Ah, Labour Day. All the big rivalries play, and Ottawa and BC had a game too. This is the second biggest set of games after the Grey Cup, and they were great this year, so I recommend checking them out.
GAME VODS
Ottawa @ BC
Winnipeg @ Saskatchewan
Toronto @ Hamilton
Edmonton @ Calgary
OTTAWA REDBLACKS @ BC LIONS
Played: Saturday August 31
Final Score: OTT 12 – BC 38
Points Breakdown by Quarter: Q1: OTT-0 BC-10 | Q2: OTT-6 BC-21 | Q3: OTT-6 BC-0 | Q4: OTT-0 BC-7
Holy crap, that was a beating. The Redblacks offence could not get anything going, and their defence just could not stop the Lions. Dru Brown was really missing receivers Jaelon Acklin and Bralon Addison who were out with injury. DeVonte Dedmon did his best to give Ottawa’s offence good field position, but they weren’t able to take advantage. Every time they started to get some momentum going, it was crushed under BC’s defence. It certainly didn’t help that this was probably the most undisciplined I’ve seen this Ottawa team this season, as it cost them 144 yards in penalties. This was the Redblacks’ first loss since July, and with Toronto close on their heels in the standings, I’m sure they were hoping BC’s skid was going to continue. The rest of their schedule this season isn’t exactly a cake walk, though I’d be very surprised if they miss the playoffs. They play the Argos next week, so they’ll have a chance to extend their lead in the standings.
There’s the BC Lions I know and love. Nathan Rourke looked very comfortable leading this offence, and they were firing on all cylinders from the jump. Multiple receivers had 70+ yard games, with special mention to running back William Stanback who managed a combined 171 receiving and rushing yards. The offence was doing so well that kicker Sean Whyte only got to attempt 2 field goals all game. The defence looked great as well, especially with last year’s sack leader Matthieu Betts back from the NFL. They completely smothered Ottawa and made them look like a high school team. Just overall a fantastic performance. The Lions must be breathing a sigh of relief after snapping their 5 game losing streak, and doing so at home (well, across the strait from home) on Labour Day just makes it that much better. With every team in the West in striking range of playoff berths, BC will have to fight hard to keep their spot. Unfortunately, they square off against Montreal next week, but a win there would certainly prove this win wasn’t a fluke.
WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS @ SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS
Played: Sunday September 1
Final Score: WPG 35 – SSK 33
Points Breakdown by Quarter: Q1: WPG-7 SSK-7 | Q2: WPG-22 SSK-7 | Q3: WPG-3 SSK-6 | Q4: WPG-3 SSK-13
Winnipeg continue to look great. They were unstoppable on offence in the first half, racking up 29 points. Unfortunately, that was right around when a nasty hit took quarterback Zach Collaros out of the game. Chris Streveler did a fine job, but he really works best as a short-yardage QB in tandem with someone else. The offence managed to get some points in the second half, but it wasn’t much. The defence were a nightmare for Saskatchewan, and while they couldn’t completely shut them out of the endzone, they showed up when it mattered. Most importantly, they knocked down a 2-point conversion attempt with just seconds left on the clock that would have sent the game to overtime. This was a close win, and a damn exciting game. On top of that, this game puts Winnipeg at 1st place in the West. I would have laughed at you a couple weeks ago if you told me the Bombers would be leading the division at any point this season, but here we are. They travel to Regina next week to rematch Saskatchewan in the Banjo Bowl.
What a heartbreaker for the Riders. They played solid, consistent football, and they just couldn’t get there. Trevor Harris threw for 386 yards, the defence were playing fantastically, and they almost mounted a heroic comeback. If just one Bomber was one foot to the right or left, this could have gone into overtime. Kicker Brett Lauther tried to get the last couple points, but it was 60 yards, and he just couldn’t get the power. Saskatchewan also took their fair share of injuries this game, and had to pull defensive lineman Miles Brown into the o-line because they ran out of offensive centres. Even banged up, they still came within just a couple points of winning. The Riders still looked good, and I’m definitely not counting them out. The last half of this season is going to look very interesting in the West. They rematch Winnipeg next week, and they’ll be out to get revenge.
