Walter Tychnowicz/CFL.ca
TORONTO — In the end, no one could predict the outcome of last week’s marquee matchup — a tie between the Stamps and REDBLACKS.
It starts again on Saturday night, the final matchup of Week 4, as the Riders look for their first win under Chris Jones in a home date with the BC Lions.
It may only be Week 4, but Saturday night’s clash could have major playoff implications for both teams involved.
Coming off a three-win season, the Riders have looked like a much different team under Jones through two games and that’s because they very much are. But despite playing well, including most recently taking the defending Grey Cup Champions to overtime, they can ill afford to start 0-3 in the highly-competitive West.
The Lions started their season with a bang after back-to-back wins and a 2-0 record, including a rare win at Hamilton’s Tim Hortons Field. Momentum was soon lost, however, with a loss to the Argos at home in which the offence struggled to find the end zone.
For two teams that appear to be on the right track so far, nothing will suffice but the win when it comes to Friday night.
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These don’t look like your Riders of old. Last week a timely turnover, two Darian Durant touchdown passes and a surprise onside kick helped the Riders rally from two scores down to take the lead with 19 seconds left against the defending Grey Cup Champs, only to lose in overtime.
The Lions also have plenty to prove and perhaps a quarterback controversy on their hands, as Jennings hasn’t been able to capture the same magic of late 2015 and last week he was replaced by Travis Lulay, who showed more effectiveness in the BC offence.
CFL.ca Writer Picks
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| Landry (1-0-1) | Cauz (0-1-1) |
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| Nye (1-0-1) | Morris (1-0-1) | Dunk (1-0-1) | Pedersen (0-1-1) | Steinberg (1-0-1) |
The Riders are the favourite among both the fans and the writers, but on paper these teams appear evenly-matched. The battle between Durant and Jennings could be an explosive one, while two different generations of coaching greats in Chris Jones and Wally Buono will match wits on the sidelines.
Keep an eye on the pick trend and if you haven’t already, log in and make your pick! Kickoff is Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. ET.
