CFL POWER RANKINGS WEEK 2

Welcome to week 2 of my official CFL Power Rankings!!! It was a short week in the CFL as only 3 games were played. Edmonton and Ottawa impressed me, while Toronto may just be the worst team of all-time…

  1. Hamilton TiCats (2-0) +1
    • After a slow start to the season last week, Hamilton bounced back in a big way as they cruise to a 64-14 win over the lowly Argos. Masoli and the offence are rolling, while the defence was an absolute wall this week.
  2. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1-0) -1
    • While I still believe they are the most talented roster in the CFL, it’s tough to argue against what Hamilton did this week. It’s not the Bomber’s fault they didn’t play this week.
  3. Edmonton Eskimos (2-0) +0
    • Trevor Harris has now thrown for 741 yds and 6 TDs in his first two games as an Edmonton Eskimo, which is utterly absurd. He is making it easy for the Edmonton faithful to get over their Ex as the Eskimos took it to Mike Reilly and the Lions in his return to Edmonton.
  4. Ottawa Redblacks (2-0) +3
    • Thanks, I hate it. Ottawa was able to keep their momentum going as they beat the short-handed Riders in a high scoring affair. Now I still don’t believe this team is a Grey Cup contender, but good teams find ways to win games, and that’s exactly how Ottawa is playing right now. Dominique Davis had a huge bounce back game throwing for 350+ yds and 3 TDs, almost bringing his TD:INT ratio back to even.
  5. Calgary Stampeders (0-1) +1
    • Remember when you lost to Otttawa? I remember.
  6. B.C. Lions (0-2) -2
    • Not a great start to the Reilly Era in Vancouver, as the lions fall to 0-2 on the season. The silver lining here being that you lost to two of the best teams in the CFL, but moral victories are for kids whose parents didn’t love them growing up. At least you aren’t one of the three bottom teams…
  7. Montreal Alouettes (0-1) +2
    • Even in a week where they didn’t even play, they found a way to be a disaster. Antonio Pipkin is out for 4-6 weeks, but after how he played in the opener is that really a bad thing for the Als? Vernon Adams Jr. will step into the starting position against a TiCats team that just schlacked Toronto by 50. Good luck lol
  8. Saskatchewan Roughriders (0-2) +0
    • At least Cody Farjardo looked good, so there’s that. Letting Davis and the Redblacks hang 44 on you is not great, but you were competitive throughout the game. Good news is you get to play the Argos next week, so enjoy the bounce back win.
  9. Toronto Argos (0-1) -4
    • Jesus Christ, I knew that Toronto didn’t care about the Argos, but putting out the TorontoFC roster against Hamilton was a bold move. Y’all stink, that was disgusting and the Argos should be ashamed. The last time a team scored over 60 pts in a CFL game was 1991. You are pathetic on a historic level.

Week 2 of the 2019 CFL season was a high-scoring affair as all three games hit the over (the over is 6-1 on the season, just saying). A huge match-up this week between the Bombers and Eskimos as two of the top-3 teams in the CFL go head-to-head on Thursday night in Winnipeg. Keep an eye on Lions/Stamps Saturday evening, as the CFLs top 2 QBs battle it out for their first win of the season. Hamilton looks to continue their dominate play against the Als and the Argos face the Riders in a game that can only be described as “technically football.”

Thanks for reading! We will be back next week with another Power Rankings. In the meantime, if you happen to be at the Bomber’s game this Thursday, stop by Section 144 and come say hi!!

CFL POWER RANKINGS WEEK 1

Welcome to Week 1 of my official CFL Power Rankings!! This will be a weekly article that covers what went on in the CFL this week and where each team stands. Rankings will be based on record, momentum, injuries, and my dumb brain. Enjoy!

