A rare five-game week is underway in the Canadian Football League—in fact, “rare” may not quite cover it. It’s the only five-game week on the schedule this year, and pulling it off means one team has to play twice. Enter the Toronto Argonauts.
In the only Tuesday game on the CFL schedule Ricky Ray looked sharp, finding 10 different targets and throwing for 297 yards and four touchdowns in a 38–21 Argos win over Winnipeg. Wait, a team from the East actually beat a team from the West? Yes, it happened.
The final four games of the week are also of the interdivisional variety, so we will see if the much-talked-about West-is-best-and-East-is-least trend continues or not. For their part, the first-place Argos will get their second home game of the week when they face the B.C. Lions on Sunday, and they’d better take advantage while they can—they won’t play again in the Big Smoke until Oct. 4.
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Here are three other stories to watch for Week 8.
Little resistance in the nation’s capital
Ottawa needs to take a cue from the security team that always keeps a close watch over Prime Minister Stephen Harper and tighten up their defence. Over the last three weeks opposing offences have piled up yards and points against the Redblacks.
In Week 5 Hamilton racked up 558 yards and scored 33 points; in Week 6 Saskatchewan totalled 558 yards and 38 points; and in Week 7 Calgary went for 407 total yards and 38 points. Lots of ugly numbers—1,347 yards and 109 points in a three-game stretch—if you’re a member of Ottawa’s defence.
A big reason for the defensive struggles is the loss of defensive back Jovon Johnson, arguably the best playmaker on the Redblacks defence to injury, to a bicep injury he suffered against the Ticats. His absence means that starting safety Eric Fraser is the only active member of the secondary with more than one year of CFL experience (Seth Williams is in his second year in the CFL, but is on the one-game injured list). No. 7 is solid in the middle of the field for Ottawa, but he can’t cover up every mistake or blown coverage.
The young group needs to speed up the learning process and at least stop allowing chunk yardage gains. Ottawa has allowed 13 pass plays of 30 yards or more—most in the entire league. And with Edmonton’s Adarius Bowman, the CFL’s leading receiver, coming to town, it doesn’t get any easier for the largely green group of Redblacks defensive backs.
Feeding Fuller
At six-foot-four and 217 lb., Jeff Fuller possesses imposing size for a professional receiver. And Calgary’s second-year pass catcher has been flashing his physical attributes around the end zone early this season.
In three games as a rookie CFLer in 2013, Fuller didn’t record a touchdown catch, but he’s caught four scoring passes in six games to begin 2014. All four touchdown catches have come with the Stampeders in the red zone. Fuller uses his impressive quickness for a player his size to create separation and he knows how to go up and high-point the football.
Fuller’s touchdown-scoring prowess should come as no surprise if you look at his NCAA stats while at Texas A&M—he holds the school record with 34 touchdown receptions as an Aggie.
Fuller and Calgary quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell seem to be developing a trusting rapport. The two have connected 23 times for 307 yards, but Fuller could still be getting his number called more often—especially when the Stamps near the goal line. Calgary will face the second-worst pass defence in the league Saturday in Hamilton, providing an opportunity to feed Fuller plenty of pigskin.
Ball-hawking Riders
Rider defensive backs have been flying around and getting their hands on footballs of late. Saskatchewan has recorded multiple interceptions in three straight games. None were bigger than Terrell Maze’s pick-six against the Bombers in Week 7 that proved to be the decisive play in a 23–17 Riders win.
With less than two minutes and 30 seconds to play, Saskatchewan down 17–16, Maze undercut a wide-side deep out throw by Drew Willy. Maze made the interception and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown to give the Riders a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Saskatchewan has all eight of their interceptions on the season in the last three games, a total good for second-most in the CFL overall. Rookie Rider defensive back Mark LeGree leads the entire league with three pick-offs, while 2013 CFL All-Star Tyron Brackenridge has two interceptions to sit tied for second in the league.
Next in the crosshairs for the Riders secondary is the group of Alouettes quarterbacks who have been an inaccurate bunch. Likely starter Alex Brink will need to be extra careful with the football against a dangerous Riders back end.