Nicole

Week 15 Picks

I have incessantly complained about the Riders’ offense for weeks on end.  So let’s look on the bright side – for at least a paragraph.

The Riders’ defense and special teams are scoring TDs in bunches.  In the Banjo Bowl, it was the defense scoring two TDs; last week, it was special teams running back two kicks for TDs.  Looking at the picture above, you can see that the Riders have 12 TDs scored by defense and special teams – only 3 off a CFL season record.  What is more intriguing, though, is the fact that those 12 TDs represent nearly half of the Riders’ total TD output.  That is the percentage – 44% – is the highest in CFL history.

Going back to the offense, Rider WR Naaman Roosevelt had some interesting comments earlier this week:

We definitely know we’ve got a talented offence and the ability to make plays and score touchdowns but for some reason, it’s just not happening. For us, it’s important for us to go out there and keep playing and keep working, staying after practice, talking to each other, communicating and trying to get stuff down. Eventually, we’ll break through.

I appreciate Roosevelt’s optimism, but I think the problem goes higher up than him.

This week we’re back to a full slate of four games.  The first one is going to get a lot of attention.

Montreal (3-9) at Winnipeg (5-7)

THANK YOU to Judy Owen of The Globe and Mail for writing a great piece about tomorrow night’s Whine-Off or Whine Bowl between He Who Shall Not Be Named and Winnipeg QB Matt Nichols.

She actually says both QBs have chips on their shoulders.  My question to that is: WHY?  They were both TERRIBLE the last time they played.  Both threw multiple interceptions.  Both were pulled – although one was for concussion protocol.  Each of them complained about it.  You get the picture.

Winnipeg is coming off a bye week.  Montreal lost last week to BC.  It’s a must-win game for Montreal if it wants to have any shot at the playoffs, and the same goes for Winnipeg, which now sits in last place in the West Division.

The pressure is on Winnipeg.  They’re playing at home, which is where they lost the Banjo Bowl in stunning fashion.  The fans aren’t afraid to boo if things aren’t going well, so the Bombers will want to get off to a fast start.  Luckily for them, they’re facing the worst team in the league.

PICK: Winnipeg by 12

Edmonton (7-5) at Ottawa (7-5)

Out of all of the offences in the league, it’s the Eskimos and the REDBLACKS that have the most ‘big play’ ability.  Last week, the REDBLACKS showed that in their win over the Riders, where a stalled offence got back into rhythm in a big way.  Each week the Eskimos have shown off their ability to score on big plays, relying on the skills of D’haquille Williams and Derel Walker at receiver.  Walker is currently out with a knee injury.

The big play ability presents a challenge for both team’s offences.  Neither is particularly strong against the pass, but Edmonton is quite susceptible to the run.  This means that the Eskimos are going to have to focus on REDBLACKS RB William Powell.  Powell lit up the Riders last week, and his work for the night included a 69 yard TD run.

Edmonton had a bye last week, and Ottawa won on the road against the Riders.  It was an important win for Ottawa not only in maintaining top spot in the East Division but in getting its offence back on track.  Edmonton needs to disrupt REDBLACKS QB Trevor Harris early and often, because when he gets in a rhythm, it’s tough to stop him.  The Riders failed to get at Harris last week.

But never, ever count out Mike Reilly.  He’s the X factor in this game and what makes it a toss up.  So…

PICK: Ottawa by 5

Saskatchewan (7-5) at Toronto (3-8)

Ooooo, that is some shade, Duron!  To be fair, though, he didn’t actually play much with Rider QBs Zach Collaros, Brandon Bridge, and David Watford this season.  He spent most of the first half of the season on defence.  And he had a pretty good year with Kevin Glenn last year.  Maybe he meant ‘Offensive Coordinator’ instead of ‘quarterback’?

This is a trap game for the Riders.  They should win this game.  By a lot.  But the Riders being the Riders, they will likely play down to the level of their opposition and make this game a lot tougher than it should be.

The Riders need to stop RB James Wilder Jr.  He’s had a fairly quiet season to this point.  I will lose it if his breakout game is against the Riders.  The Riders also need to be aware of the wily veteran, SJ Green.  He always has some circus catch when he’s playing the Riders.  Hopefully it’s in garbage time in the fourth quarter.

I have zero concerns about the Rider defence and special teams.  Zero.  My worries are about the offense.  The Riders should take advantage of this week to work on their passing game, as the Argos’ secondary is probably the least experienced group in the league.  Take it to ’em, Zach.

This is a game I should be able to sit back, relax, and watch without worry.  Yet the Riders always make me worry.  I’m hoping that last week’s loss was a bit of a swift kick in the arse.

PICK: Saskatchewan by 7

Hamilton (6-6) at BC (5-6)

I have mentioned this a couple of times in the past couple of weeks: the BC Lions’ defence has turned a corner.  DE Odell Willis is playing like he’s five years younger, and its front seven hasn’t missed a beat with the absence of all-star LB Solomon Elimimian.  They match up really well against Hamilton’s offence.

Hamilton continues to be a pinnacle of inconsistency.  Their turnover ratio is nearly dead last, and it’s turnovers that are keeping the Tiger-Cats from winning games.  I’m not a Tiger-Cats fan, but as someone who keep picking them, hoping they’ll get it together, it’s more than a little frustrating.

The Lions have a great home record this year, only losing to the Riders.  And that loss was only by 1 point. Plus, East Division teams that make the trek to BC don’t usually fare well.

With QB Travis Lulay out for at least four weeks after dislocating his shoulder on the second play in last game’s game, QB Jonathon Jennings gets another chance to try and reclaim the starting job he lost earlier this season.  He, too, has been very inconsistent over the past season and a half.

Obviously I want the Tiger-Cats to win, as it helps out the Riders.  But BC is on the upswing and the Tiger-Cats just seem to be treading water – especially with the number of injuries to their receivers.

PICK: BC by 4

Nicole

Week 14 Recap

Being September, it’s time for the annual induction of the newest members of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.  This year’s class is full of guys I would put in the Mike O’Shea category: they were good, but I’m surprised they made it into the CFHF.

TSN had a nice feature between the Saturday games where Rod Smith sat down with the four pro player inductees – less Tom Hugo – and to talk about their careers.  Hank Ilesic was part of the Edmonton Eskimos dynasty of the late 1970s and early 1980s.  I thought he would’ve already been in the Hall.  Interestingly, he joined the Eskimos when he was only 17.  And yet he was on the practise roster for the Ottawa Renegades in 2005.  That’s a near 30 year career.

I can assure you that NONE of the games from this past weekend were Hall of Fame worthy.  The Riders’ offense might actually be one of the worst in recent memory.  More about that later.

BC at Montreal

This is what I said in the preview for this game:

Yes, Montreal has won two games in a row.  But those games were against Toronto and Ottawa.  BC’s defense absolutely dominated Ottawa last week.  QB Antonio Pipkin has not yet faced a pass rusher like the Lions’ DE Odell Willis.  I’d bet on Willis.

Willis has one QB sack on Friday night, and the defense frustrated Montreal QB Anthony Pipkin all night.  Pipkin only had 95 yards passing – and 4 interceptions.  He did rush for 69 yards, but he couldn’t produce any TDs.

Then there was poor, poor Travis Lulay. He dislocated his non-throwing shoulder on the second play from scrimmage.  There goes the rest of the regular season for him.  (And my fantasy team for the week.)  It’s unreal how many times the Alouettes have put Lulay on the 6 game injured list – IN SEPTEMBER.  If I was him, I’d be asking to never play the Alouettes again – except in the playoffs.

QB Jonathon Jennings came in and did a decent job.  He only had 180 yards, a TD, and an interception, but he managed the game and let the Lions’ defense keep the Alouettes off the scoreboard.  The result?  The Lions end up with their first road win of 2018.

FINAL: BC (5-6) 32, Montreal (3-9) 14

Calgary at Hamilton

I did not get a chance to watch this game, but at halftime, the teams were only separated by one point.  This was surprising given that the Tiger-Cats did not have WR Brandon Banks available (he was a late scratch).

It did not start off well for the Stamps in either half.

But the Stamps figured it out.

Both of these teams are missing their top playmakers, so they’re on to their second and third string receivers.  The Stamps were able to utilize them more, while Hamilton struggled.  Both teams also coughed up the ball quite a bit.  Hamilton continues to do so at inopportune times, but I was really surprised by the Stamps’ miscues.

