East becoming beasts of the CFL

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This article was published 19/06/2024 (540 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s a small sample size, to be sure. Could the CFL’s East Division finally be turning the corner?

It’s a question that might seem premature, but entering Week 3 of the regular season, it’s certainly one worth asking. Through two weeks, the East is boasting a 4-2 record versus the West Division.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats were responsible for both of those losses. With a bit of luck, the Ticats could easily be 2-0 following close defeats to the Calgary Stampeders and Saskatchewan Roughriders by a combined 11 points.

The defending Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes are 2-0, while the Toronto Argonauts and Ottawa Redblacks are both 1-0 in their only games this year.

It’s been a long time since the East has been even remotely close to competitive as the West. There hasn’t been a crossover the last few years, but there just hasn’t been a ton of regular-season success for Eastern clubs that don’t finish atop the division.

That might be changing this season, and hopefully it does, as it’s been long overdue. With the Blue Bombers seemingly taking a step back after an 0-2 start, and the B.C. Lions hovering at 1-1 after falling to the Chad Kelly-less Argos in their opener, the early signs are promising for some major parity this season.

There’s still plenty of football to be played, so we’ll put a pin in that narrative for now. The good news is there’s plenty more to talk about from the week that was in the three-down loop, so let’s dive into the top stories in the latest edition of CFL Rundown.

1) The Riders have morphed into The Comeback Kids after rallying from fourth-quarter deficits to earn victories over the Edmonton Elks and Ticats. A 2-0 start for Saskatchewan has them sitting alone atop the West, marking a stark turnaround for the boys in green after losing their last seven games to end the 2023 campaign. New head coach Corey Mace has done a terrific job with the group, and it’s the belief he’s instilled in the club that has them gutting out victories late in games. I figured it would take a bit of time to find their groove — Mike O’Shea was 12-24 in his first two seasons with the Bombers — but that hasn’t been at all the case so far.

 

2) Just think how good the Riders could be if they get their discipline in check and establish a running game. Saskatchewan leads the CFL in penalties, with 18 totalling nearly 200 yards, and prized off-season acquisition, running back A.J. Ouellette, is averaging 2.5 yards per carry. The only thing uglier than those numbers was seeing Andrew Harris wearing a Riders jersey at the game.

3) While I’m sure the players are celebrating the wins, the Riders front office must also be pleased with the early results. After two years out of the playoffs, fans started voting with their feet by not showing up to games and there was a fear apathy was starting to set in. On Tuesday, Saskatchewan confirmed a Regina Leader-Post report from earlier this month that the club had lost $1.1 million in 2023. Winning often cures all, including hits to the bottom line.

4) I’m not ready to give any kind of mea culpa just yet, but it’s been so far, so very good for two aging QBs, as Trevor Harris in Saskatchewan and Hamilton’s Bo Levi Mitchell look at the top of their games. Mitchell looked like his vintage self in the first half against the Riders, throwing for a pair of touchdowns and almost 300 yards through the first two quarters. Harris was clutch for Saskatchewan, hanging in the pocket and taking some serious hits to make plays. However, with Harris at 38 years old, and Mitchell at 34, and both coming off injury-riddled 2023 campaigns, the real challenge will be lasting a full 18-game season.

5) It was great to see nearly 54,000 people buy tickets to the Lions home-opener — the highest attendance for B.C. dating back to the 1990s. Amar Doman continued being the league’s best owner by bringing in rapper 50 Cent to perform ahead of kickoff. All good stuff, right? Not to all CFL fans, some of whom took to social media to dump all over the Lions after scores of people left immediately after the concert. Some were predicting as few as 20,000, people stuck around, but from the pictures I saw, there was much more than that. Either way, those were all paid tickets and kudos to the Lions for continuing to think outside the box when it comes to attracting fans.

6) The Bombers look to be in real trouble after falling to the Redblacks. QB Zach Collaros doesn’t look as sharp behind an O-line still trying to find its way after seeing some pieces leave in the offseason. Special teams have been underwhelming to say the least. As for the defence, I predicted it would be their Achilles heel, but the D has actually played quite well despite being ravaged with injuries. The biggest issue facing Winnipeg is its depth, and with three injured defensive linemen, as well as RB Brady Oliveira and HB Deatrick Nichols questionable for Friday’s game against the Lions, that’s certainly going to be tested. It’s kind of wild that Winnipeg is two-point favourites against B.C., a club that many have predicted to win the Grey Cup.

7) Congrats to QB Dru Brown on earning his first win as the starter in Ottawa following three years in Winnipeg. Playing his former team, against a defence that knows him well, was a notable hurdle and one Brown cleared by playing smart football. He wasn’t flashy, completing 20 of his 33 passes for 238 yards and a touchdown — a two-yard strike to Justin Hardy that proved to be the game-winner. When Brown signed a two-year deal with the Redblacks, it was clear they brought him in as the No. 1 option. But word out of training camp was that he was struggling to get on the same page as his receivers and the team was still unsure how he’d fare long-term. Brown will have to perform every week to keep his job. Such is life in pro football, but even more so when you consider the three other QBs on the roster – Jeremiah Masoli, Dustin Crum and Tyrie Adams – were all in his position last season and all want to get back there. For what it’s worth, Brown has received nothing but support from his peers.

8) I have a complicated relationship with Mother Nature. It seems every time a CFL game has a weather delay, I’m there. So, it was only fitting that I be in the nation’s capital for what was a bizarre ending between the Bombers and Redblacks (note: The Free Press remains the only English newspaper travelling in the CFL). The game was halted owing to severe lighting and rain with 2:09 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Redblacks up 23-17. There seemed to be a lot of confusion among fans about the league’s weather protocol, so let’s clear that up. When the game has surpassed the midway mark of the third quarter, a 60-minute weather delay kicks in, and after an hour, if players aren’t safe to hit the field, the game is called and the score is final.

 

9) Where things get really interesting is if the game is halted before the midway mark of the third frame. If the weather delay lasts more than three hours, the game will be cancelled, putting in motion these next steps. A team will be awarded a victory if they are ahead by 21-plus points in the first quarter, 17-plus points in the second quarter, or 13+ points in the third quarter. If that doesn’t apply, and the teams don’t play again in the regular season, it’s deemed a tie. If they do play again, when they meet next, each team will then get two possessions starting from the 55-yard line, in what’s referred to as a “shootout drives.” What’s more, every point scored by a team in the previous game counts as one yard towards the opposition’s end zone, meaning if you scored 10 points, you would start both your shootout drives on the 45-yard line rather than the 55. Most points on the drives win, while a tie remains a tie.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jeffkhamilton