School is back, and I’m still in denial about it. At least we have football of all stripes to entertain ourselves with in the meantime! There are always worse things.

In league news this week:

• The Saskatchewan Roughriders have finally released controversial defensive lineman Garrett Marino after – you guessed it – yet another controversial hit, this time from last week’s game against Winnipeg. Zach Collaros had already gotten rid of the football when Marino came in and hit him late; with his four-game suspension from the awful hit and racial slurs against REDBLACKS QB Jeremiah Masoli, and an additional fine leveed against him for a late hit against BC Lions centre Peter Godber, there’s little doubt that the entire league is fed up with his antics. To boot, apparently he also got into it with the Riders coaching staff after not being listed as the starter on the team depth chart, despite no performance-based clauses in his contract. He’s definitely a talented player – but I think his on-field conduct has probably run him out of the game of football for good.
• The Ottawa REDBLACKS brought back DB Brandin Dandridge, who was a late cut out of the NFL Kansas City Chiefs’ training camp; at boundary corner, he’ll be a nice acquisition for the late season drive as the team fights to remain in the playoff hunt in the East Division. Dandridge originally joined Ottawa in 2019 and played in twelve games over two seasons before being released at the end of last year to pursue NFL opportunities.
• The REDBLACKS also released DB Ranthony Texada, possibly to make room for Dandridge; Texada was a good depth piece for Ottawa, and while the move might be simply due to him being a casualty of numbers, it doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense any other way.
• The Winnipeg Blue Bombers signed former NFL DB J.T. Hassell this week; he joined Cleveland as undrafted free agent in 2019, and played in seven games for the Browns and New York Jets. You can never have too much depth in a secondary.

Onto the games!

WEEK 13 RECAPS

Ottawa 38 vs. Montreal 24: Not only have the REDBLACKS won a second straight game, they actually looked in command for the entire duration. Nick Arbuckle had an even better second start as Ottawa’s #1 QB, going 20-31 for 313 yards and a TD, while Lewis Ward kicked five field goals. The REDBLACKS’ defence also had an excellent night, forcing four turnovers, including a pick-six by DL Davon Coleman in the second quarter that really got the ball rolling for Ottawa to find their legs and take over. Montreal faded as the game went on; the score was definitely closer than the majority of action. The only disappointing note for Ottawa fans was the necessity to have to settle for so many field goals rather than touchdowns – it’s clear that the offence in the red zone still needs some noteworthy attention in practise if they really want to turn their season around.

PICK: Montreal

RESULT: Ottawa

Winnipeg 20 vs. Saskatchewan 18: It wasn’t pretty, but it was a win, and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are the first team to clinch a playoff spot this season. The Blue & Gold continue to ruin the lives of Roughriders fans across the country with their complete and utter dominance of Labour Day weekend – and the Prairie rivalry as a whole – over these last few seasons. Saskatchewan had an eleven-point lead after the first quarter, but Winnipeg came roaring to tie things up by halftime. With the score knotted at 17 all the way into the fourth quarter, the Riders scored a rouge off a massive 78-yard punt; on the next possession, Bombers kicker Marc Liegghio scored the game-winning field goal from 55 yards out with 3:20 left on the clock. With time winding down, Saskatchewan had time to re-take the lead, but unfortunately for Riders fans, Cody Fajardo was picked off by DB Nick Hallett, killing a comeback attempt. Winnipeg ran the clock down to leave the Riders just one Hail Mary to try and win it – but LB Adam Bighill knocked down the pass, sealing the game for the road team and driving yet another metaphorical dagger into the hearts of Gang Green.

PICK: Winnipeg

RESULT: Winnipeg

Toronto 28 vs. Hamilton 8: For the first time in a decade, the Argos won on Labour Day. It’s a momentous occasion, not the least being the fact that it’s also their first Labour Day win at Tim Hortons Field – you have to look back to days of Ivor Wynne Stadium for the last time the Double Blue had a road victory to open September. It was also yet another stinker for the Ti-Cats, who continue to see their season slip away from them. Dane Evans, who’s been one of the primary reasons for Hamilton being in the pickle they’re in this season, was listed as the third-string QB behind rookie Jamie Newman and sophomore Jalen Morton; he didn’t see the field in this one. Somehow, Newman and Morton, playing as a tandem, were even worse than Evans – they failed to throw a touchdown, or even kick a field goal; the lone touchdown Hamilton managed came off a pick-six by Jumal Rolle in the second quarter, when he snagged a ball that bounced off Argos receiver Damonte Coxie’s outstretched hands. Brandon Banks had a really solid outing for Toronto, scoring two touchdowns on just three touches in the fourth quarter to blow the game wide open.

