Introduction | Week 4 | Week 6
A little late this week, but still got it in under the wire. Some great and not so great football for week 5, so let’s get into it.
TORONTO ARGONAUTS @ SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS
Played: Thursday July 4
Final Score: TOR 23 – SSK 30
Points Breakdown by Quarter: Q1: TOR-6 SSK-3 | Q2: TOR-3 SSK-7 | Q3: TOR-3 SSK-10 | Q4: TOR-11 SSK-10
Game VOD
What a heartbreaking game for the Argos. It was a close back and forth right up until the 4th quarter, and then it all fell apart. Unfortunately, that closeness was largely in spite of the Argos play, and not because of it. Poor Cameron Dukes threw 4 interceptions this game, two of them in the last quarter which resulted in 10 points for the Riders and him being pulled in favour of Nick Arbuckle. Arbuckle didn’t fare much better, and at that point it really was too late. Toronto also gave up points on their very first touchdown by failing their 2-point conversion. This is a really rough situation for this team. Dukes is relatively inexperienced, with this being only his 5th career start. That worked out alright when teams didn’t know much about him, but now that they’ve seen him a couple times their starting to figure him out. I feel comfortable saying this would have been an Argos win if not for the interceptions. Toronto goes to Montreal next week, and they should be very scared of facing that Al’s defence in their own house.
Alright, I admit it; this Roughriders team is the real deal. Even with quarterback Trevor Harris out due to injury, they put in a hell of a performance. The offence was a little rocky, but I can hardly blame them when it was quarterback Shea Patterson’s first ever career start. Saskatchewan was carried through this game by rock solid defence. It took them a little bit to get going, but once they got a handle on Cameron Dukes they were all over him. Patterson put in a respectable performance as well, especially for being swarmed like he was. They’ve even managed to tackle their lack of discipline, only giving up 47 yards in penalties. I was optimistic about this team before, but they’ve pretty well cemented their status as a serious contender. The last time the Riders went 4-0 to start the season they won the Grey Cup, which is certainly an auspicious omen. Next week they face a 4-1 BC team in Vancouver to see who the best team in the West really is.
OTTAWA REDBLACKS @ WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
Played: Friday July 5
Final Score: OTT 16 – WPG 25
Points Breakdown by Quarter: Q1: OTT-3 WPG-3 | Q2: OTT-0 WPG-10 | Q3: OTT-7 WPG-6 | Q4: OTT-6 WPG-6
Game VOD
What a rough game for Ottawa. They played a solid game, but just couldn’t make it happen. Quarterback Dru Brown only made 2 of his 6 passes before being pulled from the game after taking a nasty hit that knocked his helmet off. He and backup Dustin Crum combined for a paltry 126 passing yards. The Redblacks made most of their plays this game on the ground, and they did a solid job of it. Unfortunately, if you’re stuck in a rushing duel against Winnipeg, you’re going to have a bad time. This team really needs to work on their passing offence. It’s not awful, but they are definitely putting up underwhelming numbers for the CFL. On the ground, though, they look good. The Redblacks have been performing much better than I anticipated, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them make the playoffs this year. Unfortunately, this was supposed to be an easy win, especially since they’d already beaten the Blue Bombers a couple weeks ago. They play Edmonton next week, and I’m very curious how that will go.
Winnipeg finally got their first win of the season, and they got it on the ground. This was quarterback Chris Streveler’s first CFL start since leaving for the NFL after the 2019 season, and I’d forgotten how scary he made this team. He and running back Brady Oliveira put up 208 rushing yards; almost two thirds of the Bombers’ total offence. The two of them together are an absolute nightmare for defensive lines to contain. The passing game left a lot to be desired, but that’s not very surprising considering starting quarterback Zach Collaros and receiver Dalton Schoen are both still out with injury. Once those two are healthy again, this team is going to look a lot more like the dual threat monsters they’ve been for the last four seasons. The Bombers face Calgary in Winnipeg next week, and they’re out to prove that their loss to the Stamps in week 4 was a fluke.
