Hello, dear reader.
Do I feel I could have done things differently in presenting this week’s takes?
I don’t know, really, I can’t comment on that until I’ve seen the film.
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And, yes, I routinely set up a high angle camera over my desk (I call it the ‘all-one’) and record myself typing when I do this.
Here are the Week 20 takeaways.
IT’S VERNON, MAN. IT’S VERNON
BC quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. is now the obvious choice to start for the Lions in the Western Semi-Final on November 2.
Back in action after watching Nathan Rourke guide the offence as starter for the last couple of months, Adams Jr. did a cannonball as he jumped back into the QB1 spot, firing a 43-yard bomb to receiver Justin McInnis on his first play, and capping the drive with a sneak into the end zone.
And he kept on cannonballing, finishing the night with 385 passing yards against one of the league’s top defences as the Lions trounced the Montreal Alouettes 27-3.
“Hats off to him,” said Montreal defensive back Wesley Sutton on the Alouettes’ post-game show. “He came out and definitely had a chip on his shoulder from what was going on this season for him. We knew that we were gonna get a great VA.”
The Lions looked completely different than the team that was overwhelmed in Saskatchewan a week ago, with a newfound energy that surged into the defence as well, leading the team to its best outing, perhaps, of the season. Or at least since the last time they played Montreal.
It’s Vernon’s team again.
IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES, IT WAS THE WORST OF TIMES
As the first three quarters of the Toronto/Ottawa game played out, I typed out a takeaway headline that read: “Under Full Sail.” At game’s end, I changed it to: “The Weather Started Getting Rough, The Tiny Ship Was Tossed.”
What exactly is the Toronto takeaway for a game they led, at one time, by 32 points, and ended up winning by seven after being outscored 25-nothing in the fourth quarter?
The Argos looked like a dominating world-beater for the majority of the game, and then like scurrying mice in the final quarter.
Who are these guys?
“We know we’re a lot better than that,” said linebacker Wynton McManis afterward.
One thing I do believe we can take away from this game; there’s not much chance the Argos will be overconfident when they meet the REDBLACKS again in the Eastern Semi-Final.
BONUS TAKEAWAY: Oh, right. Dejon Brissett.
BONUS BONUS TAKEAWAY: So here’s the question. Did the Argos give away the fourth quarter or did the REDBLACKS take it from them? Lucky for us we get to find out on November 2.
IT WAS THE WORST OF TIMES, IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES
As the first three quarters of the Ottawa/Toronto game played out, I typed out a takeaway headline that read: “That Saw Blade is Deadly Dull Right Now.” At game’s end, I changed it to: “I’m A Lumberjack And I’m Okay. No, Really I’m Okay.”
What exactly is the Ottawa takeaway for a game they trailed, at one time, by 32 points, and ended up losing by just seven after outscoring the home team 25-nothing in the fourth quarter?
The REDBLACKS looked like scurrying mice for the majority of the game, and then like a dominating world-beater in the final quarter.
Who are these guys?
“We just need to take that energy that we had in the fourth and apply it to the first,” REDBLACKS linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox told TSN 1200 radio afterward. “When we start fast and play fast, we’re a good team.”
One thing I do believe we can take away from this game; there’s not much chance the REDBLACKS will be overconfident when they meet the Argos again in the Eastern Semi-Final.
BONUS TAKEAWAY: Oh, right. Bralon Addison.
BONUS BONUS TAKEAWAY: So here’s the question. Did the REDBLACKS take away the fourth quarter or did the Argos give it to them? Lucky for us we get to find out on November 2.
WHY, MAN, HE DOTH BESTRIDE THE NARROW WORLD LIKE A COLOSSUS
Kalil Pimpleton finished his night against Toronto with 114 yards on seven catches (Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca)
There were a few reasons why the REDBLACKS were able to storm back and give the Argos a scare on the final play of a game that progressed from blowout to nail-biter.
But the insistence of Kalil Pimpleton stands out especially. The five-foot-seven, 175-pound dynamo took every play super seriously, even when his team was down by more than four touchdowns.
Indeed, when they were so far out of it, Pimpleton seemed to play with a great deal of anger, which he channelled into a dominating performance. Seven catches for 114 yards. Nine kick and punt returns for 204 for a grand total of 318 all-purpose yards. 157 of those came after the Argos went up 38-6, with a minute and a half left in the third.
Though he be but little, Kalil Pimpleton is fierce.
NO MEANINGLESS GAMES FOR MITCHELL
In their first game since falling out of playoff contention, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats could have suffered a letdown with the similarly-afflicted Calgary Stampeders paying a visit on Friday night.
But a motivated Bo Levi Mitchell, gunning for a franchise record, guarded against that.
After his 450-yard performance on Friday night, Mitchell is now sixth on the Ticats’ all-time single season passing list, with 5,206 yards. With a decent half of football against Ottawa in Week 21, Mitchell can leap all the way to number one. 162 yards would do it.
Ahead of him right now, and in ascending order are: Danny McManus (5,034), Kevin Glenn (5,100), Jeremiah Masoli (5,209), McManus again (5,304), and Henry Burris, who is the all-time Ticat leader with 5,367, a record he set in 2012.
“I was told there’s a franchise record that’s in play but we’ll see,” Mitchell roguishly said to reporters at his post-game media conference.
There will be no mailing it in for the Ticats in a game that means an awful lot to a playoff-bound REDBLACKS team that has lost five straight.
AND FINALLY… Just what the Winnipeg Blue Bombers hoped for. An angry and motivated Montreal Alouettes team in Week 21 (Sarcasm). Just what the Saskatchewan Roughriders hoped for. An angry and motivated Montreal Alouettes team in Week 21 (not even a hint of sarcasm).