Taking offence to the Week 2 of the CFL season

JC Sherritt (left) was a defensive bright spot in the CFL's 2nd week, which was dominated by stellar offensive performances.

For the most part, week 2 in the CFL was an offensive showcase, with some pretty incredible numbers being put up. As for that “other” game, many people, myself included, thought the 17-1 Saskatchewan win over Edmonton was a boring affair that was a big letdown after the first three games of the week.

As the game went on, however, I began to take notice of the defences, and just how fun they were to watch, specifically Edmonton middle linebacker JC Sherritt. Two weeks ago, I ranked Sherritt as the number 10 linebacker in the CFL, but already I’m second-guessing myself; this guy’s got to be in the top 5 for sure.

It wasn’t just Sherritt performing at a high level defensively; while he was the highlight of the game, the Roughriders’ front seven was at a level I hadn’t seen them in years, sacking Edmonton quarterbacks six times.

Edmonton recorded four sacks, proving that their defensive front was almost equally up to the task. The game’s only touchdown wasn’t scored until very late in the fourth quarter, and the more I think about it, the more entertaining a game it was to watch the defences.

Not saying that it was as entertaining as the other games though…

Anthony Calvillo and Ricky Ray put up Anthony Calvillo- and Ricky Ray-like numbers after struggling in the opening week. Calvillo passed for 443 yards with ease, while Ray also eclipsed 400 yards against a Stampeders defence that looked completely different from week 1, when they had shut down Calvillo’s offence.

In the matchup between the Alouettes and Blue Bombers, four different receivers hit 100 yards, with Brandon Whitaker leading the way with 137 yards. Chris Matthews led Winnipeg with 131, while Montreal’s SJ Green (120) and Winnipeg’s Terrence Edwards (126) were also able to push the field vertical all game.

It was also nice to see Brian Bratton, often the forgotten man in Montreal’s high-profile receiving corps, get six catches for 87 yards.

Whitaker also added 98 yards on the ground, but that was still not the most impressive rushing performance of the week.

That went to Cory Boyd of the Toronto Argonauts, who had an awesome game running the ball, with 101 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. Boyd punished the Stampeders’ defence; apparently someone was taking notes when that very same defence was in Whitaker’s face all game the week before.

For the Argos, Andre Durie had possibly his best game receiving, with 118 yards on 10 receptions, including a key 36-yarder that set up the game-winning field goal. Chad Owens had 88 yards receiving while newcomer Dontrelle Inman accumulated 103 yards.

On the flip side, Nik Lewis led Calgary with 95 yards and two touchdowns on seven catches.  If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times, but I think Lewis is the player who is the most fun to watch in the league.

The Hamilton – BC game was equally exciting, with BC’s Andrew Harris taking 13 carries for 147 yards, and Hamilton’s Smilin’ Hank (Henry Burris) throwing for 359 yards. Chevon Walker electrified everyone in the CFL – again – with a scintillating 95-yard touchdown reception, while Dave Stala rebounded from a stat-less week 1 with 96 yards receiving.

And then there were the returns; four return touchdowns were scored in week 2. That’s an average of one a game, and in my opinion there aren’t many more exciting plays in football than a return touchdown. And it’s not like they were simple returns either; they averaged 89 yards in length, which makes it that much more exciting.  

After the offensive fireworks of week 2, can more be expected in the coming weeks, especially with the injury bug beginning to sink its teeth in?

Edmonton’s Adarius Bowman is out for a while, as is Calgary quarterback Drew Tate. Calvillo and go-to receiver Jamel Richardson aren’t 100% healthy, having suffered minor injuries in the game against Winnipeg.

Edmonton’s staunch defence – they have only given up two touchdowns in two games – takes on a wounded Winnipeg offence which looked stagnant in week 1 and only showed glimpses of life against a struggling Montreal defence. Meanwhile Edmonton’s lack of a passing attack goes up against a very good Bombers secondary which has a chip on its shoulder after giving up 443 passing yards to Calvillo.

