It’s rematch week! In usual quirky CFL fashion, the league insists on having as many teams play each other back-to-back to really enhance those local rivalries as much as possible near the beginning of September. With this week seeing most Canadian children heading back to school, we’ll also need to keep a close eye on the rising COVID numbers; it’s been fantastic to have so many fans in attendance thus far through the year, but as cases continue to increase across the country, one does have to wonder if attending games will continue to be safe later in the year.

In league news this week:

• Edmonton signed CFL All-Star and former NFL linebacker Derrick Moncrief, who was with Saskatchewan from 2017-19. He appeared in one game for the LA Rams in 2020 after spending most of the year on the practise squad; with his return north of the border, he’ll add a big defensive boost to the Elks linebacker corps. The Riders also wanted to bring back Moncrief, but apparently did not table an offer nearly as competitive as the one put out by the Elks.
• With COVID cases rising across the country, the Ottawa REDBLACKS mandated that all fans attending games in person must have two vaccinations; this is a departure from their previous policy, which mandated either two doses or a proof of a negative COVID test from within 24 hours. With the negative test option now no longer allowed, the usual corners of the internet will, naturally, whinge and complain – but fans will also be better protected.
• Former Montreal Alouettes owner Bob Wetenhall died on September 3rd at the age of 86; while he sold the team to the CFL in late 2019 before a new buyer (S and S Sportsco) was found in early 2020, there’s no doubt that his long presence in the league is ultimately the reason why pro football continues to survive in Montreal today. Wetenhall, the only American owner after the disastrous CFL USA experiment in the mid-90s, took ownership after the league revoked the franchise from Michael Gelfand, and even took on the debts the franchise owed to its creditors despite no legal obligation to do so. He lived in Montreal during football season, and spent millions of dollars of his own money into enhancing the team and fan experience, including a large renovation to McGill University’s Percival Molson Stadium, the Als’ current regular-season home. While he loved the Alouettes dearly, his business success and lifelong love of football even led him to be an early investor in the AFL’s Boston Patriots franchise, which he continued to be a part-owner of even after they made the jump to the NFL. He was inducted into the CFL Hall of Fame in 2015 as a builder – a worthy honour for a man who genuinely worked hard to keep Canadian football alive and well in a province he adopted all of his own accord.

Onto the games!

WEEK 5 RECAPS

Montreal 51 vs. Ottawa 29: A good old-fashioned long-weekend beatdown here. After a few subpar weeks, Alouettes QB Vernon Adams, Jr., was back on his bullshit, throwing for 288 yards and four touchdowns (two each to receivers Jake Wieneke and Eugene Lewis), while RB William Stanback rushed for 112 yards on 15 carries. At least backup QB Dominique Davis showed some promise for the REDBLACKS – he did throw two interceptions, including a big pick-six by Als’ DB Patrick Levels (while starter Matt Nichols threw one early in the first quarter, which got him a quick yanking), but fought back to go 23-33 for 291 yards, two touchdowns, and a rushing major as well.

PICK: Montreal

RESULT: Montreal

Winnipeg 23 vs. Saskatchewan 8: Riders fans are probably stinging after this one. The Blue Bombers waltzed into their arch-rivals’ stadium, for a Labour Day game, thoroughly bested them, ended their unbeaten streak, and took over the division lead all in one fell swoop. Bombers RB Andrew Harris had a busy night, with 95 yards on 18 carries, but it was backup QB Sean McGuire who punched in a pair of TDs right on the goal line. Winnipeg’s defence excelled at shutting down Saskatchewan QB Cody Fajardo, who was held to 213 passing yards and threw three picks – an uncharacteristic – and untimely – night for him.

PICK: Saskatchewan

RESULT: Winnipeg

Toronto 19 vs. Hamilton 32: After a game like this, the Ti-Cats are Dane Evans’ team now. Hamilton claimed victory in their seventh straight Labour Day Classic against Toronto, as Hamilton’s QB threw for a pair of touchdowns in the win. Hamilton also had a few rookie receivers step up and make some major contributions in this game; Tim White racked up six catches for 93 yards and his first CFL touchdown, while David Ungerer made two catches for 30 yards and his first major as well. Frankie Williams, start returner, even chipped in with a beauty of a punt return TD in the third quarter, going 67 yards to the house. The Argos were frustratingly dysfunctional again; Nick Arbuckle had a costly pick-six to star LB Simoni Lawrence that blew open the game in the fourth quarter. McLeod Bethel-Thompson came in late in and threw a garbage-time TD to Eric Rogers, but too little, too late; the Ti-Cats did well to put the pressure on Arbuckle and throw his rhythm off for the entire game.