  1. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1-0)
    • The Good: Andrew Harris, the offensive line and the defensive line.
    • The Bad: The secondary, Kyrie’s injury, and my expectations being raised.
    • Don’t you dare get my hopes up. That’s just mean.
  2. Hamilton TiCats (1-0)
    • The TiCats barely beat a Collaros-less Riders team and looked pretty darn average at times. Masoli only threw for 169 yds and wasn’t at his best. Losing Simoni Lawrence to suspension for 2 games is tough (though deserving), thankfully for the TiCats, their next two games are against Toronto and Montreal.
  3. Edmonton Eskimos (1-0)
    • The first game of the Trevor Harris era went exactly as planned. He threw for almost 450 YDs and 3 TDs and the offence looked incredible. The defence however, was just fine against a pitiful Montreal squad. Next week against a much better Lion’s offence will prove if this team will compete this year.
  4. B.C. Lions (0-1)
    • They looked the best of the teams that lost this week. Mike Reilly had flashes of downright dominance, Bryan Burnham is talented as hell, and Duron Carter is a clown. Their defence did not have an answer for former teammate Andrew Harris.
  5. Toronto Argos (0-0)
    • They didn’t get a chance to screw up this week like the teams below them.
  6. Calgary Stampeders (0-1)
    • LOL Y’all stink. Suck it Calgary
  7. Ottawa Redblacks (1-0)
    • Dominique Davis threw 4 INTs, but you somehow won. The D-Line looks fantastic, and you were able to completely nullify last year’s MOP in the 2nd half. But, you threw 4 INTs and should not have won. New starting RB, Mossis Madu Jr. looked fantastic though. You get a chance to prove if your legit against a stout Riders defence next week.
  8. Saskatchewan Roughriders (0-1)
    • I am not going to use this to kick a team when they are down. Zach Collaros deserves better and you hate to see a team lose their starting QB. Beating them this year just wouldn’t feel the same without Zach (it will still feel great either way though).
  9. Montreal Alouettes (0-1)
    • Antonio Pipkin stunk up the joint (3.4 YpA is ridiculously bad), hell the entire offence is a joke. The defence did it’s best to contain Harris and the Eskimos, but there is only so much to do when the offence is giving them absolutely nothing to work with. Better hope Adams Jr. is the truth…

Week 1 of the CFL season left us with more questions than answers. Are Edmonton and Hamilton legit? Will Ottawa’s defence be able to carry their team to the playoffs? Is Calgary actually bad? How will the Bombers screw this up? All questions that will be answered with time…

Only 3 games on tap for this week as Winnipeg, Calgary and Montreal all have a bye week. Keep an eye on Edmonton vs. B.C. Friday night, as it should be the best game of the week!

Thanks for reading! Like, Comment and Subscribe! I’m on Twitter – @kananoja for crappy tweets and Bomber game live reactions!

Winnipeg Blue Bombers Season Preview

With another CFL season quickly approaching, it is time for me to get my hopes up for absolutely no reason. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers begin their season against B.C. tonight, so I decided to look at potential reasons why the Bombers could win the Grey Cup this year, and why they will ultimately let me down. So without further ado, join me as I suffer through another season of misplaced optimism.

3 Reasons Why the Blue Bombers WILL win the Grey Cup

  1. Matt Nichols earns Paul LaPolice’s trust
    • It may sound like a strange thing to say, as the Bombers led the CFL in points per game just a season ago, but it seemed that the duo always faltered in high pressure situations (don’t get me started on last year’s West Final). There were plenty of times last year, where one bad throw from Nichols would result in LaPo putting the training wheels back on, relegating Nichols to a game manager role. With the addition of Chris Mathews and a healthy Darvin Adams, there will be plenty of opportunities for Nichols to air it out. If Nichols can step up and be the man in these high-pressure situations, it allows LaPo to be more creative with the playbook.
  2. The new members of the offensive line fit in flawlessly
    • The Blue Bombers lost 2 starters from last year’s squad in Sukh Chung and Matthias Goossen this offseason. These 2 were part of an O-line that helped the Bombers lead the league in yards rushing, as well as allowing the 3rd lowest number of sacks. Canadians Geoff Gray and Michael Couture will likely be the new starters this season, and will be thrust into an important position as the O-line will again be pivotal in the Bombers success. The O-line is crucial to the Bomber’s success as they will need to provide time for the deep plays to develop and give Andrew Harris the opportunity to continue dominating the CFL.
  3. The defensive line is able to get pressure on opposing QBs early and often, covering up for lack of talent in the secondary.
    • The Bombers added Willie Jefferson during the offseason, teaming him up with Jackson Jeffcoat to create one of the most terrifying Defensive Lines in the CFL. However, the team also lost 4 key defensive players including Kevin Fogg, who lead the team in interceptions and fumbles recovered. Taylor Loffler also signed with Montreal, leaving a giant hole in the secondary, from not only a skill perspective but a leadership standpoint as well. Brandon Alexander is an emerging star in the secondary, but we will have to wait and see if he can handle being the #1 Defensive Back. What all this means is that JEFF² will have to create havoc in the opposing backfield, making opposing quarterbacks as uncomfortable as possible, so that the secondary does not get exposed.

If all of these situations go correctly and the team gets a couple of lucky breaks, the Blue Bombers will absolutely be playing playoff football this year. With lots of new faces elsewhere in the West, it is not hard to believe that they are in one of the better situations in the CFL. Calgary will again be trouble, but they also looked beatable in the West Final last year (not that we capitalized on it AT ALL). So yes, the Blue Bombers have the blueprint to end the CFL’s longest Grey Cup drought.

