CFL Beat: Week 20

We have mostly just the West playoff picture left to settle now that we’re down to our final two weeks of the regular season. Thanks to Hamilton’s last-minute loss last Friday to BC, Montreal is guaranteed to host the East semifinal, leaving just questions about our West division winner and which team is going to sneak into the third and final slot. Will it be Calgary, who’ve been woefully injured and therefore wildly inconsistent all year long? Or Saskatchewan, whose hot start and good vibes were dashed when Trevor Harris broke his leg and have been in complete freefall since early September? Either way, neither team is probably worthy of being a playoff team, but when you play in a league that features the likes of Edmonton and Ottawa, sometimes good things happen to bad teams anyway.

A quiet week for general stories to share. In league news this week:

  • The Roughriders signed former NFL DB Mark Fields II, who’s appeared in five games in three years with Minnesota and Houston, with training camp stops in KC and San Francisco. He most recently played with Birmingham in the USFL; Saskatchewan remains in tight to make the playoffs as their lead on third in the West has dwindled, but he may potentially add some depth in the last few weeks of the year.
  • The Elks released six players this week, including DB/LB Mark McLaurin, who started eight games this year for Edmonton and had 41 tackles and a forced fumble in 11 total games. Having played both safety and SAM this year, he may find work again soon due to his versatility.
  • Calgary suspended WR Tommylee Lewis due to not returning to the team following their bye week; he’s awaiting the birth of a child and it’s unclear when exactly he’ll return.

Onto the games!

WEEK 19 RECAPS

BC 33 vs. Hamilton 30: Hard to believe that Bo Levi Mitchell was only making his home debut in Hamilton in mid-October, but thanks to an early season road-heavy schedule and some absolutely abysmal injury luck, last Friday was the first chance that fans in the Hammer had to finally see the future Hall of Famer in black and gold at Tim Hortons Field. With Mitchell’s playing time still limited by the team medical staff, he made the most of his limited reps, throwing for 135 yards, two TDs and a pick, while Matthew Shiltz, who finished the game, had 180 yards and a TD. Hamilton’s had some better QB play as the season’s gone on, but the story of this game is really all about a former Ti-Cat – specifically, Dane Evans, who left Hamilton after 2022 following a disastrous pick-filled campaign. When the Leos’ Vernon Adams, Jr. went down late in the game with a leg injury, Evans stepped in once more, and went 4-4 on the final drive of the game, which saw Sean Whyte’s kick sail through the uprights as time expired, stunning the home crowd and guaranteeing the Tiger-Cats the third place slot in the East Division playoffs.

PICK: BC

RESULT: BC

Saskatchewan 19 vs. Calgary 26: The Stampeders are still alive in the playoff race – at least for a few more days. They won this one in dramatic fashion, too – after the Roughriders took a 13-0 lead into the dying minutes of the first half, Calgary finally managed to get their sputtering offence restarted and got the comeback moving. Thanks to a gigantic second-half effort, which featured touchdowns by receiver Floyd Allen and a ground score by backup QB Tommy Stevens, it was LB Cameron Judge that sealed the deal for the home side thanks to his huge pick-six on Saskatchewan’s Jake Dolegala, who’s continued to flounder in this losing skid – his score gave Calgary the lead, and while Saskatchewan tied it up with a field goal shortly afterwards, the visitors would never lead again after the defensive score. The Stamps win their season series against the Riders – which could potentially be a huge playoff tiebreaker factor if both teams end the season with identical records.

PICK: Calgary

RESULT: Calgary

Montreal 35 vs. Edmonton 21: The Elks started this one strong, jumping out to a 21-3 lead in the second quarter the Alouettes, but unfortunately for them, they imploded right after. It was a complete team effort from the Als to put this one away – Montreal had scoring contributions from their offence, defence, and special teams in this game to turn the tide. Hamilton’s loss, coupled with Montreal’s win, locks the Als into hosting the East Semifinal against Hamilton in early November. In a huge second quarter, Montreal scored three touchdowns and a field goal to jump ahead 26-21, and they didn’t look back afterwards. Edmonton’s Tre Ford threw for 216 yards and two scores on 21-30 attempts, while Montreal’s Cody Fajardo went 23-29 for 258 yards, a TD and a pick. Jose Maltos, in at kicker in place of the injured David Cote, went 5/5 on field goals, and return man James Letcher Jr. scored a big punt return TD for the home side.

