CFL Beat: Week 7

I’ve almost made it through two weeks of summer camp, and as a treat, I intend to go to the REDBLACKS game on Friday night and drink a copious amount of beer while sitting on the Lansdowne hill. Buying a ticket is, of course, the best move, but there’s a certain satisfaction and sense of nostalgia in watching a football game for free. Many decades ago (well before my time), many people used to stand on the Bank Street Bridge on the west side of the stadium and watch the game for free. This is the direct opposite, geographically speaking, but the spiritual connection to those Rough Riders teams of old certainly lingers on. I look forward to it. Football in summertime in the nation’s capital is always a treat, win or lose.

In league news this week:

• Following their fifth straight loss of the season, the Edmonton Elks saw the writing on the wall and fired head coach and GM Chris Jones from both of his roles. Considering the respect he had as a defensive coordinator – and not to mention the Grey Cup that he won back with the franchise in 2015 – there’s no doubt that this second stint with the team has been nothing short of an absolute failure. The Elks never came even remotely close to making the playoffs in any of his seasons at the helm, and now they face yet another uphill climb to return to relevancy. Considering that the team is also simultaneously reviewing its ownership structure and making a move to take the franchise private, something is going to have to give. Edmonton has historically been one of the CFL’s all-time best markets, and the period since 2019 has really been nothing short of a travesty, not just for the die-hards, but for everyone who values a strong and stable league with meaningful, memorable rivalries. Assistant GM Geroy Simon, a longtime wide receiver in the league, takes over as interim GM, and OC/QBs coach Jarious Jackson, longtime Lions QB and veteran CFL coach, takes over as interim HC.
• Toronto Argonauts and MLS Toronto FC President Bill Manning was fired from his position late last week, leaving parent company Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment after initially joining them back in 2015 as TFC prez; he added the Argos to his portfolio after their official acquisition in 2018 and was the main mover behind modifications to BMO Field to suit the needs of both franchises effectively. With his departure, Argos GM Michael “Pinball” Clemons will now report directly to MLSE CEO Keith Pelley, at least until a new boss is hired – if the company decides to keep things structured that way. One must note that Manning was fired not for anything from the Argos side of his old portfolio, but rather the lack of success that TFC has experienced over the last several seasons, including their lack of making the MLS playoffs since 2020.

Onto the games!

WEEK 6 RECAPS

Toronto 37 vs. Montreal 18: The Argos handed the Alouettes their first loss of the season, but more concerning than the defeat is the potential long-term absence of their star QB, Cody Fajardo, who left with a hamstring injury at the end of the first quarter and didn’t return. In his absence, the team struggled to put points on the board, and the Argos’ D was able to contain backup Caleb Evans quite effectively – he did have two TDs on the night, but he also threw two interceptions, including an egregiously bad pick-six by LB Wynton McManis, and just 12 completions on 22 attempts for 127 pass yards. The Argos’ offence also managed to take a step forward after two straight losses, and really got the run game going – their RBs and QB Cameron Dukes combined for 183 yards on the ground, while Dukes kept his passing game simple and mistake-free. They have the chance to really assert the run game over the next little while – it seems to work well for them.

PICK: Montreal

RESULT: Toronto

Calgary 37 vs. Winnipeg 41:  This game absolutely ruled. What a shootout between the two teams currently vying for that pivotal third playoff spot in the West. Calgary had a great offensive night – but they also gave Winnipeg twenty points off of turnovers as well. Jake Maier had two TDs and two picks, with one of those a pick-six going back the other way towards the end of the first half… Winnipeg also blocked a punt for good field position and scored four plays, and recovered a fumble for a field goal as well. Credit to the Bombers for a full team effort on this one – especially when special teams get involved in the party as well. Most notably, rookie receiver Ontaria Wilson made his presence known for the Bombers – it’s amazing how they keep finding these guys. Wilson had 13 catches for 201 yards and a TD, and juuuust missed another deep one as well. Zach Collaros looked much, much better since his return from injury – and a resurgence of the passing game will be essential for Winnipeg moving forward.

Saskatchewan 20 vs. BC 35: Well, the Lions are the Grey Cup faves out of the West for good reason. The Roughriders suffered their first loss of the year against a dominant BC performance; most notable was the unreal game from Canadian receiver Justin McInnis, who had an immaculate performance with 14 catches on 14 targets for 243 yards and a TD. Hard to believe that it could’ve been more lopsided, but the Lions had to kick seven field goals – the Riders’ D certainly bent but rarely outright broke; even with all their air yards, Saskatchewan meant business in the red zone. That’s a positive that they can build on moving forward from this game. But additionally, there’s no doubt that this offence has stagnated greatly since Trevor Harris’ injury; Shea Patterson is still a young pro, but he’s going to have to do a lot of growing this year if Saskatchewan wants to maintain their trajectory as second seed in the West.

PICK: BC

Ottawa 37 vs. Edmonton 34: Another loss for Edmonton, which, as mentioned earlier, cost Chris Jones his job… but also, weirdly, it’s the third straight game where the Elks lost on a last-second field goal. What a way to go. As I’ve mentioned, the Elks have appeared to be a much stronger offensive team this year, but one simply cannot give up this many yards and this many opportunities and consistently expect to get lucky in tight games like these. Kudos to Lewis Ward for coming in with yet another clutch kick (and going 5/5 on the night), but let’s not forget about the REDBLACKS’ offence as a whole; Dominique Rhymes finally looked like his old self with seven catches for 131 yards, Justin Hardy with five for 110, and rookie Kalil Pimpleton making a splash in his first-ever CFL game with four grabs for 153 yards… Ottawa was fortunate to see Dru Brown clear concussion protocol last Thursday, as he had career highs in this game with 480 pass yards and his presence elevated everyone around him.

