Another week is in the books and it was a sobering one. When Eskimos linebacker Eric Samuels was stretchered off the field after sustaining a neck injury late in a 33–23 win over the Alouettes, fans and players alike were reminded just how dangerous a routine play in football can be. Luckily, by all indications, Samuels didn’t suffer any serious injuries and was released from the hospital before returning to the team.
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It was also another week where the West had a clean sweep of the East. Week 8 features five East-versus-West matchups, so it will be interesting to see if any of the East Division teams can begin to buck the trend.
Here’s what stood out about Week 7:
Ticats much better than record indicates
The Ticats are a pitiful 1-5, but things aren’t quite as bad as they appear to be on paper. Four of their five losses have been by seven points or less and apart from their Week 1 drubbing at the hands of the Riders, they’ve been in every game and nearly pulled off the upset on the road in B.C. over the weekend.
When your starting QB throws for just under 300 yards and runs for 103 yards and a touchdown, that’s great. But when the rest of the team rushes for a combined negative three yards and your defence gives up 494 yards, that’s not great.
Overall, Dan Lefevour has filled in admirably for the injured Zach Collaros, kicker Justin Medlock has regained his form and their return game is potent with two touchdowns in the last two weeks courtesy of Quincy McDuffie and Brandon Banks.
On the flipside, the defence, led by the uber-talented Simoni Lawrence, allows too many points and the offensive line continues to struggle. Still, Kent Austin’s group has many of its ducks in a row and should eventually begin to see results on the scoreboard and win some of these close games.
Last season they started the year 1-4 before going on an 11-4 run en route to an appearance in the 101st Grey Cup. There is reason for optimism in Hamilton despite what the standings might suggest.
Messam with a half to remember
The Roughriders were down 10–3 at halftime against the Blue Bombers and needed a spark on offence. That spark came in the form of running back Jerome Messam.
The Canadian, who didn’t gain a single yard in the first half, racked up a beastly 126 rushing yards on 18 carries in the second half. He frustrated the Winnipeg defence, chewed up a lot of clock and most importantly gave his team a boost of energy they lacked in the opening two quarters.
Really, the Saskatchewan defence was the star of the game—they registered both of the team’s touchdowns and completely shut down Nic Grigsby—but without Messam, who signed with the Riders in July after being cut by the Alouettes in June, the outcome could have been a different story.
With both Messam and Will Ford in the backfield, plus the fact Darian Durant uses his legs as well as any QB in the CFL, it’s no surprise the Riders lead the league with 135.7 rushing yards per game.
Esks’ underrated running backs key to success
While Mike Reilly continues to establish himself as a Most Outstanding Player contender, the Eskimos have a pair of unheralded running backs that tore apart the Alouettes to help the team improve to 5-1.
John White and Kendial Lawrence were virtually unstoppable as they combined for 225 yards of offence and two touchdowns. Both are smaller backs that read blocks well and can hit a hole with speed. White is the better runner in between the tackles, while Lawrence has more versatility, which was on display when he hauled in a 35-yard touchdown pass from Reilly to open the scoring.
The Eskimos rely heavily on the run game and having a two-headed monster in the backfield playing as well as White and Lawrence are bodes well for the team going forward.
Burris starting to develop some chemistry
Believe it or not there is a silver lining to what has been an otherwise terrible start to the season for the Redblacks. Apart from two untimely interceptions that led to 10 points for the Stampeders, Henry Burris had perhaps his most efficient game of the season despite the lopsided score. Granted a lot of his completions came when the game was out of reach, but it’s something to build off nonetheless.
Burris finally has a couple targets beyond Chevon Walker who are starting to make plays. Wallace Miles had a breakout game with 102 yards and a TD, plus Marcus Henry continues to look like an emerging talent.
In an East division that is so weak at the moment, the playoffs remain a realistic possibility for the rookie franchise. Also, defensive back Jermaine Robinson had a few big hits in his debut and looks like a star in the making.
Blue Bombers’ mettle is about to be tested
Last week it was a dramatic, 94-yard, game-winning drive against the Ticats, but Drew Willy and the Blue Bombers weren’t able to pull off a second consecutive come-from-behind win against the Riders.
Now, due to a kink in the schedule, the Bombers have to regroup quickly and put that loss behind them. Mike O’Shea’s team will be tested physically and mentally after having only four full days to recover and prepare for a Tuesday encounter with the Argos in Toronto.
An unconventional schedule was to be expected with a nine-team league and we’ll quickly find out how much it impacts the Blue Bombers heading into a pivotal Week 8.
Sportsnet’s CFL stars of Week 7
OFFENCE
1) Kevin Glenn, QB, Lions
2) Jerome Messam, RB, Roughriders
3) Bo Levi Mitchell, QB, Stampeders
DEFENCE
1) John Chick, DE, Roughriders
2) Alex Bazzie, DT, Lions
3) Terrell Maze, CB, Roughriders