Tag Archives: Montreal Alouettes

COMMENT OF THE DAY: If Marc Trestman takes the Bears job, he could cost a couple commentators their job…

Posted by gruesomegreg on

From: http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/bears/post/_/id/4681946/gannon-trestman-cutler-would-be-good-fit

Could the CFL’s most successful current coach be coming to Chicago?  Jimmy Johnson says he’s already there, Rich Gannon says he should be, whereas this Bears fan offers his conditional endorsement:

cotd111

Personally, I think it’s a good fit.  Both the Bears and Marc Trestman’s Als have a recent history of playing pretty well in the regular season, but coming up short in the playoffs.  Unfortunately for him, however, you don’t get awarded double penalty yardage in the NFL when the opponent has 13 men on the field. ;)

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CFL POWER RANKINGS: Week 18

Posted by gruesomegreg on

With just one week left in the CFL season, the playoff picture has become a lot clearer.  We now know that the Toronto Argonauts will be hosting the Eastern Semi-Final, while the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will be watching at home.  After coming up short in Montreal, the Edmonton Eskimos will need to beat Calgary for the first time this season in order to ensure themselves a playoff spot — unless Hamilton loses in Toronto, making that matchup moot.  Perhaps the most interesting game of Week 17 had zero playoff implications, mind you.  In Calgary, the Stamps got off to a 34-0 lead over the Lions, en route to a 41-21 win.  Of course, B.C. was without Travis Lulay and a couple other key players–but that win’s gotta give Calgary some confidence heading into the postseason.  Here’s how I see things after Week 18.

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Week 17 Rankings

Week 18 Power Rankings

1. B.C. Lions (12-5) Last Week: 1.  That’s right, despite the loss, I’m keeping B.C. in first place.  The fact remains that they beat Calgary twice when it counted, and despite the relatively insignificant setback, the defending champs remain the team to beat.

2. Calgary Stampeders (11-6) Last Week: 2.  That said, putting 41 points on the Lions D was certainly a positive for Calgary.  Getting Drew Tate back into game action is another plus.  This team still has some work to do, but if anybody can beat B.C. in the playoffs, my money’s on the Red and White.

3. Montreal Alouettes (11-6) Last Week: 3.  Montreal also had nothing to play for this week, but kept their scintillating 7-2 home record intact by playing great defence–on the two-point conversion attempt by Edmonton in the dying seconds.  Otherwise, they almost blew a game in the fourth quarter that they led comfortably for most of the way, but I’d expect them to be less lackadaisical when it counts.

4. Toronto Argonauts (8-9) Last Week: 8.  Full credit to the Argos.  After losing three straight home games, when winning just one of them would’ve punched their ticket to the postseason, Toronto went on the road and beat a playoff-caliber team in Regina.  Sure, the Riders are slumping, and they made some key mistakes that cost them the game, but it was still a big win for Toronto.  That said, their well-earned home-field advantage hasn’t been much of one on the season.  The Argos are one of two teams (Winnipeg is the other) to have a losing record on their home turf–and yet, their five road wins are tied with B.C. for most in the league.  Uh, they can’t opt to defer that home-field playoff game, can they? :P

5. Edmonton Eskimos (7-10) Last Week: 5.  Well, it looks like the Esks have finally found their QB.  Too bad it took ‘em till the fourth quarter of their second-last game to do so!  Still, Matt Nichols’ stat-line today was pretty impressive: 9-for-15, 230 yards and three TDs, all in less than 15 minutes of play.  He’ll most likely lead his troops into Commonwealth for a home matchup against the Stampeders substitutes, needing a win to stay in the West.  (Mind you, I kinda hope they cross over, just to see Ricky Ray go up against his former team in the first round!)

6. Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-9) Last Week: 4.  Though they’ve already clinched a playoff spot, the Riders are limping into the postseason with three straight losses.  A fourth straight setback in Vancouver–where the Lions have lost only once this season–and they could be traveling to Toronto for the first round.  Mind you, that might not be such a bad thing.  There’s sure to be a lotta Rider fans in the stands, anyways, and in their last trip to Rogers Centre, they thoroughly embarrassed the home side, 36-10, on Thanksgiving.  Perhaps the East provides the path of least resistance for this team…

7. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (6-11) Last Week: 7.  OK, so they beat Winnipeg.  However, Toronto’s win yesterday ensures that there won’t be one more game at Ivor Wynne.  I think the Ti-Cats could still win in Toronto this Thursday, but it won’t mean a thing if Edmonton gets the job done the next night.  In any case, an 11-loss team isn’t really worthy of a playoff spot in my books.

8. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (5-12) Last Week: 6.  It only took ‘em 18 weeks, but Winnipeg is officially the first team out of the playoff picture.  No surprise, really, when the league’s lowest-scoring team has given up 163 more points than it’s scored on the season.  There really aren’t too many positive things to say about the Bombers’ 2012 campaign…  Wait till next year, eh?

CFL POWER RANKINGS: Week 16

Posted by gruesomegreg on

This week, things pretty much went according to plan.  The B.C. Lions, Calgary Stampeders and Montreal Alouettes all won, the last two clinching playoff spots in the process (B.C. already clinched last week).  The one big surprise was the Saskatchewan Roughriders, winners of three straight, losing–and losing badly–in Edmonton.  The Esks not only look to have third place in the East locked up via crossover, they could very well finish third in the West if they can string a couple more wins together.  Here’s how I saw things this week.

