The Red Zone

Bedell: Statements Due

Gibson's Finest Going Down Pretty Smooth Again This Year

Pick The Winners: Week 19

Pick The Winners: Week 18

Power Rankings: Week 18

Pick The Winners: Week 17

Jockeying for Position

Pick The Winners: Week 16

Big Numbers in Bad Weather: Who To Watch For As Temperature Drops

Week 15 Wrap

Pick The Winners: Week 15

Power Rankings: Week 15

Pick The Winners: Week 14

Power Rankings: Week 14

Anatomy of a Trade

Jack Bedell — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:38:00 GMT

I’ve never been a proponent of the”statement” game. That point of view has always been a little myopic for my tastes. As Montreal Alouettes head man Marc Trestman has said in the past, “No one game defines a team. Win or lose.”

I prefer to wait until all the games are in the book before making any pronouncements about what statements have been made.

Well, as of Sunday afternoon when the gun sounded on the Ticats and Bombers, all 72 games in the 2009 CFL season were racked. And it’s definitely fair to take some stock in what went down.

Here are the statements I’ve heard from each team over the course of the season, with the teams listed in the order I’d rank them heading into the playoffs:

1) Montreal Alouettes (15-3)—In a word: Consistent. Minus a couple of subpar performances, the Als have simply been relentlessly consistent all season long. Anthony Calvillo and the ALouettes offence have attacked CFL defences with efficiency and tempo at every opportunity, the team’s front seven has played fast and mean racking up sacks and shutting down the run, and special teams have manufactured field position through Larry Taylor’s returns, fine coverage, and Damon Duval’s leg. Maybe the Als kicked too many field goals this year, but when your kicker scores more points than anyone in league history, it doesn’t matter. Points are points.

2) Saskatchewan Roughriders (10-7-1)—Scrappy. Regardless of their injury situation, personnel, weather, flu status, whatever, the Riders have flat-out balled this season. Darian Durant has emerged as a winner, whether or not his stats are pretty. Gang Green’s defence has rushed the passer with aggression behind Stevie Baggs and John Chick, and they’ve ball-hawked in the secondary. And with Jason Armstead catching fire of late, Saskatchewan has really rounded into a fine team in all phases of the game just in time for a run at the Cup.

3) Calgary Stampeders (10-7-1)—Leisurely. There’s been a shocking lack of urgency in the defending champs all season long. But with the talent the Stamps possess on offence, defence, and teams, they’ve managed to stay near the top in almost every meaningful statistical category the CFL keeps. And that has translated to enough wins to host a home playoff game next week. League rushing leader Joffrey Reynolds has been consistent as the sun rising for the Stamps. Maybe it’s time to put the ball in his hands to see if he can lend some up to an up and down year for Calgary’s offence.

4) Hamilton Ticats (9-9)—Resilient. When Hamilton’s season hit a low point in week 13’s 42-8 beat-down from the Alouettes, the Ticats turned to veteran pivot Kevin Glenn, and he’s rewarded them with four solid performances to close out the year. After that loss to the Als, it would have been easy to pencil in losses for the Ticats in all their games down the stretch (except the game against the Argos, of course), but Glenn engineered a surprise victory over the Riders in week 18 and slammed the door on his old team in Winnipeg this past Sunday to give Hamilton fans their first home playoff game since 2001. Couple Glenn’s resurgence with a very opportunistic defence, and you’ve got a dangerous team hitting on all cylinders heading into the post-season.

5) Edmonton Eskimos (9-9)—Sluggish. Since canning offensive coordinator Rick Worman mid-season, the Eskimos’ offence has been curiously ineffective. Particularly Ricky Ray. Ray’s numbers would suggest he’s had a dominant year, but at points, he’s had difficulty pushing the ball downfield with any consistency. Ray’s receivers have had their troubles with drops, to be sure, and the running game has been hit-or-miss from time to time. Luckily, both Ray and the running game have shown up the last two weeks to secure second place in the West. Injuries on defence have definitely thrown a wrench in the Esks’ season, too. With an all-star secondary beginning to gel, Edmonton might just be peaking at the right time.

6) B.C. Lions (8-10)—Hurt. Five QBs have taken snaps for the Lions this season. Starter Buck Pierce has been in and out all year with concussion and shoulder issues, Jarious Jackson filled in admirably but was lost for the year to a rotator cuff injury, and just when returning star Casey Printers looked like he and his A-game were back in B.C., he went down with a hurt thumb on his throwing hand early in week 19’s pivotal match-up against the Eskimos. To make matters even worse for the Lions, reserves Travis Lulay and Zac Champion have pulled up lame as well and most likely won’t be able ready for the playoffs. Beyond all the injuries to pivots, though, the most painful aspect of this Lions team is its run defence.

7) Winnipeg Blue Bombers (7-11)—Unprofessional. Take your pick: Blow-ups with fans and media, poor offensive design, inadequate play-calling, lack of QB development, inability to turn RB Fred Reid loose with consistency. It all rests at the feet of first-year coach Mike Kelly. Despite a better-than-average defence, the Blue Bombers hitched their wagon to a career sub-.500 passer with a penchant for throwing picks at the worst times in Michael Bishop. While his shiny, big-play potential managed a few wins for Big Blue down the stretch, Bishop’s inevitable downside sunk the team in the end. Makes me want to revisit a question Kelly asked the media after week 2’s stunning 42-30 defeat of the Calgary Stampeders, “How’s the offence look now?” Not good, Mike. Not good.

8) Toronto Argonauts (3-15)—No single word can do this team justice. Turnovers, penalties, poor coaching decisions, putrid offence, ugly clock management, curious personnel decisions, lack of discipline. The 2009 Argonauts lost games in almost every way possible. The fact that Toronto went months, MONTHS, without a TD pass, casts serious doubt whether this coaching staff, and these players, can “continue moving in the right direction,” as the organization is fond of saying. With the pall of new ownership looming over the club, an absolute fresh start might just be what the doctor ordered to cure the Argos.

Jack Bedell — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:08:00 GMT

The list of CFL team nominees for the Gibson’s Finest Players Awards was released this week, and I have to admit there’s not much to argue about with the names on the list.

Normally, I can quibble top-to-bottom when players are chosen for the divisional lists in each category, but it’s an extraordinarily strong field this go around full of deserving names (though I might have gone Damon Duval over Larry Taylor for the Alouettes Special Teams Player of the Year, just because of the year Duval’s had across the board).

Jamal Robertson, Jovon Johnson, Arland Bruce III, and Anthony Calvillo have all enjoyed MOP-quality seasons in the East. Arguments all ways are sure to be strong and meritorious when voters get to narrowing down the lists to the divisional nominees next week. I’d have to lean toward Calvillo, and not only because of his stats. AC has exceeded all expectations this year (and those were high coming off season!). He’s managed to lift his own game and lead his team to an even better year. Not sure you can say that about any of the other guys.

In the West, it looks like a two man race between Joffrey Reynolds and Fred Stamps to me. Geroy Simon and Darian Durant have had fine years, to be sure, but have battled consistency issues at points during the season. Reynolds and Stamps have been productive week in and week out. I’ve got a feeling it’s Reynold’s year to get the nod, though.

For Outstanding Canadian, you couldn’t have a finer foursome in the mix than Marwan Hage and Ben Cahoon in the East and Rickey Foley and Robb Bagg out West. In fact, I can’t even imagine a conversation on the topic devoid of those names. Cahoon’s had an exceptional year leading the league in receptions and racking an eighth-straight 1000-yard season. Foley’s been at or near the league lead in sacks. Honestly, I’d be happy with any of these guys coming away with the trophy.

Defensive POY? It’s been a Slam Dunk the past couple of seasons with Cam Wake bringing home the hardware. This year, it’s no lock in either division, however. My money’s on John Chick and Anwar Stewart to come away with nominations for the final round of voting. Both guys have been absolute beasts off the edge all year.

Offensive Lineman of the Year is another tough category, with Gene Makowsky leading out West and Scott Flory and Hage vying for the East nod. All three are superb players who’ve had excellent years. They also play on exemplary o-lines. Coin toss goes to Flory in the East, and not because I’m a homer, but because the Als have kept their QB a little cleaner this season. Hard to argue against Makowsky as the West nominee.

I’m already on record as saying Martell Mallett deserves Top Rookie distinction. There’s no overlooking the performances of Arkee Whitlock in the West, and Jonathan Hefney and Jerald Brown in the East, though. With Mallett slowed by injuries of late, his nomination is no lock, but probable. Hefney might just have Brown by a nose for the East nod.

And finally, with dominant kick returners like Johnson and Taylor competing in the East and Tristan Jackson in the West, it looks like the game-changers might run away with the Special Teams POY this go around. Don’t sleep on tackling machine Jason Arakgi to steal the West nomination, though. In fact, my vote goes to Taylor and Arakgi emerging as the candidates for the final round of voting.