But good teams find ways to win when things are going according to plan.  The Stamps were able to overcome the mistakes, while Hamilton wasn’t.  It’s that simple.

FINAL: Calgary (10-2) 43, Hamilton (6-6) 28

Ottawa at Saskatchewan

The opening play of the game and the later punt return by Kyran Moore were the only two plays of the game the Riders can look back and be proud of in this game.  The rest of it was complete and utter crap.

The defense was due for an off game.  Unfortunately it came in front of a sold out crowd against an East Division opponent in a game for sole possession of 2nd place in the West Division.

The REDBLACKS were prepared for the Rider defense.  The Riders didn’t get one single sack on Saturday night.  Not one.  REDBLACKS QB Trevor Harris broke contain a number of times and was still able to move the ball.  For some inexplicable reason, the Riders kept rushing three instead of bringing the house.  Part of the issue was that the Riders were spying (thanks for that word, Glen Suitor, especially for saying it 100 times) RB William Powell.  Not that it helped.

But let’s not blame the Riders’ defense.  The Riders had a chance to win this game.  They were down by 5 with just over a minute left in the game.  To that point, the offense had only contributed 10 of the Riders’ 25 points.  It was time for the Riders’ offense to win one for the team.

So the Riders did this:

This inane play selection/execution basically summed up the Riders’ offense on Saturday: inept, inefficient, and inexplicable.  Not to mention completely predictable and BORING.

First, there was no reason to throw a long bomb when there was over a minute to go.  WR Naaman Roosevelt looked to be open right around the first down marker.  RB Marcus Thigpen was on a route toward the sidelines – why not throw there and stop the clock?

Second, the throw was to WR Shaq Evans, who, to this point in the game, had dropped three or four passes.  Why would you target the guy who’s only caught one ball all night??

Third, Evans didn’t bother coming back to the ball or trying to rip it from the defender’s hands.  This was a pattern throughout the game.  Actually, it’s been a pattern throughout the season.

Fourth, the ball was underthrown.  QB Zach Collaros earlier missed a wide open WR Jordan Williams-Lambert by a country mile.  Had the two connected, the Riders might’ve won the game.

Now let’s take a look at these numbers:

  • 12 – the number of first downs the Riders had on Saturday night
  • 4 – the number of those first downs that were penalty-aided
  • 8 – the number of first downs actually created by the offense; 4 were by rushes, 4 by passes
  • 118 – the number of minutes the Riders went without an offensive TD before Collaros connected with Roosevelt in the 4th quarter
  • 37% – Collaros’ completion percentage

These numbers are abysmal.  The offense is holding this team back.

I’ve been trying to figure out exactly what the problem is compared to last year.  Yes, the personnel is different, but the offense in general is anemic.  This wasn’t the case much of last year.  Then someone mentioned that last year, Jarious Jackson was the Riders’ QB coach AND passing coordinator.  Steve McAdoo was NOT in charge of the passing game last year; that was Jarious Jackson’s job.  And now we can see why: McAdoo doesn’t have a clue how to scheme a proper passing game.  Not only is his offense pedestrian; he can’t even put a passing game together.  If you want to know why the Riders’ offense is so bad this year, I think you have to look at the loss of Jarious Jackson as part of the problem.

Of course that’s not the whole problem.  Collaros has no faith in his receivers – or himself.  The receivers aren’t running crisp routes.  It’s a complete and utter clusterf*ck on offense.  And if someone doesn’t fix it, well, the Riders will be in tough to keep a playoff spot.

FINAL: Ottawa (7-5) 30, Saskatchewan (7-5) 25

Nicole

Week 14 Picks

I know this is a football blog, but the above tweet reminded me of how the story of the Humboldt Broncos has transcended the hockey arena.  It’s amazing how five months later, this story has not faded from public consciousness.  The show of support for the Broncos as they returned to the ice was phenomenal.

As for TSN, I cannot praise their coverage enough.  They provided about 4 1/2 years of uninterrupted, live television.  It was gripping.  The interviews, the game, the stories, and the raising of the banners – it was thoughtful, celebratory, sorrowful, and full of heart: in other words, it was pitch perfect.  Kudos to TSN for treating the game like a true NHL game and helping Humboldt through this hurdle.

If you didn’t get a chance to watch the game, you missed a good one.  It was full of chances at both ends of the rink.  The goalies matched each other nearly save for save.  You could sense the joy of those playing and watching at being able to finally reach this moment.  There was also a sense of relief that was palpable as the game wound down.

The story of the 2018-19 Humboldt Broncos has now begun.  A whole country is behind them, and I imagine many will continue to follow their journey.

Turning back to football, it’s now mid-September, which means that playoff races are in full swing.  This week’s first game features two teams fighting for their playoff lives, while the other two games have teams jostling for position within their own divisions.

BC (4-6) at Montreal (3-8)

I’ve really been neglecting my CFL Fantasy League this year.

No more.

After an excellent Week 13 with 101.3 points – thank you, Jeremiah Masoli and Luke Tasker – I’m hoping to continue to hit triple digits for the second week in a row.

I went BC-heavy this week, as QB Travis Lulay has been cleared to play, and he’ll no doubt be ready to get back on the field again.  WR Ricky Collins had his first 100 yard game last week, and WR Bryan Burnham continues to make tough catches in key situations.  RB Jeremiah Johnson is always a threat.

Yes, Montreal has won two games in a row.  But those games were against Toronto and Ottawa.  BC’s defense absolutely dominated Ottawa last week.  QB Antonio Pipkin has not yet faced a pass rusher like the Lions’ DE Odell Willis.  I’d bet on Willis.

PICK: BC by 9

Calgary (9-2) at Hamilton (6-5)

This is a more intriguing match up than the team’s records suggest.

These teams met in Week 1, when the Stampeders beat the Tiger-Cats 28-14.  Calgary had trouble scoring TDs, and Hamilton had a chance to win the game.  But costly mistakes allowed the Stamps to pull out a win.

The Tiger-Cats have a bad habit of turning over the ball too much.  Their turnover ratio is -7, which is second last in the CFL.  The Stamps are on top at +10, tied with the Riders.  If Hamilton has any chance of beating Calgary, they cannot turn the ball over.

Last week, the Stamps had a field day with Edmonton’s defensive backfield.  Hamilton’s pass defense is the best in the league right now.  This is one of the key match ups in the game.

The other key match up is the Calgary secondary against Hamilton WR Brandon Banks, who has had 100+ receiving yards in each of the past two games.  He now has EIGHT 100+ yard games on the year.  He is the key to the Tiger-Cats’ offense.

This is a tough one.  While I like the Tiger-Cats at home, it’s hard to imagine Calgary losing two games in a row.

PICK: Calgary by 5

Ottawa (6-5) at Saskatchewan (7-4)

I CANNOT handle yet another game like last week’s where the Rider offense might as well have just have stayed in the dressing room.  My word, what ineptitude.  Thank goodness the Riders defense is leading the league in points off of turnovers at an incredible 106.

Ottawa has its own issue.  QB Trevor Harris had only 216 yards last week against a BC defense that has improved but is not near as good as the Riders’.  Yet Harris and the REDBLACKS provide the Riders with a bigger offensive challenge than the Bombers did, as while Ottawa has a great RB in William Powell, they also have a solid receiving corps.

I am still annoyed by the last time these two teams played at New Mosaic.  It was Friday, October 13th, and the Riders were in control for most of the game.  Duron Carter had a career-high 231 receiving yards.  But the Riders allowed the REDBLACKS to get back into the game, and on the last play of the game, freaking RYAN LINDLEY scored a TD on a QB sneak to eke out a one point win.  It was a cold night, my toes were frozen, and I was TICKED.

The Riders should win this one.  They’re at home, and their defense is on fire.  If they get rid of that stupid throw to the wide side that’s set up by a bunch formation and resulted in a pick six last week, they should be fine.  Hopefully.

PICK: Riders by 4

Nicole

Week 13 Recap

Maybe I’m getting old and crotchety, but I’m over the live mic games.  The novelty has worn off, and you can tell that either the players and coaches have some say in what goes to air or they’re just shutting their mouths.  See: Chris Jones basically having nothing to say during his live mic game.

But once in a while, the live mic gives a little glimpse of humour, and the above clip of Travis Lulay was pretty funny.  He took a vicious shot right under the chin later in the game, so we’re hoping he’s okay.

Ottawa at BC

What is the deal with Ottawa QB Trevor Harris?  He has a dynamic RB in William Powell and a solid receiving corps with Greg Ellingson, Brad Sinopoli, and Dionate Spencer.  Yet Harris and the REDBLACKS are having a tough time generating any offense over the past couple of weeks.  While they’ve run into a couple of teams whose defenses have made big improvements over the past couple of weeks – see: Montreal and BC – they should still be able to put up points.

If I recall correctly, the TSN crew thought Harris does much better in a hurry up offense rather than one that takes the full 20 seconds between each play.  If that’s the case, then run the hurry up offense!  But I’m starting to think the problem is starts with the REDBLACKS’ offensive line, which gave up SIX sacks on Friday night.  It’s a young line – and that will pay dividends in time – so there are some growing pains.

Still, the REDBLACKS need to figure out how to help their young oline so that their offense can get going.  That might mean focusing on the running game more in the first quarter to help the young’uns start winning the line of scrimmage, or bringing in extra blockers to help the passing game.

The Lions had to win on Friday night to keep any hope of making the playoffs alive.  The crossover is in play, as the Lions now have four wins, one more than both Montreal and Toronto in the East Division.

BC’s offense was not spectacular, as it only managed to 260 yards.  It was in tough from the beginning, as C Cody Husband went down, leaving the backup to take over.  His snaps were all over the place, making it difficult for the BC QBs on timing routes and hand offs.  Luckily, the BC defense scored a pick six and came up with two other interceptions that helped limit the REDBLACKS to only one TD on the night.

As mentioned above, QB Travis Lulay went down after taking a hit to the chin in the second quarter.  WR Emmanuel Arceneaux is already out for an extended period of time.  If Lulay misses any significant playing time, the Lions’ chances of making the post-season will be in trouble.

FINAL: Ottawa (6-5) 14, BC (4-6) 26

Hamilton at Toronto

Before I say anything about the actual game, I need to complement Henry Burris.  And no – you are not in a parallel universe or the twilight zone.  Burris worked this game alongside Gord Miller and I thoroughly enjoyed the two of them.  Miller is a classic play-by-play man who clearly follows the CFL even though hockey is his milieu.  What I liked about Burris was that I felt like I was learning by listening to him break down a play.  He talked about the progressions a QB would generally have on a certain type of play and would identify the routes.  It was like he was in my living room beside me breaking down the game for me as it went along.  I hope he gets more assignments because he is far better than either Glen Suitor or Matt Dunigan.  Duane Forde is pretty blasé, but I still enjoy him.

As for the game, the Argos did start WR Duron Carter, but he mostly saw time on kickoff and punt returns.  He was targeted on one offensive play – a pass deep to the end zone that was beyond his reach.  He could be a difference maker for the Argos as he gets more time on the field.  The Argos are desperate for another receiver to take the heat off of veteran WR SJ Green, although WR Armanti Edwards has proven to be a good foil for Green.

The Argos put up more of a fight than I expected.  Inconsistency remains their biggest issue.  Some offensive drives they couldn’t get the right amount of personnel on the field, while on others, they cut through the Hamilton defense making it look so easy.  A couple of miscues on short yardage – they lost two 3rd down gambles – and the game might’ve ended differently.

I continue to be impressed by Hamilton QB Jeremiah Masoli.  He threw for over 300 yards and 4 TDs on Saturday afternoon, with another 300+ yard game breaking a franchise record formerly held by – Henry Burris.  He also moved the ball on the ground, rushing for 51 yards, which kept the Argos’ defense off balance most of the game.

With a win, the Tiger-Cats moved into a tie with the REDBLACKS for first in the East Division, while the Argos remain in the CFL basement with only three wins.

FINAL: Hamilton (6-5) 36, Toronto (3-8) 25

Saskatchewan at Winnipeg

I have a lot to say about this game, but much of it isn’t exactly PG.  The play above was inexplicable.  The Riders ran the same play earlier in the game.  You have four receivers on the right side of the formation, telegraphing exactly what is about to happen again.  No one seems to see the DB creeping up to jump the route and the play is not only a bust, but results in a pick six.  The Riders’ offense is so very easy to defend against.  Opposing defensive co-ordinators probably look forward to the weeks they play the Riders because they don’t have to put much thought into their game plan.

That being said, the Bombers’ offense didn’t exactly light the world on fire.

Matt Nichols was amazingly inept, throwing TWO pick sixes in the first half, which led to him being booed off the field a half time and Chris Streveler going in at QB in the third quarter.

It didn’t help.

Here’s another inexplicable play.  It’s second down, and a bunch of the Blue Bombers’ defenders are crowding the line of scrimmage.  They’re going to blitz.  It’s not hard to see that there are few Rider olinemen than Bomber guys on the line, so someone is going to get by unblocked.  The inability of ANYONE on the Rider offense to react is mindnumbingly stupid.  And it resulted in QB Zach Collaros being pulled from the game.

Obviously the Rider defense won this game for the Riders.  It had a much better game against the run, but, in my opinion, left receivers with too much cushion throughout the game.  But when the defense has two TDs and the offense had NONE, it’s hard to criticize the game plan.

Kudos also to Brett Lauther, who racked up another six field goals on Saturday afternoon.

The Riders’ offense is just – effing terrible.  (I am running out of adjectives to describe its ineptitude.) Somehow it has managed to help put up enough points to keep the Riders on a four game winning streak, but instead of getting better, it’s getting worse.  If RB Tre Mason wouldn’t have put up 117 rushing yards, the Riders would’ve been two and out for most of the game.  The offense wasn’t working when QB Brandon Bridge was running it, and it isn’t working with QB Zach Collaros.  The common factor is Offensive Coordinator Steve McAdoo.  Kevin Glenn made McAdoo look good last year.  But his offensive playbook is now being exposed for what it is: a couple of plays drawn on the back of napkins from the Memories restaurant at the Quality Hotel in Regina.

The Riders have won the last four games DESPITE their offense.  The Riders’ defense is the main reason why the Riders are 7-4.  The Riders lead the league in points off of turnovers.  I think the Rider defense has now scored MORE TDs than the Rider offense.  That is unacceptable.

The Bombers have their own problems.  They may have a genuine QB controversy, as the fans clearly want Chris Streveler to take the reins, while Head Coach Mike O’Shea seemingly remains committed to Matt Nichols.  With a bye week coming up, O’Shea will have a lot of time to figure out who his starting QB is going to be going forward.

One final note: if DE Willie Jefferson EVER AGAIN showboats on his way to the end zone, he’d better be benched.

FINAL: Saskatchewan (7-4) 32, Winnipeg (5-7) 27

Calgary at Edmonton

That was CLOSE.  And it’s possible Calgary got robbed.  I thought the Calgary player’s backside might’ve hit the turf before the ball came out.  But he didn’t argue with the ruling of incomplete, so maybe I’m completely out to lunch on this one.

Both the Calgary and Edmonton defenses took the night off in what became a shootout between QBs Bo Levi Mitchell and Mike Reilly.  Mitchell ended up with 491 yards, 4 TDs, and 3 INTs, while Reilly had 397 yards, 3 TDs, and 1 INT – plus another 3 TDs on the ground.  His CFL Fantasy score must’ve been RIDICULOUS.

The Eskimos were in control for most of the game, but Calgary made a late surge and just about took the game away.  It was tons of fun to watch, especially given the offensive ineptitude of the previous game.

I’m surprised Calgary’s defense wasn’t better, as up until now it’s been the league’s leading defense, but what do I know?

FINAL: Calgary 42 (9-2), Edmonton 48 (7-5)

Nicole

Week 8 Picks

This was – by far – the most random tweet I saw in the CFL social media universe this week.

But hey – remember when Matt Dunigan had that cooking show on the Food Network?  It was called Road Grill, and someone – bless them – made a YouTube video of the highlights:

I didn’t realize that Dunigan auditioned for the show because his wife heard an ad on the radio and figured he’d be good at it.  Nor did I realize that there are two seasons.  While Road Grill is still listed as a show on the Food Network, it is currently not on air.  But you can *still* buy the cookbook on Amazon!

The most hilarious thing I found, though, is that someone actually wrote about the “10 Lessons Learned from Matt Dunigan’s Road Grill“.  The best lesson?

Whenever anyone defies you to kick any food item “up a notch”, your immediate solution should be to wrap it in bacon.

Never change, Matt Dunigan.  Never ever change.

This week’s games are all division match ups.  For West Division teams, this is a chance to see how they stack up against division counterparts.  For East Division teams, it’s a race to the bottom, as usual.

week 8(1)

Ottawa (4-2) at Toronto (1-5)

How do we feel about a guy with a last name for a first name starting at QB for the Argos this week?  He has three last names.  And he has a hyphenated last name that barely fits on the back of his jersey.

I can’t find a link right now (of course), but coming out of training camp, QB James Franklin and QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson were basically 2A and 2B.  It was close.  Franklin got the nod, but has disappointed in relief for the injured QB Ricky Ray.

Ottawa couldn’t score a TD last week.  Instead, they kicked seven field goals.  It worked out for them, as they hung on to beat the Tiger-Cats, but they need to start converting in the red zone.

The Argos are a bit of an unknown quantity with Bethel-Thompson at the helm.  But let’s look at these numbers:

otttor

Toronto is eighth in every single category, and ninth in turnover ratio at -9.  Ottawa is +1.  And that’s all you need to know.

PICK: Ottawa by 6

Saskatchewan (3-3) at Edmonton (4-2)

This surprised me.  I expected QB Zach Collaros would practice with the team this week, work out over the upcoming bye week, and be back to start against Calgary on August 19th.  Apparently last week’s putrid offensive performance caused Head Coach Chris Jones to accelerate Zach’s return.

DB Nick Marshall is also back at corner, which means the return of WR Duron Carter to the Rider offense!  Carter did get a couple of offensive plays in last week after WR Naaman Roosevelt landed on his head like a top.  It was the craziest thing.  I’ve never seen a human being land right on top of his head like that.  Luckily for the Riders, Roosevelt didn’t suffer a concussion, which is what everyone in the stadium thought.

Both the Riders and the Eskimos are slow starters.  Look at this:

1st Quarters: The Riders have also started slowly so it will be interesting to see who is leading. They are even slower out of the gate at -34 in their 1st Quarters this year (Edmonton is -24), have just 11 First Quarter points but are +17 over the final 45:00 of games.

(The 24 points Calgary scored in last week’s contest obviously did not help the Riders’ first quarter average.)

The key match up in this game is the Rider secondary versus the Eskimo receivers.  Eskimos WR D’haquille (Duke) has 100+ yards in each of his last five games – and the Eskimos have only played six total games.  Then there’s Derel Walker, who’s not too bad, either, what with 4 TDs and over 400 yards so far this season.  The Rider backfield will have its hands full with these guys.  This is a tough game for Marshall to start after being out since Week 2.

The Riders’ offense could not be much worse.  Well, I guess it could if it started turning the ball over a bunch.  Oh right – that happened LAST WEEK.  Collaros are coming back to a much better offensive line than the one that started the season.  I was impressed with the way the offensive line played against the Stampeders, and the Eskimos’ defensive line isn’t as strong.  If Collaros can hold on to the ball even a bit more than QB Brandon Bridge did, the Riders will have a chance to win.  Remember: K Brett Lauther can kick 56 yard field goals.  The Riders just have to get a bit over midfield in order to have a chance to score points.

The problem for the Riders is that they’re in Edmonton, where they generally don’t play well.  And while I expect a better offensive performance than last week, I think it will take a bit for Collaros to find his footing.

PICK: Edmonton by 4

Hamilton (2-4) at Montreal (1-5)

Ugh.  It had to happen at some point.  But at least he can play and everyone can stop speculating.

And come on – $7,000 in CFL Fantasy?!?!  For a guy who’s never played one single down of CFL football?  With QB Bo Levi Mitchell at only $8,171?  COME. ON.

Hamilton was pretty much embarrassed at home last week.  The Tiger-Cats have lost three games in a row, and QB Jeremiah Masoli’s star isn’t shining quite as brightly as it was over the first two or three weeks of the season.  He will get some help this week, though, with the return of WR Luke Tasker and WR Terrence Toliver to the lineup.

I hope Montreal get hammered by the Tiger-Cats.  Maybe that makes me a jerk, but I can’t wait for this silly circus with he-who-shall-not-be-named to be over.  But despite my personal feelings, the Tiger-Cats are a better team across the board.  They should win this one.

PICK: Hamilton by 3

BC (2-3) at Calgary (6-0)

SOMEONE NEEDS TO TELL LIONS COACH JEFF REINEBOLD TO STOP TWEETING IN ALL CAPS.

(Seriously, though, sympathies to Reinebold, who lost his mother this week.)

The Lions are coming off a bye week, and the Stampeders controlled last week’s game from start to finish.

I don’t find anything exciting about the Lions – aside from Jeff Reinebold’s Twitter feed.  They’ve been underachieving for a number of years.  I still don’t like them, but I just can’t find any reason to write about them.  Except, obviously, to say that they’re annoyingly blah.  And so are the Stampeders.

In this match up of the West Division cellar dweller and the best of the league, it should be the Stampeders that come out on top.  By a lot.

PICK: Calgary by 9

Nicole

Week 7 Recap

It was the Week of the Kicker in Week 7.  The REDBLACKS have found a gem in Lewis Ward, who’s a sparkling 20/21 on field goal attempts, including an astonishing *SEVEN* ON Saturday afternoon in the REDBLACKS’ win over the Tiger-Cats.  Then, the Riders’ Brett Lauther – who, prior to this season, had only played four games for the Tiger-Cats back in *2013*, went 5/5 on Saturday night, boosting his statistics to 18/20 on the year.  And by the way, one of his five field goals was *56* yards.  FIFTY. SIX.  That’s from THE OTHER SIDE of midfield.  Ah-may-zing.

Three of the four Week 7 games were pretty much over by half time, while the second East Division match up of the year went down to the wire.  I, meanwhile, went 4-0 with my picks.

Edmonton at Montreal

I. DON’T. CARE.  STOP talking about him incessantly.  Focus on the guy on the field and GET OVER IT.

And three cheers for Vernon Adams, Jr. for this quote:

“I won’t be answering any questions about Johnny Manziel.”

A-FREAKING-MEN.

Adams has bounced around the CFL for a couple of years, and this is already his second stint with the Alouttes.  The BC Lions initially had Adams’ CFL rights, as he was on their negotiation list, but traded those rights to the Alouettes for a 1st round draft pick in 2016.  (You can see why the Alouettes don’t have any first round draft picks until 2022.)  After starting three games for the Alouettes in 2016, Adams was traded to the Riders midway through the 2017 season.  Then, in February 2018, he was sent to the Tiger-Cats in exchange for Charleston Hughes. Weirdly, in June 2018, Ti-Cats Head Coach June Jones announced that Adams was about to be traded.  But he wasn’t.  He was subsequently released and then signed by the Alouettes.

Considering that he hadn’t started a game in about two years, I thought Adams acquitted himself fairly well on Thursday night.  He only went 15/28 for 217 yards, but he had 72 yards rushing and a TD.  He also helped the Alouettes amass 349 yards of offense, which is about 100 more yards than their 244 yard average so far in 2018.  The tough part was that the time of possession was still heavily in Edmonton’s favour (35 minutes to 25 minutes).

The Alouettes shot themselves in the foot multiple times.  They had 140+ yards in penalties, and their kicker, Boris Bede, went 2/5 in field goals.  That’s at least nine points the Alouettes left out there, and there were more.  Some chintzy penalties didn’t help, either. For instance, Alouettes LB Chip Cox was called for illegal contact late in the game on the same play the Alouettes had an interception.  The contact was minimal and had zero bearing on the play, as it was on the other side of the field.  The interception was wiped out and it pretty much summed up the Als’ night.

The Eskimos did not have to do much, but they did more than enough to put the game away early.  Mike Reilly came off the bye week and threw for 415 yards and 4 TDs, and put another 26 yards on the ground, including a TD.  That was good enough for 513 yards of offense.  Oh yeah: D’haquille Williams had his 5th straight 100+ yard receiving game.  Thanks for the fantasy points, guys. *Thumbs up*

The Eskimos only struggled with penalties: 17 penalties for 191 yards.  It was a sloppy game for both teams.  But the Eskimos were by far the better team.  I am hoping, though, that Adams gets another shot to lead Montreal next week.  He earned it.

FINAL: Edmonton (4-2) 44, Montreal (1-5) 23

Toronto at Winnipeg

Where are those Rider fans who wanted James Franklin as quarterback?  Where are they?

Yeah.  That’s what I thought.

After I called out James Wilder, Jr. for his lack of production thus far this season, he came through with 81 rushing yards and 51 yards receiving.  It was his best game of the season.  But everyone around him played pretty poorly.

Franklin had his worst outing since being name the Argos’ starter a couple of weeks ago, as he threw *three* interceptions and only managed 236 yards.  He was not helped by a fumble for WR Rodney Smith, and a blocked punt that was returned for a TD.

When you look at the overall statistics, you’d think this was a closer game.  Winnipeg QB Matt Nichols had an average night.  The time of possession statistic was nearly even, and Toronto actually out-gained Winnipeg by about 25 yards.  It was turnovers that was the difference.  Over 100 yards in penalties didn’t help.

Head Coach Marc Trestman is hailed as an offensive genius.  I always wondered how successful he’d be if he was saddled with an average QB instead of Hall of Famer Anthony Calvillo and soon-to-be Hall of Famer Ricky Ray.  Turns out he’s about as average as any other coach.

And finally, some words of advice to Winnipeg: cut out the trickery.  You may think you’re smarter than every other coach out there, but you’re not.

FINAL: Toronto (1-5) 14, Winnipeg (4-3) 40

Ottawa at Hamilton

I picked Ottawa, and I immediately regretted it.

Plays like this did not build confidence.

But holy penalties, Hamilton!  Over 150 yards, including 73 yards on defense.  Oy vey.

You’d think there would’ve been a lot of rushing in this game, but that was not the case.  REDBLACKS RB William Powell was held in check, and RB John White was not effective for the Tiger-Cats.

WR Brad Sinopoli had another banner day with 82 yards receiving.  Powell chipped in with another 61.  The Tiger-Cats had two receivers with 100+yards receiving: Jalen Saunders and Brandon Banks.

Despite having another 300+ yard game, Jeremiah Masoli only threw for one TD – the only TD of the game for either team – and it was within the last few minutes of the game.  It looked so easy for the Ti-Cats on that series, making you wonder why they had such trouble all game long.

The REDBLACKS were stymied every time they came near the end zone.  They relied on K Lewis Ward for each and every single point of their offense, as he went 7/7, kicking for 21 points.  Trevor Harris was an passable 23/35 and 228 yards.

Ottawa now has a two game lead on the Tiger-Cats for first place in the East Division.  These two teams don’t play each other again until October 19th, and then again the following week.  I predict those games will determine which team finishes first.

FINAL: Ottawa (4-2) 21, Hamilton (2-4) 15

Calgary at Saskatchewan

GOOD. LORD.

I subjected myself to four hours of post-game shows AND I rewatched the game in its entirety this afternoon.  And I still don’t know what in the actual hell is going on with the Rider offense.

You’ve got one side which says that it’s Offensive Coordinator Stephen McAdoo’s fault.  The other side says QB Brandon Bridge is terrible and McAdoo can’t open up the playbook because of that.  I’m inclined to think that everyone is to blame.

I can’t figure out why Bridge was more successful last year and looks like he’s regressed over the past four games.  Is the offense different?  Does he feel handcuffed?  Is he too afraid to make a mistake?

I still think that there must be ways to help Bridge out.  Hitch passes are just not doing it.  At the start of the game, I’d like to see more drop, drop, throw routes – short routes where he doesn’t have to think – where he just drops back and throws.  He needs to get in a rhythm, and short, high percentage plays would help.

One of Bridge’s biggest issues right now is his lack of confidence.  He doesn’t not trust his reads, he does not trust his offensive line, and he does not trust his receivers.  You can tell that he’s primarily concerned with not throwing interceptions.  But he’s so concerned that he’s nearly paralyzed when his first target isn’t open.  Hence the most boring offense since the days of Warren Jones.

The lack of creativity is driving fans – including me – absolutely nuts.  A few weeks ago, the first play was a called go route that, if Marcus Thigpen had held on to it, would’ve been a sure TD.  Since that game, the Riders’ offensive playbook has become smaller, and smaller, allowing opposing defense to load up the box and limiting the field to about 10 yards.

And it looks like we’re stuck with this mind numbing offense for the foreseeable future.

Now, despite the offense’s struggles, not everything was Bridge’s fault.  Bridge did not fumble twice in the first quarter.  He did not allow the Stamps to run a punt back for a TD. (The Riders have now allowed return TDs in two games straight.)  He was not responsible for the blown coverage on the first Stampeder TD of the day.  It wasn’t his fault that the Riders were down 24-0 after the first quarter.  It was a terrible start, and the Riders could not recover.

The Riders did themselves no favours on Saturday night.  They constantly shot themselves in the foot, whether it was turnovers or penalties.

But I would like to take a look at one penalty that I don’t think should have been called.  In the 3rd quarter, Jovon Johnson was called for illegal contact on a receiver.  The call negated an interception by DB Crezdon Butler, the Stampeders’ series continued, and they scored a TD to put the game away.

I watched the play numerous times.  And the illegal contact call was borderline at best.

 

Johnson is allowed to contact the receiver within the first five yards, which he does.  You could argue that he should’ve released him a bit earlier, but he doesn’t impede the receiver from continuing on his route.  What happens to make the contact look like more than it was is the receiver’s left leg hits Johnson’s leg as he’s running past him, which causes his left toe to hit the turf and then he loses is balance and falls.  I’ve never been favour of calling accidental pass interference when a receiver and a DB get tangled up.  If a running back or a returner trips over a player during a play, the person he tripped over isn’t called for impeding progress.  Collisions are part of the game.  If a receiver gets tripped up and it was not done deliberately, it shouldn’t be a penalty.  It just happens.

Despite the many stumbles, there were some highlights.  DL Tobi Antigha continues to be a revelation.  He was playing safety again and picked off a Bo Levi Mitchell pass for a pick-six:

And then there was K Brett Lauther, who had a career night, going 5/5 and nailing a 56 (!!!!) yard field goal.  Lauther was responsible for the Riders’ entire offensive input on Saturday night.

I was also happy to see DE Charleston Hughes add Mitchell to his list of QBs he’s sacked over his career.

The good news is that the Riders clawed their way back into the game, and if not for the errant illegal contact penalty on Jovon Johnson, the game would’ve been closer.  The Riders managed to score 22 points on a Calgary defense that’s given up an average of 9 points through the first six games.  There are positives to build on.  It’s another matter as to whether the offense can take advantage.

FINAL: Calgary (6-0) 34, Saskatchewan (3-3) 22

Nicole

Week 7 Picks

Many a football league has come and gone in the 100 and some odd years that the Grey Cup has been around.  Remember the XFL?

It was founded by Vince McMahon of WWF (now WWE) and only lasted for one season in 2001.  But it’s coming back in 2020.

The Alliance of American Football is the next football league to come along.  It’s comprised of 8 teams across the southern US that are centrally owned by the league.  The AAF already has a TV contract in place with CBS and CBS Sports, even though its telecasts will apparently not have any TV timeouts.  In terms of rules, there will be no converts – after TDs, a team is required to attempt a two-point conversion.  There won’t be any kickoffs, either; possessions will begin on a team’s 25 yard line.

The seemingly  biggest draw for players is the three year, non-guaranteed, $250,000 contract that will be signed.  AAF players will also be able to leave their teams for the NFL.  This is largely why the CFL voted this week to reinstate the NFL window into standard player contracts.

This is a good move for the league, as the lack of an NFL window likely prevented some American players from joining the CFL.  Plus, the statistics bear out that most players who leave the CFL to try out for the NFL end up returning.

With the league’s CBA expiring after the 2018 season, the AAF and other upstart leagues will put some pressure on the CFL and Commissioner Randy Ambrosie to increase the league minimum salary – which is long overdue – and make other changes to attract players to the league.  The players will have more leverage than they have in the past, which should make for an interesting offseason.

In other news, two more trades occurred after he-who-shall-not-be-named was traded on Sunday night.  WR Adarius Bowman was traded by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to the Montreal Alouettes.  (Honestly, I forgot he was even playing for the Bombers.)  DE Shawn Lemon was traded by the Toronto Argonauts to the BC Lions.  In-season trades are not all that common in the CFL, so to have three within one week – and three with fairly major names attached to them – is unusual.  But that’s probably why the CFL has endured all of these years; its quirkiness is what makes it so endearing to its fans.

Here’s the Week 7 lineup:

Edmonton (3-2) at Montreal (1-4)

Vernon Adams Jr. is the third starting QB the Alouettes will have thrown into the abyss this season.  And it’s only Week 7.

We have now reached our fourteenth starter for the Alouettes since Anthony Calvillo retired:

14th MTL QB Starter / 25 Week-to-Week changes: The following players have started at QB for Montreal since Anthony
Calvillo’s last start on August 17, 2012 – Josh Neiswander, Tanner Marsh, Troy Smith, Alex Brink, Jon Crompton, Rakeem Cato, Kevin Glenn, Brandon Bridge, Vernon Adams Jr., Darian Durant, Drew Willy, Matthew Shiltz and Jeff Mathews.

Here’s an even crazier statistic:

Even more important perhaps, Montreal has been forced to make 25 week-to-week changes in their starting QB in the 89 games since August 2012. Edmonton has changed their QB starter week to week just 9 times over that span.

That’s just ridiculous.  No wonder the Alouettes’ offense is last in the league in points scored and points against.  But it’s not only the Alouettes’ QBs that are rotating; their roster is in a constant state of flux:

MTL Roster changes from Week #1 to Week #7 – 42% Turnover: Of the 24 players that STARTED for the Als in their season
opener, 10 of them (42%) either did not start last week or have since been traded away including Jamaal Westerman and Chris Williams.

Again – it’s just ridiculous.

Edmonton is coming off a bye week.  They could either be like Hamilton last week and basically fail to show up, or be like Calgary and have a game plan to tear apart the Alouettes.  But let’s be honest: it doesn’t take much of a game plan to beat the Alouettes.  Unless you’re the Riders.

PICK: Edmonton by 9

Toronto (1-4) at Winnipeg (3-3)

I called out James Wilder, Jr. – whom the TSN folks are referring to as JWJ (insert *eyeroll* here) – on Monday for his poor performance through the first six weeks of the season.  And it looks like he may not play in Week 7.

The Argos desperately need a spark.  QB James Franklin hasn’t provided it.  SJ Green is AWOL.  Armanti Edwards seems to get a few passes in the fourth quarter, but that’s about it.  The Argos are second last in most offensive categories, which is surprising for a Marc Trestman offense.

The Bombers steamrolled the Argos last week, and RB Andrew Harris led the way.  Winnipeg is currently leading the league is most offensive categories, averaging 33 points per game.  Its defense is even playing quite well, as it’s near the top of most defensive categories.

The Bombers are on the upswing, and the Argos are stuck in neutral.  And the Bombers are at home.  This is an easy pick.

PICK: Winnipeg by 7

Ottawa (3-2) at Hamilton (2-3)

These teams’ Twitter feeds were beyond boring this week.  Not cool, guys.

This is the match up of the week, as we haven’t seen many East Division teams play each other.  Courtesy of a weird schedule quirk, this will be the Tiger-Cats’ first game against an East Division opponent this year.  In Week 7.

These teams are pretty evenly matched.  They both have strong receiving corps, with Ottawa having a slight advantage.  Ottawa has an advantage with its starting running back, while Hamilton has four or five different running backs.  There isn’t much difference between QBs Jeremiah Masoli and Trevor Harris, except that Masoli is a bit more mobile.  Defensively, both teams have strong linebackers.  The Tiger-Cats have an edge at defensive line with the addition of Jamaal Westerman, but the REDBLACKS have Noel Thorpe as Defensive Co-ordinator.

Then again, the Tiger-Cats have Jerry Glamville, I mean Glanville, who’s so cool he wear his sunglasses for official team photos.

May 22, 2018; Hamilton, Ontario, CAN; 2018 Hamilton Tiger-Cats at training camp. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski

The Tiger-Cats were pretty much humiliated by the Riders last week.  The REDBLACKS managed a comeback victory against the Lions.  Flip a coin, as that’s what I’m going to do.

PICK: Ottawa by 2

Calgary (5-0) at Saskatchewan (3-2)

You can bet that RB Jerome Messam and DE Charleston Hughes have had July 28th circled on their calendars for awhile now.  Hughes was traded in the off-season, and Messam was not re-signed and became a free agent.  Both are on the other side of 30, and Calgary GM John Hufnagel decided they were too expensive to keep around given where they are in their careers.

The Stampeders have been just fine without them, and last week they found another gear.  After a few weeks of sufficient but not overwhelming performances, the Stamps took the Alouettes to school and owned them from the opening kickoff to the final whistle.

The Stamps will face a very different defense this week, which will be a challenge for QB Bo Levi Mitchell given his knee injury.  Or maybe he’ll be perfectly fine.  Who knows.  I thought the Riders would be trounced last week and they ended up being the guys doing the trouncing.  (Apparently that’s a word.  Who knew!)

The Rider offense is going to have to continue to make strides in order to compete with the Stamps on Saturday night.  The Stamps boast the league’s defense, and they will be looking to pitch a shutout against the Riders.

Expect a low scoring game because it features two of the league’s best defenses.  The Riders will have to capitalize on any and all Calgary mistakes in order to have a chance.

PICK: Calgary by 6

Nicole

Week 6 Recap

Ms. Myers has a point.  Who hasn’t bought a jersey with their favourite player’s name on the back, only for that player to get traded?  Just because a bunch of people bought JM – aka he-who-shall-not-be-named – jerseys without thinking it through doesn’t mean that the Tiger-Cats should be expected to basically refund the money paid for those jerseys.

Everyone knows that Montreal has struggled to find a QB since the retirement of Anthony Calvillo in 2014.  Since that time, at least twelve different QBs have started games for the Alouettes.  TWELVE.  Injuries have been part of the problem, but the fact of the matter is that the Alouettes simply haven’t found a starting QB.

Montreal was desperate.  Attendance has been dropping over the past couple of seasons.  The Alouettes have lost 15 out of their last 16 games. (This makes the Riders’ loss to the Alouettes a couple of weeks ago even more inexplicable.)  This season was looking like another write off, so Alouettes GM Kavis Reed did what he does best: trade away the future for a some sort of shot at the present.

I assume Montreal’s ownership had to sign off on this deal given JM’s past and the conditions placed on him by the CFL.  And if I was Montreal ownership, I’d be asking Reed why he decided to give away *two* first round draft picks for a guy who hasn’t played one down in the regular season.  From that perspective, this trade makes no sense.  Not even Ricky Ray – a first ballot CFL Hall of Famer – was worth *two* first round draft picks when he was traded to Toronto by Edmonton in 2011. (Side question: Where is Steven Jyles now?)

Because of this trade, Montreal does not have a first round draft pick until 2022.  Reed gave up not one, but TWO first round draft picks to get JM.  He did get a starting LT in Tony Washington, and another OL in Landon Rice.  Given how porous Montreal’s offensive line has been thus far this season, JM’s agent might have been telling Reed that his client needed a better line in front of him.

For Hamilton, I’m not convinced that giving away two offensive linemen – especially a starting LT – was necessary.  The Tiger-Cats had the Alouettes by the you-know-what; they could’ve demanded anything.  They did pick up DE Jamaal Westerman and WR Chris Williams, who started his career in Hamilton.  I see the need for Westerman, but Williams is expendable given WR Brandon Banks.

If you’re looking for a person to feel sorry for as a result of this trade, think of QB Vernon Adams.  He was traded to Hamilton by Saskatchewan in the off-season as part of the trade for DE Charleston Hughes.  He was cut by the Tiger-Cats last month and signed by the Alouettes.  Adams hasn’t had a lot of luck in the CFL.  And now it looks like JM is stalking him.  The guy can’t catch a break.

Week 6 was a much better week for me, as I went 3-1.  As usual, the Tiger-Cats did the exact opposite of what I thought they would do, so we begin our recap with their game against the Riders.

Saskatchewan at Hamilton

I’ve already had this argument this past weekend, but I’m sticking to my original conclusion: that baby is in a precarious position, Andy.

Now I expected the Tiger-Cats to beat the snot out of the Riders.  The Ti-Cats were at home, they had a bye week to prepare for the rematch, and historically, teams tend to split home-and-home series.  But Hamilton came out sluggish, allowed the Riders to hang around, and couldn’t find any momentum in the second half after the Riders pulled ahead.

One thing I noticed early on was that the Ti-Cats were leaving the middle wide open.  The Riders took advantage of this in the second half on Marcus Thigpen’s 80 yard TD run.  I was disappointed that Offensive Coordinator Steve McAdoo didn’t take advantage of it more often, but that might’ve been on QB Brandon Bridge and/or the receivers.  I did see Thigpen try to release to the middle on another play, but it was late and Bridge had to throw the ball away.

The good news for Bridge was that after the first quarter, Chris Jones decided to let him PLAY.  No more stupid QB shuffling.  And it paid off.  Bridge went 17/22 for 165 yards and 1 TD.  He should’ve been around 19 or 20 completions out of 22 attempts, but WR Shaquelle Evans dropped a ball or two, and I think Naaman Roosevelt also dropped a sure pass.

Overall, the Rider offense was much improved over the previous game.  The running game was featured more often – although shuffling three RBs in and out seemed ridiculous – the passing game featured high percentage plays, and Bridge did a good job of spreading the ball around.  Another big positive was the fact that the offense didn’t take ANY penalties – not one.  Just imagine what could happen if Duron Carter EVER makes his way back to the offensive side of the ball!

Before we leave the offense, I must take Chris Jones to task for not having one freaking backup offensive lineman.  When OG Brendon Labatte went down early in the game, DL Eddie Steele came in and I figured the game was over.  Why do the Riders carry 8 defensive linemen and 8 linebackers and not ONE backup offensive lineman?  They didn’t carry an extra DB either!  WTF, Jones?  You’re lucky that Labatte came back in the game, as did DB Crezdon Butler.  Personally, I think it is a fireable offense for a head coach not to have a backup offensive lineman dressed.

The Riders did a good job of keep Hamilton QB Jeremiah Masoli off balance.  They limited his ability to run, and forced him out of the pocket on numerous occasions.  This led to some frustration for the Hamilton offense, which was very apparent in the pouty face that WR Brandon Banks wore for most of the game.

It also helped that Hamilton Head Coach June Jones made a couple of questionable decisions along the way.  The onside kick in the third quarter still has me wondering what he was thinking.

The Riders got some help from their special teams, as RB Christion Jones ran a punt back for a TD.  After missing his first field goal of the night, K Brett Lauther hit three others.  Hamilton did get one special teams TD, but that was the only breakdown all night.  For what it’s worth, it looked like two Riders ran into each other, allowing the Hamilton returner through the lane.

While the Riders exploded for a whole THREE TDs on Thursday night, it must be remembered that one was a special teams TD, and one came off a single running play.  The Riders did sustain more drives, winning time of possession by about 5 minutes, but they must start scoring TDs instead of field goals.  As for Hamilton, I expected better.  But it turned out okay for me.

FINAL: Saskatchewan (3-2) 31, Hamilton (2-3) 20

BC at Ottawa

Each of these teams had a chance to make a statement this past week.  BC had a chance to show that the previous week’s comeback against the Bombers wasn’t a fluke, while Ottawa could redeem itself after a more-than-forgettable performance against the Stampeders.  The result was an entertaining game where BC made some further strides and the REDBLACKS earned a rare win at home.

I tend to pick REDBLACKS WR Greg Ellingson when I need a REDBLACKS in my CFL Fantasy League, but this week I went with WR Brad Sinopoli, and this was a good move.  Sinopoli had a big game two weeks ago and continued his impressive pace this past week.  Lions WR Emmanuel Arceneaux had 152 yards and a TD, which is the biggest performance from him that I can recall in awhile.

The Lions did a good job of shutting down REDBLACKS RB William Powell.  The REDBLACKS did not reciprocate, as backup RB Brandon Rutley – who was in for injured RB Jeremiah Johnson – had 91 yards.  But the REDBLACKS wouldn’t have even been in this game if K Lewis Ward would not have gone 5/5 on field goals.  The REDBLACKS need to finish drives if they want to compete with the West Division teams.

REDBLACKS QB Trevor Harris redeemed himself with a 350+ passing yard performance after a dismal performance last week.  In, particular, he led the REDBLACKS down the field to score the winning TD.  Lions QB Travis Lulay could not do the same on the Lions’ final drive, but he still finished with 300+ receiving yards – although his completion percentage was barely above 50%.  And then there was the time count violation that led to the REDBLACKS’ winning drive.

The jury is still out on these two teams, as their performances have varied from abysmal to promising.  The REDBLACKS won this week, but these teams are evenly matched.  It’ll be interesting to see where they end up.

FINAL: BC (2-3) 25, Ottawa (3-2) 29

Winnipeg at Toronto

I know this is weird, but I have to echo the thoughts of Milt Stegall: how is it that a Marc Trestman-coached team can’t score any points?

This is the third game that Argos QB James Franklin has started, and it was his worst.  He only mustered 151 passing yards, and he didn’t throw a TD.  But Franklin can’t do it all on his own.  The Argos’ so-called ‘biggest weapon’ has been MIA so far this season.

Where is James Wilder, Jr.?

If you find him, please let the Argos know.

The Bombers drove down the field for a TD on their first drive of the game and never looked back.  They absolutely owned the Toronto defense, which was on the field a lot, out gaining Toronto by about 275 yards.  However, Winnipeg did give up a couple of needless TDs.  Pity points, I guess.

FINAL: Winnipeg (3-3) 38, Toronto (1-4) 20

Montreal at Calgary

This headline is just all kinds of awesome.

Bo Levi Mitchell could barely move on Saturday night.  And the Stampeders still beat the Alouettes by nearly twenty points.

The Alouettes continue to shoot themselves in the foot at every possible juncture.  Looks at these turnover statistics:

About the only interesting part of this game was that we had our first instance this year of two challenges on the same play – with both challenges being correct.  Stampeders Head Coach Dave Dickenson challenged a catch that upon review was not a catch, and then Alouettes Head Coach Mike Sherman challenged that there was defensive pass interference.  Sherman was also correct.  If I remember correctly, Montreal turned over the ball not long after that.  Pas de suprise.

FINAL: Montreal (1-4) 8, Calgary (5-0) 25

Nicole

Week 6 Picks

I have no comment on this, except to say that I hope Milt Stegall is ready to come out of retirement.

(I do not know what #PAPERPLATES means.)

Let’s see what our Week 6 match ups are:

Saskatchewan (2-2) at Hamilton (2-2)

Welcome back to the ongoing saga of the 2018 Saskatchewan Roughriders!

What did the Riders do over the bye week?  Nothing, it seems.  Apparently nothing is wrong on offense, because Duron Carter is still starting at cornerback.  Only one offensive lineman is listed as a backup.  And yet we’re carrying eight defensive linemen and eight linebackers!

The Riders surprised the Tiger-Cats’ offense on July 5th.  I do not expect it to happen again.  And, based on the quote from Rider OL Brendon Labatte, I do not think the Rider offense is prepared.  Therefore, expect Hamilton to win this game.  By a lot.

PICK: Hamilton by 12

BC (2-2) at Ottawa (2-2)

I don’t understand why this is even a question.  The REDBLACKS are 2-2, and those two losses were to the Stampeders.  Yes, last week Trevor Harris had a terrible game, but that Calgary defense is something else.  It is just way too early in the season for this question.  Let’s see where the REDBLACKS sit after Week 9 and then we’ll talk.

That same question, though, could be asked of Jonathon Jennings of the BC Lions, who has been supplanted by Travis Lulay.

The Lions are coming off a high after their implausible comeback win against Winnipeg last week.  Their defense got going in the second half and their offense managed to put enough drives together to win.  Can they keep it going?

The big negatives for BC this week are the fact that star LB Solomon Elimimian is out because of wrist surgery – which will sideline him for up to eight weeks – and that RB Jeremiah Johnson is doubtful.  Johnson’s loss is not as critical since Chris Rainey is on the roster, but the loss of Elimimian – the leader of the BC defense – is a big blow.  Expect the REDBLACKS to attack the middle and not let up.

Ottawa has more to prove right now, especially since they were booed on their home field last week.  I think Ottawa’s defense is a bit better than Winnipeg’s, and its offense has explosive play-making ability.  While BC took an important step last week, with the injuries and Ottawa’s need to rebound, I don’t think they’ll be able to make it two in a row.