Preseason Predictions

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Week 16 Rankings

1. B.C. Lions (11-4) Last Week: 1.  They came, they saw, they conquered.  Though they weren’t facing the toughest opposition, B.C. came away with a convincing 20-point road win this week.  They’re still the team to beat.

2. Calgary Stampeders (9-6) Last Week: 2.  Week 15 was a tale of two halves for the Stampeders.  They came out all guns blazing in the first, piling on 26 points, but were subsequently outscored 7-6 by the Bombers in the second half.  That said, they still picked up an 11-point win, largely due to their defence forcing eight turnovers–including three end-zone interceptions.  It looks like Calgary’s likely got second-place sewn up, but it’ll take a Week 18 win over B.C. and some help to be hosting the West Final, not the Semi-Final…

3. Montreal Alouettes (9-6) Last Week: 4.  It’s starting to look like the East will go through Montreal this year.  With a two-game lead on the Argos and a tiebreaker in hand, thanks to today’s 24-12 win, the Als appear to be the Beasts of the East for yet another season.  But will this be Anthony Calvillo’s last stand?  The 40-year-old QB has started to look his age of late, though he’s missing some key targets due to injury.  Still a lotta question marks on this team, if you ask me.

4. Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-7) Last Week: 3.  Going into Week 15, the Riders had the second-best defence in the CFL, giving up just over 20 points per game.  But that was before they got torched by a 40-year-old quarterback (OK fine, Kerry Joseph’s 39) and the league’s second-worst offence.  They didn’t execute so well offensively either, Darian Durant throwing for just 204 yards with two scores and two picks.  A significant setback for a team that had really gotten it together these past three weeks–especially considering that Edmonton now owns the tiebreaker should it come down to who stays in the West for the first round.

5. Edmonton Eskimos (7-8) Last Week: 6.  When the Esks scored 35 points against Hamilton last week, I had chalked it up as a bit of a fluke, them going up against the CFL’s worst defence.  But when they followed it up with a 37-point performance against the Riders, well, lightning doesn’t strike twice, right?  Whodathunkit that Kerry Joseph, who hadn’t won a game since ’09, would be the spark this team needed to get back into playoff contention?  Mind you, if there’s one knock against Edmonton right now, it’s that their two big wins both came at the friendly confines of Commonwealth Stadium.  The team is just 2-5 on the road this season, and in all likelihood will hafta travel to meet their playoff opponent.  A nice little run, but they’re probably one-and-done.

6. Toronto Argonauts (7-8) Last Week: 5.  With the Jays’ season over, the Argos have a significant stretch of home games before they call it a year.  But their homestand hasn’t gotten off to a good start–back-to-back losses in which they’ve averaged a mere 11 points per game.  Without Ricky Ray, number two receiver Dontrelle Inman and starting RB Chad Kackert, the Argos just can’t get anything going offensively.  In fact, with a loss to Hamilton in Week 19, they could conceivably be on the outside looking in come playoff-time.  Get well soon, Ricky (and Dontrelle and Chad and whoever else I missed)!

7. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (4-11) Last Week: 7.  Neither Winnipeg nor Hamilton played well this week, but had the Bombers turned a couple of those INTs into TDs, they could’ve beaten Calgary.  Aaaaand if my aunt had balls, she’d be my uncle.  No excuses for Loseapeg!

8. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (5-10) Last Week: 8.  If this team makes the playoffs, it will only be because they’ve got Winnipeg and Toronto left on their schedule.  And even that doesn’t look likely; one more win by Toronto or Edmonton, and the Tabbies will be punted out the doggie door.  To all the pundits who put them in first place this preseason, I fart in your general direction!  (For what it’s worth, I had them finishing fourth, albeit with an 8-10 record that they likely won’t achieve…)

CFL POWER RANKINGS: Week 15

Posted by gruesomegreg on

Not much movement at the top of the rankings this week–aside from the top spot, while B.C. regains its perch after one week at number two.  Saskatchewan is surging with its third straight win, but still sits behind the Stamps in the standings since Calgary beat them twice.  And while Montreal has now lost to the two worst teams in the league in consecutive weeks, the only East Division team that won this week was Winnipeg–and they’re not moving ahead of the Als, that’s for sure.  Instead of two equal halves, the league can really be divided into a Top Five and a Bottom Three–and whichever member of the second group sneaks into the playoffs is most likely headed for an early exit.  Here’s how things stand after Week 15.

Preseason Predictions

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Week 15 Rankings

1. B.C. Lions (10-4) Last Week: 2.  With the win over the Stamps, the Lions became the first team in the league to clinch a playoff spot.  And since they’ve got a two-game advantage and the tiebreaker over Calgary, it’s almost certain that the road to Toronto runs through Vancouver this year.  I think it’s very likely they’ll be back to defend their title, too.