Can’t wait to see how the vote turns out next week. And you know I’ll be weighing in with some thoughts on the final selections.

TheScore.com — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:30:00 GMT

Here are our picks for Week 19:

WEEK 18 RECAP:

Andy 2-2

Jack 3-1

DJ 3-1

Bob 2-2

James 3-1

Jann 2-2

Bob Coatsworth — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:04:00 GMT

Here are our picks for Week 18:

WEEK 17 RECAP:

Andy 2-2

Jack 3-1

DJ 2-2

Bob 3-1

James 2-2

Jann 3-1

TheScore.com — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:32:00 GMT

Our power rankings return for Week 18:


Andy Baechler	Jack Bedell	D.J. Bennett	Bob Coatsworth	James Ladd	Jann Shreve	Consensus
Montreal	Montreal	Montreal	Montreal	Montreal	Montreal	Montreal (48)
Sask.	Sask.	Calgary	Sask.	Calgary	Sask.	Sask. (40)
Calgary	Calgary	Sask.	Calgary	Sask.	Calgary	Calgary (38)
B.C.	Winnipeg	B.C.	Winnipeg	B.C.	B.C.	B.C. (28)
Winnipeg	B.C.	Hamilton	B.C.	Winnipeg	Winnipeg	Winnipeg (25)
Hamilton	Hamilton	Winnipeg	Hamilton	Edmonton	Hamilton	Hamilton (17)
Edmonton	Edmonton	Edmonton	Edmonton	Hamilton	Edmonton	Edmonton (13)
Toronto	Toronto	Toronto	Toronto	Toronto	Toronto	Toronto (6)

*Consensus Ranking - Votes from all six are added together to determine overall ranking in the poll. Eight points are awarded for a first-place vote, seven for a second-place vote, etc. Total points are displayed in parentheses in the Consensus column.

Bob Coatsworth — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:05:00 GMT

Here are our picks for Week 17:

WEEK 16 RECAP:

Andy 3-1

Jack 3-1

DJ 2-2

Bob 1-3

James 2-2

Jann 3-1

Jack Bedell — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:47:00 GMT

If I didn’t know better, I’d think the CFL schedule makers rigged the whole season so that nothing would be settled until the final whistle blows on the Ticats and Bombers November 8.

There’s just no ignoring the fact that all four games in week 17 have playoff implications written all over them. Friday and Saturday’s tilts will set up the initial pecking order in both divisions, and just might go a long way towards determining who’s in and who’s got some serious uphill to climb among the five teams still vying for a spot in the post-season.

Week 17 clearly marks the beginning of what amounts to a round robin tournament in both divisions where the teams with playoff aspirations all have shots at each other over the next month, and the pressure falls squarely on the teams in playoff contention to stack wins if they want to keep playing.

Out West, Saskatchewan and Calgary battled to an exciting 44-44 tie last week, and are now neck and neck atop the division. B.C. and Edmonton also posted tough Ws over the weekend and are just points of the leading pace themselves.

Friday night, Henry Burris and Co. host the playoff-hungry Eskimos. Coming off the team’s first decent offensive game in a month, the Stamps will have to keep the pedal down against Edmonton to keep the club sniffing the top spot in the division.

Saturday, the B.C. Lions and Saskatchewan Roughriders face off with first place possibility on the line (depending on how Friday night goes down). The ‘Riders head into the match feeling really good about the play of Darian Durant and their D, while the Lions managed to ding two of their remaining pivots en route to a tough win over the Argos.

The winners of these tilts take some slight control over their own destinies. The losers drop back to fight it out in the middle of the pack.

In the East Division this week, Winnipeg has a chance to tighten its grip on the two spot hosting the Alouettes. Hamilton heads into Toronto with a chance to stay right in the playoff race against an Argos team that’s already eliminated from the chase.

For the Blue Bombers and Ticats, each remaining game is an opportunity to seal a home play-off game. Whichever team loses more than it wins over the next three weeks has to face the spectre of the crossover as they head down the stretch.

Five teams, three weeks. Let’s tee it up!

HOW I THINK THINGS WILL SHAKE OUT

In the West, I think the Riders will ride a favourable schedule (two home games, the first of which is against a nicked-up Lions team) and an increasingly healthy roster to the top spot. B.C. and Calgary will race to the wire with the Stamps winning the second spot by a nose. The question marks surrounding the health of B.C.’s QBs are just too prominent for the team to take advantage of their season-closing home games.