CALGARY STAMPEDERS @ MONTREAL ALOUETTES
Played: Saturday July 6
Final Score: CGY 26 – MTL 30
Points Breakdown by Quarter: Q1: CGY-7 MTL-7 | Q2: CGY-16 MTL-5 | Q3: CGY-3 MTL-3 | Q4: CGY-0 MTL-15
Game VOD
The Stamps started out firmly in control of this game, and held the lead for most of it. Montreal’s usually rock solid defence had a hard time containing Calgary for the first half of the game. They used strong rushing and short passes to put up a 23-12 lead by half time, and maintained that lead through the 3rd quarter. The Stampeders also managed to get a couple critical turnovers. Unfortunately, Montreal’s defence woke up in the second half and shut Calgary down. The Stampeders only managed 3 points in the entire second half. Poor Jake Maier ended the game with around a quarter of the yards gained that the Alouettes’ Cody Fajardo did. Maier only had one interception, but it could not have come at a worse time. The Als picked the ball with around 40 seconds left in the game, taking away Calgary’s chance at retaking the lead. It really did look like Calgary was going to win this game, but as anyone who’s watched the CFL before can tell you, those last 3 minutes are everything. The Stamps play the Bombers next week, and we’ll see how they stand up to a Winnipeg team with a win under their belt.
This was a strange game for the Als, and the closest they’ve come to losing yet. They spent pretty much the entire game chasing Calgary, and had a hell of a time trying to slow down their explosive start. Usually Montreal’s defence locks in a lot faster than it did today, but they did dial in and start doing work. Cody Fajardo also threw several interceptions, which is very unusual for him. Ultimately, they pulled it out with some last second heroics, but the cracks in the armour are starting to show. Don’t get me wrong, the Alouettes are still absolutely the best team in the league, but they don’t look quite as invincible as they did just a week ago. I wouldn’t count on another slow start to a game, especially when they face the Argos next week. I’m very curious as to what’s going to happen when this team finally runs into Saskatchewan and BC. Montreal has had a relatively easy schedule so far, so it should be interesting when they stare down the best in the West.
BC LIONS @ HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
Played: Sunday July 7
Final Score: BC 44 – HAM 28
Points Breakdown by Quarter: Q1: BC-14 HAM-1 | Q2: BC-20 HAM-10 | Q3: BC-3 HAM-10 | Q4: BC-7 HAM-7
Game VOD
I’m really not sure what to say about this game for BC. It’s hard to evaluate a team when they don’t really encounter any friction. They were able to execute their plan perfectly. Hamilton weren’t able to put meaningful pressure on Vernon Adams Jr., nor were they able to contain Justin McInnis or the rest of the Lions’ receiving corps. BC had two receivers with over 100 yards, and running back William Stanback put up 156 between running and receiving. They put their foot on the gas and never let up. Frankly, I was surprised that the Lions didn’t pull VA at any part of the game given they were so in control the whole time. I’m not surprised the Cats lost this game, but I’m a little stunned at the absolute beating the Lions gave them. Next week the Lions stare down an undefeated Riders squad, which is going to be their toughest opponent to date.
I try not to be one of those “fire everyone” fans. I understand that running a sports team is a hard job and sometimes things don’t work out despite your best efforts. These Cats are really trying my patience though. On paper this should be a solid team; not the best ever, sure, but there are good players here. I have seen this team have great games in the past. I don’t understand what’s going on. The offence is anemic and lacklustre, the defence is completely porous, and the special teams have been underwhelming. If that weren’t bad enough, they take needless penalties to offset whatever gains they do make. About the only thing this Hamilton team has going for it is kicking, and as much as I like Marc Liegghio, he cannot win a game all by himself. As much as I hate to say it, I’m pretty sure this is the worst team in the league right now by a healthy margin. The Ticats have the bye next week, and they need to look long and hard in the mirror and come up with a plan. I couldn’t have imagined this team going 0-18 at the start of the season, but they’re on the road there.
STANDINGS AT THE END OF WEEK 5
EAST
MONTREAL ALOUETTES 5 – 0
TORONTO ARGONAUTS 2 – 2
OTTAWA REDBLACKS 2 – 2
HAMILTON TIGER-CATS 0 – 5
WEST
SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS 4 – 0
BC LIONS 4 – 1
CALGARY STAMPEDERS 2 – 2
WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS 1 – 4
EDMONTON ELKS 0 – 4
NEXT WEEK: WEEK 6
Toronto @ Montreal – Thursday July 11 7:30PM EDT
Calgary @ Winnipeg – Friday July 12 8:30PM EDT
Saskatchewan @ BC – Saturday July 13 7PM EDT
Ottawa @ Edmonton – Sunday July 14 7PM EDT