CFL Week 5 Recap: Close, but No Cigar

There are a lot of things I love about the Canadian Football League, and on that list is the league's rules. The CFL is so different from the NFL in many different ways, especially when it comes to scoring. Because of the rules, it creates so many ways for a team to win, but it also creates such crazy ways to lose as well. Just ask the Edmonton Elks.

Week 5 kicked off with the Elks facing the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and let me say this: I do love West Division games. The Western games appear to be a bit more hotly contested than the Eastern games, hence why the West has been the better division as of late. Even the games involving the hapless Elks have been close, and this one was no exception. It actually had a strange start, as the Elks actually scored four straight rouges. For those new to the CFL, a rouge (also known as a "single") comes when a kickoff or punt lands in the end zone and isn't returned, or if a missed field goal goes through the end zone. In either event, a single point is awarded. Edmonton finally got in the end zone afterwards, and led 11-3 late, but the Riders scored a TD of their own, and tied it up with a two-pointer.

So it appeared that overtime would be nigh, right? About that.

The player in the photo is Elks wide receiver CJ Sims. When the Riders kicked off the ball, it managed to roll in to the end zone, and regarding Sims, he took his sweet time waltzing in to the end zone and downed the ball. That's a rouge! In a game that was tied at 11 with barely over a minute left in regulation, Sims handed a free point to the kicking team. That's an absolute bonehead move. I'm pretty sure TSN's Sportscentre has a Not Top 10 just like ESPN's Sportscenter does, and I think this had to have made the list. So the Riders took a 12-11 lead, and even worse, Sims committed a 10 yard penalty, meaning the Elks would start on their own 30 instead of their own 40. Even so, all they needed was to get to FG range, and they were getting there, but an interception ended Edmonton's hopes for their first win of the 2023 season.

Alberta's other team, the Calgary Stampeders, took the field in Winnipeg against the Blue Bombers on the following day, and they ended up putting up the same amount of points that the Elks did: 11. Their game wasn't as close; the Bombers won 24-11, and they are continuing their good start to the season. As for the Horsemen, they are continuing to fall. This team played for the Grey Cup quite a bit in the decade that I have spent watching this league, but as I'm seeing, they are a far cry from those teams who dominated the West. It's a long season, but still, things need to change.

On Saturday, we were treated to an Eastern battle between the Ottawa Redblacks and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, which marked a homecoming for Redblacks quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. Unfortunately, that would be short-lived, as Masoli ended up injured during the first half, though Ottawa would be in the fight for the entire game, even to the end. Down eight, and with time winding down, it looked like they would get in the end zone, get the two pointer, and force OT. They were 21 yards away, but a running play on the final seconds saw them stopped two yards short. Hamilton picked up their first win of the season by a score of 21-13, and regarding Masoli, it's the worst news: out for the season.

All three Ontario teams, including the idle Toronto Argonauts, received help from the BC Lions on Sunday, as they easily trounced the Montréal Alouettes by a score of 35-19. I said it before: BC appears to be the real deal this season, they proved it earlier in the year when they managed to take down the Blue Bombers on the road. How legit are the Lions? I'll tell you.

In the West Division, after five weeks, the BC Lions and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are tied for first place at 4-1, and it's BC's victory over Winnipeg that makes the difference. The Saskatchewan Roughriders improved to 3-1 with their victory, and as for the Alberta franchises, the Calgary Stampeders fell to 1-3, while the Edmonton Elks are now 0-5. BC and Winnipeg have two meetings left this season: Week 9 (@ WPG) and Week 18 (@ BC). Those games will pretty much determine who takes the West.

In the East Division, while the Toronto Argonauts remain unbeaten due to their second bye week (already!) this season, the Montréal Alouettes dropped to 2-2, and the Ottawa Redblacks and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats are now tied at 1-3. The East continues to be close, and now that Hamilton has a win this season, it's a lot more interesting. Even better for Hamilton, it was a division win. As for the Alouettes, even with the loss, they still appear to be the top team in Toronto's way, and the rest of the season should be very interesting for the East Division.

Week 6 will kick off on Thursday, July 13 with the Edmonton Elks looking to end their home skid against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Then on Friday, July 14, it's the Eastern Final rematch between the Toronto Argonauts and the Montréal Alouettes. On Saturday, July 15, it's a doubleheader. First off, the Ottawa Redblacks will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and then, the Calgary Stampeders and the Saskatchewan Roughriders will engaged in a West Division battle.

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