The 2014 CFL season is heading into Labour Day this weekend, highlighted by the 3 biggest stages; Winnipeg in Regina, Hamilton Hosting their friendly neighbours Toronto and Edmonton visiting Calgary for the battle of Alberta. Also in their inaugural season the Redblacks are Travelling to Montreal to spark a new generation of rivalry.
Many hardcore CFL fans label this weekend the “true” start to the season; others view it as a race to the finish. Either way, it’s the right place for a half-season recap, to grade all teams according to their play. Yes, the West is very competitive, and believe it or not this East is still up for grabs with three teams tied for second (even if a 1-7 record is good enough for the second position there).
So here is how each team looks at the midway point.
Calgary Stampeders (7-1) 1st West – A+
Calgary is collectively playing as good as any team could hope for: seven wins, one loss, and winning games in dominating fashion, they look to be as good if not better than last year’s 14-4 squad. Hufnagel has got them buying into a great system, combined with Bo Levi Mitchell’s excellent play at pivot. They’re winning by crushing teams with their great defence and overpowering offence, the Stamps are running wild in the west with their only blemish against BC. How ever this is the turning point in the season for most teams, with more games scheduled against the west, How will the gang from cow town perform?
Edmonton Eskimos (7-1) 1st West – A
The Eskimos look great, coming off a 4-14 record a year ago and now challenging their rivals to the south for first overall. The only mark against them is a loss to Calgary, and a very sub-par performance against Ottawa, but those things happen and they did what they needed to get the win from the Redblacks. Coach Jones is doing a masterful job with game plans and schemes, QB Mike Reilly is managing the flow of a game and doing it with success, although there is a possible injury to him. Hopefully he won’t miss any field time and continue to contribute to the Eskimos and we’ll watch this feel-good story develop into a playoff story. Labour Day is looming; we’ll see whether Edmonton is for real, and whether they can compete with the Stamps.
Saskatchewan Roughriders (6-2) 2nd West – B
After a 1-2 start to the season, including a 48-15 loss to the Argos and a 13-point defeat to the Lions at home, the Riders have put 5 straight games in the win column, most notably away to Winnipeg and B.C. It seems we are really watching a transformation with this team: gone are the high-flying Riders of the past who would overpower teams with a very potent air attack. Enter the new Riders, a team who protects the ball first, and plays skilled, hard-hitting defence that forces turn overs and makes opponents earn every yard. It’s notable that the Riders play back-to-back games against Winnipeg and need to take advantage to pull away. The Riders still have offensive issues, but they are still winning.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers (6-3) 2nd West – C
It’s half way through the season and the Blue and Gold have accumulated twice as many wins as they had all last season. A labeled starter really can change the mind set of a team, providing stability in the offence. Drew Willy has looked more good than bad in his first year starting behind center, but he is young and will go through some growing pains. Under the guidance of O’Shea and an offence that is racking up yards as well as points, the second half of the season is where we will find out if Winnipeg is ready to contend or are they fine to pretend, back to back games against the Riders will be the building block for this team, or the abyss they need to climb out of.
B.C. Lions (5-4) 3rd West – C
The Lions are a team others fear playing, but they still have not found their identity. They’re a team that plays the West hard but can’t close in on the top of the standings. At 5-4 it is not yet time to panic; they have beaten two Western teams, Calgary by a single and the Riders by 13, But those highlights are combined with throttling losses to Winnipeg and Montreal. Is B.C. better than their record? On paper, yes; on the field we have yet to see. The only team with a bye on Labour Day weekend will look to rest up, and see if Kevin Glenn is healthy enough for the second half of the season. Lions fans need not to worry, this team is last in the West, but only four points out of first.
Toronto Argonauts (3-6) 1st East – D
Despite their poor record, the Argos have managed injuries and stayed out in front in the East. A season of “next man up” for the double blue has been a major reason to the poor record this season, with injuries to their main weapons on offence. Coach Milanovich along with Ricky Ray have done a excellent job in the first half of this year. With a four-point lead on the rest of the East, Labour Day marks the trip to Hamilton with two more points up for grabs. The Argos have put themselves in a position to own the East; even with a 3-6 record they have knocked off two western teams, so it will be interesting to see how they finish with more games scheduled against their division in the second half.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats (1-6) 2nd East – F
The Ticats are in trouble. Coach Austin can’t figure out how to stop his team from taking stupid penalties at horrible times, losing big yardage in the field position battle. Even worse, many of their penalties extend the opposing teams’ stalling drives. The Ticats have looked competitive with close games just slipping away in the dying minutes. Is this team better than their record or grade? No. Winning teams find ways to pull it out of the fire, not roll over and give it away. Until Hamilton can figure out how to win, they will stay at the bottom of the East and question themselves on how they got to the big game last year. If they’re going to figure it out, they need to start soon: they host the Argos on the long weekend and need those two points to crawl closer to their rivals.
Ottawa Redblacks (1-7) 2nd East – F
This is an expansion team, and despite the acquisition of the aging Henry Burris, this team is going through the pains that come with a first year. It’s unfortunate for the city of Ottawa who have been football starved for a while, but this is what happens. Ottawa can start to change their course this week: the Redblacks are playing a Eastern division team, the Alouettes. Starting the second half of the year tied with two other teams for second in the East, Ottawa could win against the Als and position themselves better for the remainder of their season. Yes, this year is about learning, and so far they look like they need to repeat the failed 2014 season.
Montreal Alouettes (1-7) 2nd East – F
The Als were in total disarray earlier this year, with too many blowout losses combined with no game plan on offence. Exit Troy Smith: the experiment is over, and the Als seem to have new life. Granted, they aren’t winning games, but they looked much improved against Saskatchewan and Winnipeg. Their lone win was against a Western team with a victory against the Lions. That’s the positive and that’s what they need to build on. A great defence combined with ball security and discipline could propel the Als from the second-place logjam In the East.
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