CFL Playoff Games -- November 23, 2014

[WestCoastJoe]

Re Lochard. 6' 200.

He runs the ball very well. Fast enough. Senses contact. Absorbs contact well. Has some elusiveness. Breaks some tackles. Pretty strong. I like the way he runs, as he did at Laval. Looks like he has some promise/potential as a CFL running back.

ST specialist, both on coverage and receiving team.

[sj-roc]

Dare I dream of Cgy and Edm losses and a chance to pull even in wins with them both?

Let us pray.

Edm leading Tor 31-10 at the half despite losing starting QB Mike Reilly (to what is being reported as a right thumb injury) on their first offensive series. Looks like that prayer will go unanswered.

[WestCoastJoe]

Signs about town ...

Saucy in green, huh?

Anything else going on in that little town back on the prairies? Ummmm ... Nope. Just green mania.

I don't mind it at all. The Little Green Franchise keeps the CFL going, it seems to me.

[TheLionKing]

Dare I dream of Cgy and Edm losses and a chance to pull even in wins with them both?

Let us pray.

Edm leading Tor 31-10 at the half despite losing starting QB Mike Reilly (to what is being reported as a right thumb injury) on their first offensive series. Looks like that prayer will go unanswered.

Argos mounting a comeback 31-23 early in the 4th quarter.

[sj-roc]

Let us pray.

Edm leading Tor 31-10 at the half despite losing starting QB Mike Reilly (to what is being reported as a right thumb injury) on their first offensive series. Looks like that prayer will go unanswered.

Argos mounting a comeback 31-23 early in the 4th quarter.

I've already been let down too many times this year counting on the east for help in digging ourselves out of the basement. This one's already in Edm's W column AFAIC. If it comes to pass otherwise, gravy.

[TheLionKing]

Edmonton's lead is now 34-24

[TheLionKing]

Argos made it interesting but in the end Edmonton goes to 6-1 with a 41-24 win.

[notahomer]

Als lost their 6th straight 24-16. Two very questionable decisions by Tom Higgins. Gambled on 3rd and 2 early in the game and lost. Should have challenge what appear to be a rather obvious interference but didn't.

This was another one of those games where the officiating had me

I know, I know its a tough job and I certainly couldn't do a better job. I can at least admit it, many fans KNOW FOR A FACT they'd do better.

That being said, how on earth was that PI called on Montreal inside of 3 minutes? If its a penalty according to the rules then lots of other flags should have flown THAT game. And challenges of PI that were not confirmed SHOULD HAVE BEEN, IMO.

As you noted TLK, Higgins HAD TO challenge that non-call on SJ Green based on what had just been called PI. Glen Suitor nailed it (in terms of my complaints/concerns/questions) in regard to this PI that was only called AFTER a video review. NOT CALLED on the field but somehow it was enough on video.

I don't want it to seem I'm trying to take away from the Bombers. This is a time of game where the Bombers have worked hard to pull out wins this season, whereas in the past, other teams fed the Bombers losses. My point is simply consistency. I do not understand why things are a certain way, call after call and then suddenly "YUP, thats PI".... Just my and bottom line is still the Al's didn't do enough to win, Bombers did!

[notahomer]

Argos made it interesting but in the end Edmonton goes to 6-1 with a 41-24 win.

I hate Chris Jones but I love the way he's got his team playing. Hitting them hard and trying to rip the football away. Starter goes out early and the Esks still do enough on all sides of the ball to get the win. You can tell the Al's are going to be a better team once they get their recievers happening again.

IIRC, I picked the Bombers and Eskimos to win (DUH, western teams playing eastern?) but both these games had times where I thought the eastern teams had scraped off enough rust to perform well enough to win. One misquote, I think, by Suitor. He claims the 22-3 (or whatever it is) record of west teams over east teams is going to improve due to the east teams playing each other. Don't see how the fact Montreal is not going to play many more games against west teams is going to improve their record against west teams. I think what he meant is Montreal stands a better chance of winning some games against the Redblacks, Argos and Ticats. I can't see them (the ALs) beating a western team this season. Last night was their best shot, IMO but the optimist will always say, the next time is when we'll get them.....

It is a bit of a scheduling quirk, IMO, that they (the Al's)have only played one divisional game so far this season......

[Rammer]

Argos made it interesting but in the end Edmonton goes to 6-1 with a 41-24 win.

I hate Chris Jones but I love the way he's got his team playing. Hitting them hard and trying to rip the football away. Starter goes out early and the Esks still do enough on all sides of the ball to get the win. You can tell the Al's are going to be a better team once they get their recievers happening again.

