CFL West

When CFL Coach of the Year Kent Austin left the Saskatchewan Roughriders it was shocking news to the fans and players. However, that wasn't all that happened in the off-season.

They lost Corey Holmes, Val St. Germain, Kerry Joseph and Fred Perry. People thought the Riders weren't going to repeat as Canadian Football League Champions. Here are five reasons why the Riders are having an undefeated season so far.

1. Ken Miller: The Riders former offensive coordinator and former Argos coach became the head coach of the Riders on Feb. 6. It was a very wise decision by GM Eric Tillman. Ken called many plays for the Riders as they led the CFL in touchdowns in 2007. He is also very wise, a good communicator, and a great team builder. That is exactly what the Riders needed for the 2008 season.
2. Secondary: The Riders' last line of defence is proving to be the best in the league, led by veteran Eddie Davis. James Johnson, a defensive back, was the MVP of the Grey Cup with three interceptions and a TD. He is continuing the trend, as he is proving  to be the Riders' best DB. 
3. Quarterback Depth: When Marcus Crandell got injured in the early part of the season, everyone thought QB would be a weak spot in the offence. That was a bad idea, because Darian Durant is now fighting for the No. 1 spot with a 67.5 passing percentage and 744 passing yards. He has definitely been a surprise for the Riders thus far.
4. Late-Game Heroics: In the last two games against the Montreal Alouettes and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the Riders came back within the three minute warning from being down in both games. Against Hamilton. Durant completed a pass through the middle to Weston Dressler, who stepped in for injured receiver D.J. Flick. He ran to the 1- yard line and got the ball stripped out at the one yard line. The Riders later punched it in for six to win the game. Against Montreal, Dominguez got the comeback started with a controversial catch in the end zone. From there, the Riders completely dominated the game.
5. The Fans! At home games the crowd is loud, green, and Mosaic Stadium is sold out. I'm sure if the organization put in about 5,000 more seats, it would still be sold out! The fans are full of Rider Pride and are the most passionate fans in the CFL. They are found all over Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, Hamilton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, and Toronto!

Under the dome at B.C. Place on Friday night, the BC Lions were looking to "win one for Bob." as Bob Ackles, BC Lions’ President and Chief Executive Officer, died at the age of 69 from a heart attack on July 6.

The Lions hoped to get their second win of the season, and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers hoped to get their first win.

The Bombers would get the first score of the game with a beautiful 74-yard TD pass from Kevin Glenn to Romney Bryant, who after escaping a diving attempt by a BC Lions defender, ran the ball in for a 7-0 lead for Winnipeg.

On Kevin Glenn's next possession, however, Reggie Myles would intercept his pass for a one yard return.

Reggie Myles's interception would end in a goal line stand by the Blue Bombers defense. The 12 play, 5:19 long drive ended in a 12 yard field goal by BC's Kicker Paul McCallum, who missed his first field goal in the first quarter.

McCallum’s field goal would make the score 7-4 for the Blue Bombers.

On the Bombers next drive, Romney Bryant would make a nice catch for a first down. Bryant's 16-yard catch would put them on their 50-yard line.

After a few more gains, the Bombers were able to set up a beautiful 42-yard field goal for Alexis Serna, who has not missed a field goal yet in his rookie CFL career with the Bombers.

However, on the next Bombers possession, BC Lions' DB Koery Banks would pick off the pass, and after rolling and getting back up, Banks would score a 36-yard TD off the interception.

This would make the score 11-10 for the BC Lions. Jason Nugent would retaliate with an interception of his own in the end zone with just over 25 seconds left in the second quarter.

The Blue Bombers would have a 11-11 tie at the end of the second quarter, but that would all change quickly as Cam Hall would intercept a pass by Jarious Jackson and take it home untouched for a 22-yard Bombers score.

The score was now 18-11 for the Blue Bombers.

On the second last play of the third quarter, Jarious Jackson would throw a deep pass that would be caught by Lions WR Paris Jackson for a 56-yard gain. The drive would end in a 18-14 Bombers lead after a 25-yard field goal by K Paul McCallum.

On a 2nd and 20, the BC Lions would have a huge play. Jarious Jackson would air it out into the end zone for a 48-yard TD pass to Geroy Simon. This would give the BC Lions a 21-18 lead early in the fourth quarter.

The Lions would also get another field goal for a 24-18 BC Lions lead.

Kevin Glenn knew he needed to get some points, and he needed them fast. With the fourth quarter ending in 6:19, Kevin Glenn threw a deep ball to Romney Bryant, who would take it 52-yards before being tackled.

This would set up the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on the BC Lions 23-yard line.

However, after the next play would come, the biggest controversy yet in the game. Korey Banks would intercept a pass intended for Arjei Franklin in the end zone and take a touchback.

