Canadians get to celebrate Thanksgiving early this coming weekend… and just like the NFL’s usual tripleheader slate of Thursday games for the American holiday, so too will the CFL have a few games available for the holiday Monday turkey coma. This of course will wreak havoc on the REDBLACKS and Argos this week, with both teams having to play two games just six days apart, but that’s what happens when you’re trying to accomodate holiday viewership in a league with only nine teams. Our Monday games may be a shitshow! But I guess we’ll see.

In league news this week:

• Blue Bombers’ star receiver Kenny Lawler was arrested for a DUI early on Monday morning; he has completely apologized for his actions, calling them “selfish”, “reckless”, and “irresponsible”, and while he appears to have his teammates’ backing and support, he’ll still be suspended indefinitely by the team as his case makes its way through the justice system. It’s a big loss for Winnipeg, as Lawler leads the league in receiving yards this year, with 703 through eight games.
• With receiver Bralon Addison returning from injured reserve, Hamilton released WRs DeVier Posey and Marcus Tucker earlier this week; Posey was quickly snatched up by the BC Lions, and he’ll likely make his debut with them in Week 11.
• The Riders signed WR Duke Williams, a former CFL star in Edmonton who was most recently in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills. Williams has a history of some dynamic playmaking ability, and his addition to the lineup, which might be in Week 12, will give an inconsistent Saskatchewan offence a much-needed late-season boost as the playoff drive continues.
• The Toronto Argos signed LB Justin Tuggle and DB Jalen Collins this week, while also releasing WR Kendall Wright. Wright, a former first-round NFL draft pick out of Baylor who played several seasons in Tennessee with the Titans, was heralded as a marquee free agent signing back in February. However, Wright failed to appear in any game action this season after failing to report during training camp, due to having to deal with “a personal issue” back home in the US throughout the summer.
• Lions DB Garry Peters had previously been handed a one-game suspension by the league due to “unacceptable and unprofessional conduct” towards a drug testing official after the Lions’ game against Ottawa on September 11th, but upon appeal, his punishment was negotiated back down to a fine. He also apologized for his actions in an official statement addressed to the league and commissioner Randy Ambrosie… but one can’t help but wonder what he could’ve said or why he would’ve been so pissed off in the first place.
• The Canadian federal government officially commemorated September 30th this year as a new statutory holiday, entitled Truth and Reconciliation Day. The purpose of this day, for those unaware of the tremendously destructive and oppressive relationship the British crown and Canadian government have had in regards to their treatment of Indigenous peoples across the country, is to have a day of somber reflection and remembrance for Indigenous culture that has been lost, especially as a result of the legacy of residential schools, which were government- and church-sponsored institutions intended to eradicate traditional Indigenous cultural practises across the country. Previously, this day has been known as Orange Shirt Day, due to the story told by Phyllis Webstad, a member of Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation in British Columbia. As a little girl heading off to residential school for the first time – and away from her community – her favourite orange shirt, which she had picked out herself, was confiscated by school administration upon her arrival. This orange shirt has become a symbol of the oppression of Indigenous peoples, particularly through the residential school system, and since 2013, Orange Shirt Day was held on September 30th to comemmorate what was lost. As a result of the recent commemoration of the new Truth and Reconciliation Day, the Blue Bombers and Elks will wear orange warmup jerseys before their game this weekend, which will be auctioned off to raise funds for each team’s Indigenous charity of choice.

Onto the games!

WEEK 9 RECAPS

Edmonton 24 vs. Ottawa 34: The Ottawa REDBLACKS were, up until this game, the worst team in the CFL, but it appears as though they’ve officially passed that torch to the Edmonton Elks. It’s Edmonton’s second loss of the season to Ottawa, and the REDBLACKS looked like a completely transformed team from the first half of the season. With both Dominique Davis and Matt Nichols on the shelf, rookie Caleb Evans had his first-ever CFL start at quarterback… and absolutely dominated. The rookie went 15-22 for 191 yards and three scores, while the REDBLACKS’ D also punished Elks rookie pivot Taylor Cornelius, racking up four sacks and two interceptions. Genuinely a Jekyll-and-Hyde moment for this Ottawa team… I watched this game with my mouth agape for most of it. It’s just one game, yes, but that might actually be a glimmer of hope on the horizon for REDBLACKS fans after a dismal two-plus years. For Elks fans… woof.