2. Calgary Stampeders (8-6) Last Week: 1.  To Calgary’s credit, their loss to the Lions last weekend was a vast improvement over the 34-8 beating they took in Week Five.  However, they still weren’t able to beat B.C., and now they’ve got Saskatchewan hot on their heels.  Fortunately, they get a break in the schedule over the next two weeks, facing off against Winnipeg and Hamilton.  Then again, I suppose you could ask the Montreal Alouettes how playing the Bombers and Ti-Cats back-to-back worked out for them…

3. Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-6) Last Week: 3.  The Riders showed they could win away from home this week–although with all those green jerseys in the stands, it hardly felt like a road game for Saskatchewan.  Still, this is a team on a roll that could very well end up hosting a playoff game in November.

4. Montreal Alouettes (8-6) Last Week: 4.  If the Als don’t drop in the rankings after losing to the Bombers on their home turf, it’s only because they protected their house a whole lot better than the Argos did.  Sure, there is definitely cause for concern in the Alouette camp, but they remain the best team in the CFL’s junior circuit–for now, anyways.  The Als travel to Toronto to take on the Argos this coming Sunday…

5. Toronto Argonauts (7-7) Last Week: 5.  The only positive the Argos can build on going into next week’s clash with Montreal is that Ricky Ray should be healthy enough to start.  If he isn’t, they’re screwed.  The team did nothing offensively under Jarious Jackson, and they gave up a boatload of points to the Riders, to boot.  Suffice to say that 36-10 thrashing would be even more embarrassing had Saskatchewan not settled for five field goals.  I have a feeling that a fired-up Alouettes squad will put some points on the board next week–it’ll be up to Ray and company to match ‘em.  Stay tuned!

6. Edmonton Eskimos (6-8) Last Week: 7.  Edmonton moves up a spot this week as they set their sights on that crossover spot in the East Division, and they did so by wiping out their main competition on Friday.  The Esks are taking this race seriously, too: they’ve named Kerry Joseph their starting quarterback for the rest of the season.  Ooooh, scary.  But the Ti-Cat defence made Joseph look like a young Ricky Ray last week–which shows you the kind of team they’re up against.  For the record, I think Edmonton will steal that sixth and final playoff spot.

7. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (4-10) Last Week: 8.  With the win in Montreal, the Bombers have now equaled the Ti-Cats’ road win total.  They’ve also beaten Hamilton twice.  I guess we can call them the second-worst team in the CFL, at least for this week.

8. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (5-9) Last Week: 6.  A streaky team throughout the first half, Hamilton has been so up-and-down lately, you’d swear they still had Kevin Glenn at quarterback.  But no, they traded him for Smiling/Frowning Hank Burris, whose lofty passing statistics have failed to translate into wins.  Their lack of a shut-down defence hasn’t helped, either.  Like Winnipeg, I expect Hamilton to be on the outside looking in come playoff time.

CFL POWER RANKINGS: Week 13

Posted by gruesomegreg on

After a couple weeks in which I didn’t watch a lot of CFL football, I saw a good chunk of every game in Week 13–perhaps none bigger than the Sunday afternoon contest that snapped the Stamps’ four-game winning streak.  The Riders will get a boost in the rankings for that one, while Calgary drops a spot for narrowly missing the comeback.  But the biggest mover of the week was Montreal.  Facing a tough Toronto team that beat them at Molson Stadium in their previous meeting, the Als went out and dominated the Argos, knocking out Ricky Ray in the process.  Alas, the biggest loss Toronto suffered yesterday wasn’t the 31-10 setback on the scoreboard, but rather that of their starting QB.  We don’t know how long he’ll be out yet, but a significant loss of Ray-ing time could throw their Grey Cup chances overboard.  And here’s how things look after lucky Week 13.

Preseason Predictions

Week 2 Rankings

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Week 13 Power Rankings

1. B.C. Lions (9-3) Last Week: 1.  Sure, they barely squeaked out a 19-18 win in Edmonton, but in the process, the Lions picked up a game on Calgary in the West Division standings.  Plus, with the Stamps’ streak snapped, B.C. now has the longest current string of consecutive wins, beating three teams that would make the playoffs (albeit all in the East Division, heh heh) if the season ended today.  Considering their dominant performances in their most-recent triumphs over Montreal and Calgary, it’ll likely take a loss (against the Stamps in Week 15) to knock the Lions from top spot in these rankings.

2. Montreal Alouettes (8-4) Last Week: 4.  I had pegged the Toronto-Montreal matchup as the game to watch going into Week 13, but in the end, it wasn’t very watchable–unless you bleed bleu, gris et rouge.  The Als, owners of a scintillating 6-1 home record, avenged their only loss at Percival Molson in grand fashion, taking it to the Argos for four full quarters.  After a win like that, it’s now clear who’s the best team in the East Division–the same squad that’s been on top, oh, for about the past decade or so.

3. Calgary Stampeders (7-5) Last Week: 2.  Suffice to say, the Stamps suffered a slight setback in Week 13.  Though they’ve come from behind against the Riders before, they couldn’t muster any overtime magic on the road this time, dropping a tightly-contested 30-25 decision in Regina.  Sure, there were some close calls and non-calls throughout (still don’t see how that wasn’t a fumble after video review in the first quarter!), but in the end, Saskatchewan was just a bit better yesterday.  Oh well, seven wins in the last eight games against the Riders ain’t nothing to shake a stick at–the season series remains in Calgary’s favour should it come down to a tiebreaker in the West.