However, no matter what replay was seen, it was clear to even Lions’ fans that Banks pushed Franklin, who fell to the ground. However, the play was not reviewed by the referees, and the game went on.

The Lions would score one final field goal and would come out of this one victorious, winning 27-18. This would put the Lions at 2-2, and the Bombers would stay winless at 0-4.

The Bombers face the Calgary Stampeders on Thursday night in Winnipeg and will look for their first win.

Player of the Game: In a losing effort, the player of the game, in my opinion, must go to Romney Bryant, who had many key receptions in the game. He caught five balls for a total of 146 yards, averaging out to 24.2 yards per catch.

Congratulations to Romney Bryant on a great game.

Friday's heartbreaking 27-18 loss to the Lions has left the Bombers searching for answers as to what is wrong.  This 0-4 start marks they're worst start since 2005 when then head coach Jim Daley led them to a dubious 0-4 start. 

The Bombers actually probably put out they're best effort of the season on Friday night but still came away with nothing.  They just seem to be always getting the short end of the stick.

While the Lions were able to once again get the better of the Bombers, a missed call in the fourth quarter could very well have changed the game in Winnipeg's favour.  When things are not going well, nothing goes your way and that includes the referees' decisions. 

The Lions had just taken the lead with a Geroy Simon touchdown when cornerback, Jovon Johnson slipped on the play. It looked like the Bombers would not even come back at all.  However, the Bombers, for the first time this season, showed some resiliency.

On the following drive, Glenn hit speedster, Romby Bryant for a 52 yard strike and set up the Bombers deep in Lions territory.  The following play, however, Glenn was intercepted for the third time in the game by Korey Banks. 

However, if you look at the play again, he clearly was bumped by Arjei Franklin who should have been called for pass interference, which would have put the ball down on the one yard line.  With the clock winding down at the time, that could have meant the game.  The Bombers were furious as even GM Brandan Taman was on the Bomber sideline protesting the call.

S,o the Bombers find themselves at the cellar of the CFL, still win-less this season thanks to that call.  While 0-4 looks tough, it is definitely not the end of the season, as the East has really faltered this year with the Allouettes leading the divison by a mere four points and the Argos and Ti-cats with only two points respectively. 

Also, some positives can be taken from the last game, despite the fact that the late missed call may have cost them the game. The Bombers defense deserves a lot of credit for the close game as Doug Brown and Gavin Walls and the entire defense was huge when they needed to be, keeping B.C. out of the end zone several times when they had the opportunity. 

They bent but they definitely didn't break and had they gotten a little more help from the offense in the second half, they could very well have pulled out their first win.  To all Bomber fans out there, stay positive. A few adjustments and the Bombers are close to being back to they're old selves from last year.

Calgary Stampeders vs. Hamilton Tiger Cats

Thursday July 17 at 9:00 PM (ET) on TSN in Canada

In another treat for the Ivor Wynne faithful, the Cats take on a never say die Calgary club.  

That is, if those never say die Stamps show up.  In the first three games this season, we have been treated to two Calgary clubs.  One that is capable of dominating opponents, and one that can't close out a less talented bunch.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs. BC Lions

Friday July 18 at 10:00 PM (ET) on TSN

In a repeat from week three, these clubs bash helmets again. Kevin Glenn remains the starter for a desperate Bomber team, and the Lions couldn't be more happy about it.  Do NOT miss this one!

Montreal Alouettes vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders

Saturday July 19 at 7:00 PM (ET) on TSN

The injury bug has spoiled Reggie Hunt's return to Mosaic Stadium, but don't fret, he will make himself visible for his fans.  

Rookie head coaches Mark Trestman and Ken Miller will try to out scheme each other in this East vs. West battle. 

Edmonton Eskimos vs. Toronto Argonauts

Sunday July 20 at 4:00 PM (ET) on TSN

Edmonton will try to keep pace with Calgary and Saskatchewan, and who knows what rookie DB Tristan Jackson will do this week.

Last week Jackson had an electrifying interception return of 89 yards for a TD, only to one-up himself on the next Eskimo possession with a punt return for 61 yards and another TD.

Notes

It is my observation that the 3-0 Riders and 0-3 Bombers prove how much parity exists between all the current clubs, even if the numbers don't automatically suggest that.  

Prior to the first kickoff on opening day, analysts scrambled to pick the best and the rest from a stable of talented teams.  

The 3-0 Roughriders were generally not given any credit for team depth, and they have shot out of the gate despite player losses via free agency, trades, and injuries.

The Blue Bombers were touted to be Eastern Division champs come November by most pundits.  Stumbling instead of sprinting, they find themselves with an 0-3 record and facing for the second consecutive week a team most writers pick to win it all, the BC Lions.

On Friday night at the Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers received yet another beating, and lost to the BC Lions.