PICK: Montreal

RESULT: Montreal

Ottawa 27 vs. Toronto 40: Well, the REDBLACKS did put up some points early, but the Argos proved yet again why they’re far and away the league’s best team with a solid come-from-behind win at home to stay undefeated at BMO Field this year. With Ottawa already eliminated from the playoff picture, losing Dustin Crum to an injury off a sack in the third quarter really just rubs salt in the wound at this point. Devonte Williams ran for 125 yards and a TD for Ottawa – he’s been a bright spot in an otherwise fairly dismal year. Chad Kelly threw his 22nd TD pass of the year, grabbed by DaVaris Daniels, who had six catches for 141 yards. Tobias Harris also had a really cool 93-yard kick return TD for Ottawa in the first half. Alas, too little, too late for the REDBLACKS – a recurring theme of their 2023 season.

PICK: Toronto

RESULT: Toronto

BYE: Winnipeg (12-4)

WEEK 20 PREVIEWS

Calgary (5-11) vs. BC (12-5), Friday, October 20th, 10:00 PM EDT (TSN, CFL+): Vernon Adams, Jr. did leave last week’s game with injury, but BC head coach Rick Campbell expects he’ll be good to go for this one – a welcome sign for a worthy MOP candidate this season. There’s a division title still up for grabs here, so a win, coupled with a Winnipeg loss, would bring the Lions even closer to winning the division. However, with Winnipeg still having two games to play, that does seem like a longshot right now. Calgary needs a win here for sure, but they also need a Saskatchewan loss just as badly; in theory, it’s possible that both teams could end, at max, with 7-11 records at best. The Stamps have the tiebreaker in the scenario they end with identical records, but they have to have a win this week or next if the Riders lose. There’s a ton hinging on this game for both teams.

PICK: BC

Toronto (14-2) vs. Saskatchewan (6-11), Saturday, October 21st, 4:00 PM EDT (TSN, CFL+): Talk about an inopportune time to play the league’s best team. Saskatchewan has absolutely imploded in the second half of the season – they haven’t won a game in over a month and a half. A win now would mean a playoff spot – but that seems like it’s insurmountable to me with the way the team is playing, especially on defence. Plus there’s the added issue of Calgary continuing to breathe down their necks, sitting just one game back with one game in hand. The Argos are just out here to make people miserable once again – this could be another old-fashioned mauling if all goes right, but the Toronto passing game could use a little polishing as we head even closer to the playoffs.

PICK: Toronto

Edmonton (4-13) vs. Winnipeg (12-4), Saturday, October 21st, 7:00 PM EDT (TSN, CFL+): If BC loses on Friday, then Winnipeg has a chance to clinch the West division title in a game with a highly favourable matchup. Edmonton’s woes continue, but one gets the sense that the team has finally found a real core to its offence to build around for next year. QB Tre Ford, RB Kevin Brown, and WR Dillon Mitchell are three guys that I think will be significant players in Edmonton for a while yet – it’s going to be important that these last few games, and the Elks’ offseason, moves ahead with a plan to supplement these core guys in a significant manner. Also fixing the secondary, I guess.

PICK: Winnipeg

BYE: Ottawa (4-13), Hamilton (8-9), Montreal (10-7)

STANDINGS AND STATS

East Division Standings

Team Games Wins Losses Points For Points Against
y-Toronto 16 14 2 535 348
x-Montreal 17 10 7 420 372
x-Hamilton 17 8 9 388 439
e-Ottawa 17 4 13 413 480

West Division Standings

Team Games Wins Losses Points For Points Against
x-Winnipeg 16 12 4 513 339
x-BC 17 12 5 446 368
Saskatchewan 17 6 11 342 496
Calgary 16 5 11 332 400
e-Edmonton 17 4 13 321 437

x – clinched playoff spot
y – clinched division
e – eliminated from playoff contention

