Introduction | Week 9 | Week 11
Some wild games this week, with some upsets and one very shocking outcome.
GAME VODS
Saskatchewan @ Ottawa
Calgary @ Toronto
Hamilton @ Montreal
BC @ Edmonton
SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS @ OTTAWA REDBLACKS
Played: Thursday August 8
Final Score: SSK 22 – OTT 22
Points Breakdown by Quarter: Q1: SSK-0 OTT-0 | Q2: SSK-3 OTT-3 | Q3: SSK-0 OTT-4 | Q4: SSK-10 OTT-6 | OT: SSK-9 OTT-9
This game was wild. Saskatchewan didn’t get a lot of offence in, but their defence was playing out of their minds. They forced Ottawa to turn over on downs 3 times, and forced an interception and a fumble besides. The offence wasn’t quite as successful, but they did a solid job considering the absolute wall of red and black they kept running into. This game may have been low-scoring, but it was an absolute blast to watch. Riders fans are going to be sour about the ending for a while though. In second overtime, after getting the lead, Saskatchewan forces a fumble on Redblacks quarterback Dustin Crum to lock up the game. The final score shows, the players are shaking hands, the commentary team is saying good night, and then the referee calls roughing the passer. Ottawa takes the field again, and manages to play for the tie. Honestly, the Riders should be really proud of how they played, and while it wasn’t a win, they have technically stopped their recent losing streak. They play Montreal next week, so I’d expect another defence-focused game.
While Ottawa got extremely lucky with the finish to this game, they absolutely left it all on the field. Like the Riders, their defence was explosive all night, snapping up 3 interceptions. The offence were doing their best, but see the previously mentioned green tide above. That said, they stayed pretty consistent, even after Dru Brown had to leave the game due to injury. Crum came in and confidently steered the ship all the way through overtime, even picking up the majority of Ottawa’s rushing yards with his own two feet. It was a wild game top to bottom, and I thoroughly recommend checking out the VOD for this one. Ottawa have maintained their position in the East, but with Kelly coming off suspension soon, Toronto will be nipping at their heels. The Redblacks face Calgary next week, which really could go either way, depending on which Stamps team shows up.
CALGARY STAMPEDERS @ TORONTO ARGONAUTS
Played: Friday August 9
Final Score: CGY 25 – TOR 39
Points Breakdown by Quarter: Q1: CGY-8 TOR-7 | Q2: CGY-7 TOR-0 | Q3: CGY-0 TOR-14 | Q4: CGY-10 TOR-18
It’s really unfortunate that this was a loss, because it might be the best Calgary’s looked on the field this season. The offence put up 442 yards of net offence, Maier threw for 373 yards, and Reggie Begelton made some truly heroic catches. The defence was on as well, and set the offence up for success multiple times. Looking at the stat lines, this should be a Stampeders win. Unfortunately, it was not the cleanest game. Penalties and turnovers at the worst times robbed the Stamps of opportunities to extend their lead early, and eventually sealed the deal. That said, they were trading the lead back and forth right up to the last couple minutes. If Calgary can keep showing up to games like this, they’ll be in a much better spot. They’ve been inconsistent, though, and it’s hard to say if they’re finally turning the corner or if there’s another drop ahead. They face Ottawa next week, so we’ll see if they can make it happen.
This game was a great example why stats don’t tell the whole story. The Argos may not have put the most impressive numbers on the board, but they made big plays happen when they needed to. Some excellent interceptions and forced fumbles at critical moments stalled out the Calgary offence long enough for Toronto to get back in the game. Special teams also got the offence great field position all night, with Janarion Grant even getting himself a kick-six in the process. Nick Arbuckle looked comfortable at quarterback, and a strong rushing game helped the Argos push through to win it. The Argos are at a bit of a turning point going forward. Chad Kelly is finally back from his suspension, and has had time to practice with the team. With last years MOP back in the lineup, Toronto is going to be looking for a strong push to finish out the season. It’s hard to say where exactly they’ll land, though with how awful Hamilton has been I can’t see them missing the playoffs. Toronto has a bye next week, and then they face Saskatchewan, where they’ll look to avenge their week 5 loss.
