The first week of a new CFL season is in the books. Doesn’t it feel good to be watching football again?
Speaking about feeling good, I went 3-1 with my predictions this week!
My only wrong pick? Hamilton over Toronto. I don’t feel bad about picking the lowly Tiger Cats to beat the Argonauts, because Hamilton not only improved over the offseason, but they also handled the Argos quite well last season.
Overall, it was an intriguing opening week in the CFL.
There was an exciting Grey Cup rematch, a Toronto Argonauts playing dead, and a bitter western rivalry decided in the last seconds of the game. What better way to further examine week one then by looking at The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of week one in the CFL?
The Good
Saskatchewan’s Defense—In the Roughriders 28-24 victory over the BC Lions, the Riders D took center stage. Gary Etecheverry’s defense generated a lot of pressure on Buck Pierece, registering nine sacks. They were just as stellar in the secondary as they recorded three interceptions. However, they did give up 24 points, but seven of these were off an interception. Not to mention BC was given great field position following Rider turnovers.
Montreal’s Offense—How do you silence the defending Grey Cup champs? Go into their house and put up 17 unanswered points to start the game.
Montreal looked sharp and determined to win in their 40-27 victory over the Calgary Stampeders. Anthony Calvillo was stellar, throwing for 255 yards and one touchdown. Led by Avon Cobourne with 107 yards, the Als were able to run on the Stampeders defense.
Titus Ryan—The bright spot in Calgary’s loss to the Montreal Alouettes was Titus Ryan. Ryan had a kick return touchdown, sparking the Calgary Stampeders. The rookie receiver also caught three passes for 44 yards.
Bart Andrus—Give credit to Bart Andrus. He looks to have begun righting the sinking ship that has been the Toronto Argonauts.
The Argos beat the Tiger Cats 30-17 and looked well prepared for this contest. Kerry Joseph looked solid, throwing three touchdown passes while Andrus used the running game effectively as Jamal Robertson rushed for 134 yards.
Andrew Nowacki—Nowacki was the best receiver for the Eskimos in their 19-17 win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He had seven catches for 79 yards and one touchdown. On a night when the Eskimos struggle to generate a lot of offense, Nowacki was a reliable option.
Opening Day—Kudos to the schedule-makers, who had the season start on Canada Day with a double header. You could just sense the atmosphere not matter where you were.
The Bad
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