CFL QBS still questionable
Apart from Collaros and Adams, pivots’ opening-week performances fail to inspire
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Monthly Digital Subscription
$1 per week for 24 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $4.00 plus GST every four weeks. After 24 weeks, price increases to the regular rate of $19.00 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
Monthly Digital Subscription
$4.75/week*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $19 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Winnipeg Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*$1 will be added to your next bill. After your 4 weeks access is complete your rate will increase by $0.00 a X percent off the regular rate.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/06/2023 (844 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The CFL made its triumphant return last weekend, showcasing an opening slate of four games, with the reigning Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts getting the week off.
The B.C. Lions went into McMahon Stadium Thursday night and left with a 25-15 win over the Calgary Stampeders, who are now 2-5 in season-openers since Dave Dickenson became head coach. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers beat up on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at IG Field Friday night. A couple of critical errors in the fourth quarter made it much closer than it should have been, with the Blue and Gold escaping with a 42-31 victory.
The Montreal Alouettes and Ottawa Redblacks went toe-to-toe in a defensive battle, as the Alouettes squeaked out a 19-12 win at Molson Stadium Saturday night. Finally, the Saskatchewan Roughriders survived a late scare against the Edmonton Elks to pull off a 17-13 road victory at Commonwealth Stadium, in what was the first Sunday game of the season.

Rich Lam / THE CANADIAN PRESS files
B.C. quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. proved he could get the job done in the Lions Week 1 victory over the Calgary Stampeders.
With so much more to talk about beyond the final scores, let’s get right into it in the latest edition of CFL Rundown.
1) I worried out loud about the quarterback talent in the CFL heading into the season and Week 1 did little to ease my concerns. Outside of B.C.’s Vernon Adams Jr. and Winnipeg’s Zach Collaros, viewers witnessed some pretty horrible play this weekend from the sport’s most important position. Collaros and Adams combined to go 48-for-66 (72.7 per cent) passing, for 624 yards, six touchdowns and one interception, while the remaining six QBs were a collective 103-for-183 (56.3 per cent), for 1,169 yards — an average of 195 yards per game — five touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
2) It was a smart move by the CFL to start airing games on Sunday, which will remain until after the Labour Day weekend, stopping once the NFL regular season gets underway. It keeps the conversation and action going all weekend and should help attract better viewership in the US over the summer. If I had one complaint, it’s the fact there are no day games. Seems like a lost opportunity for the CFL to attract families, particularly young kids.
3) After years of complaining, it was nice to finally see TSN add the graphics for the number of timeouts each team has. What should we beef about next?
4) I won’t dive too much into the early controversy around the new naturalized American rule other than to say neither the CFL, nor the CFLPA is all that thrilled with how teams are using it. The rule was intended to extend the careers of aging American players by giving them added value to a roster, while also creating more roster flexibility for the nine clubs. Instead, and quite predictably, teams have found whatever loophole they can to exploit the rule, resulting in some of the best players in the league being listed as backups on the team’s depth chart. It’s made a mockery of the CFL and confused fans, neither of which is good for business.
5) There was lots of talk about Jake Meier benefitting from a full training camp now that he no longer has Bo Levi Mitchell lurking in his shadow. If Thursday was any indication, the Stamps look like they’re in trouble. With star running back Ka’Deem Carey now added to the six-game injured list with a foot injury, finding that chemistry in the air attack is going to be made even tougher. Luckily, Calgary still has Peyton Logan and Dedrick Mills as replacements, but neither player is as dynamic as Carey.
6) As bad as Maier and the Stamps were, the attendance at McMahon Stadium was arguably the night’s worst showing. The total number was listed at 17,942 but it felt like fewer watching on TV. That’s a shockingly low number for a club that not too long ago was the class of the CFL. A weeknight game and smoke in the air from nearby forest fires were common excuses for such a low figure. Let’s hope it doesn’t become a trend.
