Yes, another unusual scheduling week for the CFL week, with another early start – that said, still won’t be as weird as Week 10, when Toronto has to play twice in six days – a rough setup indeed. But that’s a problem for next week’s Beat to deal with. In league news this week:

• Something’s going on in Edmonton, and I don’t have a clue what exactly it is. Case in point: Trevor Harris’ injury status. After going back and forth about practising and not practising, the team put him on the six-game injured list on September 16th due to a neck issue, but was removed on September 25th… despite apparently being cleared to play, even after GM Brock Sunderland said that there was “no timetable” for his return, he’s been left off the Elks’ active roster for this week’s game against Ottawa. Never seen personnel management like this before.
• With both Matt Nichols and Dominique Davis now on the six-game injured reserve, the REDBLACKS will start rookie Caleb Evans at QB this week; he’ll be backed up by fellow rookie Taryn Christion. Devlin Hodges, Ottawa’s most recent free agent signee, just started practising with the team last week, and hasn’t had enough time with his new teammates and playbook to prepared for game action just yet… but I expect that to come soon.
• Coming off another disappointing defensive performance last week against the Argos, Montreal fired D-line coach Todd Howard and replaced him with Greg Quick. Prior to joining Montreal’s coaching staff, Quick was the CFL’s director of global scouting, though he has 30 years of coaching experience, including 8 seasons in the CFL. Anything for a shakeup, I suppose.
• Calgary lost starting S Royce Metchie to a bicep injury, thanks to a hit he took in their game against the Ti-Cats back on Sept. 17th. Metchie, a Canadian who played four years at the University of Guelph will be a big loss on the defensive side of the ball, as his talent and his nationality helped to maximize roster ratios for the Stamps. He’ll need surgery on his arm, which will end his season.

Onto the games!

WEEK 8 RECAPS

Hamilton 24 vs. Ottawa 7: Just an absolutely disastrous game on all levels for the REDBLACKS. My first live football since before the pandemic, and the team was more unwatchable than a late-term abortion. Not only did the offence fail to score any points, Dominique Davis also threw one of the most egregious pick-sixes I’ve ever seen in my entire life, with DB Jumal Rolle running it back 87 yards to the house. To make matters even worse, both Davis and Matt Nichols ended up getting injured in this game, and without a third quarterback dressed, Ottawa was forced to use receiver Nate Behar under centre to just do handoffs to the running backs. The single bright spot for Ottawa was DeVonte Dedmon returning a punt 63 yards for a touchdown – the REDBLACKS’ only points on the night. Hamilton came to play – with third-stringer David Watford getting his second career start, the offence took some further steps forward. The Ti-Cats appear to have found a little bit of a rhythm recently – one wonders if they’ll be able to keep it going.

PICK: Hamilton

RESULT: Hamilton

Montreal 27 vs. Toronto 30: The Als dominated possession and yardage on the night, but the Argos stayed perfect at home on the year. With Nick Arbuckle on the shelf due to a hamstring injury, McLeod Bethel-Thompson led Toronto to a victory with two TDs and 210 yards passing on an efficient 13-19 attempts. Montreal counterpart Vernon Adams, Jr. went 30-39 for 382 yards and two scores, but it was his two interceptions that really turned the tide against the visiting side. Bethel-Thompson connected with receiver Chandler Worthy for a 45-yard score just two plays after Adams’ first pick on the night, and Boris Bede scored a field on Toronto’s ensuing possession after Adams’ second that gave them the winning points needed to hold off a late Montreal comeback. Montreal still has tons of talent on both sides of the ball – but unquestionably this team has to be feeling frustrated with not closing out games well at all this year.

PICK: Toronto

RESULT: Toronto

Saskatchewan 31 vs. BC 24: WHAT an ending. Holy shitballs. Games like these are what make people want to watch the CFL in the first place. After a back-and-forth affair, which saw six lead changes throughout the game, the Riders were down by a touchdown with less than two minutes. Cody Fajardo marched Saskatchewan down the field, with a six-play, 60-yard drive that saw him call his own number and sneak the ball in at the goal line. One convert kick later, and the Riders took a single point lead. Finally, in a stroke of pure, dumb luck, Riders LB Demarquis Gates forced a fumble on Lions return man Lucky Whitehead, which DB Damon Webb returned for a final score to close out the game. A heartbreaking end for the Leos, who’d had a very good night right up to the final minute of the game… Michael Reilly connected with Lucky Whitehead twice for TDs, while RB Shaq Cooper added another score on the ground.