In the East, Winnipeg will split its series with the Als and beat Hamilton in the last game to get a death grip on a home playoff game in the semis (hard to believe that one, huh?). I’ll give the Ticats a win in Toronto this week, but that one W won’t be enough to keep a spot in the tournament. Edmonton with its own win over Toronto next week crosses over to claim the third spot.

WEEK 13 PREDICTIONS DOOMED TO GO WRONG

Last week’s 3-0-1 record finally pushed me over .500 for the season.

This week I’m counting on Hamilton, Calgary, Montreal, and Saskatchewan to help me stack up a few wins of my own to stay over the Mendoza line down the stretch.

UP NEXT

Check back next week to get my take on all the league awards. I may also have to start backtracking on some of those playoff predictions!

Until then, take care.

TheScore.com — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:30:00 GMT

Here are our picks for Week 16:

WEEK 15 RECAP:

Andy 1-3

Jack 2-2

DJ 3-1

Bob 2-2

James 3-1

Jann 2-2

Andy Baechler — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:32:00 GMT

It's that time of the year again, where the first thing you see on a CFL broadcast is not the players or the coaches, or even team owners for that matter. Instead, you see ice-covered fields, snow-filled parking lots, stadium flags being blown in all directions by freezing winds, and on occasion, bare-chested fans braving the conditions with a little help from something simply known as a "beer blanket."

With the cooler conditions starting to set in across the country, it's time to take a look at some of the best bad-weather players in the league. Those who turn the heat up on their game when the mercury drops, saving their best performances for the worst conditions.

Geroy Simon, B.C. Lions

Since 2001 Simon has had the luxury of playing his home games in the controlled environment of B.C. Place. As a skilled position player who is used to life in a dome, you'd think that going on the road in winter conditions would be an adjustment that even the most skilled of receivers would have trouble making. Apparently not. Look no further than the Lions win last Friday night over the Eskimos. Despite having to deal with a temperature of -4 at kickoff (which felt a lot worse thanks to a bitter wind chill), Geroy still managed to catch fire in Commonwealth, racking up 170 yards, a pair of touchdowns, and oh yes...a 62-yard Hail Mary reception in double coverage to win it for the Leos with just 12 seconds remaining.

Still not impressed? Take into consideration the fact he was able to do all of this without the help of Paris Jackson, B.C.'s second best threat in the passing game. Even an Eskimos fan would have to admit that the 11-year vet out of Maryland can still get it done no matter the setting.

Luca Congi, Saskatchewan Roughriders

Conditions in mid-November in Regina can be pretty cold. Okay, brutally cold. Certainly not the type of weather you'd want to kick in. But don't tell that to Congi.

The Riders kicker looked like he was playing in sunny conditions with the wind at his back when he booted his team past the Stampeders in the 2007 West Semi-Finals. Rest assured, the sun was not out at Taylor Field that day, but under the lights in the cold, Congi came through when it mattered the most, kicking six field goals and accounting for 20 total points in the Riders 26-24 victory over Calgary. Who says that kickers don't like the cold?

Henry Burris, Calgary Stampeders

In 2008, Henry Burris must have been dying to make it to Montreal for the Grey Cup. Not just because of the obvious reasons (i.e. play on the biggest stage with a chance to lead a team to a championship for the first time in his career), but also because the game was being played indoors.

Late last season, it seemed like every time I tuned in to a Stampeders game, Burris was picking apart opposing secondaries with frost-bitten fingers. Of course everybody remembers the Grey Cup victory over the Als, but it's how the Stamps got to the big game that's truly impressive. In Calgary's final four games of the regular season, Henry led his team to a perfect 4-0 record (three games in Calgary, one in Hamilton) while posting 11 TD passes to just two interceptions. After taking care of business versus B.C. in the semis, Burris finally had his first Grey Cup ring as a starting QB.

If the Stamps are going to repeat, they will need old man Burris to heat up as old man Winter arrives.

Jack Bedell — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:22:00 GMT

TRUTH SERUM

I don’t want the truth. I can’t handle the truth.

I want to live in a CFL world where I can look at rosters, weigh talent, measure desire, anticipate opportunities, and have a reasonable shot at knowing which teams are going to come out on top each weekend (barring injuries or superhuman efforts, of course).

That world, I’m told, is called fantasy football.