BUT!

They likely won’t.

And here’s why:

3 Reasons Why the Blue Bombers WON’T Win the Grey Cup

  1. The Bombers continue to be spineless in close games
    • The Bumblers had a dismal 3-6 record last season in games decided in the last 3:00 minutes of a game. They went 3-4 in games decided by fewer than 10 points, and didn’t win a single game where they were trailing after 3 quarters. The team fell apart in the West Final and played some of the most depressing football I have ever witnessed. This team just can not close out big games, and it is beginning to affect my health. I expect nothing but heartbreak again this year.
  2. The defence has more holes than swiss cheese
    • The Bombers lost 4 key defensive starters (Santos-Knox, Fogg, Loffler, and Leggett) that combined for over 200 tackles last season. There will be up to 5 new starters on the defensive side of the ball this year, with over half of those being first time starters. Last season, the Bomber’s defence played a bend, but don’t break style, and was at their best when they capitalized on their opponents mistakes (most points of turnovers last year). This style of play requires all 12 defenders buy into it and force their opponents to make mistakes. They still have loads of talent on the defensive side of the ball, however if the new players can’t fit into the system, it could be a disaster.
  3. Matt Nichols is not a Grey Cup calibre QB
    • Start Streveler you cowards.

The likelihood of another year of a 12-6 record, where the Bombers go on a hot streak to end the regular season, only to lose a playoff game in heartbreaking fashion is at an all-time high. We have done a spectacular job wasting Andrew Harris in his prime, just like we did to Milt Stegall before him.

Will I love this franchise for the rest of my life? Absolutely. Am I also certain that the excessive binge-drinking and heart wrenching moments of being a Bombers fan, will end my life? Also yes. Now, some would say I am a pessimist. These people would be correct, but can you blame me? All the Blue Bombers have ever taught me is pain. However, I would like nothing more than to be wrong. I spend like 90% of my life being wrong, why can’t I just be wrong about this stupid, annoyingly entertaining team, that I love so much. I want nothing more than to celebrate a Grey Cup win, with my favourite team in the CFL, in the greatest city in Canada, with the best fans in the world. So please Winnipeg, prove me wrong.

Kevin Glenn Announces His Retirement From the CFL

After 18 seasons that brought him to every corner of the country, Kevin Glenn is retiring from professional football. One of the all-time CFL greats, and certainly my favourite QB ever, Glenn racked up over 50,000 yards and just under 300 career TDs. One of his most unique accomplishments is that he has been on every single team in the CFL at some point in his career.

Kevin Glenn will always hold a special place in my heart, as he was the starting QB for the Bombers when I first fell in love with them. I remember watching my first game in the old stadium, mesmerized by the Blue Bomber’s offence that had stars like Milt Stegall and Charles Roberts, but was led by none other than Glenn. We ended up losing that game, but I didn’t want to leave until the clock struck zero, because you could never count Glenn out.

In 2007, the Bombers had their best season of my lifetime, and it was mostly due to Glenn’s tremendous play. He won the East’s outstanding player that year, and was ready to lead the Bomber’s to their first Grey Cup victory in almost 15 years. I still to this day get angry thinking about the East Final against Toronto. I still hate Toronto and Kevin Eiben for injuring Glenn that game. He deserved to play in the Grey Cup, with a chance to cap off an incredible season.

Glenn’s career is one that will be remember from coast-to-coast and rightfully so, as he has had an impact on the league that we rarely experience. He is one of the all-time greats, and should be headed to the Hall of Fame sometime soon.

Thank you Kevin, and best of luck with where ever the next step in your journey takes you!

Thanks for reading! Make sure to follow me on twitter @kananoja for more sports coverage!

Important Kevin Durant Stats Before Game 5

With Kevin Durant returning to the Warriors for game 5 of the NBA finals, we have to look back at one of the biggest slip-ups in nickname history. Despite being one of the greatest basketball players of all-time, Durant has consistently fumbled his nicknames and straight up ruined others.

Early on his career, he was given the nickname “Durantula,” a very serviceable nickname. It emphasized his length on the court, his tenacity and it was a play on his name. Not the best, but it made sense and got the job done. It didn’t matter though as he wanted nothing to do with it.

So, with his rejection of the “Durantula,” he was given a new nickname: “The Slim Reaper”. An incredible nickname that may be my favourite of all-time, I mean look at this picture:

It was a nod to how he played, looked, and it gave Durant a badass persona, that he still lacks to this day. BUT he didn’t like the biblical implications of being the reaper, preferring to be called “The Servant.” Just an absolute disaster, one that lacks any sort of sport connection. The only thing Kevin Durant is “serving” is Knicks fans a plate full of disappointment when he doesn’t sign with them this summer.