4. Saskatchewan Roughriders (6-6) Last Week: 5.  Though they finally won one against Calgary, I’m still sticking the Riders a spot below the Stamps in the standings.  That said, they leapfrog the Argos into fourth place by virtue of their starting quarterback being back and looking strong, while Toronto’s franchise signal-caller is in a decidedly dicey situation.  Incidentally, the Riders meet the Argos for the first time two weeks from today on Thanksgiving Monday.  That contest could certainly go either way, but I’ll take Darian Durant over Jarious Jackson any day!

5. Toronto Argonauts (6-6) Last Week: 3.  Losing a starting quarterback in the middle of the season can be devastating for a team.  As a Stamps fan, I should know.  In fact, I was in the stands, right behind the Calgary sideline, when Drew Tate went off with a shoulder injury against Toronto in Week 2.  Thankfully, Calgary had an experienced starter waiting in the wings, having shipped Frownin’ Hank Burris (Hey, his team just lost for the second time to Winnipeg.  Winnipeg!) to Hamilton for Kevin Glenn, who started last season for the Ti-Cats.  Mind you, the Argos have a less-extensive insurance policy in Jarious Jackson.  Sure, he has started in the CFL before, but for the past two seasons, he was riding pine and running sneaks behind reigning MOP Travis Lulay in B.C..  As a matter of fact, Jackson has only attempted 118 passes this decade; the last time he posted 100 completions in a year was 2008.  Did I mention he possesses just a 54.1 career completion percentage and a 1.4-to-1 TD-to-INT ratio?  Get well soon, Ricky!

6. Edmonton Eskimos (5-7) Last Week: 7.  In case you haven’t heard, The Team That Traded Ricky Ray isn’t faring so well in the quarterback department, either.  For the second time in three weeks, the Esks held an opponent to 20 points or less and lost–at home, to boot!  I will give ‘em some credit in that the team that beat ‘em 19-18 this week was the league-leading B.C. Lions, but Steven Jyles’ second-half passing numbers in that game would even have Cleo Lemon shaking his head.  But hey, at least they’ve beaten the Bombers this year, which is more than can be said for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats…

7. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (3-9) Last Week: 8.  They may have the worst record in the league, but with last week’s win at CanadInns, the Bombers earned the tiebreaker over Hamilton by virtue of beating the Tabbies twice this season.  Their record against the rest of the CFL?  A paltry 1-9.  That tiebreaker won’t mean a thing unless they can catch the Edmonton Eskimos, either.  Edmonton needs to post a better record than the third-place team out East to cross over, but Winnipeg would hafta win at least twice themselves a chance–and they only have one more game remaining against the Ti-Cats.  (On the plus side, they have a home date with the Argos, who’ll potentially be without their Ray of hope, on Saturday…)  The other team that’s been beaten by the Bombers this season?  Well, that just happens to be the Eskies, although their season series wrapped up in Week 5.

8. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (4-8) Last Week: 6.  This is a team that, despite scoring 23 more points than anyone else the CFL, still gives up almost 32 points per game.  They even gave up two more than that last week to a team that’s scored just 237 (19.75 ppg) all season.  Their defence is so bad, the Tabbies hafta score 30+ in order to win–and they came up well short of that in Winnipeg.  Then again, Hamilton has just one win in six road games thus far; only winless Winnipeg has done worse.  Thus, I think we’ll probably get a crossover scenario this season if Edmonton can just keep it together.  And hey, who wouldn’t wanna see Ricky Ray against the Eskies in the East Semi-Final?  (Get well soon, Ricky!)

CFL POWER RANKINGS: Week 10

Posted by gruesomegreg on

The CFL’s showcase weekend lived up to its billing this year, with great games in Montreal, Hamilton and Calgary–and an extremely ugly blowout in Regina.  With four rematches starting on Friday, I wouldn’t say there’s a clear winner in any of them, except maybe one.  After a 52-0 loss yesterday, there’s no way I’m betting on the Bombers!

Preseason Predictions

Week 2 Rankings

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Week 7 Rankings

Week 8 Rankings

Week 9 Rankings

Week 10 Power Rankings

1. Montreal Alouettes (6-3) Last Week: 2.  And so we end Week 10 with a new team atop the rankings.  In knocking off the B.C. Lions, Montreal put up as many or more points in the first half than anyone had scored in an entire game against B.C. since the Lions’ last loss back in Week Four.  Sure, this one went down to the wire, but a big red-zone stand by the Alouettes’ D ensured the home team of a win–and the top spot on my list, at least for now.  For what it’s worth, I think B.C.’s perfectly capable of bouncing back on their home turf next week, but a win on the road would certainly cement Montreal’s top-ranked status.

