Tuesday Morning QB (CFL Week 14)
The playoff race is in full swing as teams continue to try to gain their spot to play November and make a run at the Grey Cup.
It’s always an interesting time but this week a major injury has put some serious doubt into the minds of a team that needs every win.
The BC Lions have been struggling throughout the year as they are in the toughest division in the league.
They haven’t been able to keep up throughout the year and they have been left out of the major battle for western playoff spots.
That hasn’t left their playoffs hopes completely dashed though as they have had that ability to make the playoffs using the crossover.
They have been fighting for the crossover for the last few weeks and with the West continuing to change the battle is only beginning.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders looked like the main battle for the Lions but after a good few weeks, they are sitting in the third place spot.
The Bombers are turning out to be the biggest challenge for the Lions in the fight for the crossover as they have struggled from an early good start and are now alongside BC for the crossover spot.
After Week 14 the Lions have taken the crossover, at least for now, with a win over the Montreal Alouettes.
It was an important win just like every win at this point in the season, as every win puts them one step closer to a playoff spot.
It didn’t come without a cost though as the beginning of the game saw Travis Lulay fall awkwardly on his shoulder.
The hit took him out of the game as Lulay has had issues with that shoulder before and it didn’t look great.
It was a major concern for the Lions as they had just begun getting into a groove with Lulay back under centre.
Last season was a write-off for Lulay who had torn his ACL and missed most of the season recovering from the injury.
It was only a few weeks ago that Lulay found his way back to the lineup after Jonathan Jennings struggled throughout the start of the season.
With Lulay back under centre, the Lions went from basement dwellers to a team with a legitimate shot at the playoffs.
The former MOP looked great coming back and took over the starter’s role giving the team some hope as they went into the playoffs.
They were just about to get some momentum heading towards an extremely important race and potentially a tough trip to the east.
With Lulay in the starting role they were looking at a good end to the season but with his injury in Week 14 things have come into question.
Jennings took over and did well in beating the Alouettes but the Als have not been a tough team this year.
They have sat at the bottom of the league and for Jennings to beat them was good but overly impressive.
It was revealed after Week 14 that Lulay had suffered a separated shoulder which will likely keep him out for a number of weeks.
That leaves Jennings in a very tough spot as he is entering the most important part of their season looking to take over for a QB who had just found his groove.
It is hard enough to replace someone but someone who was beginning to drive their offence up the standings.
After weeks of struggles, Jennings has a lot to prove but not a lot of leniency as this is the time they can’t afford a loss.
The Lions are suffering from the worst injury bug they could right now but the hope is still there for the team.
Jennings was once the future of this team and they believed in him enough to sit Lulay behind him in 2016.
He has the talent to be the QB they need and could help them finish off the run towards the playoffs.
Fourth Down
Manziel Steps In
With so much attention on the brewing QB battle in Montreal, it seemed like it was only going to take a small issue to make a change. After all, it was Johnny Manziel who was sitting on the sidelines after Antonio Pipkin had impressed in his first few starts. Manziel was the big name and had expressed his frustration with being forced to sit after he was cleared by concussion protocol. Pipkin was the winner though and he continued o keep the playoff hopes alive for the Als so he got the start. After struggling against the Lions though the Als had their excuse and so in Week 15 Manziel will take control of the offence once again hoping to finish off the season with plenty of promise.
Losing Another Weapon
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have solidified themselves as the favourite in the east with an offence that is among the most potent in the league. Yet they continue to take hits to that offence losing weapons at a pace that seems to be every week. The latest was Brandon Banks who was ruled out of Week 14’s game against the Calgary Stampeders. There isn’t a lot of detail about his injury but he is added to a list of banged up players that includes Chris Williams who is on the 6-game injured list. The Ti-Cats are hoping to hold on as they don’t want to see these injuries ruin the momentum built as they head into the playoffs.
The New Class
This week marked the induction of a new class of Canadian Football Hall of Famers in Hamilton. It is a yearly honour that takes into account all who had an impact on the game in and around Canada. It is a unique Hall of Fame as it is not entirely full of pros and doesn’t hold itself to a standard that so many others do. This year shows that as the Hall of Fame saw a University player in Paul Brule, a builder in Frank Cosentino, an offensive lineman in Scott Flory, two defensive stars in Barron Miles and Brent Johnson along with a kicker in Henry Ilesic. This year’s class highlighted the diversity of the league and the hall in focusing on the impact on the game rather than the names.
The Sport Addiction 