This past week in the CFL was an exciting one; it solidified who clinched first place and set the stage for the 2015 CFL West Playoffs.
What We Knew
Going into this weekend, two games were going to set the stage for the 2015 CFL West playoffs. The B.C. Lions and the Toronto Argonauts battled it out Friday night, and although many Toronto fans were seeking a win with the much anticipated return of Ricky Ray, the Lions were victorious. The game wasn’t without its flaws, but the win did secure a playoff game for B.C.. It eliminated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers from a playoff spot but slimmed the chances of an Eastern cross-over.
The second game that was to determine the playoff landscape was Sunday’s Montreal Alouettes and Edmonton Eskimos game. The Alouettes were still alive for a chance to cross-over into the West. I really thought that Montreal, under veteran Kevin Glenn’s leadership, would prove to be a challenge for Edmonton, who needed the win to clinch first place in the West. I thought that needing a win to have a chance at the playoffs would be enough motivation for Montreal. It wasn’t enough. The breakdown for the Als came with about five minutes left in the game when they were down 11 points and in the red zone. Back-up quarterback Tanner Marsh was going in for the sneak but he fumbled the ball and the Eskimos recovered. This put the nail in the coffin for the Alouettes.
How it Played Out
The Edmonton win eliminated the Montreal Alouettes from the playoffs and earned them first place in the West. The Eskimos will get the next two weeks on bye and won’t play until November 22, when they host the winner of the semi-finals. Is that a good thing? Edmonton fans are rejoicing for claiming first, and rightfully so, but three weeks off from game playing doesn’t seem like much of an advantage, in my opinion. But that’s another debate for another time.
Now the Stage is Set
Edmonton is sitting pretty in first place waiting to see who they will play in the West finals. The Calgary Stampeders played the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Halloween, and as expected, no ghosts or goblins stole the win from Calgary. The Stampeders marched their way into second place with a definitive 42-19 win.
You might think that with that kind of win, Calgary played great football. For the majority, yes they did. Joe West had eight catches with over 100 receiving yards and the former Rider, Jerome Messam, blew away the crowd with over 120 rushing yards. On paper, that’s great.
It’s what was missed that worries Calgary fans and the coaching staff. There were a lot of dropped balls. Bo Levi Mitchell was bang on the numbers of receivers only to result in dropped balls. The defence, really, was no better. As Scott Fisher from the Calgary Sun reported, “The Stamps defence, which had a good outing, could have snagged a couple of picks but couldn’t wrap up the ball. Better to happen in a blowout than a close game, and better now than in the playoffs. Those drops would be killers in a couple of weeks.” In the West Final in 2010, against the Roughriders, ironically enough, the Calgary receivers couldn’t hold onto the ball to save their lives. Granted, it was cold, icy conditions. Dropped balls cost games.
I’m not sure why the Stampeders played Bo Levi Mitchell for the majority of the game. Would you not want to sit him out? Have they not been paying attention to quarterback injuries this season? I’m not saying that Calgary should have taken the Roughriders for granted, but with such a wide lead for the majority of the game, Drew Tate should have played. Now is not the time to gamble with chance; keep your star players healthy.
The End Result
On Sunday, November 15th, Calgary will host the B.C. Lions for the West Semi-finals, and the winner will face the Edmonton Eskimos the following week in a sure-to-be-chilly and enthusiastic Commonwealth Stadium for the finals.
One thing is for sure: both B.C. and Calgary have to clean up some minor mistakes, with potentially costly consequences, and play relatively penalty-free football if they want their chance to make it to the Grey Cup in Winnipeg. Edmonton versus Calgary or B.C.; that’s how the 2015 CFL West playoffs will be played.
Main Photo.