PICK: Edmonton

RESULT: Ottawa

Winnipeg 30 vs. BC 9: The Bombers just continue to mop the floor with every team they face. In his best game yet as a Winnipeg Blue Bomber, QB Zach Collaros went 28-33 for 417 yards and two TDs, while backup Sean McGuire scored yet another rushing TD on a sneak. The Bombers’ D also punished the Lions, particularly Michael Reilly, who was sacked five times and had just 177 pass yards. The Lions also lost leading receiver Lucky Whitehead with a broken hand, which will be a major sting for the next weeks as he recovers. Kenny Lawler, who was presumably sober for this one, also had an excellent night, with a dozen catches for 205 yards.

PICK: Winnipeg

RESULT: Winnipeg

Montreal 23 vs. Hamilton 20 (OT): The Tiger-Cats are kicking themselves after letting this game slip away. It was Jeremiah Masoli’s first game back in action since Week 2, and while his return to the field provided an early rejuvenation for an offence that has mostly just been scraping by the last little while, Hamilton couldn’t keep the momentum going for the full game. Up 17-3 after three quarters, the Als went on a massive run in the fourth quarter to come roaring back to life. Vernon Adams, Jr. suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter and missed a little bit of time, but even after throwing two interceptions, Montreal’s fourth quarter run gave the team and the quarterback a new lease on life. Hamilton tied the game at 20 on a last-second field goal to send things to OT, but RB Sean Thomas-Erlington fumbled the ball on the Ti-Cats’ first possession in the extra frame, setting Montreal up for the chip-shot winning field goal from David Cote. With the loss, Hamilton’s 11-game win streak at home, which dates back to the beginning of the 2019 season, finally comes grinding to a halt.

PICK: Hamilton

RESULT: Montreal

Saskatchewan 17 vs. Calgary 23: Not Saskatchewan’s best effort this week. The Stampeders haven’t played up to their usual standards as a team this year, but every visit to McMahon remains tough for a road team. Calgary came out of the gate quickly, with two first-quarter TD strikes from Bo Levi Mitchell to a pair of rookie receivers, Malik Henry and Shawn Bane. Saskatchewan had some difficulty moving the ball in the first half, settling for two field goals as drives kept falling apart. In the second half, the Riders pushed back; down 13 in the fourth, RB William Powell found the end zone after WR Kian Schaffer-Baker racked up a big 71-yard catch and run… they’d add another field goal later, but with the Stamps still up six and the Riders getting the penultimate possession of the game, Stamps DB Jonathan Moxey picked off Cody Fajardo to ice the game. They’ll have a rematch this week, and Saskatchewan will out for revenge.

PICK: Saskatchewan

RESULT: Calgary

BYE: Toronto (4-3)

WEEK 10 PREVIEWS

Ottawa (2-5) vs. Toronto (4-3), Wednesday, Oct. 6th, 7:30 PM EST (TSN, ESPN+): It’s the last weirdly early start to a weekly schedule of game until Week 16, and, as previously mentioned, both teams have to play again (although against Montreal and Hamilton, respectively) on Thanksgiving Monday. As such, it’ll be interesting to see how starters’ workloads get managed this week… one notable roster announcement is McLeod Bethel-Thompson getting the start at QB for the Argos, since Nick Arbuckle’s hip is still bothering him. After last week’s incredibly positive game, Caleb Evans will go again under centre for the REDBLACKS, and Taryn Christion will back up… as for Devlin Hodges, who made headlines a couple weeks ago with his arrival in the CFL, it appears that his debut may wait for a little bit longer depending on how Evans plays this week. Even if the REDBLACKS lose, if Evans plays well again, perhaps the team will decide that it’s in their best interest for Hodges to get a little more time to learn the playbook and the nuances of Canadian rules.