2. B.C. Lions (6-3) Last Week: 1.  Despite a close loss where they just couldn’t convert at the end of the game, the B.C. Lions remain atop the West Division.  And losing to the previously second-ranked team by a mere five points isn’t going to drop them too far in my rankings, either.  If they fail to avenge the loss next weekend, well, that might be a different story…

3. Calgary Stampeders (5-4) Last Week: 3.  As per usual, the Stamps won another game that couldn’t have been any closer; barring overtime, of course.  But full credit to Kevin Glenn and the offence for bouncing back after giving up 14 points in 45 seconds–especially when that second Eskie TD came on an interception return.  If anything, this week’s performance proves that they’re *thismuch* better than Edmonton, although the rematch on Friday looms large…

4. Edmonton Eskimos (5-4) Last Week: 3.  The Eskimos came up just short on the road this evening, being a tackle in the end zone away from overtime.  Hafta give the Stamps the edge for getting the W, but the race for second place in the West remains airtight.  Kudos to Kerry Joseph for turning back the clock and chipping in a 311-yard effort.  The Esks might’ve found themselves a (soon-to-be 39-year-old) starting QB–for this season, anyways…

5. Toronto Argonauts (5-4) Last Week: 5.  Full credit where credit is due: that was an impressive fourth-quarter comeback on the road from a team that had lost its last 16 games when trailing at halftime.  For about 15 minutes, Ricky Ray looked like the Ricky Ray of old, leading a couple big scoring drives downfield.  The flipside of the coin is that they put up their 33-point effort against the CFL’s second-worst defence.  And while a win in Hamilton on Labour Day is always something for a Toronto team to hang its hat on, the Tabbies have now lost four in a row, and were already sitting in seventh place in my rankings coming in.  Thus, just as the win doesn’t advance Toronto in the East Division standings, it also keeps them in the same spot on my list.

6. Saskatchewan Roughriders (4-5) Last Week: 8.  Wow, what a way to snap a five-game losing streak!  The Riders beat Winnipeg from pillar to post in the Prairie edition of the Labour Day Classic, putting up both the highest point total and (by far) the largest margin of victory on this young CFL season.  Of course, they were facing the team with the worst record in the league, but that win’s still worth a two-spot jump in the rankings.

7. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (3-6) Last Week: 7.  The Tabbies put together three decent quarters of football today–but it all came crashing down in the fourth, where they were outscored 22-8.  Henry Burris was just 13-30 for 218 yards, with two interceptions offsetting two TDs, while the league’s second-worst defence (they’ve only given up two points fewer than Winnipeg, even after that 52-0 pounding!) could not offer much resistance when it mattered most.  That’s now four straight losses for a team that once sat atop the East Division (albeit via tiebreaker).  If there was ever a time to turn to Quinton Porter, it would probably be next week…

8. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2-7) Last Week: 6.  Although I stuck Winnipeg up in sixth these past two weeks, they’ve reclaimed their spot in the league’s basement with that devastating loss.  The only positive outlook after that game is that it can’t possibly get any worse next week … can it!?

CFL POWER RANKINGS: Week 9

Posted by gruesomegreg on

The rankings come a bit later this week due to the Argos’ Monday nighter.  Can’t say that game was worth the wait for Toronto fans, but hey, at least they got to see some Olympians.  And while B.C. and Montreal went down to the wire, winning keeps them atop the rankings whereas the good ship Argonaut is starting to sink.  Meanwhile, the Stamps and Eskies look about even heading into Labour Day.  I hate to say this, but if you put a gun to my head and forced me to choose the better team, I’d probably hafta go with Edmonton–but only because if someone’s holding a gun to my head in Alberta, it’s most likely an Edmontonian.

Preseason Predictions

Week 2 Rankings

Week 3 Rankings

Week 4 Rankings

Week 5 Rankings

Week 7 Rankings

Week 8 Rankings

Week 9 Power Rankings

1. B.C. Lions (6-2) Last Week: 1.  With the best record and the best defence in the league, the Lions remain on top of my rankings for the third straight week–although a loss to Winnipeg sure would’ve made things interesting.  Know what else should be interesting?  The Lions and Alouettes face each other twice in the next 11 days…

2. Montreal Alouettes (5-3) Last Week: 2.  When Marc Trestman opted not to go for two halfway through the fourth quarter, he knew that his team was going to score when they got the ball back, and they succeeded in having the ball at the end of the game against Hamilton, kicking the winning field goal with no time on the clock.  Twas a little too close for comfort, perhaps, but that two-point win combined with an Argos loss gives the Als a bit of breathing room in the East Division.

3. (tied) Edmonton Eskimos (5-3) Last Week: 5.  The stout Eskies D gave up two TDs to Toronto, but this time, it actually took more than 17 points to beat Ricky Ray and co, and the offence delivered.  Edmonton found a bit of a spark thanks to 38-year-old Kerry Joseph, who completed 65 per cent of his passes to lead his team to victory, even with two picks.  It was definitely the offence that won this game, weathering a 14-point Argo storm in the third quarter to pull this one off on the road.  Not what you’d usually expect from the Esks.

