The heads of analysts and gamblers are spinning all over the country as another week of CFL football has come and gone. Predictions seem to be irrelevant, and every trend seems to be fleeting.
The only team that has lived up to their offseason billing is the Montreal Alouettes. Every other team has been on a roller coaster, and Week 9 was no different. From Tre Ford’s first start of the season to the Lions’ epic dud, there’s a lot to get to. Let’s dive in.
1. Montreal Alouettes
There was a popular opinion that the Fajardo-less Alouettes were the perfect team to get the Tiger-Cats back into playoff contention. No Cody Fajardo? No problem. Third-stringer Davis Alexander continued to shine, throwing for 262 yards and a touchdown. There were a couple of turnovers, but the veteran defense had his back and completely shut down the Ti-Cats.
The Als’ defense had three takeaways of their own, and they continue to be the backbone of this team. The offense has started slowly in recent weeks, but the defense keeps making plays, keeping the Als in every game, which they eventually take over. They’re second in the CFL with 21 points allowed per game, and first in net offense allowed per game with 320.5 yards.
Fajardo was recently taken off IR. With Caleb Evans now out for the season, it looks like Fajardo will at least dress in Week 10 and most likely start. Montreal hosts the Tiger-Cats for the back half of their home-and-home.
2. Ottawa Redblacks
Usually, a team doesn’t rise or fall if they are on a bye. In this case, the top CFL teams, except for the Alouettes, fell flat on their faces, propelling the Redblacks to No. 2 on our list.
Ottawa is enjoying a three-game winning streak, and both sides of the ball are playing at a Grey Cup level. The season averages haven’t caught up, but over the course of this streak, they’re averaging 30 points per game and 18 points against. QB Dru Brown is leading by example, averaging 354 yards in this stretch.
3. Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Riders started the season 5-1, in the midst of many offensive obstacles. They’ve been without QB Trevor Harris since Week 3, and A.J. Ouellette has been in and out of the lineup due to injury. Regardless, the defense has played extremely well, and the offense has done just enough to win almost every week.
Since that hot start, they’ve lost two in a row, and none more embarrassing than their loss last week to the previously winless Edmonton Elks. Through Week 8, the Roughriders allowed a CFL-best 48 rushing yards per game. In Week 9, the Elks ran for 276 yards and totaled 515 yards on the day. Saskatchewan losing to a Tre Ford-led Elks team is not a complete shock, but the way in which they were dominated was. The final score was 42-31, but a last-second touchdown by the Riders made the score more flattering.
The Riders travel to the nation’s capital on Thursday to kick off Week 10, in what is a much more compelling game than expected in the spring. With a win, the Roughriders will keep pace for first in the West. With a loss, this division will become wide open.
4. B.C. Lions
The B.C. Lions made history last Thursday, and not the kind you want to be a part of. The Lions got shut out at the hands of the Blue Bombers, 25-0, in what was the worst loss in franchise history, and maybe in CFL history. QB Vernon Adams Jr. threw for just 74 yards, and the team as a whole totaled only 102 total yards of offense. He left the game in the fourth quarter with a knee injury and is considered week-to-week. Punter Stefan Flintoft kicked 452 yards worth of punts, which is another Lions’ franchise record.
The defense did their job for the most part, allowing only one touchdown, making Winnipeg kicker Sergio Castillo convert all six of his field goals. It didn’t matter what the defense performed like in this game, the offense just did not have it.
With Adams Jr. on the sidelines, Jake Dolegala will start for the foreseeable future. The Lions’ have incredible talent all over this offense, but without the straw that stirs the drink, it’s hard to envision the same sort of production.
5. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
After starting the season 0-4, a year full of Grey Cup aspirations was seemingly down the drain. After an inconceivable 25-0 win last week, the Bombers are 3-5, and in the thick of this playoff race. With the Lions and Riders losing, they’re only two games back of first with half of the season left to play.
