Bombers, Argos last teams standing

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/11/2022 (674 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

REGINA – What began with six playoff teams has been trimmed down to the final two, pinning the top clubs from the CFL’s East and West Divisions in this Sunday’s 109th Grey Cup in Regina.

The Toronto Argonauts, who paced the East with an 11-7 record, built up a commanding lead and then lost it, eventually pulling away late in the third quarter to defeat the Montreal Alouettes, 34-27, at BMO Field. The 15-3 Winnipeg Blue Bombers then welcomed the B.C. Lions to town for the Western final, where the Blue and Gold would book their ticket to a third straight title game with a 28-20 victory at a snowy IG Field.

It’s the first time since the 1950 “Mud Bowl” that the Bombers and Argonauts will meet in the Grey Cup, with Toronto earning a 13-0 win more than 70 years ago. In fact, the Argonauts and Bombers have met six previous times in the championship game, all between 1937 and 1950, and the Argonauts have won each game.

As entertaining as this week’s tilt is expected to be, there was plenty of news and notes from the week that was in the three-down loop. So, without further ado, let’s get into it in the latest edition of CFL Rundown.

1) It wasn’t all that shocking to see the Argonauts earn their spot in the Grey Cup, but what definitely raised some eyebrows during the game was some bizarre antics on the sideline. I couldn’t believe what I was watching, as starting quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson could be seen screaming at head coach Ryan Dinwiddie before getting into a physical altercation with another coach. All because MBT wanted Dinwiddie to challenge a play. That’s at least twice this season there’s been a blow-up on the Argos sideline; against Winnipeg in Week 4, receiver Brandon Banks lost his cool and after the heated exchange persisted for several minutes, general manager Mike “Pinball” Clemons had to leave his private suite to separate the chaos.

2) I asked both MBT and Dinwiddie Tuesday about the incident, and I believe them when they say it was simply a moment between a passionate QB and a coach that also hasn’t been shy to wear his heart on his sleeve. MBT said he apologized the next day for letting his passion get the best of him, and he vowed to keep his emotions in check over what’s going to be a busy week in Regina.

3) Andrew Harris made his triumphant return to the lineup after missing three months following surgery on a torn pectoral muscle that was supposed to derail his season. The Winnipeg native scored his first touchdown as an Argonaut on his first carry of the game, finishing the night with nine rushes for 42 yards. Now, Harris gets the chance for redemption against his former club, after the Bombers dragged their feet on re-signing him over the winter before both sides parted ways. Harris admitted to reporters Monday that the game was personal, fuelling what will be among the juiciest storylines leading up to Sunday.

4) It wasn’t all good news for the Argos, as it’s looking like they’ll be without all-star linebacker Wynton McManis on Sunday. McManis was sidelined after injuring himself on the first play of the second quarter and Dinwiddie said after the game that it might be a torn bicep, though he stopped short of making any definitive statements until further evaluation on McManis could be done. McManis had just returned to the lineup after being out with a knee injury suffered in Week 17.

5) I spent much of Monday recapping the Bombers performance in my weekly 5 Takeaways piece, so I’ll limit my coverage here on the Blue and Gold. But what we need to talk about is the role the more than 30,000 fans played at IG Field in helping push Winnipeg to victory. While the crowd was relentless all game, it was never more evident than in the final minute, when the Lions struggled mightily to relay their play calls through the deafening noise. The fans received several shoutouts after the game, including from Lions coaches and players, all of whom said it was near impossible conditions to play through.

6) There was no update on Bombers QB Zach Collaros Tuesday, with head coach Mike O’Shea unwilling to provide much insight other than to say he’s good. Collaros injured his ankle late in the fourth quarter and was unable to take the field for Winnipeg’s final offensive drive. He looked no worse for wear walking off the plane, but the first real indicator of where he’s truly at will be once the Bombers take the field for their first day of practice Wednesday.

7) Lions star quarterback Nathan Rourke, who was held mostly in check on Sunday by the Bombers defence, appears to be NFL bound. Reports surfaced Tuesday that the 24-year-old Canadian has lined up NFL workouts beginning next week, with apparently more than 20 teams interested in seeing how he tests out. Rourke then told reporters he feels ready for the opportunity and will only sign where he feels he can make a meaningful impact. That should be read as he expects a role no worse than a No. 2, adding he hasn’t ruled out a return to the Lions.

8) Staying with Rourke, I was surprised to hear that he hasn’t had any contact with former teammate and fellow QB Michael Reilly since his retirement after last season. It was always understood the two were close and Rourke has often credited Reilly for helping him prepare at this level. That Rourke said he reached out and didn’t even get a response suggests there could be more to the story.

9) Grey Cup week, which often has tons of news outside of the two teams playing, got off to a hot start on Tuesday with the announcement that Calgary had traded QB Bo Levi Mitchell to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for a pair of mid-round draft picks, including a third in 2023 and a fourth in 2024. Mitchell’s current contract expires in February, meaning Hamilton traded for the exclusive rights to negotiate a new deal before Mitchell becomes a free agent in a couple months.

10) Given what usually happens in these situations, it originally felt like Mitchell was sure to be in Hamilton next season, which only seemed more inevitable after Ticats head coach Orlondo Steinauer said they wouldn’t have struck a trade if they weren’t confident in getting something done. Mitchell poured cold water on that when he went on a Calgary podcast and said although he’ll listen to what the Ticats have to say, his plan was always to test free agency to see what the market is for his services. Anything can happen, but my guess is Mitchell is in Hamilton in 2023. The other option seems to be Saskatchewan, but with everything that’s been going on there, what’s an advantage – literally just one – of going to the Roughriders?

11) If Mitchell is a Ticat next season, what does that mean for Dane Evans? Evans struggled mightily this year, and while he managed to find his groove late in the season to help Hamilton earn a playoff berth, he fell apart once again in the Eastern semi-final against Montreal. Steinauer threw his support behind Evans when asked about the QB’s future, but there’s no way you can afford Mitchell and still pay Evans the $455,000 he’s owed in 2023.

12) Tom Brady was talking up the CFL this past week, with the future Hall of Fame QB teasing the idea of playing in Canada. Brady had just led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a win over the Seattle Seahawks in Munich, Germany, which made him the first QB to earn a win in four different countries. He said: “The fact that I’m undefeated outside the U.S., I’m hoping I can get to go play in the CFL at some point and really see what I can make of myself up there because things have gone pretty well outside the country.” It might be a hard sales pitch; the CFL’s current salary cap is $5.35 million, while Brady is currently on a one-year, $15-millon deal, which is all in US dollars.

13) It won’t be this year, but TSN needs to promote Dustin Nielson to their No. 1 play-by-play guy. Nielson brings a unique energy to his call and is deserving of being in the spotlight.

14) One of my favourite things about Grey Cup week is hearing all the amazing stories from fans about their experiences over what is easily the best week of the season. I’m putting a call out to anyone who wants to share what the Grey Cup has meant to them, what’s the coolest/craziest thing they’ve seen over the years, and/or anything special about this year in Regina. You can reach me at the email below.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton