BIG WEEK FOR BIG CROWDS

• Week 6 was a banner week for attendance.
• Announced attendance averaged 29,435 fans per game.
• That’s 19 per cent higher than the average for weeks 1 through 5.
• We saw big crowds in Hamilton (a sell out at 24,135), Edmonton (37,842), Calgary (28,547) and Winnipeg (27,214).
• Last weekend was the 4th largest attendance week in the past 5 years.

FINDING A WAY

• The Tiger-Cats defeated the Argos 34-18 despite the fact Toronto had 152 more yards, superior time of possession (31:52), and seven more first downs.
• Then again, Hamilton had an onside punt recovery touchdown (only the third in 42 years), and four fewer turnovers.
• Calgary’s 25-22 win over Montreal also defied the odds.
• It marked the second time this season the Stampeders have come back from 16 or more points down.
• In the last 20 years, only two teams have managed to do that twice in a season (Montreal in 2003 and Edmonton in 2002).
• In Week 6, three of the four teams that outgained (total yardage) their opponents did not win, so teams are finding other ways to win.

TURNOVER BATTLE

• Some coaches will tell you turnovers are the most important stat next to points scored: teams that won the turnover battle have won 21 of the 24 games so far.

• Top three teams when it comes to turnovers and takeaways: Hamilton (plus 8), Winnipeg and Edmonton (plus 2).
• Bottom three teams on turnovers and takeaways: Saskatchewan (minus 9), Calgary (minus 3) and BC (minus 2).

SCORING MOMENTUM

• Six weeks in and scoring and offence have maintained their upward momentum.
• Total points per game is up 8 per cent (49.1 in 2015 versus 45.5 in 2014).
• Points scored by the offence is up 7 per cent (40.3 versus 37.7).
• Net offence is up 8 per cent (703 versus 652).

PASSING FANCY

• A profound emphasis on the pass is fuelling the surge.
• This is the most passing dominated season since 1993.
• Passing yards account for 74 per cent of total yardage.
• That’s the highest percentage since 1993, when it accounted for 77 per cent.
• Passing yards total 13,128. Rushing yards total 4,657.

PICKING UP THE PACE

• The threat of lightning caused a delay in Hamilton on Monday night.
• But generally, the pace of CFL games is picking up.
• Six weeks into the season, average game length is 2:53:29 – down almost three minutes from 2:56:38 in the first six weeks of 2014.
• We averaged 2:56:25 for the first three weeks of this season – and 2:50:40 for the three weeks since then.

KICKING BACK

• It appears coaches might be settling on the 1-point kick as their favourite conversion.
• We had 17 touchdowns last weekend and only one 2-point convert attempt (which failed).
• Perhaps that is because kickers are getting better at kicking from 32 yards.
• In the first 18 games of the season, they made 79 per cent of one-point convert attempts (52 of 66). In the last six games, they have made 22 of 22.
• There has been just one 1-point convert attempt missed in the last 27 tries.
• Overall, teams have made 84 per cent of one point convert attempts (74 of 88) and 70 per cent of two point convert attempts (21 of 30).

PENALTIES

• We had only nine roughness penalties in Week Six – that’s the lowest weekly total in that category in the last three years.
• We are averaging 26.33 penalties per game – up about two and a half flags per game from the 23.71 penalties per game at this time last year.
• In 2014, we averaged 21.6 penalties per game.
• Last weekend’s Hamilton-Toronto game had 30 infractions. Over the last five years, 3 of the 9 highest penalty totals were produced by this heated match-up.