Passing Yards 

  1. Adams, Jr., BC – 4653
  2. Collaros, WPG – 4127
  3. Maier, CGY – 4004

Passing TDs

  1. Collaros, WPG – 32
  2. Adams, Jr., BC – 31
  3. Kelly, TOR – 22

Rushing Yards

  1. Oliveira, WPG – 1426
  2. Butler, HAM – 1116
  3. Brown, EDM – 1032

Receiving Yards

  1. White, HAM – 1269
  2. Hatcher, BC – 1226
  3. Schoen, WPG – 1222

Defensive Tackles

  1. Awe, CGY – 119
  2. Pickett, TOR – 111
  3. Dean, SSK – 100

Sacks

  1. Betts, BC – 17
  2. Carter, OTT – 12
  3. Ceresna, EDM – 11

Interceptions

  1. Houston, WPG – 7
  2. Dandridge, OTT – 5
  3. Dequoy, MTL – 5

Field Goals

  1. Whyte, BC – 49
  2. Paredes, CGY – 48
  3. Castillo, WPG – 40

PICK POOL

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

Rank Total Points Weekly Score Win Percentage
BC Dick 58 4-0 77.33%
The Maestro 53 4-0 70.67%
SonOfSpam 52 4-0 69.33%
Ballsofsteelandfury 52 3-1 69.33%
Game Time Decision 49 4-0 65.33%
Gumbygirl 49 4-0 65.33%
Litre_cola 48 4-0 64.00%
Mr. Ayo 47 0-4 62.67%
blaxabbath 46 4-0 64.79%
BugEyedBoo 44 4-0 58.67%
WCS 39 4-0 52.00%
Don T 24 3-1 60.00%
Tank Bricklayer 5 0-4 7.04%
The Revanchist 2 0-4 2.67%

Enjoy the games, everyone.

5 5 votes
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The Maestro
The Maestro is a mystical Canadian internet user and New England Patriots fan; when the weather is cooperative and the TV signal at his igloo is strong enough, he enjoys watching the NFL, the Ottawa Senators & REDBLACKS, and yelling into the abyss on Twitter. He is somehow allowed to teach music to high school students when he isn't in a blind rage about sports, and is also a known connoisseur of cheap beers across the Great White North.
https://www.doorfliesopen.com/index.php/author/the-maestro/
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SonOfSpam
Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

Asking one’s spouse “is the refrigerator open for a reason?” followed up by “do you want me to close it” is a appropriately passive-agressive response to discovering that they have left the refrigerator door open for the last half hour, right?

SonOfSpam

You probably interrupted an important science experiment. She is a doctor after all.

bk109

Unrelated: Anyone else finding it odd that shops have started their Christmas “specials” before Halloween’s even happened, or that’s sort of thing is more of an EU thing?

WCS

Walmart had Christmas up on July 5th. No bullshit.

bk109

Wow, and I thought we were early. Just on a lark I decided to see if our Amazon’s also started with the X-mas stuff and already on the front page I have “helpful” gift ideas. Completely coincidentally – I’ve got half a dozen advent calendars for myself of various classic engines in 1/3th scale… I regret nothing (well, except that I couldn’t find a W12 nor an EA827… yet)

WCS

Sidney Powell next fundraising speech:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxpkIVaYcfw

BeefReeferLives

I generally find Wes Anderson flicks a bit too precious for my tastes. However, recently watched “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar”, and loved it.

Perhaps I liked it more than Wes’s other stuff because his style just worked well with this Roald Dahl short story, or might be because it was a short.

Either way, enjoyed it immensely. Rec’d

Redshirt

Do we even need a US House of Representatives? At this point, having all 50 US state legislators vote on Federal issues would be faster.

Brick Meathook

If anyone thinks this is fucked up, you should read about the U.S. Congress (both House of Representatives and the Senate) during the Civil War.

