Every CFL week includes enough highlights for fans to talk about until football returns a week later, and a few lowlights that keep fans shaking their heads. The LWOS CFL team takes a look with Three and Out Week 7 at the highlights and lowlights of the week that was in the CFL.
Three and Out Week 7 CFL
Game of the Week: Ottawa Redblacks vs. Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos let another one get away this week with a 23-20 road loss at the hands of the Ottawa Redblacks. Despite the lack of points, the drama makes this one the game of the week, as predicted. This was the battle of two of the leagues best defensive teams.
The Redblacks have been the more consistent team, however the Eskimos kept them in it right until the end. In the second quarter, Ottawa’s Henry Burris rifled the ball to Ernest Jackson for the only offensive touchdown in the first three quarters. After a penalty marred a field goal, Edmonton looked like they had found the finish they’ve so desperately been trying to find.
About five minutes into the fourth quarter it was linebacker J.C. Sherritt playing Johnny-on-the-spot and running onto a loose ball, off of wide receiver Chris Williams foot, for a defensive touchdown. Following the lead-changing score, the Eskimos completed a 2-point conversion to put themselves up by seven points.
Ottawa had different ideas. Burris led a courageous drive that resulted in a Williams touchdown. A bit of redemption for both. That tied the game. Minutes later Redblacks defensive back, Jermaine Robinson, intercepted the Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly with a return that would set up a field goal. New father Chris Milo delivered his third on the night and the Redblacks made good at home.
– Kelly Bale (@LWOSKBale)
Player of the Week: Jerome Messam
The Calgary Stampeders beat Saskatchewan Roughriders on Thursday night, and a big reason for the win was the play of running back, Jerome Messam.
Messam had 17 carries for 109 yards and one touchdown in the game. His impact was not only restrict to the ground game as he caught five passes for 36 yards. He had slow start to the game as he only rushed for 31 yards on seven carries in the first half. He did catch a 17-yard pass near the end of the second quarter which resulted in a 31-yard field goal by kicker, Rene Paredes.
Messam made his impact felt in the fourth quarter when the Stamps needed to close out the win. In the quarter, he had nine carries for 72 yards and had one-yard touchdown run. In the fourth quarter, he had three large runs of 19-yards, 15-yards and 11-yards. He was responsible for six out of 35 points scored by the Stamps, but on the drives in which he carried the ball, the Stamps scored 22 out of 35 points.
After his great performance on Thursday night, Messam now leads the CFL in rushing with 404 yards. The Stamps will head to Saskatchewan for a rematch this Saturday.
– Casey Dulson (@Casey_Dulson)
Unnecessary Participation: Henry Burris/TSN Panel Saga
Smilin’ Hank looked anything but a 41-year-old professional athlete Saturday night. At halftime, the veteran ripped into the CFL on TSN’s panel for criticising his play. After answering a question about the game from Matthew Scianitti, the reporter asked Burris about his passion and Burris pointed at the camera and claimed that he has turned four teams around in his career, and he is ready to take control of his team again.
At halftime, the panel featuring Chris Schultz, Matt Dunigan and Milt Stegall weighed in on his comments. With all three being former players themselves, they took the criticism well and said that if they could criticise a player, they should be able to be criticised back. Fair enough.
The real problem in this situation is, as Stegall put it, the timing of Burris’ comments. As a veteran player, he knows to focus on the game, especially at halftime in a Grey Cup rematch. He cannot get all wired up before he needs to meet his team mates in the room and focus on the second half. If he wants to make those comments, there is a time and a place, and that is after the game, in a less-heated manner.
Burris is well-respected by the panel, and they are well respected by him. Why couldn’t he have talked to them personally? Why does he need to let his feelings known on national TV?
There is no problem with Burris’ criticism towards the panel, but he needs to find a better place to do it.
– Nicholas Di Giovanni (@LWOSNick)
Main Photo.