Given everything that was on the line this past weekend, who was playing for the post-season positioning and who was playing for pride, none of the four tilts broke like I thought they would. And I have a hard time believing I’m all alone in that opinion.

Ricky Ray, Arkee Whitlock, Mo Mann, Kamau Peterson, and Fred Stamps, in front of a packed home stadium, with a chance to put a firm grip on a playoff spot, and you’re telling me the Eskimos can’t put up more than 11 points of offence in the first half to dissuade the B.C. Lions?

Henry Burris, Joffrey Reynolds, Jeremaine Copeland, Nik Lewis, and Romby Bryant, with a chance to pull into the top spot in the West all by themselves, and the defending-Grey-Cup-champion Stampeders can’t manage a single major against the Als, a team that’s already locked up the East Division championship?

The Ticats with a home game against the Bombers to prove beyond a doubt the second spot in the East belongs to them, and they sleep walk through the first half spotting Winnipeg 21 points without a fight? Half as many drops as completions? Come on, Hamilton.

So, what did I learn from two straight weeks of misjudging which teams would show up and which wouldn’t? Not much, except that truth and reality don’t always live in the same neighborhood this time of year in the CFL.

FIVE THINGS I THINK I KNOW HEADING INTO WEEK 16

1) Calgary’s stars better wake up soon. Teams in their rearview mirror are a lot closer than they appear.

2) Nobody wants to go into Winnipeg for a playoff game with the temperature dropping and the winds kicking up. Passing and kicking are sure to be quite adventurous, and the Bombers look like a team that can take advantage of that.

3) B.C. cannot afford to mail it in this weekend against the Bombers. The only hope the Lions have of putting a death grip on a playoff spot out West is to bring it for real on Sunday, or they’ll leave the Peg in a dogfight with Edmonton for a post-season spot.

4) The way the Riders’ defence is playing these days, they will not be an easy out in the playoffs. And if Darian Durant can maintain ball security over the next month, they have a real shot at the division title.

5) Montreal is serious about keeping the pedal down through November this year.

WEEK 16 PICKS DOOMED TO FAIL

Since I have zero faith in my ability to guess who’s going to bring it for real (besides Montreal, that is) this weekend, I’m going back to the old gut for my picks.

The belly tells me Edmonton, Saskatchewan, and B.C. will pull off some much-needed road magic, while Montreal will not let home field go to waste no matter which team needs it most.

UP NEXT

Check back next week for a little playoff preview. I’ll also weigh in on this year’s players’ awards.

Until then, take care. The second season’s just a month away.

TheScore.com — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:51:00 GMT

Here are our picks for Week 15:

WEEK 14 RECAP:

Andy 3-1

Jack 2-2

DJ 3-1

Bob 3-1

James 3-1

Jann 2-2

TheScore.com — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:28:00 GMT

As the regular season enters the final stretch, how the teams stack up is looking almost the same to us all.

Here are our Week 15 power rankings.


Andy Baechler	Jack Bedell	D.J. Bennett	Bob Coatsworth	James Ladd	Jann Shreve	Consensus
Montreal	Montreal	Montreal	Montreal	Montreal	Montreal	Montreal (48)
Calgary	Calgary	Calgary	Calgary	Calgary	Calgary	Calgary (42)
Sask.	Sask.	Sask.	Sask.	Sask.	Sask.	Sask. (36)
B.C.	B.C.	B.C.	B.C.	B.C.	B.C.	B.C. (30)
Edmonton	Edmonton	Edmonton	Hamilton	Edmonton	Hamilton	Edmonton (22)
Hamilton	Hamilton	Hamilton	Edmonton	Hamilton	Edmonton	Hamilton (20)
Winnipeg	Winnipeg	Winnipeg	Winnipeg	Winnipeg	Winnipeg	Winnipeg (12)
Toronto	Toronto	Toronto	Toronto	Toronto	Toronto	Toronto (6)

Last Week - 1. Montreal (48); 2. Calgary (40); 3. Sask. (38); 4. Edmonton (28); 5. Hamilton (24); 6. B.C. (20); 7. Winnipeg (12); 8. Toronto (6)

TheScore.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:21:00 GMT

Near consensus with our selections this time around.