Redshirt

My favorite part was former Confederates pulling a George Constanza and trying to returning to Congress less than a year after the wars end, like nothing was wrong,

BrettFavresColonoscopy

Josh Hawley understands

Brick Meathook

Yeah, but they were losers. Read about the factions during the war, and how they operated – – all within the rules. It was cut-throat. Democracy has always been like this: it ain’t pretty. Study it and you’ll realize why Abraham Lincoln was the greatest president of the 19th century.

BeefReeferLives

“Tell me about it”
-Charlie Sumner

bk109

Could be worse (yes, really) on the bureaucracy front. I accidentally learned that the town I come from has the same number of city councillors as NYC, despite being under a 150k people. And those same 51 people (in my hometown) have 0 actual power, so they’re paid to essentially play Sudoku and minesweeper for 4 years or so, while earning about 3x as much as people in the private sector 😀

2Pack

https://fb.watch/nN9VZHGckz/

This is pretty good

Game Time Decision

how the fuck am I to make up any ground in the picks pool when most had a perfect weeeeek

bk109

Murder, blackmail or bribing the underpaid pooltracker admins to suddenly change the picks for the other participants. I’d go with the last one since it’d be the cheapest and technically “not illegal..ish” option, but I’m not one to judge.

Game Time Decision

remind me not to get on your bad side

bk109

I’m a teddy bear IRL and I’ve got more than enough people to testify to that, or my whereabouts, if “something untoward” happens to my enemies. Hell, I even have a valid reason for all the lye, tarps and bloodied chainsaw!

Game Time Decision

“he was in the clubhouse the entire time, officer”
-us covering for each other

bk109

More the case of – we were the whole night here playing poker and just having a mini class-reunion. If you want, I can shoot you a copy of the 24 hour buffer recording, or if you want, I can give you a link so you get a copy from the cloud? What do you mean <redacted> claims that us here restrained him, attached him to a Mi-8’s external cargo hook and proceeded to fly slowly at treetop level and then to proceeded to dunk him in the near frozen Danube*? …

*Fun fact – the Hudson’s clean compared to the lower part of the Danube.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

Just go on Fox News and claim that Dominion switched the picks.

Gumbygirl

Hanging chads.

bk109

Eh, I don’t see why you’ll discriminate based on the name.

for the record, this be a joke. In fact, one of the first books in English I got as a young’un’ was the daily show’s America. I’m pretty sure that book + the fact that the US went to war over non-existent WMDs without repercussions or even much of a reaction to that by the “civilized world” also helped cement my cynical outlook on international politics 😀

Gumbygirl

I’m just happy I’m not going to finish last.

2Pack

Only mid October, 8 months till the next practical beach ops. Sign…

FB_IMG_1697721748736.jpg
LemonJello

That fighting hole offers concealment only, no cover…better get to digging!

2Pack

I’ll probe first…

Brick Meathook

Here’s a proper fightin’ hole:

comment image

LemonJello

I thought the Navy called those Glory Holes?

Brick Meathook

Wrong, it’s a capsule loading hatch. No qual sig for you. Next!

bk109

Who am I to judge if someone’s definition of a “proper fightin’ hole” is steel and titanium-hulled masturbatorium alongside 100+ of one’s closest “friends” * that’s a stuck valve away from imploding… ah, and one that doesn’t even have WiFi, nor sports channels during a patrol. It’s the 2020s, everyone’s entitled to one’s kinks 😀

*and yes, I am in fact mangling a joke from The Intruders

Brick Meathook

Titanium? And how would a “stuck valve” cause an implosion?

You’re still a non-qual nub, me wee Irish laddie . . .

bk109

Stuck valve? Thresher, though I oversimplified that by a lot (since it’s been awhile since I read about that disaster, so I can’t from memory reproduce the exact series of events that precluded her crew from blowing the ballast tanks)

Titanium? I could’ve sworn that the USN copied the Russkies and started using that on the Seawolf and Virginia instead of the HY-80/HY-100, but a cursory lookup seems that .. wasn’t the case.