Calgary and Montreal will face off again in a rematch of Canada Day, but Calgary’s defence has looked bipolar so far, looking amazing in week 1 and very hole-y in week 2. Which one will show up? On the other side, Montreal’s defence needs to get better, and with veteran quarterback Kevin Glenn leading the Stamps into town, it’s going to have to happen quickly to avoid a repeat of week 1.

BC rolls into Riderville, and fans should expect the Lions to keep doing what they’ve been doing, and that’s looking very good. The Riders have surprised people so far, going 2-0, but they also still have much to fix. Darian Durant looked out of sorts at times last week; maybe they should go back to their week 1 game plan of dumping the ball off to Weston Dressler and letting him run free.

The Battle of Ontario will have a slightly Alberta feel to it, as familiar foes Burris and Ray will face off for the first time in Upper Canadian uniforms. Hamilton is still trying to get into the win column, but Toronto is feeling good after a feel-good win at home last week. Hamilton’s defence needs to step up, while Toronto’s special teams will have to tighten up with the ever-dangerous Chris Williams posing a big threat in the return game.

Random thoughts from the week:
Dontrelle Inman of the Argos has made three really impressive catches in his first two CFL games. This guy is going to be one to watch.

Sticking in the Argo receiving corps, Jason Barnes’ catch where he got leveled by Stamps’ free safety Eric Fraser was a game-changing and defining play for the Argos. It epitomized toughing it out in the face of some stiff adversity, and that kind of effort is something head coach Scott Milanovich is counting on from every player. That and it was a big play.

Quarterback controversies could be aplenty across the CFL this week; Alex Brink has, in my opinion, looked more comfortable running Winnipeg’s offence than Buck Pierce. Could this be the time Paul LaPolice pulls the plug on the man who took him to the Grey Cup last year, and go with the kid in Brink? Also, Edmonton is going to need something to happen behind centre, whether it’s Jyles performing at a higher level or Kerry Joseph coming in and re-gaining his 2007 MVP form. Edmonton’s fans cannot be happy with Jyles’s overall performance through two weeks.

Shame On…

Fans who are calling for a QB controversy in Hamilton. Henry Burris is the better quarterback than Quinton Porter, and it showed when he had a bounce-back second half after seeing a couple of series from the sidelines late in the first half. That was nothing more than letting him watch things from a different angle.

Me, for typing over 500 words before even mentioning the great returns from week 2.

Me again, for using the word “scintillating.” Who am I, a soccer announcer?

Eric Tillman, for making the Ricky Ray trade. He dearly could have used him on Sunday, and I doubt that will be the last time this season that Eskimo fans wish Ray was still in the green and gold.

Chevon Walker, for being so darn fast…

I wish I was…

Larry Taylor, who had 441 all-purpose yards against Toronto. He really put on a show, especially on the 125-yard missed field goal return, breaking five or six tackles and making a couple of guys look pretty silly.

A free safety for the Calgary Stampeders. Week 1, Keenan MacDougall returned a fumble for a TD, and week 2 Eric Fraser housed an interception. At that rate, they might be able to start Dimitri Tsoumpas at safety and still get a touchdown out of it.

Brandon Whitaker, because of the offensive line he gets to run behind.

Playing for a team coached by Mike Benevides. He seems like a ton of fun to be around, and now that he’s a head coach that will come even more into the spotlight.

Chevon Walker, because he’s so darn fast…

I feel for…

Any offensive lineman who has gone up and will ever go up against Keron Williams. He continuously makes offensive linemen look like spectators on the line of scrimmage.

The BC Lions. Their pants seem to be falling down on a regular basis; it’s time Reebok reedid their pants again, and installed belt loops for them.

Anyone who has to try and tackle Nik Lewis. That guy is a load to bring down. If he doesn’t run over you, he’ll jump over you.

George Cortez. This first-year head coach doesn’t deserve to be 0-2, and his Hamilton Tiger-Cats just haven’t gelled yet.