Sometimes one play can change a game around and Sunday provided one of those momentum breaking moments. Hamilton was ahead 3-0 and Durant seemed to have a huge care of the jitters early on. Then came the play. Durant coughed up the ball again but fate was smiling on the Riders and the ball dropped right in Sheets hands at full gallop. The rest as they say is history. The Riders settled in, accepted the gift, rode the momentum and the TiCats never recovered from the cruel fluke.
Congratulations to the Riders, well deserved win. As the saying goes you have to be good to be lucky. I guess when you are great, sometimes you are extra lucky.
The Riders’ O and D lines were simply bulling the Ti-Cats around at will, their defence was smothering, and special teams were outstanding. Durant was nervous as a kid on his first date but it wouldn’t have mattered what he did, the Riders were going to win that game regardless.
Interesting that they counted those as rushing yards for Sheets, rather than fumble return yards.
Is it always considered rushing yards when an offensive player recovers his own team’s fumble? I can’t imagine it being rushing yards if it was a reciver who fumbled 30 yards downfield and a teammate picked it up. Does it have to be the QB fumbling? Is it required that the ball doesn’t hit the ground first? Durant was credited with a fumble, so how can the ensuing run not be considered a fumble return?
Sheets had a great game, but that ~40 yard “rush” made the difference between breaking or not breaking a 50+ year-old record.
From the CFL rulebook - e.Yards gained by a player subsequent to recovery of a team mate’s fumble will remain as part of the play giving rise to the fumble and will be regarded in the nature of a gain after a lateral pass, See Section 7. However, the player recovering such fumble will also be credited under Own Fumbles Recovered on the statistics report form.
Section 7 just explains what a lateral pass is. Sheets is credited with the nature of the gain which is the same as after a lateral pass, thereby a 40 yard rushing gain. A win/win for Sheets
Possibly even probably. Nobody is saying that the TiCats would have won if the play went the other way. All I am saying is there was a clear momentum shift and as pointed out, rightfully the TSN turning point, in my opinion.
I don't agree with it being the turning point... I would say that Sheets' 21 yd run in the 2nd half giving the Riders a 1st down on a 2nd & 19 was a bigger play, the Cats had momentum and that took it away.
That's football and number of yards rushing or whatever, who cares. Sheets was there all game as a big threat and the Cats had to try and respect that and couldn't handle Sheets with the air attack that the Riders had as well.
That weird play, IMHO, had little to do with the outcome. The 2nd down and 19 and Sheets getting a first down with the run, that was for me the turning point. The Cats almost didn't deserve to win because of that, a basic run play they couldn't stop. No way can you give up that yardage on a run. But Sheets is a great back.
I really agree with that. :thup: Also factor in the time of that play. Having to make 19 on a run is HUGE! Hold SSK and they would have had to punt. The Ti-Cats had some momentum at that point. Who knows what might have happened? That play was a bone crusher in my opinion. I guess on the bright side the Ti-Cats each walked away with $8000. Not bad for a few hours of fun.
I guess I have difficulty thinking that getting a long first down when you are ahead 31-16 is a turning point. It would come down to what you would consider a turning point I guess.
The 2nd down run by Kory was the turning point for me too, Earl. Kory was awesome during the game and to set a new record for rushing in the Cup - gravy for KS.
No question, Sheets had a great game but was that a turning point, I really don’t think it was. Riders pretty much had the game in hand, that play just kept things going. The play where Sheets got the fumble dropped in his lap was potentially a turn about from a 10-0 deficit if Hamilton gets that or the earlier fumble inside the 10. The “fluke” play ended with a 7-3 Rider lead and was a turning point. I don’t argue that the 21 yard run was not a great play, I just don’t consider it a “turning point”.
I agree that the play really set the tone. It helped that offense get into a groove as they started a bit shaky. The Sheets first down run on second and 19 sealed the game. I'd say the Burris dear in a set of headlights look really summed up that game for Hamilton.
The fumble recovery by Sheets going for 42 was a big play, no question… but Hamilton had momentum in the 4th, and Sheets running for 21yds on a 2nd & 19 is the play the put the final nail into the Ti-Cat coffin… add to that a roughing the kicker penalty on the same drive and it was lights out Hamilton… to me the 4th quarter play was the bigger play because it took the wind out of the Ti-Cat sails.
I can see arguments for both. Before the fumble-scamper, the Ticats were getting good pressure on Durant, resulting in two fumbles, including this one. This play got the Riders out of their own end, and perhaps got into the Ticats’ heads, making them sit back more on defence. But you’re right, the Ticats were starting to roll before the 2nd and 19 play, having scored twice while forcing the Riders to punt on every drive in the second half. Had they stopped the Riders there, they would have gotten the ball back with good field position. If they had been able to drive in again for another score, even a field goal, it could have changed the game.
So both plays changed the momentum of the game. But if I had to choose, I’d have to go with the first one, as it had a bigger impact on the game, just because it was earlier and the game was still undecided.