3. (tied) Calgary Stampeders (4-4) Last Week: 4.  While the sizzling Eskie offence was (sorta) lighting up the scoreboard in The Big Smoke, the Stamps got an unexpectedly strong performance from their D, pitching a shutout in Regina into the fourth quarter.  Sure, the wind played a factor in what turned out to be the lowest-scoring game of the week, but the Stamps took advantage with the wind at their backs early, and held on to beat Saskatchewan for the sixth straight time.  So now Calgary and Edmonton are tied in my books heading into the Battle of Alberta.  But you know I’m still picking the home team in the Labour Day Classic! ;)

5. Toronto Argonauts (4-4) Last Week: 3.  While Ricky Ray can still get up to play Calgary, he doesn’t seem to fare as well against his former team.  In the pass-heavy Argo offence, he still threw for 251 yards, but his new team was practically held off the board for three out of four quarters–and they certainly weren’t helped by his two picks.  Plus, when you take away the 117-yard day from Dontrelle Inman, no other Argo had more than 40 yards receiving.  Not exactly chucking the ball downfield there, is he?

6. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2-6) Last Week: 6.  They may have the worst record in the league, but I’m keeping Winnipeg in the six spot for now.  Hey, they gave B.C. a better run for their money than Saskatchewan, Toronto or Calgary did in the four weeks beforehand, and were a missed field goal away from sending the game into overtime.  Of course, the firing of Paul LaPolice seems to come at an inopportune time, right when it looked like they were turning the corner, but I still think that Joey Elliott gives this team a chance to win week in and week out.  It wouldn’t surprise me to see the Bombers sweep Saskatchewan in the Banjo Bowl series, not in the slightest.

7. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (3-5) Last Week: 7.  Sure, the Tabbies played almost well enough to beat Montreal last week, but the difference between a Grey Cup contender and a team in the midst of a three-game losing streak is that the winners get ‘r done.  Henry Burris can still bomb the ball downfield, but take it from a Stamps fan: he can’t win the big one.  The only year the Stamps even won a playoff game with him at the helm was the Grey Cup season of ’08.  And right now, even making the playoffs is no guarantee for Henry.  That said, I think they can steal at least one game from the Argos these next two weeks.

8. Saskatchewan Roughriders (3-5) Last Week: 8.  The CFL’s longest losing streak was stretched to five as the Riders dropped an ugly game to Calgary with a mere 10-point performance.  If there’s any team that should be firing its head coach at this point of the season, it’s Saskatchewan–mind you, it would be the second year in a row in which they’ve done so.  A loss to the Bombers this weekend would only cement their status as the worst team in the West–and they might hafta kiss that crossover bid goodbye while they’re at it.  Despite a couple of defensive upgrades, this team isn’t really that much better than the one that finished 5-13 last season.  Here’s hoping it’s not too late for those Pilsner-box Heads to get a refund on the Grey Cup tickets they bought back in July…

CFL POWER RANKINGS: Week 8

Posted by gruesomegreg on

Although the top spot remains unchanged, what with B.C. turning in another impressive defensive effort this evening, twas otherwise a lousy week for the West, with both Alberta teams suffering ugly losses at home.  The team that really asserted itself to rise in the rankings was definitely Montreal, with an impressive 38-point performance in Edmonton.  Meanwhile, where the heck do I stick the Argos?  One thing is certain–they belong ahead of Calgary.  The Boatmen have now won five straight against the Stamps…  (Yikes!)

Preseason Predictions

Week 2 Rankings

Week 3 Rankings

Week 4 Rankings

Week 5 Rankings

Week 7 Rankings

Week 8 Power Rankings

1. B.C. Lions (5-2) Last Week: 1.  With the win tonight on their home turf, the Lions have now reeled off three straight–and they’ve been doing it with defence.  B.C. has given up just 22 points since Week Five in beating the Stamps, Argos and Riders, whereas every other team except Toronto allowed at least that many in Week Eight alone.  The Lions’ offence hasn’t exactly been firing on all cylinders (they’ve only scored 42 points over their last two games), but when you hold opponents under 10, you take a lotta pressure off of your playmakers, that’s for sure.  In fact, B.C. held the Riders to just three points (coming off a turnover, at that) until Paul McCallum conceded a two-point safety with seconds to go.  Still, a 24-5 win is nothing to sneeze at.

2. Montreal Alouettes (4-3) Last Week: 4.  Faites du bruit and make some noise, cuz the Als are back, baby!  The best CFL team of the 21st century looked like the Alouettes of old in running their old nemeses in Edmonton out of their own building.  Up by 20 at the half, Calvillo and co stretched it to 38-11 after three quarters before the Esks added a couple TDs in garbage time to make the score more respectable.  The Amazing Anthony turned in another 300-yard, four-TD performance, while backup running back Victor Anderson gained 100 on the ground in his first CFL start.  All this on the road against a team that had given up the fewest points in the league going into Week Eight.  Talk about a statement win!

