Mark Masters
CFL.ca
The Montreal Alouettes are a victim of their own success.
Make no mistake: They are a magnificent well-oiled machine. Nobody in the East Division comes close to touching them.
The West Division teams keep things competitive, but there is little doubt that Anthony Calvillo and co. are the class of the Canadian Football League regular season.
And those last two words are the most important. The regular season, all 18 games, mean precious little come November. Sure, it’d be nice to get a bye to the division championship game, but it really isn’t necessary.
In the last decade, since 1999, every team has made the Grey Cup game at least once. That’s right, even the Hamilton Tiger-Cats were in the big game back in 1999. They won it that year.
The Alouettes are 1-5 in Grey Cup games in the last 10 years. They might as well be coached by Bobby Cox.
In the last 10 years Hamilton is 1-0 in the Grey Cup, ditto for Toronto and Saskatchewan. BC, Calgary and Edmonton are all 2-1. Only Winnipeg, at 0-2, has had a less successful decade in the big game than Montreal.
At the start of October the Alouettes have basically wrapped up the East. The whole West Division is bunched up and an exciting dash to the finish is about to start.
All this means that while Montreal is coasting to the finish everyone else is basically playing playoff-type football. You can see that the calibre of play in the West is already rising.
Meanwhile, down the stretch Montreal will play Toronto twice, Winnipeg twice and Hamilton one more time. Only a home date against Calgary on Thanksgiving Day poses a real test.
Despite their slogan, “Everything Matters” it is hard to make the case that these games matter, except for the need to stay healthy.
Now, it’s still very possible Montreal will cruise to a Grey Cup victory and hoist the coveted chalice at the end of the season, but considering how little adversity they have faced it may be a more difficult task than it appears right now.
PLAYOFF PROJECTIONS
This week we can officially close the door (it was only open a crack anyway) on the Toronto Argonauts. Meanwhile, we may be finally getting some separation in the West.
EAST
1. Montreal (10-2)
Projection: First in the East
Quick hit: The gulf between Montreal and the rest of the East is larger than the gulf between Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and sanity.
Biggest challenge: Staying awake
2. Hamilton (6-6)
Projection: Second in the East
Quick hit: Okay, so that was ugly … very, very ugly. Hamilton is no match for Montreal right now, but they are still in a great position to host a playoff game.
Biggest challenge: Figuring out who will start at quarterback in the playoffs
3. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (4-8)
Projection: Third in the East, miss the playoffs
Quick hit: With a bunch of home games still on the schedule, including one against the BC Lions, the Bombers still have hope.
Biggest challenge: Avoid further irritating a restless fan base
4. Toronto Argonauts (3-9)
Projection: Fourth in the East, miss the playoffs
Quick hit: The offence is stunningly bad.
Biggest challenge: Remaining relevant in Toronto as the NHL season gets underway
WEST
1. Calgary Stampeders (7-5)
Projection: First in West
Quick hit: If you erase their 0-2 start, which included a loss to Winnipeg (shudder) then they are 7-3.
Biggest challenge: Stopping the run … in their last three games they have surrendered 162 yards (vs. BC), 154 yards (@ HAM) and 129 yards (@ EDM) on the ground.
2. Saskatchewan Roughriders (7-5)
Projection: Second in the West
Quick hit: Darian Durant responded with a good game in tough territory on Saturday night.
Biggest challenge: Be more consistent
3. Edmonton Eskimos (6-5)
Projection: Third in the West
Quick hit: Even after the loss at home Saturday the Eskimos still won the season series against Saskatchewan, meaning all they need to do is make up one game in order to get a home playoff date.
Biggest challenge: Removing all shovels from in and around their practice facility … oh and getting Tristan Jackson (knee) healthy.
4. BC Lions (5-7)
Projection: Fourth in the West, crossover to East as third seed
Quick hit: The Lions continue to struggle, but running back Martell Mallett keeps motoring on. He had 136 yards and a major against Calgary.
Biggest challenge: Figuring out what to do with Casey Printers
TWEETS OF THE WEEK
Last week this space was dedicated to the celebration of Wally Buono and his magnificent coaching career. That meant the Tweets of the Week didn’t see the light of day. Therefore, this week we bring you a supersized edition …
We start with one from two weeks ago, but it’s too good not to make it in here.
@GlenSuitor Bob Young may be the most unassuming owner in the league….he just entered Ivor Wynne and was asked by security to show a press pass.
Jerry Jones he is not, but the low-key Hamilton Tiger-Cats owner is just another reason to root for the feel-good story of the CFL season.
A Commonwealth Stadium record-setting crowd of 62,517 attended the Eskimos game on Saturday and that should warm the hearts of CFL fans coast-to-coast.
@colmcanada Always makes me warm inside when the #esks sell-out a home game. #cfl #yeg
Although, Saskatchewan’s Tad Kornegay suggests it wasn’t all Green and Gold in the stands in the Alberta capital.
@T2daK It was 62,000 at the game today in Edmonton and it probably was 40,000 of Rider Nation!!! 23-20 Victory for US!
BC Lions receiver Geroy Simon seems to think former CFL Most Outstanding Player Casey Printers is ready to finally recapture the form that took BC to the Grey Cup game in 2004.
@GeroySimon Printers looks like his old self. I’m happy he’s back.
The question is does Wally Buono agree and, if so, will he give Printers a start any time soon?
Finally, we’ll end by allowing Bombers nation to let off a little steam …
@SarahBertrand BOMBERS WON! I REPEAT BOMBERS WON!!!!! #CFL
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