PICK: Toronto

RESULT: Hamilton

Edmonton 32 vs. Calgary 20: Edmonton’s Labour Day woes are finally over at last; for the first time in a decade, the Stamps have lost at home on the September long weekend. The Elks had a fantastic game, with a complete team effort despite missing a number of key contributors still out due to the COVID recovery process. Quarterback Trevor Harris, in particular, was spectacular, throwing for 398 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions. Calgary kept it close through three quarters, and even had a 20-17 lead with 8:33 remaining in the final frame; however, Edmonton’s passing game was lethal through this one, and with Harris connecting with James Wilder, Jr. and Mike Jones for his final two scores, the Elks managed to seal the deal and close out this game with a decisive victory.

PICK: Calgary

RESULT: Edmonton

BYE: BC (2-2)

WEEK 6 PREVIEWS

Hamilton (2-2) vs. Toronto (2-2), Friday, September 10th, 7:30 PM EST (TSN, ESPN+): The Ti-Cats looked great last week. While their QB switch really came on the back of Jeremiah Masoli’s injuries, one has to believe that they’ll be keeping that switch permanently, considering the way that Dane Evans has been so effective at spreading the ball around to a variety of targets. For the Argos, they’ll go with Nick Arbuckle again as the starter; true, he didn’t have a great game last week, but I think just about everyone from the coaching staff to the fans still feel that he’s got more potential than McLeod Bethel-Thompson, whose immobility in the pocket is a drawback compared to Arbuckle’s ability to react and scramble.

PICK: Hamilton

Saskatchewan (3-1) vs. Winnipeg (3-1), Saturday, September 11th, 4:00 PM EST (TSN, ESPN+): Winnipeg may be the most complete team in the CFL. Zach Collaros, whose career was essentially left for dead at the beginning of 2019, looks every bit the player he was during his breakout 2015 season. Isn’t it amazing what having a good O-line can do for you? I can’t forget to mention the Bombers’ secondary; it’s unlikely that Cody Fajardo will throw three picks again in this re-match, but full credit to them for reading plays so effectively. Saskatchewan needs to find the end zone this week – the playcalling last week was ineffective – rare for a team with so much offensive potential.

PICK: Winnipeg

Calgary (1-4) vs. Edmonton (2-2), Saturday, September 11th, 7:00 PM EST (TSN, ESPN+): Yes, they lost last week, but the Stamps remain a better team than what their record indicates – and Bo Levi Mitchell may be coming back soon. Jake Maier, who’s taken over the starting duties in his absence, has thrown for over 300 yards in all three games he’s started this year; all in all, the Stamps have a cohesive offensive plan. It’s their D that’s really hampering them – especially their passing defence, which needs to take some steps forward if they really want to turn around this season. That may be a lot to ask at this point, but as good as Edmonton was last week, they’re still not as complete a team as Winnipeg or Saskatchewan. That said, if the Elks put together another game like they did last week, perhaps maybe those really annoying “overcoming adversity brings us closer together as a team” storylines may finally, for once, have a little tiny bit of merit.

PICK: Edmonton

Ottawa (1-3) vs. BC (2-2), Saturday, September 11th, 10:00 PM EST (TSN, ESPN+): Looks like Dominique Davis is going to get his first start of the season, as the REDBLACKS look to shake things up on the offensive side of the ball. Their D got torched last week – which is unfortunate, because they were player far better than the offence – but considering that Lions QB Mike Reilly is not quite as mobile as Montreal’s Vernon Adams, Jr., perhaps fewer option plays may help to improve Ottawa’s defensive results. With a .500 record and a week of rest, now’s the time for BC to try and make some moves to keep pace with Winnipeg and Saskatchewan in the West – this may be as healthy as the team is going to be all season long.

PICK: BC

BYE: Montreal (2-2)

STANDINGS AND STATS

East Division Standings

West Division Standings

Passing Yards

1. Harris, EDM – 1260
2. Collaros, WPG – 1201
3. Fajardo, SSK – 984

Passing TDs

1. Adams, Jr., MTL – 9
2. Collaros, WPG – 7
3. Harris, EDM – 6

Rushing Yards

1. Wilder, EDM – 366
2. Stanback, MTL – 346
3. Carey, CGY – 294

Receiving Yards

1. Huff, CGY – 374
2. Lawler, WPG – 371
3. Jorden, CGY – 357

Sacks

1. Woodard, SSK – 5
2. Jeffcoat, WPG – 4
3. Leonard, SSK – 3

Interceptions

1. Kanneh, OTT – 2
2. Gainey, SSK – 2
3. Alexander, WPG – 2

Field Goals

1. Paredes, CGY – 14
2. Whyte, EDM – 11
3. Lauther, SSK – 11

PICK POOL

I really thought the Stamps at home on Labour Day was easy money last week. I demand my fake cash back, you Albertan pricks.