IIRC, I picked the Bombers and Eskimos to win (DUH, western teams playing eastern?) but both these games had times where I thought the eastern teams had scraped off enough rust to perform well enough to win. One misquote, I think, by Suitor. He claims the 22-3 (or whatever it is) record of west teams over east teams is going to improve due to the east teams playing each other. Don't see how the fact Montreal is not going to play many more games against west teams is going to improve their record against west teams. I think what he meant is Montreal stands a better chance of winning some games against the Redblacks, Argos and Ticats. I can't see them (the ALs) beating a western team this season. Last night was their best shot, IMO but the optimist will always say, the next time is when we'll get them.....

It is a bit of a scheduling quirk, IMO, that they (the Al's)have only played one divisional game so far this season......

Als of course have beat a Western team this season already, our LIons. If Reilly can't start the next game, the Esks look alot like the Als, good D, and not much on O. Reilly has been their offense almost single handed, save for Bowman.

[sj-roc]

It's kind of crazy that after our game wraps tomorrow (and barring an unlikely tie — which, btw would still leave DS on the hook as he guaranteed a WIN), there could be four western teams who will EACH have at least as many wins as the ENTIRE east division, combined. Only an Ott upset of Cgy early tomorrow afternoon will avert this dubious distinction.

[Toppy Vann]

Argos made it interesting but in the end Edmonton goes to 6-1 with a 41-24 win.

I hate Chris Jones but I love the way he's got his team playing. Hitting them hard and trying to rip the football away. Starter goes out early and the Esks still do enough on all sides of the ball to get the win. You can tell the Al's are going to be a better team once they get their recievers happening again.

IIRC, I picked the Bombers and Eskimos to win (DUH, western teams playing eastern?) but both these games had times where I thought the eastern teams had scraped off enough rust to perform well enough to win. One misquote, I think, by Suitor. He claims the 22-3 (or whatever it is) record of west teams over east teams is going to improve due to the east teams playing each other. Don't see how the fact Montreal is not going to play many more games against west teams is going to improve their record against west teams. I think what he meant is Montreal stands a better chance of winning some games against the Redblacks, Argos and Ticats. I can't see them (the ALs) beating a western team this season. Last night was their best shot, IMO but the optimist will always say, the next time is when we'll get them.....

It is a bit of a scheduling quirk, IMO, that they (the Al's)have only played one divisional game so far this season......

The one GM I disliked Ed Hervey did one smart thing - hire a good HC - at least so far.

The QB in Mike Reilly was almost a no brainer and the dusting off of his former future star and now backup Matt Nichols looked impressive in the hi-lites.

Loved the Odell Willis lateral. Coaches hate this as they can drop the ball and unlike soccer where passing is practiced as it's the essence of soccer - they typically in pro don't practice laterals - I think they should. It's an exciting part of the game.

[Rammer]

Argos made it interesting but in the end Edmonton goes to 6-1 with a 41-24 win.

I hate Chris Jones but I love the way he's got his team playing. Hitting them hard and trying to rip the football away. Starter goes out early and the Esks still do enough on all sides of the ball to get the win. You can tell the Al's are going to be a better team once they get their recievers happening again.

IIRC, I picked the Bombers and Eskimos to win (DUH, western teams playing eastern?) but both these games had times where I thought the eastern teams had scraped off enough rust to perform well enough to win. One misquote, I think, by Suitor. He claims the 22-3 (or whatever it is) record of west teams over east teams is going to improve due to the east teams playing each other. Don't see how the fact Montreal is not going to play many more games against west teams is going to improve their record against west teams. I think what he meant is Montreal stands a better chance of winning some games against the Redblacks, Argos and Ticats. I can't see them (the ALs) beating a western team this season. Last night was their best shot, IMO but the optimist will always say, the next time is when we'll get them.....

It is a bit of a scheduling quirk, IMO, that they (the Al's)have only played one divisional game so far this season......

The one GM I disliked Ed Hervey did one smart thing - hire a good HC - at least so far.

The QB in Mike Reilly was almost a no brainer and the dusting off of his former future star and now backup Matt Nichols looked impressive in the hi-lites.

Loved the Odell Willis lateral. Coaches hate this as they can drop the ball and unlike soccer where passing is practiced as it's the essence of soccer - they typically in pro don't practice laterals - I think they should. It's an exciting part of the game.

Nichols didn't look so good, some big plays by his backs and IIRC one good long pass by him. If Reilly isn't running that O, the Esks are looking much like Montreal to me.

[WestCoastJoe]

Game Notes:
•BC’s win over Toronto marked the franchise’s 500th regular season win, moving it to .500 all-time with a record of 500-500-24.

•Last week the Lions posted their sixth straight game of 20-plus carries, something they haven’t achieved since Sept. 2007, 126 games ago. Since 2000 they are 113-34 when hitting that mark, and 30-2 since Aug. 2011.