The Bombers now hold the oh-so-prestigious title of "the only winless team in the Canadian Football League." Not so prestigious after all, is it?

The first quarter started off with a bang, as Fred Ried used some swift spins and broke some tackles to return the kickoff 33 yards, all the way to the Winnipeg 49-yard line. Kicker Alexis Serna would kick a 48-yard field goal for a 3-0 Bombers lead.

With 10 minutes left in the first quarter, the Blue Bombers defence gave the fans in Canad Inns Stadium something to cheer about.

After a crisp pass from QB Jarious Jackson to Jason Clermont, DB Jason Nugent had a huge hit on Clermont that seemed to have injury written all over it. However, Clermont shook off the monstrous hit and play continued.

However, Clarence Coleman was able to avenge the big hit on Clermont. With 7:31 left in the first, Coleman caught a ball from Jackson on the goal line and fell into the end zone, making the score 7-3 for the BC Lions.

BC would increase its lead to 13-5 in the second quarter with a 1-yard pass to backup FB Rolly Lumbala. This would put the Lions up 20-5, and BC led 21-5 at halftime.

The Lions would come out with a fast score on their first play of the half. Geroy Simon would beat out the Bombers defence in a sprint all the way to the end zone, a 76-yard TD passing score. This would but the Bombers down 28-5.

On the Lions' next drive, QB Jackson would throw a ball for a beautiful catch by Jason Clermont for 36 yards, placing the Lions offence at the 3-yard line. On the next play, Jackson would connect with Geroy Simon again in the end zone, this time with a 3-yard score.

The Bombers have decided by now that they have had enough of Kevin Glenn, and they put Ryan Dinwiddie on the field. And then folks, the game starts rolling. On his second drive, Dinwiddie sets up a field goal, making the score 35-8 for the Bombers.

On the next drive, the BC Lions Stefan Logan showed his speed and picked up 66 yards after finally being tackled by Kelly Malveaux at the 9-yard line. The drive was capped off by a 9-yard TD pass on the next play to Clarence Coleman, making the score a whopping 42-8.

However, Dinwiddie would give the Bombers something to talk about with an amazing 4-yard TD pass to Derick Armstrong, making the score 42-15. The Lions P/K Paul McCallum would also take a safety, and the score was then 42-17.

With 2:11 left in the fourth quarter on a third-and-10, Dinwiddie would have a 20-yard run up to the 20-yard line. Dinwiddie would later run for a 1-yard score, making this game 42-24 for the BC Lions.

Dinwiddie must be hoping for the start, as he played this game until the very end.

So, as time ran out, the Blue Bombers still had a glimpse of hope: Ryan Dinwiddie. So, we will have to wait until next week, when these two teams face again in British Columbia, to see if Ryan Dinwiddie gets the start against the BC Lions.

Player of the Game: This choice was not made because I am a Winnipeg Blue Bombers fan, but my player of the game is Ryan Dinwiddie. He played with a lot of heart until the end, even when there was 0 percent chance of winning this game. Congratulations to Dinwiddie, and I personally think he really deserves the start against the BC Lions next week.

-Chris Allen

This Friday night at the Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg Manitoba, the Blue Bombers and the British Columbia Lions are both looking to win their first game of the season.

For two teams who were often predicted as the Grey Cup match-up, 0-2 is definitely not a good start to the season. Depending on how the rest of the season goes, this could still be a Grey Cup preview.

It wouldn't be the first time that a team had come back from 0-2 to win the Grey Cup though. In 2002, BC Lions coach Wally Buono went 0-3 to start the season with the Calgary Stampeders. Buono won the Grey Cup that year.

The Blue Bombers have had trouble in all areas during the first two weeks of this CFL season, but none to big, totaling a score of 61-40 for the opposing team this season.

The Bombers will not be doing to bad in the standings with a win this weekend, as Toronto lost to the Edmonton Eskimos on Thursday night, making them 1-2, and the Calgary Stameders defeated the Montreal Alouettes, for a 2-1 record.

Depending how the Hamilton Tigercats do against the Roughriders after the Bombers game, there could be a three-way tie for second place in the east division.

That’s right, folks, the Bombers are still closer than it seems to clinching second place.

The B.C. Lions, however, are not so lucky on the west side of things.

The Edmonton Eskimos and Calgary Stampeders have both gone 2-1 on Thursday with wins, and the Saskatchewan Roughriders could stay undefeated at 3-0 or go to 2-1 tomorrow, depending on the results of the game against Hamilton tomorrow.

No matter what the outcome is against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the BC Lions will stay in last place in their division.

In their last meeting, the Blue Bombers lost to the BC Lions in Winnipeg.

Now, for my big question...why hasn't Milt Stegall been playing? It's a good question, and no one is really sure. However, Stegall is not injured, the Bombers are 0-2, and once again, Stegall is not scheduled as the starting Slotback for tonights game.