QB Zach Collaros was extremely efficient, going 27-for-33, 295 yards, and a touchdown. RB Oliveira was right there with him, rushing for 100 yards on 17 carries. They’re still having a hard time getting into the end zone, but that’s what a Hall of Fame kicker is for. Castillo went 6-for-6, including a 60-yarder.
After pitching a shutout, the Bombers are first in the CFL in points allowed per game at 20.7, and first in passing yards allowed per game at 226.9. Yes, allowing 0 points and 74 passing yards will inflate the numbers a bit, but this defense has been exceptional all year long, and it wasn’t the reason for an awful start.
6. Calgary Stampeders
As we’ll discuss when we get to the Argos, it was a tale of two halves on Sunday, as Calgary beat Toronto 27-23 to continue their unbeaten streak at home to start the season.
Fresh off a 33-6 defeat in Week 8, the offense started Sunday right where they left off. QB Jake Maier and the Stampeders were booed off the field at the half, down 24-6 and at risk of going touchdown-less for two games straight. They went scoreless again in the third quarter before scoring 21 unanswered points in the fourth to steal a win and silence the boos.
Maier finished the game 26-for-37, with 287 yards and two touchdowns. The running game totaled 83 yards split between three players due to Mills stepping away from the team for personal reasons. As good as Maier and company were in the fourth quarter, they have the defense to thank for keeping them around long enough to pull it off. They had six sacks in this game, and an interception by Demerio Houston to seal the victory.
Losses by the Lions and the Riders brought the Stamps to within one game of the division lead as they close out their home-and-home in Toronto on Friday.
7. Toronto Argonauts
Despite getting a win in Week 8, Cameron Dukes and the Argos offense took a lot of heat leading up to their matchup against the Stampeders. Statistically, Dukes wasn’t really the problem, at least early on. The Argos entered the half up by 18 points and in full control of the game. Dukes finished the game with 272 total yards and two TDs. As the lead was melting away, he was sacked six times, including twice in the fourth quarter.
This was a defensive meltdown, and they should have never lost this game. That being said, this defense has carried their team all year long, and eventually, the offense has to be more consistent.
Chad Kelly’s eligible to be reinstated from his nine-game suspension next week, but it’s still unclear as to what the CFL is going to decide. The Argos are back home on Friday to wrap up the season series against the Stampeders.
8. Edmonton Elks
It took a year for the Elks to listen to their fan base and media all across the country. Finally, they did what they should’ve done in May and started electric, young quarterback Tre Ford. And what did he do? Well, he promptly led his team to their first win of the season, dominating the best defense in the CFL in the process.
Ford went 18-for-22,with 252 yards, one touchdown, and one pick, adding 46 more yards on the ground. In Kevin Brown’s absence, RB Javon Leake exploded for 169 yards and three touchdowns, while Justin Rankin ran for an additional 60 yards. That’s 276 rushing yards against a defense that previously allowed only 48 per game.
The Elks just flat-out looked better. Their offense was smooth and free-flowing, and just could not be stopped. Were the Riders overlooking a winless ball club? Perhaps. That doesn’t change the fact that the Elks found out what we knew all along. Ford gives them the best chance to win.
The playoffs might feel like a long way away, and they are, but this week the Elks host a B.C. Lions team who is without their star quarterback. Win on Sunday, and they at least give themselves a chance.
9. Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Tiger-Cats entered Week 9 on a two-game winning streak, after starting the season 0-5. They were home against an Alouettes team who was without their ace, the Grey Cup-winning quarterback. The stars aligned for the Ti-Cats to put their name back in the playoff hat. Instead, they promptly fell flat on their faces again, losing 33-16 at Tim Hortons Field.
Bo Levi Mitchell had an off-night, going 29-for-42, with 240 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. Unfortunately for him, he cannot afford to have any of those. This defense plays too soft, and their -6 turnover ratio gives Mitchell zero wiggle room to work with.
The Ti-Cats travel to Montreal to finish off their home-and-home. This time, not only are they on the road, but Cody Fajardo could be back for the Als. Safe to say, they seem to have missed their opportunity to salvage this season.
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