Inexplicable, indefinable and, really, truly unbelievable.
The Toronto Argonauts made Canadian Football League history Saturday in Edmonton, beating the Eskimos 34-22 to set a club record with their sixth consecutive road victory.
And in each game they mounted fourth-quarter comebacks, all the while with a backup quarterback, Zach Collaros, who is creating quite a reputation for himself. Ricky Ray should be ready to return to the lineup soon, but in the meantime Collaros is playing with poise far beyond his years — and also giving the Ottawa RedBlacks plenty of videotape for December, when they’ll pick two quarterbacks in the expansion draft.
1. Toronto (9-4): Remember the Argo bounce? It was there in the win over Edmonton. The Argos clinched a playoff spot and are close to clinching first place in the East. Head coach Scott Milanovich deserves credit for keeping the team focused. Defensive co-ordinator Chris Jones is pushing all the right buttons.
2. Calgary (10-3): The defence took control of the game against Hamilton, producing turnovers that the offence turned into points. Makes you wonder if the Tiger-Cats ever realized what they did dumping quarterback Kevin Glenn. All he does is win, in particular against Hamilton.
3. B.C. (9-4): The Lions’ defence was even more impressive than the Stamps’. Did the Bombers invite the Stamps defence into the huddle? Young quarterback Thomas DeMarco looks very poised-he’s another potential candidate for the RedBlacks…or maybe for the Bombers.
4. Hamilton (6-7): The Tiger-Cats seemed to have corrected their field-goal kicking, but apparently not. That said, quarterback Henry Burris can’t continue to make turnovers. Head coach Kent Austin shouldered the blame, saying he has to do a better job.
5. Montreal (5-8): The Als stepped up. The defence — Chip Cox in particular — is so underrated. Cox will likely be headed for Defensive Player of the Year honours in the East, facing Charleston Hughes in the West. Rookie receiver Duron Carter is starting to show signs of his father’s athleticism.
6. Saskatchewan (8-5): Four defeats in a row and the Roughriders continue to look lost. The only positive from the loss to Montreal was Geroy Simon’s league record for career catches. The return of running back Kory Sheets can’t happen soon enough. Can the Riders coaching staff put in some packages for backup Drew Willy, please?
7. Edmonton (3-10): Well, the euphoria is over. Coughed up a huge lead against Toronto and lost quarterback Mike Reilly indefinitely with a concussion. Of all the losses the Eskimos have suffered this year, this will surely be the most painful and the most costly.
8. Winnipeg (2-11): There’s talk of firing head coach Tim Burke, but does it really matter at this point? Look, his decisions are curious at the best of times, so we’ll not even consider the logic of pulling the starter for the second half. The fact that his replacement threw a pick on his first pass speaks for itself.