You think it ends there? No. When Kevin Durant joined the Warriors, many were saying he “ruined basketball”. That’s a bit of a stretch, especially when what he really ruined was one of the best team nicknames of our generation in the “Death Line-Up.” That name was perfect in every single way. It fit the team, it was unique and it was intimidating. BUT we can’t have nice things, and when KD shows up, the name changes to the “Hampton 5”. We haven’t seen this big of a downgrade since the Lakers traded D’angelo Russell to make room for Lonzo Ball.

KD (which I guess is a nickname, but it sucks too) has found a way to mess up every opportunity he has gotten to embrace a fantastic nicknames. Unfortunately, he is not the only athlete that has suffered from poor nicknames their entire career. Here is a look at a couple of the worst of the worst:

  • Mark “Sanchize” Sanchez
    • People do forget that he beat both Tom Brady and Peyton Manning on the road in the playoffs in the same year. People don’t forget that he ran into another dude’s butt and fumbled the ball…
  • Sidney “Sid the Kid” Crosby
    • He’s not even a kid, let alone the only kid.
  • Anthony “Booger” McFarland
    • The former Tampa Bay Buccaneer turned ESPN football analyst has one of the funniest, yet most unfortunate nicknames of all-time.
  • Doug “Muscle Hamster” Martin
    • No grown man in history has been okay with being compared to a hamster. Not one.
  • Dwayne “WOW” Wade
    • A self-imposed nickname standing for “Way of Wade.” Alternatively, it should stand for “Way Outta Wack” because that nickname stinks.  

Now obviously, not every athlete can be blessed with nickname superstardom, like Shaquille “The Big Aristotle – The Big Galactus – Shaq Daddy – Diesel – Superman – Manny Shaq-iaou” O’Neil. But we, as a collective fanbase, have to stop allowing athletes to choose their own dumb nicknames. Let them focus on their craft, and we will continue to reduce their names to easier sayings because big words are hard.

Thank you for reading, If you liked this post give it a like and follow my blog! Find me on twitter @kananoja

CFL Quarterback Tier list

After an off-season filled with familiar faces in new places, I thought it was time to look at the QB situations across the country. The CFL is a pass-happy league, with quarterback undeniably being the most important position. In many cases, your quarterback can make or break your team. So I decided to break down the QBs across the nation, from the best of the best, to well.. the Montreal Alouettes 3-headed disaster.

S Tier:

  • Mike Reilly (B.C. Lions)
    • At 34, Reilly is coming off his 3rd straight 5,000 yard season, and is the best QB in the CFL. He is thrilling to watch, he throws the prettiest deep ball in the CFL, and can still scramble out of the pocket like he’s 23. If not for Edmonton’s atrocious defense last season, he would have had another shot at a Grey Cup. He embarks on a new journey this year with the B.C. Lions, and has a chance to join an elite group of QBs who have won the Grey Cup with multiple teams. If he can maintain this level of play and remain healthy in B.C. this year, the Lions and Reilly will be playing important football in November.
  • Bo Levi Mitchell (Calgary Stampeders)
    • Mitchell had himself a fantastic season, last year. He lead his team to a Grey Cup win, and earned MOP honours for the second time in his career. He makes the players around him better, and can capitalize on a mistake in the blink of an eye. One of the highest football IQ’s in the league, Bo will have another tremendous season this year as Calgary is poised to repeat.

A Tier:

  • Jeremiah Masoli (Hamilton Ticats)
    • Probably the most exciting QB to watch in the CFL, Masoli broke the 5,000 yard mark for the first time in his career last season. He also had a fantastic season on the ground, and is up there with Reilly as the best dual-threat QB in the league. He is in the most favourable positions in the CFL, with the East all but his for the taking. Expect him to repeat his performance again this year, with a chance to establish himself as an elite QB. But then again, he plays for the Ticats, so don’t hold your breath.
  • Trevor Harris (Edmonton Eskimos)
    • Statistically speaking, Harris was the most accurate and efficient QB in the CFL last year. He joins an Edmonton Eskimos roster loaded with talent, and brings along one of his favourite targets in Greg Ellingson. He makes smart decisions with the ball, but also is not afraid to unload his cannon deep. Filling Mike Reilly’s shoes in Edmonton won’t be easy, but he is probably the best man for the job.