PICK: BC

RESULT: Saskatchewan

BYE: Calgary (2-5), Edmonton, (2-4), Winnipeg (6-1)

WEEK 9 PREVIEWS

Edmonton (2-4) vs. Ottawa (1-5), Tuesday, September 28th, 7:30 EST (TSN, ESPN+): A rookie QB battle here. Edmonton’s having a disappointing year, yes, but nothing pales in comparison to just how pathetic the REDBLACKS have recently been at home. Going back to 2019, the team’s now lost 11 straight games at TD Place; for fans who waited decades for a competitive team, including many years completely without a franchise in the capital city, this fade back to ineptitude won’t be tolerated much longer. At least their one win on the year comes against Edmonton? At any rate, with two rookies starting under centre, I hope both OCs throw up their hands and just let ’em air it out. Something to give the fans a little excitement, at the bare minimum.

PICK: Edmonton

Winnipeg (6-1) vs. BC (4-3), Friday, October 1st, 10:00 PM EST (TSN, ESPNews): Last week’s loss against the Riders stung Lions players and fans dearly. But there’s no time for anyone to dwell on that with the league’s best team coming in off a bye week, refreshed and ready to continue kicking ass. Perhaps maybe BC was more unlucky than bad last week, but they cannot afford to be either one as the Bombers are in town; in particular, the Lions need to see what they can do to try and shake up their offence a bit more this week. Michael Reilly and Lucky Whitehead definitely have chemistry as a QB-WR pair, but BC also only called seven run plays all game last week against Saskatchewan. Against the league’s best defence, they have no choice but to try and be a bit more unpredictable.

PICK: Winnipeg

Montreal (2-4) vs. Hamilton (4-3), Saturday, October 2nd, 4:00 PM EST (TSN, ESPN+): David Watford is decidedly Not Good (just 115 passing yards against lowly Ottawa last week), but the Ti-Cats are winning regardless. I don’t know what the injury situation is right now in regards to Jeremiah Masoli or Dane Evans coming back any time soon, but even though there’s barely a passing game to speak of, perhaps the Tabbies can hang in the division race all the same. Montreal has the exact opposite issues to speak of – an offence chock-full of weaponry, but a notable penchant for turnovers, and a D that is going to have to reinvent how the front seven react off the line of scrimmage. Maybe it’s an offensive showdown, or maybe it’s another grinding slog. I don’t really have a read on how this game is gonna go.

PICK: Hamilton

Saskatchewan (5-2) vs. Calgary (2-5), Saturday, August 10th, 7:00 PM EST (TSN, ESPN+): We’re getting to the point now in the season where if the Stamps lose another game – and if Bo Levi Mitchell is still dealing with a nagging injury – one has to wonder if the team will shut him down early for the year and just call this season a wash. It’s been a really rare bad year for the Stamps in every aspect of the game, but their back nine starts this week. Finish above .500 through the final seven games, and perhaps a crossover playoff spot can happen… but that would also require Edmonton to falter. Further complicating the matter is that Saskatchewan, despite their flaws, seems to be establishing themselves more and more as the clear #2 overall team in the CFL. Even on the road at McMahon – a place where they have historically not fared well at all – I like their chances in this one.

PICK: Saskatchewan

BYE: Toronto (1-6)

STANDINGS AND STATS

East Division Standings

West Division Standings

Passing Yards

1. Reilly, BC – 1860
2. Collaros, WPG – 1731
3. Fajardo, SSK – 1644

Passing TDs

1. Adams, Jr., MTL – 11
2. Collaros, WPG – 10
3. Reilly, BC – 10

Rushing Yards

1. Stanback, MTL – 618
2. Wilder, Jr. – EDM – 499
3. Powell, SSK – 448

Receiving Yards

1. Whitehead, BC – 665
2. Jorden, CGY – 539
3. Lawler, WPG – 498

Sacks

1. Woodard, SSK – 7
2. Lemon, CGY – 6
3. Jefferson, WPG – 5

Interceptions

1. Lokombo, BC – 3
2. Nichols, WPG – 3
3. Gainey, SSK – 2

Field Goals

1. Paredes, CGY – 21
2. Lauther, SSK – 20
3. Whyte, EDM – 17

PICK POOL

All of a sudden, Litre’s lead at the top of the table has narrowed. We’ll see what the second half of the season has in store….

Remember to submit your picks here! https://www.pooltracker.com/join.asp?poolid=193216

Enjoy the games, everyone.