Brick Meathook

Stick to mouse pads, IT guy.

bk109

Mouse pads? Do people even use those anymore, or did we just meticulously (using hours of gaming on the corporate dime) pick some with fantastic tracking on any surface and just don’t need to issue those to our staff

bk109

Edit: Ah, yes – rapid ice buildup in valve flow path when blowing ballast at/near test depth. Close enough for something I read ~6 years ago (going by my e-book purchase history on when I was on a “submarine” kick)

bk109

Edit 2: Edit harder:
Perusing my bookmarks:
When the high pressure air that was used to blow the tanks left the storage banks, it passes through the control valves that keep it in the banks under pressure. Anytime a compressed gas expands, it cools rapidly. As the very cold air passed through the valves, frost began to form due to the presence of moisture in the air. It very quickly built up (a matter of a few seconds) and froze solid in the valves. The solid ice stopped the air just as effectively as shutting the valves, thus the Thresher was unable to blow her tanks.
This problem was discovered in one of the Thresher’s sister boats when a test was conducted alongside the pier. Everyone involved was shocked at what happened. This discovery resulted in an immediate redesign of the whole ballast tank blow system. The valves were redesigned and moisture traps were installed in the air lines. The new design was completely effective and it eliminated the problem. Unfortunately, it was far too late for the Thresher’s crew.”

Brick Meathook

That’s some good copy & paste, nub, but an IT guy better be good at that, as well as typing. Now explain to me why your answer is wrong, me wee laddie.

bk109

You mean outside of the odd explanation that the US Navy wouldn’t account for a phenomenon, that’s literally taught in junior high in their submarine designs and that conveniently doesn’t directly blame the shipyard that just finished overhauling the sub?

Since I learned from YouTube that Ancient Aliens is an actual thing (and INEXPLICABLY long running thing at that) and not just an out of context meme…
Aliens?

LemonJello

Imma guess one of the nuclear engineers aboard got caught with his dick in the reactor and in his shame, decided to sink the sub vice being known as “Ol’Glowing Dick” throughout the Navy?

bk109

While completely outlandish, we’re living in a the same weird universe where a sub sank because of burnt meatballs sank a sub (forgot the name, but in the Russian Imperial fleet someone burnt meatballs and opened an emergency hatch to air things in the galley just in time for a surprise crash dive drill XD). Also same timeline where we have at least one Kraut U-boat sank because someone flushed the toilet the wrong way and of course there’s the brits… Well, they gave us the K-class (of “Battle” of May Island infamy) of steam powered sub, that somehow made the Mark 14 seem a fantastically designed piece of kit..

Brick Meathook

I enjoy your statements, Colonel.

Brick Meathook

I was a nuclear engineer on a submarine. You guessed wrong,

Horatio Cornblower

That hole’s perfect. No one’s going to shoot anything deadly anywhere near her.

ballsofsteelandfury

That’s a wonderful picture

Horatio Cornblower

Love getting these calls at work: “Hey, I can’t find that thing that you say says the thing that’s really important in this case. Where did you get that?”

Me: “Well, I haven’t looked at that since I sent you that crucial memo three fucking weeks ago, but let me pull that u…and there’s the exact language I referred to, right there in the second paragraph of the main memo on the subject. It’s in English and everything.”

Other guy: “Oh yeah. OK thanks, I’ll reevaluate it.”

Me: “See you in three weeks.”

BeefReeferLives

“Gov. Ron DeSantis has two Ivy League degrees and yet claims that no Gazans deserve safe harbor in the United States because “they are all antisemitic.” It is oh-so-ironic bigotry to dismiss all “people from Gaza” as antisemitic bigots themselves. It seems to me that DeSantis is Archie Bunker without the natural charm.

https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2023/10/18/gov-desantis-archie-bunker-without-charm-letters/

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bk109

On one hand – he’s wrong, as the Jewish and Arabic languages are both from the same “Semitic” family. Now, could’ve called them anti-sionistic or generally pissed off for getting the same treatment as the various indigenous populations of the Americas or Australia and just as the Indians any act of lashing out* immediately gets turned into a convenient excuse for even more vile behaviour, until the cycle of violence ends with one side being deader than Pauly Shore’s career.
On the other – (and I’m saying that cynically/sarcastically) we’re not providing the weapons and media backing to bomb them to atoms there, just for them to come over ‘ere and steal our jerbs!

