(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, the Western Division reigned supreme over the weaklings in the East Division. For four years in a row, teams from the West claimed the coveted Grey Cup over the East and teams from the West were so good they often crossed over to the East.
However, this week, things were different, things swung in the favor of the East. The East struck back this week.
Teams from the East won three out of the four games against the West this week. What made these victories all the more impressive was the fact that two of these victories really weren’t expected.
Though no one was surprised when the Montreal Alouettes beat the Edmonton Eskimos, I’m sure no one was expecting them to score 50 points. In a 50-16 victory over the Edmonton Eskimos, the Montreal Alouettes achieved their second straight win over a Western Team. Montreal was a dominant team last year, but did struggle against the West.
Then there were the lowly Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Hamilton Tiger Cats, who no one really expected to win their respective games.
Winnipeg started off strong against the Calgary Stampeders. They outscored the Stamps 21-4 in the first half and maintained their solid play in the second half. The final score was 42-30 for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Bombers handed the defending Grey Cup Champs their second consecutive loss.
Hamilton didn’t dominate BC in their 31-28 victory, but they got the big plays on both sides of the ball. Quinton Porter was very efficient on offense, and Geoff Tisdale got an interception return for a touchdown that sparked the Tiger Cats to victory.
The only blemish in the ‘Week of the East’ was Saskatchewan’s 46-36 victory over the Toronto Argonauts.
Other News and Notes From Week Two
Jamal Who:
Jamal Richardson did not play in Montreal’s victory against the Eskimos, but they didn’t miss him. Replacement S.J. Green caught five passes for 113 yards, and one touchdown. Green dominated the middle of the field, much like Jamal Richardson did last season. In fact, Green reminded me a lot of Jamal Richardson with his solid play.
The Debut From Hell:
The Edmonton Eskimos were confident even without Jesse Lumsden going into their game against the Alouettes. The reason? Arkee Whitlock. Whitlock was said to be the answer at running back. After seeing his performance against the Alouettes, it might be time to find a new answer. Whitlock rushed 29-yards on twelve carries with a fumble. He also dropped two passes in the end zone. To Whitlock’s credit, he had no help from his offensive line.
Quarterback Controversy in Calgary:
Henry Burris threw three interceptions against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers with no touchdowns. Back-up Barrick Nealy came into the ball game and threw two touchdown passes in nine throws. While it may be premature to suggest a quarterback controversy, Burris has been struggling early in the year.
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