9/15/2007 10:31:40 PM

Edmonton Vs Montreal #1

By the time the young lady was done the national anthem, I knew that we would win the game. Call it a feeling, or a hunch but I could sense all week that we were crisper and sharper than we had been in previous weeks. This feeling certainly translated into points in a hurry, and I find that when we receivers score early in the game it tends to spark the rest of the team into action. I love being a part of this receiving corps because we have so many guys that can beat you in so many different ways. I said earlier in the week that I felt that we should attack in all facets, to impose our will on our opponents and when we hit Jason Tucker on the first play with a long seam route that went to the house, that’s precisely what I meant. To follow that up with another score immediately sends the kind of shockwaves through the opposition that makes them question themselves, and think about what they may be missing on television at that precise moment.
I’m proud of my team for answering the bell on Friday night and it was wonderful to see and be a part of such a TEAM effort. However, I was very keen to tune into the general mood of the locker room post-game after this one. What I was trying to gauge was the level of relief, and fulfillment that came from that one win. I was pleased to find that the mood was one of excitement, but not satisfaction. I think that’s important because we have such a long road still to travel to be where we want to be, correction…where we need to be. For us to get on enough of a roll to make it into the playoffs at this point, we must show more than a one game spark. We certainly cannot afford to feel pleased or content with ourselves after that showing because I can guarantee that Montreal will not be so easily pushed over in our next meeting.
We should learn from the example that the B.C. Lions showed in their Labour day series with the Allouettes. After handling Montreal in the first game, the Alouettes responded at home with a thunderous effort and handed B.C. an unexpected loss. I would expect to see at least one of their missing stars from last week’s absence, and to be honest I must echo the sentiment of our head coach as far as that’s concerned – I’d much rather they both play because the win would mean more. To worry about who’s playing and who’s not, is to fear a team. I’ve seen every team except for Toronto in person, and forgive me, but I’m not afraid of any of them. While I don’t believe that we should fear any team, we certainly must respect the fact that this same Montreal team, which we were able to beat soundly this past week – will in all likelihood be a different and better team at home and rested. This week will be crucial for us from a practice sense in my opinion. We must take care to practice with a workmanlike attitude and raise our level of precision and efficiency in order to enter this game with the right mindset.
This was a good win, and I’m extremely proud of my teammates and coaches. I won’t relish it long however, as I personally need to get back to work. I know that my team will need my contribution along the way, and I have every intention of answering their call every time.
Enjoy the win fellas, and come ready to work on Tuesday. ©

KP8