We’re back to school, and with Labour Day now past us, we’re into the home stretch of the CFL season. The next two months are make-it-or-break-it – and with the NFL back today, some of you may tune out of what’s happening north of the border, but rest assured that if you’re still stuck for a Friday night football fix, you can find it here.

In league news this week:

• The league announced on Instagram that they’re returning to their classic logo… on a temporary basis, at least. I’m a big fan of this logo – it’s cool as hell, and there’s a reason it had the staying power it did – all the way from 1969 through to 2002. I hope they keep it forever, personally. It’s nostalgia for me.

• On Saturday, the Alouettes signed the recently released WR Chris Matthews, who was cut from the Bombers previously. While Matthews’ stats weren’t on par with what his previous production has been in the CFL, his signing gives the Alouettes some flexibility out there to run some plays placing him in isolation, due to his large frame… but most of all, it gives him a second chance, which I think is needed. He never quite seemed to gel in Winnipeg’s schemes, and I think it’s possible he’ll find some chemistry with QB Vernon Adams, Jr. in Montreal.
• BC fired OL coach Bryan Chiu, replacing him with Kelly Bates. The Lions’ offensive line has been terrible this year, leading the league in QB sacks surrendered, and a change almost definitely needed to be made… but I’m still not sure it’s solely the OL play alone that will solve BC’s woes. There’s also the matter of defence to consider, too…
• The REDBLACKS announced they’ll be turning to Jonathon Jennings as their starting QB in Week 13 to try and save their season. That seems… less than ideal. I’m not holding my breath for the fireworks to happen.

Onto the games!

WEEK 12 RECAPS

Winnipeg 17 vs. Saskatchewan 19: This was a very, very close game – as Labour Day Classics always strive to be.  Saskatchewan racked up their sixth straight Labour Day win over the Bombers, this time from a 26-yard field goal from Brett Lauther with no time left on the clock. The Bombers had a late lead, after trailing through most of the game, but Cody Fajardo managed to lead Saskatchewan on one final drive in the dying minutes of the fourth, setting up the chip shot for the win. Winnipeg, missing key players in QB Matt Nichols and RB Andrew Harris, battled hard, but while Harris’ replacement Johnny Augustine had a strong night with 98 rush yards on 12 carries, Nichols’ backup Chris Streveler had a shaky night. Streveler had 11 carries for 65 yards and a TD, and did go 16-24 for 161 yards and a pass TD to Kenny Lawler, but his two interceptions ultimately killed the momentum for the Bombers’ offence.

PICK: Saskatchewan

RESULT: Saskatchewan

Toronto 27 vs. Hamilton 38: The Argos started out this one looking like a damn fine team. McLeod Bethel-Thompson connected with star receiver Derel Walker twice for touchdowns, Hamilton turned the ball over twice on Dane Evans interceptions, and the Ti-Cats had two of their top DBs ejected in a scuffle; with the Ti-Cats down 13 at the half, they had a major hole to crawl out of. Cue Dane Evans catching on fire. Hamilton’s quarterback, forced into a starters’ role a few weeks ago, had a half to remember, finishing the game with 442 passing yards on 31-37 attempts, with two touchdowns to WR Bralon Addison, who had 190 total yards on the night. It was an impressive rebound for the Ti-Cats, who are 9-2 for the first time in 21 years, and also currently hold the league’s top offence and defence (in terms of points scored/allowed).

PICK: Hamilton

RESULT: Hamilton

Edmonton 9 vs. Calgary 25: Bo Levi Mitchell returned to action for the Stamps for the first time since Week 4, and Calgary looked like the better team in every aspect of the game as they dominated the Eskimos in another traditional Labour Day matchup. Mitchell was efficient in his return from a separated throwing shoulder, going 19-28 for 263 yards and a touchdown to receiver Reggie Begelton, who has quietly become one of the league’s most dangerous receivers this season. Begelton led the way for the Stamps’ receiving corps with 10 catches for 138 yards, while RB Ka’Deem Carey had 16 carries for 143 yards rushing. With the offence working well, it was up to the Calgary D to make sure they held up their end of the bargain – which they absolutely did. The Eskimos’ offence continues to have red zone issues, with QB Trevor Harris failing to throw a touchdown in this contest, finishing 27-35 for 216 yards and an interception; RB CJ Gable was also limited to just 35 rushing yards on 10 carries – not nearly good enough for an Edmonton team looking to keep pace with the rest of a tight West Division.

PICK: Calgary

RESULT: Calgary

BYE: BC (1-9), Montreal (5-4), Ottawa (3-7)

WEEK 13 PREVIEWS

BC (1-9) vs. Montreal (5-4), Friday, September 6th, 7:30 PM EST: With OL Bryan Chiu gone, the LioUns have a temporary scapegoat for their woeful play so far this year. The OL still isn’t the reason the defence can’t get a stop, though… so there’s a lot of work yet to be done still. Montreal comes off the bye week rested and ready to go; in successive weeks, they’ve had both a huge OT win against the Stampeders and a clutch come-from-behind victory against Toronto, so I fully expect the momentum to keep on rolling. Vernon Adams, Jr. has really hit his stride as a CFL quarterback in recent weeks, and with the addition of Chris Matthews to the lineup, having another weapon for him to work with will just be the cherry on top of what has so far been a very solid offence this year.

PICK: Montreal

Toronto (1-9) vs. Ottawa (3-7), Saturday, September 7th, 1:00 PM EST: Jonathon Jennings gets the start under centre… the last time that happened, he completed less than 50% of his passes and amassed a total of 45 yards through the air. It was ugly. And yet, a change needed to be made at QB, since Dominique Davis’ three straight first-quarter interceptions against the Riders last week killed Ottawa’s chances of a victory. The REDBLACKS’ ability as a team may be better than their record suggests, but the offence under Davis remains putrid. For Toronto, McLeod Bethel-Thompson has quietly had a very good season thus far, but without a defence to help back him and the offence up out there, the Argos will continue to have a tough road to travel. Maybe a lowly Toronto D will be the cure for what’s ailing the REDBLACKS’ offence.

PICK: Ottawa

Saskatchewan (7-3) vs. Winnipeg (8-3), Saturday, September 7th, 4:00 PM EST: It’s a rematch of last week’s spectacular Labour Day game, and once again, Winnipeg is without Matt Nichols and Andrew Harris. For the Bombers to get revenge, Chris Streveler needs to be much more secure with the football, and not force his throws like he was doing previously. It’s clear he’s good at improvising when the pocket falls apart, but he needs to be more patient as he goes through his reads, because he absolutely has support out there in his receivers, namely in Darvin Adams, Lucky Whitehead and Nic Demski. Johnny Augustine was also solid last week in holding down the rushing duties with Harris on the sideline, but Winnipeg needs to get the passing going if they want to overcome the strong Saskatchewan front seven.

PICK: Saskatchewan

Calgary (6-4) vs. Edmonton (6-5), Saturday, September 7th, 7:00 PM EST: Another Labour Day rematch, and the Eskimos are hoping they can get something better than their effort last week – the offence was inert and couldn’t make heads or tails of anything due to strong coverage by the Stamps. With Bo Levi Mitchell now healthy, Calgary will likely be heating up down the stretch, and another win over Edmonton would help to put some distance between the third seed and the crossover spot in the West. It’s still early for playoffs, but with the final third of the season arriving next week, it’s never too soon to start thinking post-season.

PICK: Calgary

BYE: Hamilton (9-2)

STANDINGS AND STATS

East Division Standings

West Division Standings

Passing Yards

1. Harris, EDM – 3697
2. Bethel-Thompson, TOR – 2593
3. Reilly, BC – 2437

Passing TDs

1. Bethel-Thompson, TOR – 16
2. Nichols, WPG – 15
3. Harris, EDM – 14

Rushing Yards

1. Harris, WPG – 908
2. Gable, EDM – 755
3. Powell, SSK – 656

Receiving Yards

1. Banks, HAM – 862
2. Begelton, CGY – 842
3. Collins, EDM – 812

Sacks

1. Hughes, SSK – 12
2. Jefferson, WPG – 9
3. Wynn, HAM – 9

Interceptions

1. Rose, WPG – 7
2. Roberson, CGY – 6
3. Reid, MTL – 3

Field Goals

1. Whyte, EDM – 35
2. Hajrullahu, HAM – 28
3. Ward, OTT – 27

PICK POOL

Remember to submit your picks here! https://www.pooltracker.com/join.asp?poolid=168258 

Enjoy the games, everyone.