3. Toronto Argonauts (4-3) Last Week: 7.  I really hesitated before moving the Argos this high.  I don’t think they’re the third-best team in the CFL right now, even if they are technically on top of the East Division (by virtue of beating Montreal in Week 5).  That said, while Toronto’s offensive struggles continue, settling for five field goals against the Stamps, this is by far the best defensive team in the East Division.  And their win last night in Calgary was also their second road victory of the season; the only other squads with two road wins occupy the top two spots in this ranking.  So maybe the Argos do belong after all.  Though they lost an 18-9 snoozefest to the Lions a couple weeks back, they did beat Montreal by 3 at Percival Molson…

4. Calgary Stampeders (3-4) Last Week: 2.  Granted, both B.C. and Toronto boast stout defences, arguably the two toughest in the league.  But to go almost two full games without scoring a touchdown on your home turf is pretty embarrassing.  Though they remain the highest-scoring team in the West, the Stamps are only a plus-four in point differential, while all their division rivals–yes, even Saskatchewan–are at +15 or better.  The CFL’s cardiac kids just couldn’t come up with a comeback last night.  Even if Quincy Butler had gotten both hands on that onside kick, it still would’ve taken a perfect throw–plus an ensuing two-point conversion–to tie the game.  Now it’ll take a road win in Regina to avoid the West Division cellar.  Methinks it’s time for Jon Cornish to call out his blockers again… ;)

5. Edmonton Eskimos (4-3) Last Week: 3.  As ugly as Calgary’s loss to Toronto was last night, I think Edmonton’s loss to Montreal was even worse.  The Als came into Commonwealth and shattered the illusion of the unbreakable Eskimo defence, both running and throwing the ball down their throats.  Offensively, Edmonton’s two QBs barely completed 50 per cent of their passes, while tossing three INTs to just one TD.  And even with the addition of Cory Boyd in the ground game, the team rushed for just 54 yards–though to be fair, they really had to turn to the pass due to being down so many points.  (Mind you, they didn’t deliver in that facet of the offense, either…)  For what it’s worth, I still think the Stamps can beat ‘em on Labour Day, and that’s why Calgary’s one spot ahead of Edmonton in my rankings.

6. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2-5) Last Week: 8.  Call me crazy, but I’m moving Winnipeg out of the doghouse this week.  Considering that the Bombers now sit just two points out of a playoff spot, in spite of their 2-5 record, and that they A) aren’t in the midst of a four-game losing streak and B) beat on the Cats with an impressive offensive outburst last week, I think it’s time for them to discover some uncharted territory–all the way up in sixth place!  Granted, the Ti-Cats don’t have a very good defence, but it seems Winnipeg might have found a starting QB in Joey Elliott, who threw for 400 yards while completing over 75 per cent of his passes last Thursday.  Throw in two rushing touchdowns, a pair of 100-yard receivers and five freakin’ forced fumbles on defence, and you’ve got a pretty decent overall effort, even if they only won by seven.  Kudos to the Bomber fans for selling out the stadium despite their team’s struggles–they’ll be in for a real tough test when they host the Lions on Friday!

7. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (3-4) Last Week: 6.  The Ti-Cats dropped all the way from first with Week Seven’s  home loss to Calgary, and losing to the bottom-feeding Bombers has cost them another spot in the rankings this week.  Admittedly, I left home halfway through the second quarter on Thursday, when it looked like Hamilton had things in hand, although the score suggested that Winnipeg might hang around.  Suffice to say they hung around–and then some.  On paper, it looked like Henry Burris had an excellent game–17-for-25, 368 yards, two TDs–until you get to the right-hand column, where it says he fumbled four times, losing three of them.  One of those turnovers came on the goal line, which certainly made a difference in what ended up as a seven-point loss.  With the worst scoring defence in the CFL, this team needs to put more than 25 points on the board in order to win games.  Their -23 differential thus far shows that they aren’t always able to do so.

8. Saskatchewan Roughriders (3-4) Last Week: 5.  Though the Riders had lost their last three games before tonight, I had kept them around the middle of the pack on the basis that they hadn’t lost by much to Calgary or Hamilton, and that they fell to Edmonton on the road, trying to put a positive spin on things for a team that started 3-0.  But there aren’t any positives that can be gleaned from their performance tonight in Vancouver.  Birthday boy Darian Durant threw for just 170 yards and three picks, they gained just 54 yards on the ground, and their only points outside of their opening “drive” came when B.C. kicker Paul McCallum took a knee in the end zone.  Before the season started, I had Saskatchewan pegged as a seven-win team, and they’ve certainly started to look like it of late.  Interestingly enough, the Riders host Calgary on Saturday with the loser taking sole possession of last place in the West.  We might have a new mainstay at the bottom of these rankings if Saskatchewan doesn’t win that one…

CFL POWER RANKINGS: Week 3

Posted by gruesomegreg on

If you had told me a month ago that the Saskatchewan Roughriders would be the best team in the CFL by mid-July, Ida toldja to run on back to Saskatoon.  But sure enough, the Roughies are 3-0, with a big win over B.C. adding some legitimacy to their record.  Meanwhile, the Stamps are last in the West, but they’re clearly the best 1-2 team in the league, after two tough late losses in the Eastern Timezone.  And it seems the Eskies aren’t the worst team in the league–though it’s starting to look like Winnipeg might hold that title this season.  Here’s how I see things after Week 3.

Preseason Predictions

Week 2 Rankings

Week 3 Power Rankings

1. Saskatchewan Roughriders (3-0) Last Week: 2.  After pasting a pair of patsies in their first two outings, the Riders proved they could play with the best by beating B.C. 23-20 yesterday.  It was hardly a perfect performance–they gave up a ton of yardage on defence, for one thing–but they held the defending Grey Cup champs to less than three TDs, and that has to be recognized.  Will be interesting to see how they fare against the Stamps at McMahon on Thursday.  A big win on the road, and I might hafta stop making Saskatchewan jokes (for a couple weeks, anyways).