Now, I am not saying that without Stegall, the Blue Bombers are nothing, because Milt Stegall was supposedly 100% sure that he was retiring last year, so 0-2 is where they would've been anyways. However, with a  match-up of Stegall, Edwards, Franklin and Armstrong, I have a feeling that the Bombers offence would be unstoppable.

One more question, in reference to my article here. While researching information for the article, it seemed to me that the Bombers medical and training staff thought this would be a quick injury. However, with the third week coming up, Alexis Serna is on the depth chart as both punter and kicker. Bombers fans will hope that Serna is able to handle punting duties after a blocked punt in week one and a sack in week two. For more on Serna's situation see here. 

Who will win this game?

It depends on whether the Blue Bombers can show some enthusiasm in Friday night’s game, which was non-existent in their last loss against the Alouettes. For more on this, check out Matt Eichel's article here.

Watch the game at 7:30 PM (ET) on Wendy's Friday Night Football, only on TSN, Canada's Sports Leader.

 

Ok, well this scenario is kind of a long shot, but it is definitely possible. The Roughriders look like they are going to have some problems this season with quarterbacking and just winning as a whole. But I have conjured up a possible scenario to solve their problems.

For it to happen, it will require a lot of luck on the behalf of the Riders.

First off, it will require former CFL Superstar Kenton Keith to get cut from the Indianapolis Colts. This may happen if you take into account his inability to hold on to the ball last year, but more importantly his trouble with the law down in the NFL. The Roughriders still have the rights to Kenton Keith therefore if he was cut he would come down and play with the Riders. One of the fastest players in the league when he played down here, with the muscle he put on in the States Keith would be near unstoppable.

Secondly, it would require injury prone Jesse Lumsden of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to come down with another injury that would end his season. Now, I don't want to wish injury on a player but it would, in my scenario help the Roughriders drive to success.

With the Roughriders now having two runningbacks, and the Tiger-Cats in need of one, a trade would be needed. Considering how good Keith would be, the Riders would no longer need runningback Wes Cates, therefore he is how the trade would go down.

To Hamilton: Wes Cates, Marcus Crandell or Stephen Jyles and 2 Second Round picks in 2009 and 2010

To Saskatchewan: Richie Williams, Terry Caulley and a 4th Round Pick

That is a trade I think both teams would accept and it would also benefit both teams now wouldn't it?

Last season with the Ti-Cats, Richie Williams started 2 games and completed 80 out of 130 passes for 852 yards, 6 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He also carried the ball 32 times for 169 yards.

In my mind, he would be a step up from Marcus Crandell or anything the Riders have, maybe add a couple of draft picks to the Ti-Cats if they wouldn't accept that and there you go a good trade to benefit both teams and to help the Roughriders repeat for the title.

If you haven't yet bought your plasma HDTV, you might want to do it before tomorrow night.  Why, you ask?  That's when the 2008 CFL season kicks off with the Montreal Alouettes marching into Ivor Wynne Stadium to take on the Hamilton Tiger Cats at 7 PM ET.

Just to let you know, the game will be on TSN HD.

After the match at Ivor Wynne, the scene shifts to the second part of the opening night double header in Calgary where the BC Lions play the Stampeders at 9 PM ET.

Finishing out Week 1 of CFL play are the Toronto Argonauts playing the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Canad Inns Stadium while the Edmonton Eskimos march into Regina to take on the defending Grey Cup Champion Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Yet this will be an entirely different Roughrider squad that took home the Grey Cup last season.  With the loss of QB Kerry Joseph, the Riders are looking to Marcus Crandell to lead the offensive charge.

Compared to many seasons previous, the 2008 CFL season boasts many top name quarterbacks that could help the league's overall scoring to go up during the 2008 campaign.  With veterans Anthony Calvillo and Ricky Ray back, along with Winnipeg's Kevin Glenn and Toronto's two-pronged QB attack with Michael Bishop and Kerry Joseph, the CFL could be looking at an offensive outburst this season.

Despite many proven quarterbacks playing, the BC Lions hopes rest on the arm of Buck Pierce.  After passing Jarius Jackson on the depth chart list during training camp and the pre-season, Pierce has earned the recognition of legendary head coach Wally Buono after the departure of Dave Dickenson.

The kicking drama in Winnipeg continues to grow with the injury to punter Duncan O'Mahony.  While getting up in the middle of the night in his house, O'Mahony stubbed his toe and broke it.  Rookie Alexis Serna will take the role of both punter and field goal kicker against Toronto on Friday.

To get more info on the going-ons in the CFL, check out Kelly Bundle's "CFL Quick Fix".

For CFL This Week, I'm Matt Eichel

Sources:

www.cfl.ca

www.bluebombers.com

www.riderville.ca