Stampeders are back. I think. A Grey Cup hangover had them struggling out to a 1-1 record and they could easily have been oh and two. Whatever weird concoction any of us have personally used on the day after to shake the feeling, the Stamps’ offence found theirs during the second quarter against the Argonauts. After a big Tim Brown return was wiped out by a face masking penalty and Calgary was backed up to its eight-yard-line, the Stampeders promptly drove 102 fairly easy-peasy yards for the major. While they struggled after scoring their third TD of the opening half, you get the feeling that if their offensive line hadn’t been decimated by injuries, they’d have continued to cruise on offence. Even at that, Bo Levi Mitchell and company put together a crucial late game drive that chewed the clock and led to a field goal that gave them some breathing room. Kind of champion-like.
RELAX. @CFL
— Bo Levi Mitchell (@BoLeviMitchell) July 14, 2015
2) Winnipeg’s Chris Randle is a quick study. Last year he was a corner and, quietly, a damn good one. Now, playing what the Bombers term the “dime” linebacker position, Randle is getting to show off even more of his impressive skills and he did just that in the team’s win over Montreal on Friday night. An interception, four tackles and two critical, late-game knockdowns to salt it away. And he’s still learning the position. Randle might have flown under the radar in 2014 but that will not be the case this season. We’re going to hear his name. Lots.
Chris Randle is quickly becoming one of the CFL’s most versatile players.
3) Those new pass interference rules are really handcuffing defensive backs. Except, you know, when they’re regularly romping to the opponents’ end zone. There were 19 passes intercepted for touchdowns in the entirety of the 2014 season. 19 in 81 games. Already in 2015, there have been eight picks-for-sixes, in 12 games. At that rate, last year’s total would be reached in the 29th game this season. Hey, if the CFL makes it any tougher for defensive backs to do their jobs, they may actually end up leading the league in scoring.
4) You can make the right decision and still not be rewarded. Roughriders’ coach Corey Chamblin opted to go on third and less than a yard in the final minute against BC. It was the correct call. Even with an empty backfield that telegraphs a quarterback sneak, it comes down to winning the battle at the line of scrimmage, with that offensive line having a one yard buffer and the advantage of knowing exactly when the play will start. Lions’ linebacker Adam Bighill stuffed the gap like it was a Christmas turkey. Great player, great play. Let’s not forget that; most of the time, the other team is trying really, really hard to keep you from succeeding.
Many things had to go wrong for the Riders to lose an overtime thriller in BC, and in the end the Lions won key battles to earn a victory.
5) No-look passes might be super terrific in basketball, but they are not at all super terrific in football. Exhibit A: Eskimos’ QB Matt Nichols vs REDBLACKS’ defensive lineman Zack Evans. At 6-foot-4 and 295 pounds, Evans ran for a 65 yard touchdown when Nichols practically handed him the ball on an ill-fated shovel pass during the second quarter of Edmonton’s Thursday night romp. At halftime, Nichols pointed out that a block was missed on the play, leading Evans to loom like an eclipse in the backfield. That may be so, but blocks do sometimes get missed, which is why you should always look before you shovel. By the way, that’s a good tip for people working in stables, too.
