Heading into the CFL’s Divisional Final round two teams are flapping their mouths and two have kept them shut. In Montreal, linebacker Bear Woods is confident he already knows the outcome of the Eastern Final.
“We’re going to win this one,” Woods said to reporters shortly after the Alouettes advanced to the CFL’s final four round.
Receiver Duron Carter took it a little further: “We’re going to kick their ass, that’s what we going to do.”
No Ticat had a comeback. Instead the team decided not to waste energy on anything but preparing for Sunday’s game.
Meanwhile, out west, Stampeders defensive end Shawn Lemon referred to Mike Reilly, who is reportedly dealing with a broken bone in his foot, as a “piñata.”
“It’ll be like hitting a piñata,” Lemon said to the assembled media in Cowtown. “You know where that pinata is going to be, so you just got to go out there and swing and make sure you hit the piñata—so all that candy can come out. So it’ll do us a favour if (Reilly) plays.”
Edmonton replied with nothing but silence.
When the results become final and two teams punch a ticket to the Grey Cup on Sunday, we’ll know which approaches worked. On the field there are many intriguing storylines, but there are a handful that stick out. Here’s what you should be watching for in Hamilton and Calgary.
Reilly’s not right
Give full credit to Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly—he’s likely playing through a lot of pain with a suspected broken bone in his foot. He’s without question the best option for the Eskimos heading into their tilt with the favoured Stampeders this Sunday, and yet there is no way No. 13 for Edmonton is anywhere close to 100 percent.
Against Saskatchewan Reilly could barely move around in the pocket, hence Lemon calling him a piñata. The top rushing pivot in the CFL in 2014 is clearly not able to get out and threaten the defence with his feet. And Reilly cannot push the ball down the field because he can’t use his lower body to generate torque and power. So expect a lot of quick throws and screens in the Edmonton game plan.
That might be a problem because Calgary defensive coordinator Rich Stubler and his defensive group will likely be anticipating that strategy from the Eskimos.
Cornish effect
It took just nine games—half a season—for Jon Cornish to eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing plateau, and 272 of those yards came in two games against the Eskimos on 34 carries. That’s an eight-yards-per-carry average.
Calgary was 8-1 in games Cornish suited up in during the 2014 regular season—a mark that shouldn’t come as a surprise because Cornish is a game-changer for the Stampeders offence. When Cornish is on the field teams focus their attention and allocate more players towards stopping the Stampeders’ dynamic back.
Edmonton’s No. 1 priority will be finding a way to slow down Cornish. You can bet Chris Jones will run blitz and use a variety of defensive looks in an effort to limit the 2013 CFL MOP’s impact on the game. If Cornish rolls up another 100-yard effort on the ground, Calgary will stampede their way to Vancouver.
Montreal pass attempts can’t fly high
If the Alouettes are forced to lean on Jonathan Crompton throwing the ball for a victory in Hamilton, the odds will be stacked heavily against them. For example, Crompton threw it 35 times in Montreal’s Week 20 loss to Hamilton. Conversely the Als quarterback attempted just 21 passes in Montreal’s Eastern Semi-Final win over BC.
Yes, the Alouettes blew the Lions out 50–17, but it was the multifaceted run game that led the way on offence with 215 yards and four touchdowns. Brandon Rutley and Chris Rainey, who possesses break-neck speed, put forth strong efforts. And Tyrell Sutton appears to be healthy and ready to join the fray.
All three Montreal backs have different running styles, but all that matters is how productive they can be collectively on Sunday. That means the Alouettes’ offensive line—Hamilton held Montreal to 17 yards on the ground in their last meeting—needs to open up running lanes or their season will end in the Steel City.
Ticats “D” comfortable at new home
Points have been hard to come by for visiting teams at Tim Hortons Field. Hamilton’s defence has allowed 12.7 points per game while the team has gone a perfect 6-0 at the donut box.
It’s clear the Ticats defensive unit feeds off the crowd noise. It forces opponents to use silent counts and disrupts timing. Hamilton’s front line takes advantage of that by anticipating the ball being snapped at almost the same time as the offence. The Ticats’ get-offs are a split second—or more—faster at home.