TORONTO ARGONAUTS @ HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
Played: Monday September 2
Final Score: TOR 26 – HAM 31
Points Breakdown by Quarter: Q1: TOR-3 HAM-21 | Q2: TOR-12 HAM-6 | Q3: TOR-7 HAM-0 | Q4: TOR-6 HAM-4
This game started going downhill for Toronto fast. An interception on just the second play of the game quickly spiralled out of control into 3 Hamilton touchdowns in just the first quarter. The defence rallied afterwards to keep the Tiger-Cats kicking field goals for the rest of the game, but the damage had been done. Toronto’s offence did fine, but not great, and while they did close the gap and take the lead late, they were unable to stop Hamilton from taking the lead back, and then went two and out to finish the game. If the Argos had managed to right the ship on defence just a little earlier and stop even one of those touchdowns, they probably win this one. The Argos must be getting a little worried, as the playoffs are fast approaching and Calgary and Edmonton are only 2 games behind them. If the Stamps get hot or the Elks stay on their current trajectory, one of them could pass the Argos and cross over. This was supposed to be an easy win, and they blew it. They play Ottawa next week, and they’ll be hungry for that win to shore up their playoff spot.
This Cats team needed a win badly, and to get it on Labour Day against the Argos makes it that much sweeter. Hamilton came out of the gate better than I think I’ve ever seen them in my 7ish years of watching the CFL. A beautiful interception, fast touchdowns, and just generally taking the wind out of Toronto’s sails. Tim White, while he is frustratingly inconsistent, proved why he gets the big bucks with 180 receiving yards. Unfortunately, the good times could not last, and Toronto’s defence just shut them out of the endzone for the rest of the game. Marc Liegghio didn’t miss any of his field goal attempts, but he didn’t even get to make that many. The team held together just long enough to squeak out the win. As pleased as I am with the win, this team still can’t play all 4 quarters. They either start strong and flame out, or bumble through the first half and try to mount a desperate comeback. You can’t expect to compete seriously like that. The Cats have the bye next week, and then face Ottawa.
EDMONTON ELKS @ CALGARY STAMPEDERS
Played: Monday September 2
Final Score: EDM 35 – CGY 20
Points Breakdown by Quarter: Q1: EDM-2 CGY-0 | Q2: EDM-11 CGY-6 | Q3: EDM-7 CGY-7 | Q4: EDM-15 CGY-7
This was a fantastic performance by the Elks. McLeod Bethel-Thompson looked great, and while Tre Ford was dressed Edmonton was happy to let him ride the bench and get another week of rest. MBT put up almost 500 yards, and most of them went to Tevin Jones, who got two touchdowns on top of his 208 yards. The defence were the true stars of the show, though. They ran roughshod over Calgary, harrying their receivers up and down the field and intercepting the ball 4 times. They completely disrupted the Stampeders’ rhythm and dominated the game from start to finish. This is the best the Elks have looked all year, and I can’t imagine they’re going to slow down any time soon. They have a very real chance of making the playoffs, and if they do I wouldn’t write off a Grey Cup appearance. They’ve still got a long way to go before then, though. They rematch Calgary at home next week, and I think another win is in store.
This was a rough one for Calgary fans. There wasn’t any point that the Stamps looked in control. They had their moments, and Reggie Begelton and Jalen Philpot made some spectacular catches, but the Edmonton defence would immediately snatch it away. They would have certainly done better if Jake Maier hadn’t thrown so many interceptions. They couldn’t hang onto the ball, and the Elks took full advantage. The Stamps defence didn’t fair much better, either. They weren’t able to stop throws, and they were only somewhat better at stopping the run. This is only Calgary’s 3rd loss on Labour day in over a decade, and it has to sting. They won’t get a break, though. They rematch the Elks in Edmonton next week, and they desperately need a win if they hope to make the playoffs.
STANDINGS AT THE END OF WEEK 12
EAST
MONTREAL ALOUETTES 10 – 1
OTTAWA REDBLACKS 7 – 3 – 1
TORONTO ARGONAUTS 6 – 5
HAMILTON TIGER-CATS 3 – 9
WEST
WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS 6 – 6
BC LIONS 6 – 6
SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS 5 – 6 – 1
CALGARY STAMPEDERS 4 – 7
EDMONTON ELKS 4 – 8
NEXT WEEK: WEEK 14
BC @ Montreal – Friday September 6 7:30PM EDT
Toronto @ Ottawa – Saturday September 7 1PM EDT
Saskatchewan @ Winnipeg – Saturday September 7 3PM EDT
Calgary @ Edmonton – Saturday September 7 7PM EDT