Blowouts the norm in Week 2

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This article was published 21/06/2023 (868 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Week 2 in the CFL wasn’t exactly a slate of games filled with photo finishes. In fact, the favourite club in each game won by at least 10 points, with the greatest margin of defeat by more than double that, at 22.

The Calgary Stampeders got back into the win column after dropping a game at home in Week 1, rebounding with a 26-15 road victory over the Ottawa Redblacks, who are now 0-2. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers improved to 2-0, finding an extra gear in the fourth quarter to down the Saskatchewan Roughriders, 45-27, leaving Saskatchewan with a record of 1-1.

The B.C. Lions (2-0) also remained perfect, disposing of the Edmonton Elks (0-2) in a rare shutout, 22-0, at BC Place. The Toronto Argonauts (1-0) got their first taste of game action after having a bye in the opening week, and the wait proved worth it, as the reigning Grey Cup champions bullied the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (0-2) by a score of 32-14.

Blowouts or nail biters, there’s always something to talk about the week that was in the three-down loop. So, let’s get into it in the latest edition of CFL Rundown.

1) After two weeks, what we’ve learned from the Redblacks is it doesn’t matter how inspiring new head coach Bobby Dyce is, if you want to win football games you’ve got to have a reliable QB. In other words, the faster Jeremiah Masoli can return from his season-ending leg injury last year the better. Because Nick Arbuckle just isn’t it, and after years of thinking he could be a starter, it’s starting to look like he may not throw another pass in the CFL. What’s worse is despite Ottawa having a bye this week, there’s no guarantee Masoli will be healthy enough to return.

2) The Stampeders looked much better than in Week 1 against the Lions. But it’s pretty wild that they still haven’t registered a QB sack. The fact that Calgary finished with the most sacks last season, with 56, and decided to part with last year’s sack leader, Shawn Lemon, makes it all the odder.

3) The Bombers-Roughriders rivalry has been a little lopsided in recent years. Friday’s win was Winnipeg’s eighth straight over their prairie rival.

4) The Roughriders might actually be in good hands with Trevor Harris at the controls. After being limited all week with a hip injury suffered late in Week 1, Harris returned to throw for more than 400 yards through the air. And with three of his top receivers in Derel Walker, Kian Schaffer-Baker and Brayden Lenius all on the six-game injured list. Kudos to Canadian Samuel Emilus, who caught three TDs, while Tevin Jones and Shawn Bane Jr. each eclipsed 100 receiving yards.

5) If you haven’t had a chance to watch Janarion Grant’s 92-yard return TD, find some time. There might not be a better highlight all season. On that note, I found it kind of lame that legendary returner Gizmo Williams, in an interview with 3DownNation’s John Hodge, went out of his way to criticize the play, suggesting Grant was aided by several missed tackles from Saskatchewan, even if he did offer some praise to Grant. Williams then pointed to one of his favourite returns — a 73-yarder against Calgary in 1993 — as proof that he’s done better, and wouldn’t you know it, the tackling by the Stamps was just awful.

6) Can anyone stop Zach Collaros and the Bombers offence? We might find out Thursday night, with the Lions allowing just 15 points through the first two games, including a rare shutout against the Elks in Week 2.

7) Just how rare is shutting out a team in the CFL? That was the first time Edmonton had finished a game scoreless in 47 years and the first time the Lions have shutout a team in 46 years. The Lions don’t have to look back too far to note the last time they were shutout — the Bombers laid the boots to them, 45-0, back on Oct. 23, 2021.

8) Receiver Eugene Lewis, Edmonton’s big off-season signing, didn’t hold back when assessing his team’s effort against the Lions, calling the shutout unacceptable and an embarrassment. He added that it wasn’t what B.C.’s defence was doing as much as what the Elks weren’t able to do, like capitalize on their opportunities. He also claimed to want more targets, after Taylor Cornelius threw him the ball just twice.

9) Elks GM/head coach Chris Jones is sticking with Cornelius despite what’s been a horrendous couple weeks of, simply put, bad football. It’s still early into the season, but the Elks better figure it out soon if they want to compete in the West. Things don’t get much easier this week, with the Argonauts coming to town to extend Edmonton’s home losing streak to 19 straight games.

10) Hamilton got the news this week they were desperately hoping to avoid. QB Bo Levi Mitchell, after two miserable performances, is out indefinitely with a groin injury. In two games, Mitchell has a combined 349 passing yards, one touchdown and four interceptions. Signing Mitchell to a three-year deal was always a gamble, and while there’s still plenty of time for him to rebound, his recent past of injuries and inconsistent play suggest that will be an uphill battle. Matthew Shiltz might actually be an upgrade.

11) I was skeptical about Chad Kelly and his ability to carry the Argonauts given his little experience in the CFL. And although I still think he’s got a way to go in that department, he did ease some of my concern with his play against the Tiger-Cats. Kelly completed 61 per cent of his passes for 238 yards, and while he never threw for a TD, he rushed in three and didn’t commit an interception. A pretty solid start for Kelly and the Argos, who, at first glance, also have a good defence.

12) The CFL announced they have sold out the annual Touchdown Atlantic game between the Roughriders and Argonauts set for July 29. That’s a good thing, but CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie might want to pump the brakes on the appetite out east, as the stadium holds just 10,600 — just more than a third of the crowd Winnipeg averaged all of 2022. Ambrosie has talked a lot about expansion, but I just don’t see how it could work in Atlantic Canada without a proper stadium. I’d bet a team in Quebec City or London, Ont. before anything.

13) Speaking of Ambrosie, his silence on the absolute debacle that is the league’s stats software right now is truly deafening. If you haven’t noticed, you can no longer look up individual players on the CFL website, nor is the game tracker — where you find live stats and other important information on the games — even working. It’s beyond embarrassing for the CFL as they try to attract new fans and garner more attention to its game. And the worst part is, it’s the new relationship with Genius Sports that is causing all the mess and the CFL can’t even say with confidence when it will be fixed.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton

Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer

Jeff Hamilton is a sports and investigative reporter. Jeff joined the Free Press newsroom in April 2015, and has been covering the local sports scene since graduating from Carleton University’s journalism program in 2012. Read more about Jeff.

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