QUARTERBACKS UNDER SIEGE
CFL’s offensive lines overwhelmed
Here we go again.
CFL personnel people and coaches have quietly complained — actually, some not so quietly — about the lack of Canadian talent across the league playing a role in the number of injured quarterbacks. Most Canadians play on the offensive line, and when that talent is spread out over nine teams and the country’s best homegrown hogs are in the NFL, the import laden defences have the ability to eat them up. Eventually, these CFL folks figure, the quarterbacks are going to get hurt.
So far, that’s proving to be the case early this season. Saskatchewan’s Darian Durant, Ottawa’s Henry Burris and Trevor Harris, and now Toronto’s Ricky Ray have all been injured in the first five weeks. Edmonton’s Mike Reilly should still be in a coma after the hit he took from Hamilton’s John Chick last Saturday night, but he’s tough as nails.
Losing the best gun slingers hurts the CFL product, although the battle of the backups last Friday night in Regina proved to be an entertaining show.
That won’t happen every time, however. There were 27 different starting quarterbacks across the league last season, and there were some awful games as a result.
How many more quarterbacks have to be lost before the league takes a harder look at how to keep more of them off the injured list?
WIDE RIGHT (AND LEFT)
The Grey Cup this year could very well be determined with a rouge on a missed field goal.
That’s how horrendous the CFL’s kickers have been through five weeks.
Monday night’s performance at BMO Field was the worst of the worst from the hoofers so far this season. Montreal’s Boris Bede went 0-for-3, while Toronto’s Lirim Hajrullahu whiffed on both of his attempts.
Through 20 games, CFL kickers have made a measly 74.4 per cent of their field goal attempts. Last year at this juncture of the season the placekickers were connecting at an 84.2 per cent clip.
Now, it should be noted the average field goal attempt this season is about three yards longer than last year’s mark, but that’s no excuse. How can they be this bad?
Even the CFL’s three most accurate kickers in history, who are all active, are struggling. Winnipeg’s Justin Medlock, Calgary’s Rene Paredes and Ottawa’s Chris Milo are all in the low 70s when it comes to success rates. At least the kickers are better at converts this year. They’re at 88 per cent right now, while last year at this point they were at 80 per cent.
REVIEW THE REVIEWS?
Al Bradbury’s officiating crew had its fair share of trouble during the Ottawa-Saskatchewan game, but the review process left plenty to be desired as well.
Redblacks defensive tackle Zack Evans appeared to hit Riders quarterback Mitchell Gale in the head with his own helmet, but Chris Jones’ challenge was denied. Then it appeared there was no way Naaman Roosevelt could have caught a Gale pass on what proved to be Saskatchewan’s game-winning drive, but Abdul Kanneh was given a PI penalty that held up on review, too.
Finally, Riders cornerback Buddy Jackson should have been flagged for pass interference when he grabbed Chris Williams on Ottawa’s last drive, but there was no call and Redblacks head coach Rick Campbell didn’t have any challenges left.
A consistent standard is always a tough to attain, but if a call or non-call looks plain as day to everyone and their dog but not to the review official, there is still some work to do in getting everyone on the same page.
NO MOORE
You have to feel for Lions receiver Nick Moore, who suffered a season ending ACL tear while celebrating a touchdown in Saskatchewan on July 16.
Moore and his teammate, linebacker Loucheiz Purifoy, did what thousands of professional athletes have done in recent years to celebrate a good play: they leaped and bumped into one another while in the air. Some call it the “run and bump.”
The only problem is Moore’s knee buckled when he landed, and now the talented slotback is done for the year.
LATE HITS
Reports out of Ottawa say the CFL will announce this weekend that the nation’s capital will host the 2017 Grey Cup at TD Place. And Hamilton continues to wait. The Hammer has to be next, doesn’t it? ... Lions defensive end Alex Bazzie, who was on the outs last season in Vancouver, coleads the league with four sacks through five weeks. Hamilton’s John Chick is the other with four quarterback drops, but he’s played one more game... Nik Lewis’ hall of fame career reached another notable milestone on Monday night when he hauled in his 900th reception ... The Calgary Sun’s Scott Mitchell reported last week the CFL now allows the radio line between the offensive co-ordinator and the quarterback to be open for the entire game. Teams claim it won’t provide any advantage, but you’d have to think they’ll look into coming up with a system to make it work.