•Emmanuel Arceneaux has been the league’s leading receiver since returning from injury, posting 27 catches for 472 yards and five touchdowns in six weeks.

•The Lions have won eight of the last 12 meetings with Saskatchewan, including four of five at BC Place. The last three meetings have been decided by 13 points or more.

•Tim Brown was last week’s Special Teams Player of the Week, returning 10 punts for 169 yards (including two of 70-plus yards) and had 249 total return yards. Brown passed Larry Crawford to become the team’s all-time kick return leader with 6,200 yards.

•The Lions gained just 125 yards in the first half against the Argos last weekend, but rebounded with 237 yards and three scoring drives in the final 30:00.

•The Riders’ last two wins were both by less than a touchdown and a total of 11 points. In each game the margin was within a point entering the fourth quarter, and the Riders forced several late-game turnovers to win.

•Saskatchewan has scored just one offensive touchdown in its last two games and 39 possessions, getting into the red zone just once in the past two games. On the positive side, though, the Riders haven’t committed a turnover over the last 37 possessions.

•The Riders are in search of a third straight road victory, something they haven’t accomplished since the start of 2013 and before that 2008, part of a six-game road winning streak.

•Durant is 19-24-1 on the road in his career and is 1-3 at BC Place. He also played two games at Vancouver’s Empire Field in 2010-2011, going 1-2.

•In last week’s game the Riders ran the ball just five times in the first half for only 13 yards, but bounced back in the second half with 17 rushes for 96 yards to control the ball for 17:43. The Lions did the same thing against the Argos last weekend.

[WestCoastJoe]

Nye: Riders, Lions game has makings of a classic

Posted: August 24, 2014 09:00 AM

Jamie Nye

What a difference a month makes.

When the Saskatchewan Roughriders and B.C. Lions left the field on July 12th they both had identical 1-2 records.

They were staring up at undefeated western rivals.

When they head into B.C. Place they are among the hottest teams in the league. The Riders are undefeated since that loss to B.C. and the Lions turned that win into five victories in their last six games.

Both teams look back on that night in July as a turning point to the season.

“That game alone was motivation for the last four games we had alone,” admitted defensive tackle Tearrius George.

Andrew Harris’ near 200 yards from scrimmage had the Riders defence fuming. A players only meeting afterwards helped change the mindset for some.

“It was more or less correlating some thoughts to the younger guys. Letting them know that this is pro ball and stuff like this can’t continue to go on because next thing you know you got NFL cuts and people will be coming in here and what we needed to do to get back to where we were last year as a group,” explained George.

It’s worked.

The Riders haven’t allowed more than 17 points over their four game winning streak.

Call it a wake up call and the Riders are heading into B.C. to prove themselves against that team they felt embarrassed by in Week 3.

“That last game we missed a lot of tackles and it’s not going to happen this week,” guaranteed Tyron Brackenridge.

“We’re going to come down, be ready, dog up and make plays.”

On the Lions side, it was a shift in momentum after starting the season 0-2.

“Getting a win there is critical,” says Lions linebacker Adam Bighill, who spoke to us over the phone this week.

“Especially when you come into Saskatchewan and playing in Regina’s stadium and the atmosphere is so crazy, if you can walk out of there with a win you’ve definitely done something special.”

Adding to the intrigue is a lot more demonstrative guarantee from the B.C. Lions President Dennis Skulsky, who is guaranteeing a win or fans at B.C. Place will get a free ticket to a future game.

Rider players took to twitter to make a note that they’re aware of the guarantee and Bighill told me he’s sure it’ll fuel the fire of the guys in Green and White.

“You know as a player it definitely puts an ‘X’ on your head. I mean if someone guaranteed a win over me I’m going to say ‘no way!’ I’m sure it fires people up over there and as well it should.”

Bighill also believes the guarantee shows confidence in what the Lions have been able to accomplish of late.

But when the opening kick-off leaves the tee, all the hype over a guarantee is likely out the window.

“After the first series for both teams, basically every one forgets about it and it’s just playing football and it all just gets washed away.”

And when it all comes down to it, there is much bigger at stake in the tough West Division where every team has either five or six wins.

“Any game against a West Division opponent carries a lot of weight because we see how tight it is,” says George.

This Sunday feels like the official kick-off for the West Division title. Up next are a bunch of divisional games and teams will start to jump ahead or be shuffled to the back of the pack.

It has all the makings of a classic.

- Teams tied with five wins and trying not to lose ground in the West
- Two teams red hot over the last month
- The Riders hoping for revenge from a loss last time out
- Strong defences
- A guaranteed win

Is it too cliché to say ‘get your popcorn ready?’