Landry's 5 takeaways from Week 3

Don Landry

CFL.ca

@CFLLandry

Hello, Ryan Dinwiddie. You actually won a challenge! Congrats! After something like 9 or 10 losses in a row dating back to last season, the CFL’s poster boy for appeals futility had one go his way. My only quibble: No Gatorade shower, boys?

Here are the Week 3 takeaways.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!

Apologies to the Montreal Alouettes. I underestimated you.

Nothing like last year when I figured you’d have to hardscrabble your way to a playoff spot, if at all. This is different.

After your first two games, I thought “wowsers, they’re gonna keep it going right from the get-go. Can’t get better than this.”

Then came Thursday night and your almost complete domination of the Ottawa REDBLACKS. That was thorough, that was impressive and that was ruthless. That game had all kinds of “get the hell out of my way” vibes.

Crazy defence and a stretch-pass offence, with receivers Tyson Philpot and Kaion Julien-Grant leading the charge. Quarterback Cody Fajardo looking like he is having an absolute ball.

It can’t get better than this. (*Come back next week for a further apology, probably)

BONUS TAKEAWAY: Quite surprised that Tyrice Beverette didn’t just look straight into the camera and say “Give me all the bacon and eggs you have.”

BONUS BONUS TAKEAWAY: Jason Maas is 18 F-bombs happy with his team. The Alouettes’ head coach dropped 18 F-bombs in just over one minute during his postgame speech on Thursday night and all of them were happy F-bombs. As a big fan of the word myself, I was very impressed. Looking ahead, I have questions. How good can the Alouettes get? Can they possibly be 20 F-bombs good? Where do I bet the Over/Under on Maas postgame F-bombs? Will the Alouettes Director of Joyous F-bomb Bleeping be seen with a brace on their finger at some point this season?

IT’S ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU WANNA SING

BC Lions receiver Alexander Hollins had himself a heck of a night in a win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Seven catches, 215 yards, two touchdowns.

“Bat signal was out and Batman delivered,” said Lions’ quarterback Vernon Adams Jr.

Adams had a fine night as well, delivering 398 passing yards and those two major strikes to Hollins, who added a splendid impromptu song about his quarterback during a post-game interview (which you can see and hear in this X post from CFL.ca’s Kristina Costabile.)

After an opening night loss in Toronto, the Lions have bounced back with consecutive wins, and Adams has piled up 1,038 passing yards in three starts, 402 of those yards to the team’s Musical Batman.

No wonder Hollins has a song in his heart.

BONUS TAKEAWAY: The Lions haven’t even had Keon Hatcher in the line-up yet.

THESE GUYS HAVE ME CRAVING MORE PUNTING

That’s right, I said it. It’s crazy, I know. But Toronto’s John Haggerty and Edmonton’s Jake Julien make me wanna see more punting.

In all of the glory that was the Elks/Argos game on Saturday night, in all of the powerful running, the on-target passing, and in the midst of the constant parade to the end zone that that game provided, the punting display matched that entertainment level. Maybe even outstripped it.

I’ve been admiring these guys awhile, now, and on Saturday, they provided the punting equivalent of Ali-Frazier, or Federer-Nadal, or Drake-Kendrick Lamar. Scratch that last one, actually, as I hear it was pretty one-sided.

Each has a very strong leg. Julien averaged 55 yards over seven punts on the night, hammering a 57-yarder from Edmonton’s end zone in the final minute – against at least a breeze and maybe a wind – and Haggerty averaged 56 on six boots. It was more than that, though as the command-and-control they showed on placement was fabulous. Haggerty, in particular, seems to have some kind of special powers of sorcery in that department. “Yer a wizard, Haggerty!”

What’s happening to me? I want more punting. At least when these two are on the field.

Punting. It’s back, baby. If that’s wrong I don’t wanna be right.

BONUS TAKEAWAY: Sure, sure. McLeod Bethel-Thompson, Dillon Mitchell, Ka’Deem Carey and Cameron Dukes played pretty good too. But the punting!

THE CAP HAS BEEN LOOSENED

After a couple of games where it looked as though he was very much bottled up, Saskatchewan running back AJ Ouellette finally looked like his old self for the Riders on Sunday night.

20 rushes for 98 yards for the freight train running back and four catches for 47 more. How much of that 47 was YAC? All of it. So we’re kinda talkin’ about 24 lugs for 145 yards, and lots of that came the hard way, which we all know Ouellette doesn’t mind. Seems to prefer, actually.

Lots of limping on his part, too, but that didn’t stop Ouellette from chopping things up in traffic and adding a super-sweet dive at the stick near the sideline to pick up a big first down.

Did you think he couldn’t get it done without that primo offensive line of the Toronto Argonauts to pave his road? Rethink that.

THESE CAPS HAVE NOT BEEN LOOSENED

Each of them at oh-and 3, the Hamilton Ticats, Edmonton Elks and Winnipeg Blue Bombers are all in varying degrees of desperate times.

The Blue Bombers seem most likely to be on the verge of stepping forward, looking more like what we’re used to, their injury-riddled offence finding some traction during the second half against BC in Week 3.

The Elks are super-competitive, but can’t seem to read their GPS correctly, continually taking a wrong turn and driving their Ferrari down a boat launch just when it seems they are nearing their desired destination.

And the Ticats took steps back in their loss to Saskatchewan. It’s got to be just a bit perplexing to them, especially the Twilight Zone world they find themselves in when it comes to the curious case of Tim White, the superstar receiver who absolutely cannot buy one right now. Weird.

Will any of them hear that distinctive and satisfying “pop” of a lid unsealed in Week 4?

AND FINALLY… Oh, that’s right. Reggie White Jr.

Landry’s 5 takeaways from Week 3

Jason Halstead/CFL.ca