TORONTO — One week is all it takes to get down over a tough loss or excited about a season-opening win. But for the five teams yet to pick up a point, there’s plenty of season left to get things on track in the CFL.
For the Ottawa REDBLACKS, specifically, there are at least 18 more games, starting on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. ET when the Saskatchewan Roughriders come to town.
Friday Night Football features a double header. First, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers take on the Montreal Alouettes at Percival Molson Stadium at 7 p.m. ET, where both teams will be looking for their first victory of the season. The second game features the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who are completing their Alberta road trip against the Edmonton Eskimos who will be looking to start the season 2-0.
Saturday features a Grey Cup rematch from last season. The Calgary Stampeders will be looking to avenge their loss on that snowy Sunday in November when they travel to BMO Field to take on the Toronto Argonauts. Bo Levi Mitchell is 8-0 in his career against Toronto. The Argonauts will be looking to get their first win this season following their opening game loss to Saskatchewan. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
WEEK 1 RECAP
After a busy off-season, there were plenty of new faces in new places in Week 1 as CFL football returned. The opening docket delivered on high expectations with four close games:
- Home teams went 3-1, with only Edmonton winning on the road.
- Week 1 attendance reached 99,144 (24,786 average per game).
- Games were quick. The average game time (elapsed) of play was 2:45. Last year’s overall average was 2:50.
- First week saw only two coaches’ challenges; both calls stood.
- Winning vs. Losing in Week 1:
- Winning teams committed only three turnovers while losing teams committed nine turnovers
- Winning teams allowed six sacks while losing teams allowed 13 sacks
- Winning teams averaged 110 rushing yards and losing teams averaged 81 rushing yards
- Winning teams on average converted 47% on second downs, while losing teams converted on 39% of second downs
- All four wins were comeback victories
- CFL on TSN Week 1 ratings saw 11% increase overall (2+) year-over-year (yoy) and 29% increase in the 18-49 demographic yoy.
- CFL Digital Week 1 Stats:
- 50% growth in TSN CFL Fantasy user base
- 150,000 incremental downloads of Football Frenzy in 2018
- 67% increase in unique users to CFL.ca (yoy)
- 40% increase in pageviews on CFL.ca (yoy)
- 50% increase in user sessions on CFL.ca (yoy)
100 SACK CLUB
- Charleston Hughes’ first sack on Ricky Ray on Friday night was his 100th of his career.
- Hughes became the 11th player in CFL history to notch 100 sacks.
- He finished the game with three sacks (tying a career-high) for a combined loss of 24 yards.
- Hughes joins the following players who have recorded 100+ sacks in the CFL:
- Grover Covington – 157 sacks | 168 games | 0.93 sacks per game
- Elfrid Payton – 153 sacks | 205 games | 0.75 sacks per game
- Bobby Jurasin – 140 sacks | 199 games | 0.70 sacks per game
- James Parker – 139.5 sacks | 161 games | 0.87 sacks per game
- Joe Montford – 135 sacks | 185 games | 0.73 sacks per game
- Vince Goldsmith – 130.5 sacks | 163 games | 0.80 sacks per game
- Steward Hill – 126 sacks | 164 games | 0.77 sacks per game
- John Bowman* – 121 sacks | 201 games | 0.60 sacks per game
- Tyrone Jones – 110 sacks | 151 games | 0.73 sacks per game
- Rodney Harding – 105 sacks | 201 games | 0.52 sacks per game
- Charleston Hughes* – 102 sacks | 148 games | 0.69 sacks per game
Notable:
- Odell Willis* – 86 sacks | 155 games | 0.55 sacks per game
*Indicates active player
LIGHTNING STIKES TWICE
- Thursday night’s game between the Edmonton Eskimos and Winnipeg Blue Bombers is officially the longest continuous game in CFL history.
- Here’s a timeline of the events from Thursday’s season opening game:
Start time: 7:38 pm CT
End time: 1:18 am CT
Delay #1: 8:32 pm to 9:56 pm (1:24)
Delay #2: 10:18 pm to 11:52 pm (1:34)
Elapsed time: 5 hours, 40 minutes
Actual game time: 2 hours, 42 minutes
Delay time: 2 hours, 58 minutes
- The only exception is the 1962 Grey Cup, part of which was delayed until the next day. The final 9:29 of play was deferred until December 2, 1962 due to fog. The key to this stat is “continuous”. In 1962 both teams left and came back the following day.
QUICK SLANTS
- Since Ottawa’s return to the league they are 2-2-1 in their season opener. Last season they tied Calgary in Week 1, 31-31.
- Derel Walker’s 176 receiving yards was the second-highest single game total in his career. His career high is 183 yards, which came in a 2015 game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
- Only one player has surpassed 200 receiving yards in the opening week of the season: Brian Kelly who recorded 205 yards in Week 1 in 1983.
- Winnipeg’s Justin Medlock (1,192) needs eight points to reach 1,200 for his career.
- Week 1 saw kickers go 18-of-20 on field goals.
- Red Hot Masoli: Since September 1st, 2017 Jeremiah Masoli and Mike Reilly are neck and neck, passing-wise. Mike Reilly: 3,393 passing yards; Masoli: 3,376; Ricky Ray: 2,761; Jonathon Jennings: 2,397 and Bo Levi Mitchell: 2,295.
- A scan of the league’s historical data shows Mike Reilly is only the second CFL quarterback to have a 100-yard completion in three consecutive seasons:
- 2018: Derel Walker 101-yard reception
- 2017: Vidal Hazelton 108-yard reception
- 2016: Derel Walker 104-yard completion
- There have been only 40 quarterbacks that have ever recorded a pass of 100+ yards in the last 69 years.
- Just seven quarterbacks have had multiple 100+ yard completions, including Reilly’s head coach Jason Maas in 2002 and 2004.
- Derel Walker becomes the 6th receiver to record multiple 100-yard receptions in multiple seasons. The others are Willie Armstead, Willie Fleming, Hal Patterson, Jason Tucker, and Milt Stegall.
- The Montreal Alouettes have had 13 different starting quarterbacks since Anthony Calvillo’s last game (August 2013). Drew Willy made his third start for the Alouettes in Week 1.
- Weston Dressler passed Robert Gordon and now has 9,565 receiving yards. He trails number 22 Jock Climie (9,619) by 54 yards. Dressler is 172 yards away from a spot on the all-time top 20 in receiving yards.
- SJ Green (8139) is now 84 yards away from the all-time top 40 in receiving yards.
- Solomon Elimimian moved into number eight all-time in tackles. He now has 767 tackles.
- Mike Reilly (22,471) is 108 yards from joining the top 25 passers of all-time.
- Bo Levi Mitchell is 354 yards shy from 20,000 for his career.
- No player has recorded a 100-yard rushing game.
- Of the total yards gained in Week 1, 74% came via the pass.