Tuesday Morning QB (CFL Week 4)
On the west coast, the Lions are in the midst of the rise of one of the best young quarterbacks in the game.
It has been a good run for the teams as they have seen a couple of rising stars in the last few years.
Travis Lulay came out strong in his CFL career taking the Lions to a Grey Cup win in 2011 after only three years in the league.
That year he also took home the Grey Cup MVP and the Most Outstanding player award for his great season.
It was the answer that the Lions were looking for under centre and it looked like they were getting ready to take over the league.
The Lions had the top QB in the league and he was only three years into his career in the league leading many to believe that he could be the next great quarterback.
Things didn’t quite work out that way though and the Lions sank to the bottom the years following their Grey Cup.
All of a sudden the future of the position shifted to Alberta where two other young quarterbacks were taking over the league.
Lulay became more of a footnote as others began to take over while the Lions slipped into the background.
Then came Jonathan Jennings who seemed like he was more than capable of taking over under centre and taking over the league.
Jennings has been a great QB and a big bright spot for the resurgent Lions who are beginning to compete with the top teams in the league.
He is still young and sometimes can make bad decisions but the talent and ability he has fit perfectly in this league.
The rise of Jennings has forced Lulay to the backup role where he tries to use his experience in the league and the ups and downs of his career to help Jennings.
Lulay was heading straight to the category of great quarterbacks that just didn’t have a lot of staying power.
He remained in the backup role though and for many was one of the top back-ups in the league and the Lions knew it although hoping that they never had to see that come through.
The Lions liked the security blanket but were hoping that Jennings could continue his rise through the league.
Then came Week 4 where the Lions only got one play out of their starter as Jennings fell in the first play of the game.
The Lions were forced to bring in Lulay who hadn’t really played any significant time in the CFL for over a year.
It was a bit of an unknown as Lulay had once been good but it was 2011 since the last time he was truly a dominant QB.
Any doubt that people had over his ability was erased pretty quickly as Lulay began taking over the game.
It was a throwback to 2011 as Lulay looked like he was the MOP again having one of the best performance for a backup quarterback ever.
Lulay put up 436 yards with an 80.6% completion rate and three touchdowns taking over the game and taking the win for the Lions.
The Lions did well to help him out and they didn’t miss a beat under the arm of Lulay leading to another win.
It was a great night for the backup but the real question and debate will rise now as Jennings is listed as week-to-week after his injury in Week 4.
There is no surgery necessary and he could be back as soon as next week but Lulay’s performance might give them some pause.
They won’t need to rush Jennings back after what Lulay did in Week 4 as they will likely give Lulay another chance and let Jennings recover more.
If Lulay can continue to put up great performances though it might get a lot tougher for the Lions to move on.
Right now Jennings is the top guy and despite Lulay’s great game, they won’t be quick to abandon him.
If Lulay continues to put up big numbers though the decision could get a little tougher as many teams are more than willing to ride the hot hand.
Jennings might be one of the top young quarterbacks in the league but if Lulay is playing the best football it will be a tough decision not to start him.
At the very least the Lions will have a much shorter leash on Jennings knowing that they have a more than solid option as the backup.
Fourth Down
Missing $1-Million
It was one of the most talked about stories of the week and it all started in the first game as one CFL fan missed out on a $1 million prize. Sobeys and Safeway run a promotion every game where a fan can win $1 million if two kickoffs are returned for a touchdown. That seemed to happen in Winnipeg but a controversial penalty brought back the second kickoff taking away the prize. The woman who was supposed to win will get a trip to the Grey Cup this year in Ottawa but it isn’t quite $1 million.
Mitchell Fined
Bo Levi Mitchell is one of the biggest stars in the league right now as the best quarterback in the CFL. He rarely gets in any trouble but this past week that changed after he was fined an undisclosed amount for violating the league’s social media policy. Many believe it was a result of his criticism of officiating in Week 3 that brought him the fine. One way or another it was a star getting fined for speaking his mind which could anger some.
Celebration Building in TO
The Toronto Argonauts are not having the best year off of the field with dwindling numbers in their second year at BMO Field. The team hopes that turns around in Week 5 when they will celebrate one of the best times in Toronto Football. They will celebrate the 1996-97 back-to back championship teams with a host of the biggest names of the era attending the game. They will also honour the quarterback for those two teams in Doug Flutie as they hope to bring out the nostalgia in their fans.
The Sport Addiction 