This Week in the CFL — Week 16

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/10/2014 (3990 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

HAMILTON TIGER-CATS (6-7) at TORONTO ARGONAUTS (5-8)

Tonight, 6 p.m.; TV: TSN

Tiger-Cats line: Hamilton is the CFL’s hottest squad, having won four straight — its longest winning streak in four years — and head up the highway for a first-place showdown with a chance to clinch the season series against its arch-rivals. The Ticats are 5-1 since QB Zach Collaros returned from injury and are averaging 302 yards passing per game over that stretch. Their backbone, however, has been their defence as they have limited their opponents to an average of just 232 yards net offence in their last six games.

Argonauts line: Toronto has reeled off two straight Ws and with a healthy Chad Owens, the offence has come to life. In their last three the Argos have averaged 35.3 points, 389 net yards, 23 first downs, 121 rushing yards and a 32:34 time of possession. The recent East resurgence means this won’t be the laugher some would have figured a month ago.

 

OTTAWA REDBLACKS (2-11) at B.C. LIONS (7-7)

Saturday, 9 p.m.; TV: TSN

Redblacks line: Ottawa thoroughly spanked the Bombers in a 42-20 win a week ago and, while everyone in Winnipeg fixates on the problems here, the Redblacks were full credit for their handiwork. This will mark the 200th career start for QB Henry Burris and the Redblacks will be looking to keep RB Jonathan Williams busy after he ripped up the Bombers for 180 yards along the ground. Worth noting: the last time an Ottawa team beat B.C. was on July 12, 1996.

Lions line: This is clearly a different team without QB Travis Lulay and RB Andrew Harris and it’s costing them, as they have dropped three straight and failed to put any distance between themselves and the struggling Blue Bombers. The Lions have not allowed a TD in their last two games, and four of their last five, and are wary of treating a matchup with the Redblacks as a gimmee.

 

SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (9-5) at MONTREAL ALOUETTES (5-8)

Monday, noon; TV: TSN

Roughriders line: The Riders have lost three of four since QB Darian Durant injured his elbow and this week dusted off Kerry Joseph, who comes out of retirement at age 41 to provide some depth to Tino Sunseri and Seth Doege, both of whom have been underwhelming at the controls. Saskatchewan was buoyed by the work of Sunseri in relief last week as he came off the bench to complete 16 of 19 for 289 yards as the Riders rallied from a 24-0 hole… before losing to Calgary.

Alouettes line: Montreal looked completely lost in a 1-7 start, but the emergence of Jonathan Crompton as the QB has brought life to the offence while a get-after-it defence that leads the league with 15 forced fumbles has held firm. The Als will want to take down the champs here while the Argos and Ticats beat up on each other and attempt to stake their claim to first in the East. Yes, first.

 

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (6-8) at EDMONTON ESKIMOS (9-5)

Monday, 3:30 p.m.; TV: TSN

Blue Bombers line: Reeling doesn’t begin to describe what has happened to the Bombers of late after five straight losses — the latest against the 2-11 Redblacks — and dropping seven of their last eight. The issues that have plagued this team in recent weeks — an inability to stop the run, to establish any kind of ground game and keep QB Drew Willy upright — have made the Bombers predictable for all the wrong reasons. But there is still hope with games left against both B.C. and the Eskimos, two of the teams they are chasing, and the crossover playoff spot still a possibility.

Eskimos line: Edmonton has had its own problems of late, having dropped two of three and four of its last six. The Esks fell 33-32 to the Argos last week, the loss exacerbated by these numbers: 18 penalties, totalling 224 yards. Edmonton’s offence has the potential to be prolific, but it’s still their defence — particularly Odell Willis (11 sacks) and the rest of the front seven — taht remains the team’s motor.

 

THE PICKS

The Free Press has assembled a panel to offer their predictions every week in 2014. Joining us once again this year are CJOB’s Bob Irving, and from the Free Press, sports editor Steve Lyons, columnists Gary Lawless and Doug Brown and football writers Paul Wiecek and Ed Tait:

Irving: Toronto, B.C., Montreal, Edmonton

Lawless: Hamilton, B.C., Saskatchewan, Edmonton

Lyons: Toronto, B.C., Saskatchewan, Edmonton

Brown: Toronto, B.C., Saskatchewan, Edmonton

Tait: Toronto, B.C., Saskatchewan, Edmonton

Wiecek: Toronto, B.C. Montreal, Edmonton

 

Last week/overall

Irving: 3-1/43-18

Lawless: 3-1/41-20

Wiecek: 3-1/40-21

Lyons: 3-1/40-21

Brown: 2-2/39-22

Tait: 2-2/38-23