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Total domination against Edmonton, making it look like a pre-season game with a 52-5 thrashing. Quarterback Henry Burris moves up to 10th all-time in career passing yardage, and he's playing with ultimate confidence. Ten players had at least one catch. When was the last time that happened, if ever? Dave Dickenson, in his second season as a position coach and first as a co-ordinator, is making quite an impression. Receiver Nik Lewis collects his 500th career catch and is making a case for the most outstanding player in the league. Running back Jon Cornish is proving he can probably start on another team. Having a Canadian backup with his talent is an incredible luxury, and kudos to Calgary for making him an integral part of the offence. Even with a healthy lead against Edmonton, not one player let up. How significant was this win? Well, it gave the fans plenty of opportunities to sing Sweet Caroline. I've said it before and I'll repeat it: This reminds me so much of the 2008 team in their sheer domination. They've developed a killer instinct in recent games and are on a six-game victory streak. |
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By no means did they dominate Winnipeg, but the Riders did show improvement after a terrible game last time out against Edmonton. Quarterback Darian Durant took a beating for most of the game, but showed his toughness and moved the chains with his legs. In the fourth quarter, he really asserted himself. This is still a squad that needs to improve it' production. The offensive line needs to pick it up or Durant will continue to takes some vicious shots. Doubt the Riders can catch Calgary and it's unlikely they will get pushed by B.C. and Edmonton, so all things being equal they will stay in second. But they have to find a way to get the ball in the hands of their playmakers and their special teams, notably returner Dominique Dorsey, have to be much better. Maybe it's time to replace him or give Weston Dressler a few tries. He made his mark as a returner and he might add a spark. It's the scheme, the returner or both, but something needs to be done to inject life into the return game. It needs to be drastically better. |
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Take quarterback Anthony Calvillo out of the lineup, in this case because of an injured sternum, and you find out how vulnerable Montreal can be. Backup quarterback Chris Leak made the kind of mistakes of a backup who knows he's going to start and has several days to prepare. But where were the other players to help him? And the defence, notably the back end, came undone, showing some of the tendencies it did early in the season giving up big plays. A stunning stat in the game is that rush ends John Bowman and Anwar Stewart collectively had one tackle. When was the last time that happened? If these guys aren't getting to the quarterback, it's the reason why the back end is getting burned, particularly facing a mobile quarterback. Yes, the defence had three interceptions, but two came against backup Travis Lulay. Linebacker Chip Cox can't be the answer all the time. This might be time to assess some of the personnel. |
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Four wins in a row and back-to-back victories over Toronto. This is a team that could very well challenge Montreal for first place. The game this Saturday in Hamilton against the Als at Ivor Wynne should be interesting. Receiver Dave Stala is playing on pace to become the Most Outstanding Canadian. Quarterback Kevin Glenn is putting up huge numbers, too, but he's also taking some serious licks. But his experience has clearly settled down the offence and likely the team overall. The defensive line is playing solidly. But the problem for the Ticats now could be the offensive line due to injuries to tackle Belton Johnson and guard George Hudson. Jason Jimenez comes off the nine-game injured list to likely replace Johnson. The only thing the Ticats aren't doing enough of is running the ball. After two decent games, DeAndre' Cobb didn't do much and there is talk general manager Bob O'Billovich is on the hunt for a running back. |
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Back-to-back losses against Hamilton and it looks as if the team overall has taken a few steps backward. A key part of the Argos' early success - running the ball with rookie Cory Boyd - has suddenly disappeared. The question is why? Quarterback Cleo Lemon surpassed the 300-yard mark in passing for the first time this season, but threw three picks - one of which appeared to be the receiver running the wrong route - and tossed his helmet in disgust after the third one late in the game. Each of the picks happened in the opposition's end zone. The offensive line may have suffered some key injuries, notably losing right tackle Chris Van Zyl on a gadget play and Cedric Gagne-Marcoux, who was already hobbled. The backups didn't do well as replacements, and on a team with a rookie quarterback and various new receivers, either to the team or the league, the Argos are facing their first real crisis of the season under new head coach Jim Barker. |
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The Lions snapped a seven-game losing streak and looked lion-hearted against Montreal. Quarterback Casey Printers showed what he can do when healthy and moving around. He didn't finish the game because of leg cramps, but it's not expected to keep him out of the next game. Collectively receivers Geroy Simon and Paris Jackson had one of their best games of the season. The offensive line, which has been in tatters, lost its center, but backup Angus Reid is capable of filling the hole. What was impressive and possibly overlooked in the win against the Als was the overall play of the defence, which lost some of its backfield due to injuries for part of the game, but sucked it up. The Lions head home looking to win their first game of the season at Empire Field, following four losses. Every game will be a must-win if they have any hope of making the playoffs. I'm predicting the Lions will be the surprise team in the final nine games as long as Printers is healthy. He makes that much of a difference. If rush end Ricky Foley finds his way back to the Lions, they will be that much better. |
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This may be one of the best teams with a 2-7 record. They played their hearts out against Saskatchewan, but simply couldn't match up. The defence created three sacks, one turnover and one forced fumble and shut down the Roughriders' running game for the most part. Quarterback Buck Pierce suffered a dislocated elbow and is now sidelined indefinitely, so now backup Steven Jyles gets to run the offence. He did well in relief and now knows he'll be the man, possibly for the rest of the season. Dropped balls continue to plague the Bombers, and there is no excuse for it. Losing flashy rookie Terence Jeffers-Harris since midway in the team's fifth game has taken some life out of the receiving corps, but that's why veterans such as Terrence Edwards, Adarius Bowman and Brock Ralph need to step up. |
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The win streak ended after one game and resulted in a pathetic performance. The Eskimos are home to Calgary this Friday and who knows what will be left of the coaching staff and the personnel. Head Richie Hall has lost the ability to inspire his team, which has absolutely quit. Compounding everything is the Eskimos have lost their best offensive weapon, running back Arkee Whitlock, who suffered a leg injury. Quarterback Ricky Ray has become a sitting duck behind a porous offensive line. This has been one of the critical areas of the team for years and it hasn't improved. You can put in backup Jared Zabransky and it really won't matter. He has mobility, but he'll need it to run away from the pressure. The receivers are dropping balls or creating turnovers by not concentrating. Nothing short of a return by Hugh Campbell to inject some retro life into the Eskimos can help. When you have fired your general manager, who was sacked because the public didn't like him, and your head coach is following a similar path, you either blow up the team now and hire a general manager and do some tinkering the rest of the way or make the big move in the off-season. |
