Colby Spence/CFL.ca
Welcome to Overreaction Monday, where we look back on the previous week’s action and root out some angles that could be prone to hot takes that may or may not be a tad over the top. Either from fans and the media in general or, maybe just specifically me.
Then, I’ll render a verdict as to whether I think it’s an “overreaction”, a “fair” assessment, or if it’s “too soon to tell.”
This week: The Blue Bombers are aloft. A critical mistake helps sink the Argos. The Stampeders save the day, maybe their season.
NOT SAYING THAT WAS AN IMPERATIVE. BUT THAT WAS AN IMPERATIVE
Dedrick Mills pulled off a 49-yard touchdown run with just 29 seconds remaining to give the Calgary Stampeders a 28-23 win over the visiting Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Coming off a bye week — and two consecutive losses prior to it — the Stamps ensured they would stay firmly in the playoff picture with those last-minute heroics.
“That was a must-win for Calgary.”
THE VERDICT: Fair.
Normally, we might all want to take a breath on making statements like that when we’re talking about a mid-season game, and one that does not have mathematical elimination implications involved.
The word “overreaction” would often be applicable.
But a loss to Hamilton would have been an extremely dispiriting one for the Stampeders and would have had great weight in setting the tone for the rest of the season.
Must-win, though? Yes. Don’t wanna take my word for it? Let’s ask the coach.
“Honestly, we had to have it,” said a candid Dave Dickenson after the game. “I think you can take only so many wounds, so many times.”
Calgary defensive end Clarence Hicks agreed when he was asked whether it was an absolute ‘have-to-have’ game, saying: “Five and six or four and seven? There’s a big difference.”
THEY FORGOT TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE CHANGE IN TIME ZONES WHEN THEY SET THEIR ALARM
The BC Lions looked unusually suspect during the early going in Ottawa, staking the winless REDBLACKS to an early 14-3 lead, with quarterback Nathan Rourke throwing two interceptions in the first half as well as being penalized for being well over the line of scrimmage on one throw.
“I made some mistakes,” said Rourke post-game. “Made some bad decisions. What happened in the first half is on me.”
In the end, happy faces in Pacific Frost uniforms as they came away with a 45-24 victory.
“That kind of start won’t cut it against Montreal.”
THE VERDICT: Fair.
It is one thing to erase a slow start against a last-place team, quite another to do it against a team at the top of the charts.
Historically, the Lions used to have a devil of a time in Montreal but they’ve actually won their last three games at Percival Molson Stadium, dating back to 2022.
Since they’ve decided to stay East prior to their OK Tire Labour Day Weekend game against the Alouettes, the Lions won’t have the disadvantage of traipsing back and forth across the country prior to Friday night’s big, big match-up.
That should help in avoiding a slow start, which I think we can all agree would be a little bit harder to overcome on the slopes of Mount Royal than it was on the banks of the Rideau.
REGRETS? THEY HAVE A FEW
With just over three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and the Toronto Argonauts up by three against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Toronto defensive back Tarvarus McFadden jumped offside when the ‘Riders were making a short field goal attempt.
One play later, the Roughriders had a touchdown and a four point lead, which they would ultimately protect in a 28-24 win.
“That penalty cost the Argos the game.”
THE VERDICT: Overreaction.
McFadden would like to have that play back, no doubt, and since the Roughriders took the lead with a touchdown instead of tying the game with a field goal, it’d be easy to say that was the difference, although too simplistic.
The Argonauts had a convert blocked and returned for two points earlier in the game, and placekicker Brady Lidster missed another convert as well, and a 36-yard field goal attempt.
Not to hang it on the kicker, either. There would be more such instances in the game that Toronto fans could lamentably point to.
Saying one penalty cost Toronto the game would be doing a disservice to McFadden — who broke up three passes including one on third down to deny the Roughriders a touchdown in the third quarter — and to the Saskatchewan defence, which had a rather large role to play in the outcome with a stifling second half performance.
FUEL TANK? CHECK. FLAPS? CHECK. ENGINE? CHECK.
After a half-season of taxiing, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers finally got fully airborne, belting the red-hot Montreal Alouettes by a score of 44-28, a win that pushed their record to 6-5 and gave them a share of third place in the West alongside the BC Lions.
“That’s what it looks like when we play two halves,” said defensive end Willie Jefferson, afterward.
Offence, defence, special teams. Check, check, check.
“The Blue Bombers are going on a run, baby.”
THE VERDICT: Too soon to tell.
One game — as fine a game as it was — does not necessarily mean more of the same will follow.
This is still the team that gave up 377 rushing yards in a loss this year and the same team that faced continual questions about offensive identity and run-defence leakage, and whether they had the stuff to contend in 2026.
Perhaps they have all that behind them.
Putting together a little hot streak now (Hello, Labour Day) would definitely change “too soon to tell” to “fair” in time for the stretch drive.
Winnipeg Head Coach Mike O’Shea certainly seems to think they’re ready.
“If you’ve been listening, I’ve been saying we’re close,” O’Shea told reporters after the game.
IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET HARDER
Another big, big game for BC running back Zander Horvath, who rushed 24 times for 164 yards against Ottawa.
“Horvath still hasn’t reached his ceiling.”
THE VERDICT: Too soon to tell.
BC head coach Buck Pierce said something intriguing after Horvath’s star turn against the REDBLACKS.
“We trust him in the pass game as well,” said Pierce, “so just continuing to evolve what we can do with him offensively.”
Horvath hasn’t been targeted a lot through the air so far this season, though he did have four catches for 30 yards against Ottawa.
Sounds like Pierce and the Lions have plans to see where that ceiling of his actually is.