B Tier:

  • Matt Nichols (Winnipeg Blue Bombers)
    • Think of the most average person you know. Now imagine that person was the QB for your favourite team. He won’t win games by himself, but he won’t lose them either.* He is a dink-and-dunk passer that bores opposing defences into making the slightest mistake. Not bad enough that you look for a replacement, not good enough to win a Grey Cup, that’s the Matt Nichols experience. The CFL’s own Andy Dalton. *not including playoff games
  • Zach Collaros (Saskatchewan Roughriders)
    • Buddy, I don’t know. Collaros has shown that he has the capability to be an elite QB in this league, but can’t seem to stay healthy. When he is healthy, Collaros is a tremendous playmaker, but he’s never played more than 14 games in a season (and the last time he played that many was 6 years ago). His TD:INT ratio last year was 9:13 and he did not completely live up to expectations in Saskatchewan last season. Would be a shame if he repeated that performance this year. A REAL shame.

C Tier:

  • James Franklin (Toronto Argonauts)
    • He is certainly a QB in the CFL, that much is true. Starting half of last season for the Toronto Argos, he was pretty darn okay throughout the majority of the season, other than 1 pretty good game, and 1 really bad game. The Argos went O-line heavy in the draft, and picked up arguably the best WR in the CFL (and James’ former Eskimos teammate) in Derel Walker, so Franklin will at least have a chance to succeed, I guess.
  • Jonathon Jennings (Ottawa Red Blacks)
    • Good Jennings is good. But boy oh boy, can he stink it up. He only had 1 game last season where he showed the potential he had in years past. Instead of returning to form he regressed, getting replaced by the now retired Travis Lulay midseason. Maybe a fresh start in Ottawa, in a much weaker division will help Jennings. Maybe.
  • Chris Streveler (Winnipeg Blue Bombers)
    • Please start him. Pretty please. I’m begging you. He makes the Bombers offense 200% more exciting and dynamic than Matt Nichols. He can scramble/pass on the run (unlike Nichols), He can run the ball well when he needs to (unlike Nichols), and won’t make me want to jam rusty nails in my eyes (unlike Nichols). His deep ball is one of the best in the CFL (he lead the league in completion percentage in passes 20 yards or longer). Could you imagine him throwing the deep ball to Chris Matthews? Oh god, I need new pants… Anyways, he does need to work on his patience in the pocket, but hopefully he develops over this upcoming year.

D Tier:

  • Antonio Pipkin (Montreal Alouettes)
    • Pipkin started a handful of games last year of the Alouettes, and if you take out the disaster of a game against BC, well he still had a below average season. He is young (23) and only in his third year as a CFL QB, but he is in a tough position with Montreal. They don’t have much talent surrounding him, and a lot of times he had to do everything himself (he had 8 rushing TDs last season). Maybe with another offseason under his belt, he will step up and be the man in Montreal.
  • Dominique Davis (Ottawa Redblacks)
    • With Trevor Harris leaving the Redblacks in the offseason, Davis was ready to step into the starting role. However, the brass in Ottawa felt differently, bringing in a Jonathon Jennings in the offseason. Which is probably a good call, as Davis has never really showed the ability to be a franchise QB. He started 1 game last season, and while he didn’t lose Ottawa the game, he wasn’t spectacular. He may get sometime this year though, with Jennings having some injury risks.
  • Vernon Adams Jr. (Montreal Alouettes)
    • Vernon Adams Jr showed a little bit of promise in the 1 game he started last season for the Alouettes. The former Oregon Ducks QB, had his season cut short by a foot injury last season, but he didn’t really miss much. He showed a ton of promise in college, but has yet to materialize in the Pros. He has a chance to earn the starting QB position in Montreal this season.
  • Jeff Mathews (Montreal Alouettes)
    • The last of the 3-headed disaster in Montreal, Mathews has a shot at being the week 1 starter for the Alouettes. The oldest of the three, Mathews has the most experience, yet hasn’t shown the ability to lead a team in his time. I don’t know, he’s tall. So there is that.
  • McLeod Bethel-Thompson (Toronto Argonauts)
    • I flip-flopped between him and Franklin in C Tier, but ultimately decided that Franklin has a higher ceiling. Bethel-Thompson had a fine season last year, and will be ready to step in if Franklin falters. But he is just that: a plug and play QB. Not great, will do fine, but not a franchise QB.

So there you have it, the 2019 CFL Quarterback Tier List. This upcoming season will be filled with opportunities for improvement (and collapse) for many of the QBs on this list. We will revisit this after the season has ended and see where everyone stands after the season.

If you’ve made it this far into the article, I just want to say, thank you. I’m not sure why you’d subject yourself to my delusional rambling, but either way thank you for reading!!!

If you liked what you read, you can always follow me on twitter: @kananoja

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