7) Not much to say on the Lions other than Adams looked solid in his first game as the undisputed starter now that Nathan Rourke is in the NFL. Finding that consistency week to week, something the 30-year-old has struggled to do over his years in the CFL, will be crucial if the Lions want to push the Bombers for top spot in the West Division.
8) The Bombers complete domination of the Ticats reminded the rest of the CFL that the Grey Cup goes through Winnipeg. The Blue and Gold are a motivated group after falling to the Argos in the final last season, and they took some of that anger out on Hamilton before the wheels started to loosen with back-to-back turnovers resulting in a 14-point swing late in the game. Given the continuity in Winnipeg — the Bombers have just seven newcomers this year — I wouldn’t be surprised if they surpass last year’s 9-0 start.
9) Bo Levi Mitchell wasn’t the answer in Calgary anymore. Is he the guy to finally help the Ticats break the longest current Grey Cup drought, dating back to 1999? There’s still plenty of season left, but the early signs aren’t good. While I imagine Mitchell is still working to build chemistry with an entirely new coaching staff and teammates, that doesn’t explain how often he was overthrowing and underthrowing his receivers. The Ticats did a great job opening up explosion plays on offence, it’s just that Mitchell couldn’t connect on them. I counted four throws that had they been on target would have ended with touchdowns.
10) Calling it a defensive battle is playing nice, because what I saw in the Montreal-Ottawa game were two offences unable to move the chains consistently and there’s nothing worse to watch in the CFL. Cody Fajardo was in a new uniform, but he must have felt right at home from his days in Saskatchewan, as he was sacked six times. Nick Arbuckle got sacked only once, but threw three interceptions and never found the end zone. Ottawa should look better once Jeremiah Masoli returns, but I’m skeptical that he’ll be enough to ignite that attack. The East is looking like another dismal group this season.
11) Keep an eye on Alouettes rookie Austin Mack. The 25-year-old former NFLer caught four of his six targets for 120 yards, including a 61-yard reception on the opening drive that led to the game’s only TD.
12) The Elks lost another home game, extending their drought to an ever-growing CFL record of 18 straight losses. This one had to sting extra bad, as the Elks, down 17-13 with slightly more than four minutes remaining, were unable to punch the ball in from the one-yard line despite trying three times. Afterward, GM/head coach Chris Jones took exception to a question about the three failed QB sneaks, calling it “about the worst question I could face,” before listing off other areas that cost them. Jones also had his nose out of joint when asked about the losing skid, ending his answer by thanking the good lord that they play in B.C. next week. In case you’re wondering how things are going over there…
13) As ornery as Jones was to the media, the Lame-O award of the day goes to Elks president Victor Cui. Cui took to Twitter after the game to take a shot at the media, predicting “a negative spin on an unbroken home loss streak,” adding he was focused on thanking the more than 32,000 fans that showed up to Commonwealth Stadium. Why can’t both be true? It was a good showing by the local fans and also another loss. As for spin, there’s nothing you can do to stop a losing streak beyond winning. When the Bombers have won two Grey Cups since your last victory on home turf, it’s definitely a YOU problem.
14) Who else was shaking their heads at the end of Sunday’s game, wondering what the heck the Roughriders were trying to do by getting QB Trevor Harris to run out the clock on a delayed throwing play? With seven seconds remaining and facing a third-and-six at Edmonton’s 24, Harris was given the play call to roll out of the pocket and kill some seconds before draining the clock with a ball deep out of bounds. It played out that way but with a horrible ending, as Harris was sent flying with a push, injuring his lower back on the play. Why not take a chip shot FG? Or put a QB in that if something like what happened happens, your season isn’t derailed if he gets injured. Harris has been limited all week with the injury and when head coach Craig Dickenson was asked if he would be good to start Friday against the visiting Bombers, he answered “no comment.”
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.
Every piece of reporting Jeff produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
History
Updated on Thursday, June 15, 2023 8:49 AM CDT: Corrects reference to coach Dave Dickenson