Here are some notes, stats and observations as we head into semifinal Sunday in the Canadian Football League. Patrick Ewing Jersey . Lets start by taking a look at the CFL playoffs over the last 20 years and see if history can help shed some light on some of the questions that come up at this time every year, starting with whether or not the bye week for the teams finishing in first in their division helps them or actually hurts them? Over the last 20 years, the Grey Cup has been won by a first place team 11 times. Of the 40 teams that have competed in the big game over that time, 23 of them finished in first place. Eight times in the last 20 years the game has featured first versus first, so yes there is an advantage for winning the regular season and finishing first no matter how the coach manages the bye week. How much has home field advantage helped for the second place finishers in the last 20 years? It helps them get to the Grey Cup. Second place teams have advanced 13 times, however, it doesnt seem to help them win all that much. Second place teams have only won it six times. What about the third place finishing road warriors over the last 20 years? Of the forty teams that have competed in the Grey Cup in the last 20 years, a third place team has only made it to the big game four times, but of the four appearances have won it three times. Bottom line here is that it is an uphill battle for the third place finisher but if they can run the table, they have won it more than they have lost it. There has been talk all year about how bad the East Division is compared to the West Division which is a theory that will be tested this year due to the crossover by the BC Lions. It should be noted off the top that since the crossover format was instituted in 1996 and first applied in 1997, there have been seven crossover teams (not counting this year) and every time it has been a western team crossing over to the East Division. However, never has a western team advanced to the Grey Cup. As far as the west versus the east in championships, it is almost split right down the middle with the west winning 11 times and the east nine. Notes from the regular season The review of defensive pass interference was implemented because of a missed call in last years east semifinal so after a year, how does the rules committee feel about the new rule? Glen Johnson, the head of officials, has surveyed the rules committee over the last month and said Thursday: Our process to review the implementation of challenging DPI is underway. Were early in the process, but the majority of feedback supports what we have done. It should be noted that now that it is in the rule book, it will take two-thirds of the clubs to vote to remove it. Also, it was implemented because of a missed call in the playoffs. If a coach wins a DPI challenge this year in the postseason, you can bet the rule will not be going anywhere. The sky is not falling on the CFL because scoring is down. There are actually three main reasons why it was a lower scoring 2014 regular season. Football can be cyclical due to the athletes at quarterback. In the days of Doug Flutie, Matt Dunigan, Danny McManus and Tracy Ham to name a few, coaches implemented offences that featured a wide open passing game with no backs in the backfield. This year there have been a total of 28 quarterbacks take snaps; seven of which have made their CFL debut as starters. Also, if you add up the starts of Edmontons Mike Reilly, Calgarys Bo Levi Mitchell, Hamiltons Zach Collarus, Montreals Jonathan Crompton and Winnipegs Drew Willy, you get a grand total of 104 starts. So the first two reasons for lower scoring this year in the CFL is inexperienced quarterbacks and run-first offensive game plans. One of which, of course, has led to the other. The third is that sometimes the defence wins. This year, eleven players were in double figures in sacks and another five were just one or two away from that list. In 2014, defences dominated, which is why for the first time ever a defensive player in BC Lions linebacker Solomon Elimimian is a finalist for Most Outstanding Player in the CFL. More offensive game plans feature tight ends, two RBs and a strong run game. Inexperience and injuries at quarterback, in combination with dominant defences, are the three reasons scoring is down in the CFL. On a recent radio interview on CJME Radio Regina, Hall of Fame quarterback Matt Dunigan made a great observation worth repeating. On the topic of quarterbacks in the semifinal games this Sunday; Kerry Joseph in Saskatchewan, Jonathan Crompton in Montreal and Matt Nichols in Edmonton were all backups to Mike Reilly with the Eskimos last year and will be three of the four starting QBs on Sunday. Carmelo Anthony Jersey . Louis Cardinals pitcher Jaime Garcia will have surgery on his left shoulder this week and is expected to miss the rest of the season. Walt Frazier Jersey . Pearce had a career-high four hits and drove in two runs, and Wei-Yin Chen shut down Texas again as the Orioles completed a four-game sweep of the Rangers with a 5-2 victory on Thursday night. http://www.nbaknicksauthority.com/tracy-mcgrady-knicks-jersey-c-18/ . - The Toronto Blue Jays have optioned pitchers Kyle Drabek, Chad Jenkins and Sean Nolin to triple-A Buffalo.Kansas City, MO (SportsNetwork.com) - Alex Smith threw two touchdown passes and the Kansas City Chiefs handed the New York Jets their eighth straight defeat with a 24-10 victory. Smith completed 21-of-31 passes for 199 yards for the Chiefs (5-3), who have won three in a row. Jamaal Charles carried 20 times for 78 yards and a score for Kansas City. Travis Kelce and Anthony Fasano each caught a touchdown pass from Smith. Michael Vick connected on 21-of-28 passes for 196 yards and one touchdown in his first start as a member of the Jets (1-8), who have lost eight in a row for the first time since opening 0-8 in 1996. He left the game briefly in the fourth quarter after taking a hard hit and slamming his head on the ground. Geno Smith had been New Yorks starting quarterback in all 24 games since he was drafted in the second round of last years draft. He was benched last week against the Bills after throwing three interceptions in the first quarter and inactive this week with a shoulder injury, with Jets head coach Rex Ryan making the switch to Vick on Monday. Ryan said after Sundays loss that Vick will start next week against Pittsburgh. Percy Harvin caught 11 passes for 129 yards in his second game as a Jet. Eric Decker hauled in nine passes for 63 yards and a score. The Chiefs got the ball to start the game and put together a 12-play, 81-yard drive. DeAnthony Thomas 26-yard scamper helped set up Charles 1-yard TD run. After New York went three-and-out, Kansas City added to its lead. Kelces 34-yard catch on the first play put the Chiefs in prime position. On 1st-and-goal from the 2-yard line later on, Alex Smith threw a pass that was deflected by linebacker Calvin Pace. The ball caromed into the hands of FFasano, who was sitting on the ground near the goal line. Joakim Noah Jersey. Fasano was able to twist his body into the end zone for a touchdown. Vick and the Jets finally got some offense going in the second quarter. New York converted a trio of third downs on a 15-play, 81-yard drive that Decker capped with a 3-yard TD catch. The score cut the gap to 14-7 with 2:09 left in the half. Thomas returned the ensuing kickoff 78 yards to the New York 29-yard line. Just four plays later, Kelce caught a 12-yard TD pass. The Jets managed to get three points back before the break thanks to Harvins 65-yard return on the following kickoff, with Nick Folks 39-yard field goal making the score 21-10. Kansas Citys defense then held New York scoreless in the second half. The Chiefs first possession of the second half resulted in a 19-yard Cairo Santos field goal. Kansas City again converted a trio of third downs and moved to the 1-yard line, but failed to punch the ball into the end zone. Vick moved the Jets to the Kansas City 3-yard line early in the fourth quarter. On 4th-and-goal, he took a hard hit from Josh Mauga as his pass fell incomplete. Vicks head bounced off the ground and he was taken to the locker room. Backup quarterback Matt Simms, promoted from the practice squad on Saturday, was forced to play one series before Vick returned. New York turned the ball over on downs on Simms lone drive. Game Notes Vick faced the same man -- Andy Reid -- who famously gave him a second chance in the NFL. Vick was the Eagles full-time starter from 2010-12 under Reid, who is now the head coach of the Chiefs ... Chris Johnson carried 11 times for 69 yards for the Jets ... Simms completed 3-of-8 passes for 39 yards. 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