Tuesday Morning QB (CFL Semi-Finals Week)
It’s November football and for the teams left in the hunt for the Grey Cup that means the weather begins to become a major part of the game. Winter is coming in Canada and so games in the outdoors will have another obstacle to overcome. For the Hamilton Tigers-Cats, Montreal Alouettes, Saskatchewan Roughriders, and B.C. Lions, the weather would make itself known in the division semi-finals this week. First up would be the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Montreal Alouettes who would play the Eastern Semi-Finals in Guelph Ontario at Alumni Stadium where the weather would make one of the biggest impacts in the game. The wind would blow through the stadium at a rapid pace and would completely change the game. Punting and kicking were near impossible when playing into the wind as Sean White would find out kicking a field goal that would go up and stop dead before the goal line. It was something to see and it would make the game something very unique. Putting the ball in the air was just a mistake as there was no telling if the ball would just stop before the receiver or would zip by the receiver. So the game would go mainly to the ground where the running game and the coverage teams would need to take over the game. So came the game from Dan LeFevour who would help to run the Ti-Cats to the low scoring win. Then in the Western Semi-Finals the Lions and the Riders would play in -20°C weather that many teams would be affected by. Neither team seemed to be too affected by the temperature though as they were both cold but both would come out to a great game. Still the players would be affected somewhat as the teams would begin to try to extend drives as long as they could. If they could keep the other offence off of the field it would mean that the other team would begin to get colder and find it tougher to warm up when they came back. The cold would have its effect but would not dampen a great game as the QBs would take over in the cold of Regina. The first week of the playoffs would just be a preview of the type of weather that the teams will face throughout the playoffs. For the Ti-Cats there will be a break from the weather conditions as they take on the Toronto Argonauts in the Rogers Centre that will eliminate the cold and the weather from the game. The Western Finals will have a bit of a different as the Saskatchewan Roughriders will travel to a city known for their winter weather. It will not be nearly as bad as it could be with the weather potentially headed to -16°C with potential for some snow. This could get worse and could get better as the week goes on but one thing is for sure as the weather in Calgary could affect the game in a major way. The cold will have much the same effect as the teams in the semi-finals. Whoever does make it out of these two finals games will then travel to Regina for the Grey Cup where the weather will be much the same or worse than this past week making it something that teams must account for. The playoffs are underway and there are four teams still alive in the hunt for the Grey Cup but all will have to get through the other obstacle in the league. The weather is never supposed to mean much and the players are trained to say this but after this week it is clear that the weather will be a big story throughout the playoffs and into the Grey Cup.
Fourth Down:
(Everything else about Semi-Finals Week)
No Kack Attack
The Toronto Argonauts have rarely been a complete team this year with injuries to key players all season and it would not end in the playoffs as a week before the Eastern Finals Chad Kackert would go down forcing the star running back out of the playoffs
LeFevour’s Game
Going into the Easter Semi-Finals the biggest story was whether or not Henry Burris could take the Ti-Cats to the Eastern Finals but the game would actually end up being about Dan LeFevour who would lead the Tabies to the win on the ground more than through the air
The Scramble
The Western Semi-Finals was a battle of wills as Travis Lulay and Darian Durant would show how much they wanted to win the game taking the ball in their own hands and running the ball while leading their offences
Semi-Finals:
Eastern Division:
Hamilton Tiger-Cats 19 – 16 Montreal Alouettes (OT)
– The wind would wreak havoc on both teams at Alumni Stadium in Guelph and as a result teams struggled to score many points until Dan LeFevour ran for 61 yards a TD to help the Ti-Cats earn a ticket to Toronto and the Eastern Final
Western Division:
Saskatchewan Roughriders 29 – 25 B.C. Lions
– It was cold in Regina but that would not stop the teams and their QBs from putting on a great game that would come down to the very end and would keep the dreams of a home Grey Cup alive for the Riders
Next Week:
Eastern Division Finals:
Hamilton Tiger-Cats vs. Toronto Argonauts (Sunday November 16th; 1:00 pm ET)
– The Tabies and the Argos have a long rivalry but have rarely faced off in the Eastern Final but that long streak will come to an end as the Tabies face off with the Argos for a berth in the 101st Grey Cup
Western Division Finals:
Saskatchewan Roughriders vs. Calgary Stampeders (Sunday November 16th; 4:30 pm ET)
– The Riders are still hoping that they can go back home for the Grey Cup but they will have to get by the best team in the CFL in the Calgary Stampeders and will have to stop Jon Cornish if they want to earn a spot in the Grey Cup
The Sport Addiction 