The Thanksgiving weekend started with close games and ended with blowouts. In between, the replay crew and mic’d-up players each took centre stage.
Here are five takeaways from Week 16:
Burris gets back
Henry Burris saw his first game action since Week 9 in relief on Friday in a loss against Saskatchewan.
With Trevor Harris and the Ottawa offence struggling to get anything going, Burris came off the bench and threw the ball into tight windows with anticipation. It was vintage Burris as he read the field beautifully. When all was said and done, Hank had more passing yards in the fourth quarter than Harris had in the entire game.
Now the Redblacks plan to go with Burris in Week 17 versus Hamilton:
While Harris is the future of the franchise, this is not a time to plan for the future. Remember, down the stretch last year he lost the top spot on the Argos’ depth chart to Ricky Ray after he struggled with turnovers.
In the midst of a playoff race and with the post-season around the corner, choices should be made in terms of who gives you the best chance to win that game and really to get the next first down or scoring drive. Right now the best choice is Harris.
Replay crew fumbles a big call
You knew Andrew Harris—returning from injury after missing three games—would be a storyline as he was facing his former team in the B.C. Lions. Harris had 40 yards rushing and receiving and a touchdown on the first drive alone, and looked like he was going to be the story as the hero. But then one play almost changed the storyline completely.
As Harris was trying to run out the clock late, Adam Bighill held him up and Jason Arakgi stripped the football—exactly what a defence is taught to do in that moment. Harris wasn’t down by contact and his forward progress wasn’t stopped, and the ball was stripped before the whistle blew. The officials ruled Harris down by contact, but the Lions challenged the call.
Somehow, though, the call on the field stood after review.
The Lions should have received the ball in the red zone for a chance to win a key division game with a touchdown, but instead the Bombers kept it and took a safety with fewer than 30 seconds left.
This was a very public mistake by the game-day officials and the replay crew that could have serious consequences on the playoff picture. Taking a cue from the NBA, the league should admit the mistake to demonstrate that not only the players are held to a high standard of accountability.
Calgary clinches
The Calgary Stampeders are not just the best team in the league—they are looking like one of the best teams of all time. They were so dominant on Monday they outgained the Argos 180 yards to 23 in the first quarter.
With the 28-point road win they matched a league-best win streak with 12 in a row. They’ve already clinched first place in the West and it’s only mid-October. That means they don’t have a meaningful game for a full six weeks leading up to the West final.
How Dave Dickenson manages his roster for the next month will be a big talking point in Calgary. Rest-versus-rust is always a conversation but not usually this early. Can you play a month of exhibition-type games working in depth players and still be sharp for a single-elimination West final? Or can you afford too expose your star players to unnecessary injury in meaningless games?
The other issue is competitive balance. Most other teams (sorry, Riders fans) are fighting for the playoff lives at this point. If Calgary rolls over against an opponent, that could swing the playoff races in either division. If the Stampeders fail to finish the deal Dickenson will be blamed for how he handled the end of the regular season. It is an unenviable decision without much precedent, but ultimately a good problem to have.
Mic’d-up mistake
Edmonton was coming off wins over Winnipeg and B.C. in Weeks 14 and 15. They followed that up with a dominant 20-point road win over Montreal and have a bye coming up. They are one of the hottest teams in the league down the stretch and you can make the argument they pose the biggest challenge for the Stampeders.
We could be talking right now about Jason Maas as a coach of the year favourite and Mike Reilly as a MOP candidate. Instead we were deprived of hearing either of them talk in Week 16—and that’s what everyone’s talking about.
Reilly and Maas were scheduled to be mic’d up for the Thanksgiving weekend game against Montreal, but refused.
“Honestly, I tried to do what’s best for the team, best for me out here playing, and that’s how the decision was made,” Reilly said after the game. Maas said the organization would “live with he consequences.”
The issue is the consequences are not just to the Eskimos franchise. Reilly should understand that the decision to mic players isn’t just about what is best for him. It’s a way for fans to get inside huddles and the heads of players, and increase the profile of the league.
The refusal to wear mics also marked an unfair competitive advantage as Montreal’s Jacques Chapdelaine and Rakeem Cato both honoured their obligation to wear the mics, not knowing that the Esks had punted their responsibility.
The selfish and shortsighted decision not to take part should come with harsh consequences. Hopefully then the leaders of the Esks will remember that growing the platform of the league is a joint venture that is also good for them, too.