You hear that roar on the west coast?
That’s the sound of a lot of our preseason picks to go the distance, waking from their early-summer slumber and running up the standings.
The BC Lions definitely sent a message with their dominant win over the defending Grey Cup champs, the team’s fourth straight win after starting the season 1-5.
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Only two wins separate the Riders, at six wins, and the Tiger-Cats and Stampeders, at four, with the Argos, Bombers and Lions sandwiched in between.
Only the Alouettes and the Elks can feel any comfort about their playoff hopes, but even Edmonton could be in a pressure cooker in a few weeks if they stumble down the stretch.
The games coming up will be harder and harder to predict, however, all four of my picks this week are confident selections – which likely spells doom for the four teams I pick to win.
MONTREAL AT WINNIPEG
Friday, August 28
8:30 p.m. ET
TSN/RDS/CFL+
After a slow start to the game against Ottawa, the Alouettes snapped out of it and made quick work of the REDBLACKS for the majority of that game.
After this one, the Alouettes play the Lions and the Riders in four of their last seven games, so the schedule will stiffen up for Montreal.
The Bombers continue to rest veterans during practice as the bumps and bruises add up. Zach Collaros did not land on the injury report, but reports indicate he didn’t take his usual reps during the first practice of the week.
Those types of things concern me when a team’s starters aren’t getting the physical reps to prep for a game – veteran or not.
Then add to that, you have a Montreal team coming in that doesn’t appear to be showing any blemishes.
Yes, I’m picking Montreal to leave a Winnipeg home crowd disappointed again.
PICK: MONTREAL
HAMILTON AT CALGARY
Saturday, August 29
3:00 p.m. ET
TSN/RDS2/CTV/CRAVE/CFL+
The bye week couldn’t come soon enough for the Stampeders. The Stamps have one of the tougher schedules after having a Week 2 bye. The team had nine straight games until its next bye week – which just occurred in Week 12. Now they’ll have eight straight games before their final bye week in the final week of the regular season.
The Stamps needed a break for the coaching staff to recalibrate, especially on defence. I think Bob Slowik and Dave Dickenson would have used the bye week to figure out the right scheme and personnel they need to have success moving forward.
Now, in come the Tiger-Cats, whose inconsistency on offence has been the most consistent part of Hamilton’s season since Bo Levi Mitchell went down.
Hamilton went back to Tre Ford with Harrison Frost banged up and I’m sure this week will be another week of pondering who will start at quarterback.
I just don’t see that as a healthy environment to get the best out of an offence. The Tiger-Cats defence can definitely hold them in games, but I think Vernon Adams Jr. will be too much to handle for the Tiger-Cats on Saturday afternoon.
PICK: CALGARY
TORONTO AT SASKATCHEWAN
Saturday, August 29
7:00 p.m. ET
TSN/CFL+
Toronto will look to take both games at Mosaic Stadium this year after winning at Mosaic earlier in the year.
The Riders need a wake-up call after back-to-back lacklustre losses to Hamilton and BC.
Trevor Harris has thrown four interceptions in those games and by the end of the Lions game, you saw him as visibly frustrated as we’ve seen him over the last two years with the Riders. I think that type of fire can actually be spun into a positive for the Riders as they have not played up to their standard and the loss to BC has to be a reality check for Saskatchewan.
Harris and the receivers weren’t on the same page in either loss and the defence continues to struggle turning over the football.
In come the Argonauts trying to carry momentum over after a big second half performance for a major win over Hamilton in Week 12.
The thing to look out for is whether or not the Argos can keep the ground game going after a 99-yard effort by Isaiah Smith last week with another 37 yards added on by Qualan Jones.
The Riders do have a top run-stopping defence, so it’ll come down to Kelly vs. Harris, and I don’t see the Riders dropping two home games to Toronto this season.
PICK: SASKATCHEWAN
BC AT OTTAWA
Sunday, August 30
7:00 p.m. ET
TSN/RDS2/CBSSN/CFL+
Ottawa will win a game this season. I just don’t think it will be this week.
The 0-10 REDBLACKS are taking on the second-best team in the CFL right now in the BC Lions, who are on the aforementioned four-game winning streak.
Are the Lions perfect? No!
But the personnel moves they continue to make to improve the team are working as Zander Horvath and Parker McKenna have earned bigger roles on both sides of the ball.
Ottawa doesn’t need just one or two things to go right early. They need four or five if they’re going to believe they can pull out wins. They are understandably frustrated, but when games start to shift on the REDBLACKS, it starts snowballing. One mistake after another will get tiring for the team.
I’m trying to watch and see a player who can spark this Ottawa team but I don’t see anybody making that extra effort play to help get them over the top.
The Lions are finding the right recipe right now and while it’s hard to win five straight games in any league, the Lions don’t seem like a team playing at the moment that will allow Ottawa off the mat.
PICK: BC