PICK: Toronto

Edmonton (2-5) vs. Winnipeg, Friday, Oct. 8th, 8:30 PM EST (TSN,ESPN+): Talk about a shite draw for the Elks after losing in such embarrassing fashion last week to Ottawa. If there’s any positivity to be had here, it’s that Trevor Harris appears to be ready to go again at quarterback after missing time with a neck injury, which may or may not have been mishandled and misreported by the coaching and training staff prior to this game. The Bombers will be without their top receiver Kenny Lawler, who is suspended indefinitely due to his DUI, but the team is fortunate to have many other weapons at their disposal to deal with his absence in the meantime. This one could possibly be very, very lopsided… but we’ll see.

PICK: Winnipeg

Calgary (3-5) vs. Saskatchewan (5-3), Saturday, October 9th, 7:00 PM EST (TSN, ESPN+): It’s a rematch of last week’s game, with the Riders hosting this time. Saskatchewan didn’t have an excellent game last week, and allowed Calgary to have a hot start… this week, they’ll need to game plan a bit more seriously. Calgary sits a couple games under .500, but Kamar Jorden is an elite receiver that needs special attention and focus, both as a target and as a decoy. The Stamps are definitely down right now, but they’re still not out of it – not as long as Edmonton continues to be trash and the East Division continues to be inconsistent.

PICK: Saskatchewan

Ottawa vs. Montreal (3-4), Monday, October 11th, 1:00 PM EST (TSN, ESPN+): It’s the second meeting of the year between East rivals, and the Alouettes absolutely smoked the REDBLACKS last time around. I’m not sure 51 points is doable for a second time this season, but with Ottawa having had to play a prior game against Toronto so soon, one has to feel that Montreal’s added chances to rest and heal have to be beneficial here. Not to mention that they’re the home team as well. I struggle to predict too heavily about what might happen for this game, only because Ottawa’s new QB situation has a one-game sample size thus far… but if the REDBLACKS hope not to get embarrassed, that response to Montreal needs to start directly from QB play. Elsewise, this one may be a very long afternoon.

PICK: Montreal

Toronto vs. Hamilton (4-4), Monday, October 11th, 4:00 PM EST (TSN, ESPN+): It’s the rubbermatch between Queen Elizabeth Way archrivals, and to the victor go the spoils… or possibly a division title and first-round bye later on. At any rate, still not sure yet on that part. The talent is there, but the consistency is not… and, of course, there’s the strong gut feeling that Hamilton will be much more rested and prepared than a tired Argos squad playing their second game in six days. On top of that, after such a terrible collapse last week against Montreal, the Ti-Cats are likely going to be pushing the “importance of closing out games” narrative in the locker room for a little while. In particular, they need to get Brandon Banks more engaged in the playcalling… the 2019 Most Outstanding Player has been largely invisible this year, which is definitely disappointing for Tabbies fans expecting more.

PICK: Hamilton

BYE: BC (4-4)

STANDINGS AND STATS

East Division Standings

West Division Standings

Passing Yards

1. Collaros, WPG – 2148
2. Reilly, BC – 2047
3. Fajardo, SSK – 1913

Passing TDs

1. Adams, Jr., MTL – 13
2. Collaros, WPG – 12
3. Reilly, BC – 10

Rushing Yards

1. Stanback, MTL – 677
2. Wilder, Jr., EDM – 588
3. Powell, SSK – 514

Receiving Yards

1. Lawler, WPG – 703
2. Whitehead, BC – 665
3. Burnham, BC– 566

Sacks

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

Interceptions

1. Gainey, SSK – 3
2. Lokombo, BC – 3
3. Brooks, HAM – 3

Field Goals

1. Paredes, CGY – 24
2. Lauther, SSK – 23
3. Cote, MTL – 18

PICK POOL

Absolute carnage in the pick pool this past week… big ups to for going against the spread and leading the way with a 3-1 week.

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

Enjoy the games, everyone.