*By the way – this isn’t about the morality of their attacks on civvies. On that front I subscribe to the idea that shooting hundreds of unarmed people with small arms is just as vile as bombing thousands more with GBU-32‘s

blaxabbath

I was gonna suggest Sydney Powell for House Speaker but she’s clearly not going to Do The Right Thing anymore.

Horatio Cornblower

Fuckin’ narc.

BeefReeferLives

When does she get stitches? I was told there would be stitches.

BeefReeferLives

‘Jordan, R-Ohio, told reporters Wednesday he intends to stay in the race and expected a vote at noon Thursday. But as it remains clear Jordan has no path towards the 217 votes he needs to become speaker’

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Horatio Cornblower

Wow, that scene looks just like something Jordan didn’t see or hear about or know about while he was coaching wrestling at The Ohio State University.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

See, the hardest thing for me was leaving the MAGA life. I still love the MAGA life. And we were treated like movie stars with pillows. We had it all, just for the asking. Our spouses, pastors, accountants, everybody rode along. I had paper bags filled with sharpies stashed in the kitchen. I had a sugar bowl full of hydrochloroquine next to the bed. Anything I wanted was a phone call away. We ran everything. We paid off cops. We paid off lawyers. We paid off Supreme Court judges. And now it’s all over. And that’s the hardest part. Today, everything is different. There’s no action. I have to wait around like everyone else. Can’t even get decent food. Right after I got here I ordered some lightly blackened octupus with ginger miso butter and I got calimari and shrimp cocktail sauce. I’m an average nobody. I get to live the rest of my life like a schnook.

– Sidney Powell

BrettFavresColonoscopy

12 months of probation and a $6,000 fine? What a load of shit.

BeefReeferLives

‘As part of the plea agreement, Powell must “testify truthfully about any codefendants” involved in the matter and “provide all documents to the district attorney’s office” relevant to their case against the other codefendants, according to Judge Scott McAfee’

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BrettFavresColonoscopy

If she so much as lies about Rudy’s martini order she should be drawn and quartered.

blaxabbath

How hard is it to remember Bottomless?

LemonJello

This is also Rudy’s preferred attire for drinking martinis.

Horatio Cornblower

Her agreement to testify truthfully would probably be more meaningful if she wasn’t batshit insane. She could testify “truthfully” that we’re all microchipped with the DNA of chimpanzees thanks to the Covid shots and it would be “true” because

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Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

I was thinking this might make it pretty easy to demolish any claims of attorney-client privilege with her co-conspirators. Kind of hard to argue that the crime-fraud exception doesn’t apply when your lawyer has already pled guilty to the crime-fraud part.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

“But…she’s an old lady! I mean, look at her. She’s…old. You can’t just prosecute her for participating in a criminal conspiracy, she’s…too old!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1AtU4JfTbo

BrettFavresColonoscopy

“I wanted to tell the truth and not commit massive fraud but I didn’t have any money.”

blaxabbath

She could be shot dead on the street while on probation though.

Rikki-Tikki-Deadly

“You can get shot storming the Capitol!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noDq7Oolspk

BugEyedBoo

That reminds me, I need to watch Heat again.

SonOfSpam

This is excellent.

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BrettFavresColonoscopy

Wait, did Lewis explicitly not return due to the birth of his child and Calgary still suspended him? Doesn’t everyone in Canada get 6 months of parental leave or something?

blaxabbath

Dude isn’t focused on football as his top priority. Get him off the team for someone who’s willing to DO YOUR JOB.

Game Time Decision

parental leave is up to 18 months now, I think, with it being split between the parents. Not sure the you get EI (employment insurance) the whole time, but some of it. And a jorb to go back to

ballsofsteelandfury

So you don’t get paid but you have a right to a job?

Can the company backfill you?

If that’s so, what happens to the poor sap that backfilled behind you when you return?

Game Time Decision

they have to have a job for you when you return by law. Usually the people on parental leave are filled by a contract type job so there’s a known end date
And the company does not need to pay you, but some are nice and give you something for a few weeks\months. The EI thing is a government run thing, and is from the same pool of money as if you were let go from a job.