CFL grades

The 2001 season in the CFL has been filled with positives, on and off the field.

On the field, there's a duel in the East for supremacy in that division, while as always, there's a shootout going on in the West. Off the field, rumors of a possible return to Ottawa, excellent ticket sales for the Grey Cup title game in Montreal, and a recent television deal with a Houston-based group that has brought the CFL back to American television has the marked the return of some good times.

Back on the field, the action is beginning to heat up. As we pass the midseason mark, we'll take a look at how the teams have done so far and what their outlook might be for the rest of the season.

East Division

Hamilton Tiger-Cats' midseason grade: B. They may be 5-4, but don't let the record fool you. The Tabbies are a dangerous team, especially on defense. Lineman Joe Montford leads the CFL with eleven sacks in nine games. For Hamilton to win more games, however, they must be consistent on offense. Danny McManus has a weapon he's been missing all year in Archie Amerson, who was with the Ti-Cats last season. If they get back on track offensively and keep up the pace on defense, Hamilton will be a dangerous team come playoff time.

Montreal Alouettes' midseason grade: A-. At 7-2, they're tied for the East division lead with Winnipeg. They could be better, though. If they hadn't fallen on their faces offensively in the second half of week eight's game in Winnipeg, they might be 8-1 at this point. But no matter; the Alouettes are in the midst of a fight to the finish for the second straight season. This time, it's with Winnipeg. For the Alouettes to return to the Grey Cup title game, Mike Pringle must be healthy and Anthony Calvillo has to continue to step up.

Toronto Argonauts' midseason grade: C-. It might be lower if it hadn't been for those offensive explosions against Saskatchewan and Calgary. Mike Clemons is at a crossroads with this team. The Argos have talent on both sides of the ball. Jimmy Kemp leads the offense and Elfrid Payton leading the defense in sacks with nine. But they continue to lose for some odd reason. Mike Clemons has said he might resign in order to shake things up. How that will affect play for the rest of the season will be determined provided he does resign. For now, it'll take a miracle for the Argos, at 2-7, to make the playoffs.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers' midseason grade: A. The Bombers are the biggest surprise so far in the 2001 season. A mix of a volatile offense with the league's best defense has Winnipeg at 7-2 halfway through 2001. And with Robert Gordon returning to the lineup recently, the offense is just going to be more explosive. The Bombers are a dark horse favorite to go to the Grey Cup title game. But teams that get off to fast starts often stumble at some point. Even so, it's been a heck of a year to this point for the Bombers.

West Division

BC Lions' midseason grade: B. After putting up big points in week one, the Lions' offense went flat, scoring only 36 points in the three games afterwards. But in a week five upset against Montreal, they found themselves, putting up 31 points in the first half. Then against Edmonton the next week, they put up 28 in the first half. And the following week, they scored 27 in the fourth quarter against the same Eskimos. However, they suffered a pair of setbacks in losing Damon Allen and Alfred Jackson in consecutive weeks. The rest of the season will hinge on how they do without the both of them. So far, the Lions have earned their grade.

Calgary Stampeders' midseason grade: C. The Stamps will deny that they're in a rebuilding mode. But after losing two veteran quarterbacks in consecutive seasons and in the midst of a 3-6 record, the aura of one is there. Marcus Crandell established himself as the number one quarterback in Calgary after week three. However, the Stamps will really need to step it up after he was sidelined with a sprained shoulder. This especially goes on defense, where they've looked atrocious at times. Two examples are in weeks five and nine, where they allowed opponents to drive down field for go-ahead scores. Both games were one-point losses.

Edmonton Eskimos' midseason grade: B-. The Eskimos are in an experimental stage this season, particularly on offense. Head coach Tom Higgins has juggled Nealon Greene and Jason Maas at quarterback, but Maas looks like the man for now. The Esks have struggled at times with their running game as well, as they are fifth in the league at this point. But with Ronald Williams in the backfield (he signed with Edmonton after being released by Hamilton a short time ago), the Esks just might do alright. Now if they could only solve things on defense (the Eskimos are dead last in defense).

Saskatchewan Roughriders' midseason grade: C-. Where to begin with this team? After a 2-0 preseason and a 2-1 start in the regular season, things started to look bright in the Prairie. Suddenly, the Riders fell on their faces on both sides of the ball. Since a 2-1 start, the Riders are 1-5 and have lost the five games by a 185-87 total. To make matters worse, Marvin Graves, starting quarterback at the beginning of the season, is out for the remainder of the season with a neck injury. This leaves the Riders' season in the hands of rookie quarterback Kevin Glenn. So far, he's 1-1. The simple formula for the rest of the season: score on offense and keep points off on defense. Who knows? With luck, they could make the playoffs.

Nine weeks down, nine to go. Unpredictability is the name of the 2001 CFL season, which makes for an exciting second half.