PICK: Ottawa by 4

Winnipeg (2-3) at Toronto (1-3)

I will argue that the Toronto Argonauts are better than their record shows.  They came within one point of beating Edmonton last week, and stifled Edmonton’s big play offense two weeks in a row.  They were humiliated by Calgary in Week 2, which was not all that unexpected, and also lost their opening game to the Riders.  But that was prior to losing QB Ricky Ray to a likely season-ending injury.  Since that time, the Argos have been better.

Why?  You could maybe argue that it’s because of QB James Franklin, but I’m not ready to concede that yet.

Winnipeg has been up and down through the first five weeks.  They lost QB Matt Nichols for the first three weeks, but still managed to beat Montreal 56-10.  The Blue Bombers narrowly lost to Edmonton the first week out – when there wasn’t any film on QB Chris Streveler – lost to Hamilton, tore BC apart in Week 4, and then lost to BC in Week 5 in a fairly humiliating loss.  They will be looking to get ahead early and not let up.

I think this game will be closer than people think, but Winnipeg should pull out the win at home.

PICK: Winnipeg by 4

Montreal (1-3) at Calgary (4-0)

If I was a betting person – and I am – I would bet that Stampeders QB Bo Levi Mitchell will not play on Friday.  His team is 4-0, they’re playing at home, and the Stamps’ defense nearly pitched a shutout last week.

Montreal is coming off a bye week where they released their left offensive left tackle, and that was about it.  QB Drew Willy will start again since QB Jeff Matthews is going to be out for four to six weeks.  But it won’t matter, because this Calgary defense is smothering.

The Stampeders should win this one fairly easily.  So why should you tune in and watch?  To see if Mike Sherman has trouble with his headset again.

PICK: Calgary by 9

Nicole

Week 5 Recap

Harsh, Edmonton.  Harsh.  But that’s just the kind of week it was in the CFL.

Near the end of the Toronto Argonatus-Eskimos match up on Friday night, Argos DL Dylan Wynn launched himself headfirst at Eskimos RB CJ Gable, who was already lying on the turf, likely unconscious from a hit levelled by another Argos defender.  The top of Wynn’s helmet hit a defenseless Gable.  It was a completely unnecessary hit, and appeared to be an intent to injure, as Wynn did not have to hit Gable in the head.  It’s the kind of dirty hit that does not belong in the CFL, and I’m glad the league quickly acted by levelling a one game suspension against Wynn.  A part of me agrees with Matt Dunigan that it deserved two games instead of one, but REDBLACKS linebacker Kyries Hebert only got one game and he’s a repeat offender.

Gable managed to walk off the field under his own strength, but you could tell that he’d had his bell rung.  Hopefully he recovers quickly.

In terms of predictions, I had my worst week of the season, going a dismal 1-2.  And the Eskimos nearly lost, too.

Calgary at Ottawa

Okay, okay.  I was pretty confident after my Toronto pick worked out last week, so I was a little cocky in picking the REDBLACKS to win on Thursday night.  As a result, the Stampeders showed up both me and the REDBLACKS.

But let’s get the big news out of the way first: Stampeders QB and messiah Bo Levi Mitchell was hurt in the first half and did not finish the game.

Did I like the hit?  No.  It was a low hit and was flagged, as it should have been.  Was it dirty?  Borderline.

Now, I’m going to quibble that the loss of Mitchell is “monstrous for the league”.  Stamps fans do not contribute the bulk of the CFL’s revenue.  In fact, considering how good the Stampeders have been over the past decade, the fact that they don’t routinely sellout is stupefying.  Is Mitchell’s injury going to affect the league all that much?  Not really.  But no one likes to see the league’s best players get hurt.

Luckily for the Stampeders, by the time Mitchell left the game, it was pretty much over.

This is insane.  Coming into this week, the REDBLACKS were averaging about 400 yards of net offense per week.  400 yards.  And they were held to less than 30 in the first half of Thursday night’s game.  REDBLACKS QB Trevor Harris was pulled for a bit and finished with less than 100 yards passing, along with two interceptions.  He and his fellow QBs were sacked four times.  William Powell was averaging 118 yards a game going into Week 5, and he had 17 yards!  The REDBLACKS top receiver was Brad Sinopoli with a whole 37 yards.  If you thought the Rider offense was inept, well, the REDBLACKS made the Riders look average.

Calgary defense was impenetrable on Thurday night.  The defensive line constantly pressured the QB and kept Powell from getting outside.  All of the REDBLACKS’ receiving targets were well-covered.  The Stampeders clearly used their bye week well and were completely prepared for anything the REDBLACKS threw at them.  It was simply a dominating defensive display.

FINAL: Calgary (4-0) 27, Ottawa (2-2) 3

Toronto at Edmonton

The Eskimos had a couple of halftime concerts last season, and they’ve kept that tradition alive this year with Ludacris’ show on Friday night.  About the only Ludacris song I know is Carrie Underwood’s “Champion”, which features him.  It was hilarious, though, to hear TSN’s Glen Suitor praising Ludacris’ halftime show.  Chris Cuthbert even said that Glen might now even be a Ludacris fan!

Just like last week, this was a close game that came down to the final minutes of the fourth quarter.  The teams were evenly matched, with time of possession being nearly equal, each team having one turnover, and both QBs throwing for over 250 yards, but less than 300.  The field conditions did not favour offenses, as it rained throughout the game.

What was the difference in this game?  A missed field goal by Argos kicker Ronnie Pfeffer, who had an interesting night.  He missed a 30 yard field goal, but was good on the others. However, his last field goal, which got the Argos within one point of the Eskimos, hit the upright but bounced in.

There were a couple of interesting statistics in this game.  First, Argos RB James Wilder, Jr. was held to less than 30 rushing yards.  That’s a big difference from last week, when he had 120 rushing yards.  He did have another 60+ yards through the air.  Argos WR SJ Green, who’s had a quiet start to the season, had 131 receiving yards.

It was Eskimos QB Mike Reilly who saved the day again, rushing at the end of the game to help Edmonton gain first down yardage and keep the Argos off the field.  Reilly finished with 55 rushing yards on the day.  I’m not convinced that having Reilly run at the end of the game is the wisest move considering what happened to CJ Gable a few minutes earlier, but Reilly has never been known to play it safe.

Argos QB had a good showing this week, despite the loss.  From my perspective, he threw more consistently, made better use of his receivers, and nearly pulled out a win on the road.  That’s all you can ask of your backup QB.

FINAL: Toronto (1-3) 15, Edmonton (3-2) 16

Winnipeg at BC

Looking for a spark so his last season as a CFL head coach doesn’t end before Labour Day, Wally Buono decided to go back to his favourite guy, the oft-injured Travis Lulay.  I did not think that Lulay was healthy even to start.  Clearly I know nothing.

Based on the first half, I thought the Lions were done.  And I wish I had a clip of the last minute of the first half as the Lions drove the ball down the field.

On the last play of the half, the Lions wasted a good 15 seconds on a throw to the end zone that WR Emmanuel Arceneaux should have caught – it went right through his hands.  But the play took too much time and the Lions couldn’t even salvage a field goal.  Buono was seen chewing his lip – which my brother pointed out he does when he’s ticked off and stressed – and I can’t imagine the tirade he unleashed on his team at halftime.

And it worked.

After being completely embarrassed in the first half and for a good chunk of the third quarter, the Lions finally got on the board, starting a 20-0 run that ended with Lions K Ty Long making a 16 yard field goal to win the game.

The BC Lions defense *finally* showed up in the second half, holding the Bombers to 0 points over the last 30 minutes of the game.  They stepped up the pressure on Winnipeg’s offensive line, leading Bombers QB Matt Nichols to throw three interceptions, including this last one that allowed the Lions to get the back ball and drive down the field to score the winning points:

Beautiful.  Just beautiful.  Nichols did not have to throw that ball.  He forced it and his team lost.

You know who else did not help the Bombers?  Richie Hall.  The 10-15 yard cushion his defense gives receivers was in full force on that game-winning drive for the Lions.  I cannot lie; I am very much enjoying watching another team’s fan base freak out about Hall’s defense.

All in all, it was a satisfying game, as the Bombers imploded and Lulay had yet another comeback night.  It was also nice to see Mike O’Shea lose after having his team execute an onside kick in the 2nd quarter. (BTW, the Bombers are now listed as being in last place in the West Division.)

FINAL: Winnipeg (2-3) 17, BC (2-2) 20