PICK: Ottawa

BYE: Hamilton (0-5)

WEEK 7 PREVIEWS

Edmonton (0-5) vs. Ottawa (3-2), Friday, July 19th, 7:00 PM EDT (TSN, CFL+): It’s a rematch of last week’s matchup, and now the Elks are in further disarray as they headed into the final two-thirds of the season with an interim head coach and GM. It would be great to see the REDBLACKS continue their winning ways – if they can capture a fourth victory this year, that will match their entire win total for 2023 in just a third of the season. Ottawa’s also been relatively lucky with injuries just far, but their schedule has also been relatively soft. They’ve beaten bad Hamilton and Edmonton teams, plus a Bombers side that was in some early season disarray, while they’ve also lost to that same Winnipeg side and also the mighty Montreal Alouettes. I am glad to see continued progress from last season, but they’ve yet to beat a truly “good” team thus far – nice to be able to get some points on the board and pad their lead on third place in the East, but let’s not pretend this team is competing at the same level as the Argos, Als and Lions just yet. They might be able to get there, but work needs to be done.

PICK: Ottawa

Winnipeg (2-4) vs. Saskatchewan (4-1), Friday, July 19th, 9:30 PM EDT (TSN, CFL+): It’s the first Battle of the Prairies of 2024; the Bombers have been running away with this fierce rivalry as of the last few seasons. Winnipeg finally looked like the strong team we’ve been used to seeing this last little while, trading punch for punch with the Stamps and coming out on top; defensively they’ve definitely regressed, but if their offence can come together as they have recently then there’s absolutely time to turn this season around. Saskatchewan still has Trevor Harris out, and Shea Patterson has not been asked to do a lot in his role as interim starter – safe football is safe, but has not really resulted in a ton of points for the team. Hopefully the Riders’ D can match up effectively and at least allow the O the breathing room they need to stay as fresh as possible out there.

PICK: Winnipeg

Toronto (3-2) vs. Hamilton (0-5), Saturday, July 20th, 7:00 PM EDT (TSN, CBSSN, CFL+): It’s the first Battle of the Queen Elizabeth Way of 2024; with the Ti-Cats still woeful, I think my pick was relatively straightforward to make… that said, even though Hamilton remains winless, their offence, at least, should hopefully find ways of trading punches with the Argos and make for a high-scoring affair… but boy, that D, and particularly the secondary, needs work. Like Edmonton, Hamilton has lost every game by close margins… they’re probably not as bad as their record indicates, but bad teams still get unlucky. Hopefully Bo Levi Mitchell continues to stay healthy – despite the negativity surrounding the rest of the roster, this is as good as he’s looked on the field since probably his second MOP campaign all the way back in 2018.

PICK: Toronto

BC (5-1) vs. Calgary (2-3), Sunday, July 21st, 7:00 PM EDT (TSN, CBSSN, CFL+): These two teams met back in Week 2, with the Lions picking up a hard-fought 26-17 victory at home. Despite the narrow loss last week to Winnipeg, the Stamps’ offence has looked pretty good since that point, but their RB injuries are piling up which is also forcing Jake Maier to throw more. That said, if Calgary wants to beat BC, throwing is probably the only way they can hope to keep up with the high-octane Lions offence; but as good as they’ve been, they haven’t been as efficient in the red zone as has been expected, and they haven’t engaged the run as much as they’ve wanted to. What really sets these teams apart is their abilities on D; Calgary needs to do more, but until late in their first matchup they did an overall effective job in man coverage on the Lions’ deep receiving corps. But it only takes one busted coverage to turn things around…

PICK: BC

BYE: Montreal (5-1)

STANDINGS AND STATS

East Division Standings

West Division Standings

Passing Yards

1. Adams, Jr., BC – 2203
2. Mitchell, HAM – 1671
3. Fajardo, MTL – 1636

Passing TDs

1. Adams, Jr., BC – 12
2. Mitchell, HAM – 11
3. Fajardo, MTL – 10

Rushing Yards

1. Oliveira, WPG – 366
2. Carey, TOR – 363
3. Stanback, BC – 325

Receiving Yards

1. McInnis, BC – 725
2. Hollins, BC – 656
3. Philpot, MTL – 602

Defensive Tackles

1. Beverette, MTL – 38
2. Hladik, BC – 36
3. Sankey, MTL – 34

Sacks

1. Johnson, MTL – 4
2. Archibald, BC – 4
3. Barlow, HAM – 3
4. Sayles, HAM – 3

Interceptions

1. Milligan, SSK – 4
2. Roberson, CGY – 3
3. Houston, CGY – 2

Field Goals

1. Whyte, BC – 21
2. Castillo, WPG – 17
3. Ward, OTT – 17

PICK POOL

No perfect weeks this time around. Seems like Fajardo’s hamstring served as this week’s bracket buster. This will make the next few weeks rather intriguing, I think… what will become of the Alouettes?

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Enjoy the games, everyone.