2. B.C. Lions (2-1) Last Week: 1.  While the Lions had trouble finding the end zone yesterday, they were still just a couple uncharacteristic Paul McCallum missed kicks away from winning in Regina, a tough place to play.  Thus, the loss doesn’t hurt ‘em too much in my books; they’re still the team to beat as far as I’m concerned.

3. Montreal Alouettes (2-1) Last Week: 3.  Though they wouldn’t have won were it not for a late-game gift from Kevin Glenn, the Als nevertheless fought back from a big deficit to beat the Stamps in style Thursday night.  Their high-scoring performances of the past two weeks show that the Calvillo machine still has some gas in the tank, and Montreal is once again the team to beat out East.

4. Calgary Stampeders (1-2) Last Week: 4.  Though he threw the game away in the fourth quarter, Kevin Glenn had been having a pretty solid second half up to that point.  Drew Tate is out for at least a month, but the Stamps offence has hardly missed a beat, putting up their third-straight 30-point performance.  The downside is that they lost their second straight game by a field goal or less, but had a couple bounces gone their way, this team could easily be 3-0 right now.

5. Edmonton Eskimos (2-1) Last Week: 7.  Coming off a pathetic one-point outing, the Esks certainly had something to prove when they faced off against Winnipeg on Friday night.  While I had expected a low-scoring, hard-fought slobber-knocker, it turns out that the Bombers simply got the slobber knocked out of them, as the tandem of Jyles and Joseph combined for 374 yards and 3 TDs, building up a 35-to-zip halftime lead.  That said, I can’t advance Edmonton more than a couple spots in the standings cuz Winnipeg’s clearly the worst team in the league right now.  Beating them, even by a wide margin, don’t impress-ah me much.

6. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (1-2) Last Week: 6.  A team that many expected to contend in the East this year now finds itself in second place by virtue of its win over Toronto.  The Ti-Cats have bounced back from that embarrassing opening loss with improved results the past two weeks, which culminated in their first win of the season last night.  But let’s not kid ourselves here.  Two of the Tabbies five TDs came on kick returns–take those off the board and they lose the game.  Henry Burris completed less than half of his passes for just 181 yards, while their offence managed just seven points in the second half, allowing the Argos back into the game after building up a 21-0 lead.  This team is far from perfect, but should still be strong enough to secure a playoff spot in the East Division.

7. Toronto Argonauts (1-2) Last Week: 5.  Three weeks into the season, it’s clear that Ricky Ray still has to work out some kinks in this new offence with its inexperienced receiving corps.  After a great home opener, he threw for just 232 yards and no scores last night, tossing a late-game pick to seal his team’s fate.  And while this team has always lived and died on the defensive side of the ball, they’ve given up 91 points through three games, just over 30 per content–which, incredibly, is the fewest in the East, although all four Western teams have much lower totals.  Guess that just goes to show the West is the best…

8. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (0-3) Last Week: 8.  Friday was supposed to be a winnable game for Winnipeg, but instead they gave up 42 points to an Edmonton team that didn’t score more than a rouge the week before.  Clearly suffering from the off-season losses of Odell Willis and Doug Brown, the once-vaunted Bomber D has given up the most points in the league this year–while their offence has scored by far the fewest (only Edmonton even comes close), with just 56.  You’d think they might have a chance to pick up their first win on Wednesday against my seventh-ranked team in Toronto, but then again, I also thought they’d win last week, and we all know how that turned out.  Are they any hot prospects with the University of Manitoba Bison they can take first overall to sell tickets in their new stadium next season?

Are you ready for some Thanksgiving Day football?

Posted by gruesomegreg on

In the States, football and Thanksgiving are intimately linked, with what used to be a doubleheader turning into–what are there, five games now?  And while it might not be quite the holiday staple north of the border, the CFL has long scheduled a Thanksgiving Day doubleheader, with the NFL providing the nitecap with MNF.  Not only that, but the Flames are playing in St. Louis at the early hour of 2 pm–I didn’t know it was a holiday down south!–and thanks to the rain in Texas, there are not one, but two playoff baseball games today.  There’s really no reason to leave the couch today, though I’ll be spending a couple hours in front of my computer to watch the hockey game on Flames Live.

As far as the football goes, we could very well be in for two one-sided matchups.  But as the Montreal Alouettes play host to the lowly Toronto Argos, quarterback Anthony Calvillo needs just 258 yards to pass Damon Allen as pro football’s all-time leading passer.  Worth tuning in to see history being made!  Meanwhile, the Edmonton Eskimos will be looking to bounce back from a rough stretch as they host the shitacular Saskatchewan Roughriders.  A win would give Edmonton a share of first place in the West.  Go Riders! ;)

Perhaps the most hotly-anticipated contest of the day comes on Monday Night Football, where the undefeated Detroit Lions play host to the Chicago Bears, a team that’s tougher than their 2-2 record might suggest.  I gotta say, I’m all for the football resurgence in Buffalo and Detroit–and I’d like to see the Lions win, then go on to knock off the Niners next week, heh heh.

As for the baseball action, I like the Rangers and the Brewers.  I’m currently debating at which sports bar I’ll have Thanksgiving dinner tonite…