Here are our picks for Week 14:

WEEK 13 RECAP:

Andy 3-1

Jack 2-2

DJ 2-2

Bob 3-1

James 3-1

Jann 2-2

TheScore.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 13:43:00 GMT

Here are our Week 14 power rankings:


Andy Baechler	Jack Bedell	D.J. Bennett	Bob Coatsworth	James Ladd	Jann Shreve	Consensus
Montreal	Montreal	Montreal	Montreal	Montreal	Montreal	Montreal (48)
Sask.	Sask.	Calgary	Calgary	Calgary	Calgary	Calgary (40)
Calgary	Calgary	Sask.	Sask.	Sask.	Sask.	Sask. (38)
Hamilton	Edmonton	Edmonton	Hamilton	Edmonton	Edmonton	Edmonton (28)
Edmonton	Hamilton	B.C.	Edmonton	Hamilton	B.C.	Hamilton (24)
B.C.	B.C.	Hamilton	B.C.	B.C.	Hamilton	B.C. (20)
Winnipeg	Winnipeg	Wnnipeg	Winnipeg	Winnipeg	Winnipeg	Winnipeg (12)
Toronto	Toronto	Toronto	Toronto	Toronto	Toronto	Toronto (6)

Last Week - 1. Montreal (48); 2. Edmonton (36); 3. Calgary (34); 4. Hamilton (32); 5. Sask. (30); 6. B.C. (18); 7. Toronto (12); 8. Winnipeg (6)

Andy
Baechler
(42-26)

Jack
Bedell
(37-31)

D.J.
Bennett
(37-31)

Bob
Coatsworth
(41-27)

James
Ladd
(40-28)

Jann
Shreve
(39-29)

Edmonton
vs.
B.C.

Montreal
vs.
Toronto

Calgary
vs.
Sask.

Hamilton
vs.
Winnipeg

Jack Bedell — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:56:00 GMT

Despite what recent news around the league might indicate, trades in the Canadian Football League aren’t all that commonplace. It’s really rare for veteran players to be traded for their convenience or to rectify teams’ roster problems that could have been fixed in pre-season.

Under the current CFL salary management system and roster strictures, it can be difficult to move veteran players and their contracts, especially in an eight-team league where the other seven teams would prefer to wait until the player is released outright and is free to negotiate a new contract to accommodate SMS concerns.

Last week, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers made two big deals, however, sending receivers Arjei Franklin and Romby Bryant and some draft considerations to Calgary for Titus Ryan, Jabari Arthur, and Odell Willis. They also cut a deal with the Alouettes to send non-import rush ends Riall Johnson and Shawn Mayne to Montreal for the rights to fourth-string pivot Ricky Santos.

No matter which direction the players were headed, though, you can bet the moves did some serious disruption to their personal and professional lives. Not to mention the change in post-season plans for many of them!

In the aftermath of one of the deals, newly-acquired Alouettes defensive end Shawn Mayne was gracious enough to take a few minutes with me to describe how the trade went down on his end and to talk about some of the personal effects of being dealt.

When did you first learn about the trade on your end?

Shawn Mayne—“The first time I heard about the trade was on Monday at around 4 p.m. when i was at home gettting ready to go back to Winnipeg on a flight for 9.”

Once the deal was complete, what did you have to do on a personal level to get ready for the move?

SM—“As soon as I found out about the trade, the first thing I had to get used to was being back home along with getting used to my new teammates.”

What was the check-in procedure like with the Alouettes?

SM—“The check in procedure with the Als was really easy. The fact that I was still in Montreal helped. All I had to do was go to the hospital for my physical and then go to the Big O to meet my new team and get my playbook.”

How much of an adjustment will your new responsibilities and schemes be?

SM—“As for the understanding the playbook and what they are trying to do on defence, the system is somewhat the same as Winnipeg’s. It’s more just understanding the wording and terminology.”

Does playing at home ease the transition, or add some pressure?

SM—“With how long I have been playing ball, the fact that I am playing at home will not affect me, but I am sure the first time I dress and step out on the field at Percival Molson Stadium, I will need some getting used to as I was used to Winnipeg and the fans there.”

Have the Als given you any indication of how you’ll fit in on the roster?

SM—“ As for where I fit in on the roster, the Als have been hit hard with a lot of Canadians going down, so special teams is where I will be making my mark.”

Now that everything’s sunk in, are you excited about the rest of the season?

SM—“Now that everthing is over with, I am really excited about the second half of the season. I went from going home in November to the playoffs, and maybe more if we keep this up.”

Any reason to circle the date of the next Winnipeg game on your calendar?

SM—“I am not to sure how I will be feeling the next time we play Winnipeg. I have a lot of good friends on the team, but I am sure once kickoff is over with, it will be all about the game.”