Ottawa Redblacks' Henry Burris sets CFL record with 45 completions

It must be all the yoga that is helping Henry Burris bend convention. It was not a shock the quarterback was still in the game after some of the crowd had started checking out on a record night for the Ottawa Redblacks.

Golfers have the milestone of shooting their age. Burris threw his age on Thursday. The 40-year-old future Hall of Famer set a CFL record for completions by going 45-of-53 for 504 yards with two touchdowns apiece by air and land during a 39-17 rout of the Montreal Alouettes, who were playing their second game in five days. There might have been an ersatz mark for most armchair coaches' brows furrowed when Burris played one more series, with a 36-point lead, after breaking Anthony Calvillo's seven-year-old completions record. Ottawa (8-5) simply wanted to stay as crisp as the night air with the Toronto Argonauts (7-5) coming to town on Tuesday.

"It's a truly special moment to know that you're up there, recognized with some of the best quarterbacks to ever play this game," said Burris, whose record-setting completion was a toss to fullback Patrick Lavoie early in the fourth quarter. "Along with Calvillo, guys such as Damon Allen, Dave Dickenson, Ricky Ray, who are special players. For our offence to be up there with those guys is special for us and it's an opportune time to make that happen.

"Once we got going things were just clicking. We put ourselves in position to make plays. The offensive line gave me time and we mixed things up well. The no-huddle really affected Montreal, the way we were moving the chains, we got them on the ropes and made it harder for them to communicate. We knew we could take advantage."

Ottawa was coming off a faith-shaking home loss to Toronto on Sept. 26 that cost it the chance to win the season series with the Argos. With each team coming off a short week, and Montreal losing cornerback Jonathan Hefley 5:37 into the game after a collision with Lavoie, Ottawa was dialled into its no-huddle offence. Burris' bodyguards — centre Jon Gott, guards J'Micheal Deane and Nolan MacMillan and tackles SirVinent Rogers and Colin Kelly — gave up zero sacks on 54 dropbacks. Brad Sinopoli (seven receptions for 107 yards, one TD) and Maurice Price (nine for 104) each had century games. Chris Williams (86 yards), Greg Ellingson (83 and a TD) and Ernest Jackson (59) had their share of targets.

"That's the kind of ability our offence has," said Price, whose synergy with Burris has varied this season. "We have the speed and quickness to make things happen after the catch. Hank did a great job of getting the ball out quick so we could do that. It felt great to know what we're capable of, getting a decisive victory when the next game is in only five days. It's time we get over that hump with Toronto this year.

"I hope Jonathan Hefney is okay," Price said of the Als corner, who was taken to the dressing room on a stretcher but was reported to be up and on his feet afterward.

Ottawa will be part of the CFL playoffs for the first time since 1993 when the 4-14 Rough Riders edged 3-15 Toronto for third in the East. The second-year Redblacks have the bar set higher than that. Their special teams are dodgy and they only run the ball to keep defences honest, but they are taking advantage of the CFL's renewed emphasis on allowing receivers room to run routes.

Those changes were about giving games more flow. Burris' durability tracks back to getting his flow on practising yoga. Smilin' Hank going to the mat, as it were, goes a long way toward getting through a classic CFL scheduling crunch such as the Redblacks' current run of three games in 11 days.

"I started six years ago out in Calgary," Burris said. "It keeps you limber and keeps you loose. It truly helps in these instances with these quick turnouands. It's huge in football now. Being mobile and flexible is what it's all about. People can do just static stretching, but we need to be flexible. You need go out and get rid of the lactic aid, though." 

The best yoga pose for a footballer, presumably, is Warrior One, where the arms are stretched overhead like a ref signalling touchdown. There's others that aren't so fun, but are necessary. 

"My least favourite is anything that has to do with my hips," Burris volunteered. "I'm tight-hipped. Any of those things, like the pigeon, that's always tough."

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Follow him on Twitter @naitSAYger.