HAMILTON TIGER-CATS @ MONTREAL ALOUETTES
Played: Saturday August 10
Final Score: HAM 23 – MTL 33
Points Breakdown by Quarter: Q1: HAM-0 MTL-15 | Q2: HAM-6 MTL-4 | Q3: HAM-3 MTL-0 | Q4: HAM-14 MTL-14
This one started really ugly for the Ticats. Bo Levi Mitchell was pulled after just two short drives after ending one in a fumble and the other in an interception. The situation only got worse when Taylor Powell had to give up a safety when he was forced to dive on the ball in his own endzone after a high snap. Despite one of the worst starts to a game I’ve ever seen, the Cats did manage to stabilize. The offence, while sluggish for most of the game, did manage to put points on the board, and managed to pull within 10 points of Montreal. The defence also pulled their weight. Despite Montreal getting the ball deep in Hamilton territory twice and giving up a safety, those opportunities only amounted to 5 points. I’ll be interested to see if Powell gets the start next week given his solid performance today. Mitchell may (inexplicably) be one of the most productive quarterbacks in the league right now, but it just isn’t working. They play Edmonton next week, who are looking to extend their winning streak to 3.
The Alouettes continue to look great. Their defence continues to be the best in the league, and they absolutely dominated the early stages of the game. The offence got off to a bit of a rocky start, taking a setup that should have been 14 points and only managing 3. Still, Davis Alexander has definitely proven himself more than capable of leading this squad, and they continue to be the best in the league. The only team that’s beaten them is Toronto, and even that felt like a fluke. Their defence is just so good at forcing turnovers that it’s hard to get any kind of momentum against them. Their offence hasn’t been quite at the level it has been, but there are a number of key players out injured. The Als face Saskatchewan next week, who are hungry for a win after 2 losses and a tie. Montreal’s beaten them before, so we’ll see if they can do it again.
BC LIONS @ EDMONTON ELKS
Played: Sunday August 11
Final Score: BC 16 – EDM 33
Points Breakdown by Quarter: Q1: BC-10 EDM-1 | Q2: BC-0 EDM-18 | Q3: BC-6 EDM-0 | Q4: BC-0 EDM-14
This was a bit of a rough one for the Lions. They came out of the gate strong with a very fast opening drive for a touchdown, but then had real problems finding the endzone for the rest of the game. They didn’t score a single touchdown for the rest of the game, and while Sean Whyte continues to be an excellent kicker, it just wasn’t enough. Jake Dolegala was doing his best out there, but he just can’t do the things that Vernon Adams Jr. can at quarterback. If the defence had been able to contain Edmonton better, maybe they could have stayed in it, but it was not to be. The real story for BC this week happened off the field, though. Victoria, BC’s favourite son, Nathan Rourke, has returned to the Lions. Rourke set the league on fire in 2022, setting the CFL record for single season completions. With him back from the NFL and Adams still injured, the Lions quarterback concerns have been dealt with. I’ve missed watching Rourke play, and am excited to see him in the lineup again, hopefully in the revenge game against Winnipeg next week.
This game really showed how different the Elks are with Tre Ford at the helm. While they had a bit of a slow start, they exploded in the second quarter. Ford’s speed means you can’t ignore him as a ground threat, but if you over-commit the Elks receivers get open for long passes. Unfortunately, Ford suffered an injury at the end of the first half, but McLeod Bethel-Thompson managed to keep the ship afloat and put up some decent numbers of his own. The defence also continually stymied BC’s offence, keeping them out of the endzone and forcing Sean Whyte to earn his paycheck. It’s finally looking like Ford is going to be the Elks starting quarterback. Considering he’s the only Elks quarterback to have any wins in the last 30 games, I think it’s well deserved. Certainly the Edmonton fans are happy, especially since this was their first win at home since September of last year. Edmonton faces Hamilton next week, and if Ford is healthy I’m very scared for my poor Tabbies.
STANDINGS AT THE END OF WEEK 10
EAST
MONTREAL ALOUETTES 8 – 1
OTTAWA REDBLACKS 5 – 2 – 1
TORONTO ARGONAUTS 5 – 4
HAMILTON TIGER-CATS 2 – 7
WEST
SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS 5 – 3 – 1
BC LIONS 5 – 4
CALGARY STAMPEDERS 4 – 5
WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS 3 – 6
EDMONTON ELKS 2 – 7
NEXT WEEK: WEEK 11
Ottawa @ Calgary – Thursday August 15 9PM EDT
Montreal @ Saskatchewan – Friday August 16 9PM EDT
Edmonton @ Hamilton – Saturday August 17 7PM EDT
Winnipeg @ BC – Sunday August 18 7PM EDT