Vilified to vindicated. Henry Burris, quarterback for the Ottawa Redblacks, finally led a team not to a win but to a dominant win, 42-20 over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Statistically he had his best game of the year by going 24 for 31 for 284 yards but numbers only tell part of the story. Henry showed great leadership and emotion. To take over an expansion franchise is a challenge and consider this - he could have gone to an established team and become a back-up and got paid and faded away with a nice career. Quite the opposite, he took a better contract and met a new challenge of establishing a new CFL franchise, so well done Henry. The other positive aspect of football was Jonathan Williams at running back. Hes a first-year player that has an elusive skill set that you cant teach. Often in finding football players you look for the aspects of the game you cant teach knowing you can teach just about everything else. The way that Williams can make people miss in space and congestion in accordance with his speed is a gift to be developed. The running back position is a genuine strength in Ottawa as they still have Chevon Walker on the roster who is a top CFL back already. The battle for playing time for both running backs will be something to watch as the organization develops. It may have taken 15 weeks but last week looked like a major step forward. For Winnipeg, its back to answering the question why but one answer is obvious. In four of the last five games an opposition running back has created over 100 yards of offence, in some games a lot more. It has to end before the Bombers begin to win again. With Calgary and Saskatchewan I wish Drew Tate was a free agent. Bo Levi Mitchell is a better quarterback in the extremely significant skill of deep ball ability and thinking way back John Hufnagel made the right decision between the two. But Tate has a passion to win that I think you can use and build on for any team without an established number one player. You look for tangible and intangible qualities in players and the intangible quality of Tates desire and enthusiasm is as close to tangible as there is. Calgary will not let him go but if they did he could play for half the teams in the league as a starter. With the Riders I thought they handled their quarterback dilemma perfectly. Cory Chamblin and George Cortez had to find out what they have in Seth Doege and they found out that he is not ready. At this point of the season practice is not always a good indicator of ability and the truth is always shown in a game against other good players. They took a chance and now they know Tino Sunseri is the guy. My most enjoyable observation from the entire week was the look on Sunseris face when he was told he was given a second chance. You could tell just from the body language that this time was his time and he knew it and showed it by going 16 or 19 for 289. Cortez has been around and coached some of the best quarterbacks on the planet on both sides of the border. Chamblin and Cortez knew exactly what they were doing and for the rest of the season they have clarity at footballs most important position. In Toronto, Edmonton lost because of 18 penalties for 224 yards and Toronto won because they shut down John White and Mike Reilly as runners. In the Rider game the week previous the combination of Reilly/White had 302 rushing yards; in this game at Rogers Centre, 53 yards. Then the Argo combination of Steele and Slaton had over 100 yards. Edmonton became one dimensional and Toronto stayed balanced. Edmonton plays Saskatchewan in Regina next week and you will see a more disciplined Eskimo team this time around. And Game 4 was the best game to watch for me as you just did not know who would win until the very end. Hamilton has made the transition from being hesitant and passive to confident and aggressive. You often see individual players mature and do well and it is easy to see. But then, when enough of them individually go through that process, it is a process you notice as a team. Team Maturity. Mossis Madu has effectively taken the place of CJ Gable and in Kent Austins system an all-purpose running back is critical. 86 yards receiving and 56 yards running is a good day but the best is some perfect pass protection blocks that are only noticed the next day in video analysis. Zach Collaros was 33 yards away from a 400-yard passing performance and Brandon Banks is becoming a special return performer and all around player. Going back to the off-season Justin Medlock was signed and many, not just myself, thought that down the road he was going to win some games. His going 5 for 5 for 15 points was a main reason Hamilton won 19-17. In BC when you consider there was no Andrew Harris, no Stephan Logan and no Tim Brown, they played well enough to almost pull it out in the end. I hope Solomon Elimimian is voted Most Outstanding Player when the season is over with BC. Still, Adam Bighill deserves recognition for his excellence. BC just may have the two best interior linebackers in CFL football playing side by side. Fifteen weeks are gone and only five are left with the East finally playing with ability and confidence. Swell Lahev . The defending champions’ roller coaster season included trading offensive star Percy Harvin in the midst of the team’s 3-3 start. That move that reportedly irked several Seahawk players, but one management saw necessary to save the team’s chemistry. Swell Lahev Cz . - Tom Brady was upset that his New England Patriots hardly looked like a division champion in the first half. http://www.swelllahevcz.com/. He even addressed his group of relievers Sunday morning. Dustin McGowan made those worries a nonfactor, at least for a day. McGowan pitched three-hit ball for seven innings, Colby Rasmus hit a grand slam and Melky Cabrera added a two-run homer as the Blue Jays beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-2.CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Cam Newton is now under contract with the Carolina Panthers for the next two seasons. The Panthers exercised the fifth-year option on Newtons contract, meaning the former No. 1 draft pick will be with the team at least through the end of the 2015 season. The team made the announcement Friday, after previously indicating it hoped to sign Newton to a long-term deal. Newton is slated to make $3.37 million this season and would receive $14.67 million in 2015 if he doesnt sign a contract extension before then. By exercising the option on Newtons rookie deal from 2011, the salary-cap strapped Panthers will have more time to work out a longer contract with the three-year NFL veteran and former Heisman Trophy winner. Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman did not return phone calls Friday seeking comment. Newton said earlier in thee week hes "absolutely fine" with the Panthers picking up the fifth year, but referred all contract talks to his agents and the Panthers front office.dddddddddddd "Im trying to get back to the playoffs and do something the Carolina Panthers havent ever done in back to back years," Newton said. Newton has started all 48 games during his three seasons with Carolina. Newton led the Panthers to a 12-4 record and the NFC South championship last year, completing a career-high 61.7 per cent of his passes with 24 touchdowns passing and six touchdowns rushing. The Panthers lost at home in the divisional playoffs to San Francisco. After that loss, Gettleman said he had no doubt he views Newton was the teams franchise quarterback. "He proved it this year," Gettleman said on Jan. 14. "He flat proved it." ' ' '