PICK: Toronto

RESULT: Toronto

Edmonton 18 vs. Calgary 26: Calgary was surprised last year by the underdog Elks in last year’s Labour Day Classic; they were far better prepared this year. The switch to Jake Maier at quarterback has given some new life to Calgary’s offence, and it allows them to have more looks than just giving the ball for Ka’Deem Carey to run up the gut. That said, Carey had a pretty good outing with 13 carries for 61 yards and a score, while Jake Maier went 18-26 for 238 yards, two TDs, and a pick. Despite the loss, Edmonton’s Taylor Cornelius does appear to have somewhat turned a corner as a quarterback; his 257 yards and 2 TDs on 22-33 pass attempts is one of the best games statistically he’s had as a member of the Edmonton Elks, and his fourth-quarter strike to Jalin Marshall, with him scrambling to the sidelines on a broken play with two pass rushers bearing down on him, was a really impressive play. This year is a lost year for the Elks – we’ve known this for a long time – but I think Chris Jones must see a few positives from the progress that his offence is making a little bit at a time.

PICK: Calgary

RESULT: Calgary

BYE: BC (8-2)

WEEK 14 PREVIEWS

BC (8-2) vs. Montreal (4-7), Friday, September 9th, 7:30 PM EDT (TSN, ESPN+): I, for one, hope Vernon Adams, Jr.’s first on-field action as a BC Lion comes against his old team. As many of you are well aware, spite is a powerful motivator. The real question is whether or not he’s 100% healthy and ready to go – besides the coaching staff souring on him, his elbow has been one of the main reasons for why he didn’t see the field much earlier in the year in Montreal. If he’s healthy, I think the Lions will be able to use him very well. Montreal needs to regroup after last week’s disappointing game against Ottawa; they’ll need to hope they get somebody other than VA8 under centre on the other side of the field.

PICK: BC

Toronto (6-5) vs. Ottawa (3-8), Saturday, September 10th, 2:00 PM EDT (TSN, ESPN+): The REDBLACKS have beaten the Argos once already this season, and that was with Caleb Evans starting at QB; despite Toronto being in the division lead, they remain an imperfect team. Hopefully CFL sack leader Lorenzo Mauldin is healthy for Ottawa, as their front seven has been one of their strong suits this year. If they can keep the pressure turned up on McLeod Bethel-Thompson like they did in their previous matchup, perhaps they can even come away with a highly rare home win.

PICK: Ottawa

Saskatchewan (6-6) vs. Winnipeg (11-1), Saturday, September 10th, 5:00 PM EDT (TSN, ESPN+): It’s the Banjo Bowl, and Winnipeg looks to keep their winning streak against Saskatchewan alive for another game. Last week was a tight game – the best rivalries always are – but good teams like the Bombers seem to consistenly find ways to win. The biggest issue surrounding Saskatchewan’s season is the clear lack of discipline on the roster; the release of Garrett Marino is a good start, but the tale of the tape of last week’s tilt was the penalty trouble that plagued the Riders. You’re not going to beat a team like Winnipeg while taking nine penalties – it’s just not going to happen, especially with the Bombers hosting this upcoming clash.

PICK: Winnipeg

Calgary (7-4) vs. Edmonton (3-9), Saturday, September 10th, 8:00 PM EDT (TSN, ESPN+): It’s another rematch of last week, and a chance for Calgary to sweep the season series with a perfect 4-0 record against their provincial rivals. Compared to earlier results, last week’s game was certainly much closer than before, but it remains highly evident that the Elks have some work to do if they want to build a team at the level of their provincial rivals. Jake Maier gets the ball for the Stamps for the third straight game, and despite grumbling from two-time MOP Bo Levi Mitchell, it still appears to have been the correct call for the team to make – the offence has been better after a lull earlier in the year.

PICK: Calgary

BYE: Hamilton (3-9)

STANDINGS AND STATS

East Division Standings

West Division Standings

Passing Yards 

1. Rourke, BC – 3281
2. Bethel-Thompson, TOR – 3062
3. Collaros, WPG – 2963

Passing TDs

1. Rourke, BC – 25
2. Collaros, WPG – 22
3. Bethel-Thompson, TOR – 15

Rushing Yards

1. Oliveira, WPG – 642
2. Carey, CGY – 594
3. Morrow, SSK – 564

Receiving Yards

1. Acklin, OTT – 963
2. Lewis, MTL – 912
3. Rhymes, BC – 893

Sacks

1. Mauldin, OTT – 10
2. Robertson, SSK – 9
3. Lemon, CGY – 8

Interceptions

1. Peters, TOR – 6
2. Moncrief, SSK – 4
3. Kelly, HAM – 4

Field Goals

1. Paredes, CGY – 34
2. Lauther, SSK – 31
3. Bede, TOR – 30

PICK POOL

The bottom of the table did well this week. The rest of you are suckers. Some of whom still have an eight point lead at the top, but hey, at least I’ve gained ground. (Had I not missed those two crucial weeks of submitting picks, I’d be right there, I just know it…)

Remember to submit your picks here! https://www.pooltracker.com/join.asp?poolid=205786

Enjoy the games, everyone.