Arthur Ward/CFL.ca
TORONTO — Whether you’re a CFL team, a Total CFL Pick ‘Em player or a CFL.ca writer, there’s a lot on the line, and all of it continues as Mark’s Labour Day Weekend gets set in the Canadian Football League.
The weekend kicks off with a tilt between the Ottawa REDBLACKS and Montreal Alouettes. It’s a weekend that hasn’t fallen short of storylines regardless of which matchup you look at, and is sure to bring ample amount of excitement as it all gets wrapped up with the marked date on just about everyone’s calendar – the Labour Day Classic.
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MTL at OTT
The last time these two teams met Trevor Harris went off on the Alouettes defence. Despite the relatively close score, Harris threw for 487 yards and completed 44 of his 54 pass attempts, one completion shy of tying Henry Burris‘ CFL record.
That was also the second start for Johnny Manziel. Since then, however, due to an injury to Manziel, Antonio Pipkin has been the Alouettes starting quarterback for the last two games. Under Pipkin, the Als have gone 1-1, as he’s passed for 520 yards and a touchdown to interception ratio of 1-2. Manziel has since been cleared of the concussion protocol, leaving Mike Sherman to make the decision on who will be his signal-caller come Friday in Ottawa.
The CFL.ca writers have unanimously picked the REDBLACKS to come out on top, which can certainly be understandable since the performance Harris had in their previous meeting, not to mention the 11 receptions for 148 yards and a touchdown that Brad Sinopoli had in their Week 4 meeting earlier in the season.
PICK
Writers: 100% Ottawa
Fans: 95% Ottawa
WPG at SSK
It’s the game to set up what will likely be a thrilling Banjo Bowl the week following Labour Day.
Saskatchewan looks to be the clear winner, but then again, it’s Labour Day Weekend and anything can really happen.
The Roughriders have been trotting along since Collaros returned from injury, going 2-1 since, including handing the Stampeders their first loss of the season. Meanwhile, for the Bombers, they’ve lost two straight and neither have looked pretty. The anticipation to see whether the Riders continue to improve or whether the Bombers figure things out is so high.
Andrew Harris continues to lead the league in rushing yards, but faced a strong defensive line anchored by August’s Top Performer Charleston Hughes, who leads the league with 12 sacks. Can Harris continue his dominance on the ground, or will Saskatchewan come out on top with their run-by-committee between Tre Mason and Marcus Thigpen?
PICK
Writers: 100% Saskatchewan
Fans: 73% Saskatchewan
EDM at CGY
The Edmonton Eskimos have not won a Labour Day Classic in Calgary since 2011. In fact, since then, the Stampeders have outscored the Eskimos 196-126 on Labour Day – an average score of 33-21.
Both Calgary and Edmonton have regularly been the two top-seeded teams in the West Division, and this year is no different. The two teams come into Monday’s matchup as the West’s no. 1 and 2 ranked teams in the standings – Calgary with a 8-1 record while Edmonton trails at 6-4.
The league-leading air-tandem of Mike Reilly and Duke Williams, along with Derel Walker hope to find an answer for the Stampeders defence. Meanwhile, Kamar Jorden is coming off of a game in which he set the franchise record for most receiving yards in a game last week. Bo Levi Mitchell will be hoping to connect with him early and often on Monday as they look to win their seventh consecutive Labour Day Classic.
PICK
Writers: 83% Calgary
Fans: 84% Calgary
TOR at HAM
Can the Toronto Argonauts figure out a way to win their first Labour Day Classic at Tim Hortons Field since its opening back in 2014?
The final game of what’s set to be an incredible weekend of football will conclude with the answer to that question on Monday.
The performance of James Wilder Jr. will be a key to bringing a ‘W’ to the Double Blue, as the Ticats rank among one of the league’s weaker teams against the run, which could greatly benefit Wilder. If he’s able to run loose on the Tabbies, it’ll also help open up the passing game for McLeod Bethel-Thompson, as he continues to show signs of great comfort since taking over the Argonauts quarterback position.
Hamilton’s come from behind win against the Eskimos left Tim Hortons Field rocking as Lirim Hajrullahu kicked a walk-off field goal to win the game. That momentum, if the Ticats can carry it over, runs the risk of the Argos Labour Day triumph being pushed off for another year.
PICK
Writers: 67% Hamilton
Fans: 86% Hamilton
