Tuesday Morning QB (CFL Week 11)
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have reached bit of a breaking point in their season as they would win their second game of the year but have already seen their playoffs hopes fade drastically. The Bombers have been one of the worst teams in the CFL this year as they continue to struggle both on and off the field. It is just another year for the Bombers who have struggled for years with the longest Grey Cup drought in the CFL. They continue to try to find ways to win and have had some success and some massive failures. When Buck Pierce came to the Bombers in 2010 as the Bombers would get a legitimate CFL QB that they had been missing for years. They would make the Grey Cup before Buck Pierce but the continuous revolving door of starting QBs may have been their final downfall in the Grey Cup. Pierce would bring stability from the B.C. Lions and made man wonder if it was the start to a return to the Grey Cup and the start to the Bombers challenging in the east for years to come. Pierce would show flashes of being great but in the end his legend in Winnipeg would come down to his appearances on the IR instead of on the field. Pierce would be great when he played and would always give the Bombers at least a chance to win. Then Pierce would take a big hit and would end up sitting on the bench for the rest of the game. These hits would pile up and eventually Pierce would end up on the IR leaving the Bombers to look to their backups for the majority of the season. Pierce would quickly be labeled as a band-aid as he could not finish a season under centre for Winnipeg. So the Bombers looked to their backups every season trying to find someone who could lead the team in the likely chance that Pierce cannot play. This year it did not take long for that scenario to play out as Pierce would go down early in the season. In stepped Justin Goltz to relieve Pierce under centre in week 5 and he would not fare much better. Goltz would keep his starting role even with Pierce returning but would lose it to Max Hall in Week 8. Three healthy QBs would be in the lineup for the Bombers since Pierce has been back and the Bombers would continue to rotate all three in and out of games leaving a constant rotation of starters. The QBs would never get much going but Justin Goltz would begin to get more minutes as the weeks went on. Goltz would lead the Bombers to their second win of the season this week when they beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders. It seems the win would convince the Bombers that they have found their QB who may not lead them to a Grey Cup this year but could in the future. Goltz would be named the starter for the rest of the season with the trade of Buck Pierce to the B.C. Lions. Pierce would return to the place where he started his CFL career and the Bombers would essentially give Goltz the reigns for the rest of the season. It was a big move for the Bombers as the proven starter is gone and the young QB takes over. It is a sign that the Bombers are ready to move on and try to make a new path. Although they may not be heading to the playoffs this year the fact that they have moved on from Buck Pierce is a sign of things to come as the rebuild has started and the Bombers are hoping it means a return to winning.
Fourth Down:
(Everything else about Week 11)
Eligibility Changes
The CFL has adjusted eligibility rulings making CIS players eligible three years after playing their first season while players in the NCAA and NAIA will be eligible only after their senior season all essentially providing the draft with players that will be less likely to return to school after being drafted
Help for Goltz
With Buck Pierce gone the Bombers will go with Justin Goltz under centre and they would give him a little help getting another trade this week when they would acquire offensive lineman Marc Parenteau from Toronto in exchange for running back Anthony Woodson
Als and Riders Highlight August
The Players of the Month for August would be announced as the Alouettes and the Riders would dominate with Darian Durant and Chris Milo would earn offensive and special teams honours while Chip Cox and Marc-Olivier Brouillette would earn defensive and Canadian honours
CFL Standings:
Eastern Division:
1. Toronto Argonauts (12)
2. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (10)
3. Montreal Alouettes (8)
4. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (4)
Western Division:
1. Saskatchewan Roughriders (16)
2. Calgary Stampeders (16)
3. B.C Lions (12)
4. Edmonton Eskimos (2)
Scores:
Calgary Stampeders 22 – 12 Edmonton Eskimos
– The Eskimos did not seem to listen to GM Ed Hervey as they would have another bad performance losing the Battle of Alberta for the second week in a row as the Stamps took the win and solidified second place
Hamilton Tiger-Cats 37 – 29 B.C. Lions
– The Ti-Cats would honour one of their founding teams wearing Flying Wildcats jerseys and continuing their run up the Eastern Division beating the B.C. Lions who would look like a shell of themselves once again this week
Toronto Argonauts 37 – 30 Montreal Alouettes
– With a 15 point lead in the first half the Alouettes looked to take another win from the Argos but with Jason Collaros under centre and no Chad Owens the Boatmen found a way and would earn the massive comeback win
Winnipeg Blue Bombers 25 – 13 Saskatchewan Roughriders
– The Blue Bombers are not on their way to the playoffs but they would get a major boost this week beating the best team in the CFL to earn their second win of the season and take the legendary Banjo Bowl
Next Week:
Hamilton Tiger-Cats vs. Calgary Stampeders (Friday September 13th; 9:00 pm ET)
– The Ti-Cats are back to the black and yellow and will be looking to continue their run up the division but they will have a tough road as they take on the second place team in the west looking to chip away at the East lead
Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs. Edmonton Eskimos (Saturday September 14th; 6:30pm ET)
– The Blue Bombers are coming off of their second win of the season and with Justin Goltz firmly in the starting role they look to get a third win against another struggling team in the Eskimos who need something to boost morale this year
Toronto Argonauts vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders (Saturday September 14th; 9:30 pm ET)
– The Argonauts are still without Ricky Ray but Jason Collaros is attempting to continue to get better as the starter but he will be in tough as he looks at the best team in the CFL to get another win as the starter
Montreal Alouettes vs. B.C. Lions (Sunday September 15th; 4:30 pm ET)
– The Alouettes were on the rise but a loss to the Argos exposed some weaknesses and they will try to get those out against the Lions who are looking to finally begin consistency in the season that they have lacked all season
The Sport Addiction 