CFL.ca Game Notes: A look at Week 4

CFL.ca Staff

TORONTO — Week 4 kicks off in Montreal where the Hamilton Tiger-Cats take on the Montreal Alouettes. With an injury sidelining Jeremiah Masoli, Dane Evans will be in control of the Ticats offence as they look to get their first win of the 2021 season. On the other side, fresh off a loss last week, the Alouettes are hoping to get back into the win column in their first game at home of 2021.

Then things move to Ottawa where the REDBLACKS host the BC Lions in their home opener. It’s a special night for one man behind the bench as Rick Campbell makes his return to the nation’s capital for the first time since leaving to join the Lions. On the home side, Matt Nichols and co. will hope to tame the Lions this week and give RNation a victory on Saturday night.

And finally, the week ends in Winnipeg as the Calgary Stampeders take on the Blue Bombers. It’s still Jake Maier‘s team in Calgary as Bo Levi Mitchell recovers from a broken leg. His challenge this week is a stout Winnipeg defence led by Willie Jefferson and Jackson Jeffcoat. Can he continue the magic we saw last week? Find out on Sunday night.

Hamilton at Montreal will be on TSN, RDS, ESPNEWS, BT Sport 3, Yare
BC at Ottawa will be on TSN, RDS, ESPN+, BT Sport 3, Yare
Calgary at Winnipeg will be on TSN, RDS, ESPN2, BT Sport 1, Yare

TICATS TANGLE WITH THE ALOUETTES

This is the first East Division matchup for both teams entering Week 4 play.
The last regular season home game for the Alouettes was October 26, 2019 – 671 days between regular season home games.
Hamilton is coming off a bye and have won four of the last six games following a bye.
The Tiger-Cats has won seven of the last 11 games against Montreal and five of their last six visits to Molson Stadium.
Hamilton is looking to avoid an 0-3 start for the first time since 2017. Last year, Hamilton was 7-1 versus East Division teams. The lone loss came against Montreal.
Montreal has been good coming off a loss. In their past five losses, the Alouettes won the next game all five times.
Last season, Brandon Banks feasted against the Alouettes. In three games he registered 439 receiving yards on 25 receptions and three touchdowns. Banks registered 201 yards, 152 yards and 86 yards in those games.
Masoli started two of those games against Montreal and each game registered 400+ passing yards. In the other game, Dane Evans started he passed for 379 yards and four touchdown passes.
Montreal leads the league in rushing with 155.5 yards per game and Hamilton allows the highest rushing average, 6.2 yards per rush.

RICK CAMPBELL RETURNS TO TD PLACE

BC head coach Rick Campbell will make his return to Ottawa after coaching the first six seasons of the Ottawa REDBLACKS’ existence.
During those six seasons, Campbell led the team to four playoff appearances, three Grey Cup appearances and winning a Grey Cup in 2016.
The Grey Cup victory was the first since 1976 for an Ottawa team.
Campbell finished with a record of 44-62-2.
As a REDBLACKS coach, Campbell was 5-7 versus the BC Lions.
Campbell’s current quarterback, Michael Reilly, is 7-3 against Ottawa in his career.

MAIER’S FIRST START, FIRST WIN

In first-career start, Jake Maier passed for 304 yards and a touchdown to help get the Calgary Stampeders in the win column with a 28-22 victory over Montreal.
Maier became the 37^th player to pass for 300+ yards in his CFL debut. Of those 37 to manage that feat, he became the 18^th to do so in a win.
Interestingly, of those 18 players, only three players were Calgary Stampeders. The two before him were Jeff Garcia in 1995 and current teammate of Maier, Bo Levi Mitchell, in 2013.
Below are the stat lines from those games:
- 1995 | Jeff Garcia | 26 of 34 passing | 445 yards | 2 TDs
- 2013 | Bo Levi Mitchell | 29 of 33 passing | 376 yards | 3 TDs

SPECIAL TEAMS TACKLES BENCHMARK

Riverview, New Brunswick native, Mike Miller recorded three Special Teams Tackles in the game on Saturday against Toronto Argonauts to become the league’s All-Time leader, passing Jason Arakgi.
Miller has played in 161 games and registering 192 special teams tackles. In those 161 games he has had 53 games multiple tackles and at least one special teams tackle in 109 of those games.
The special teams ace also shares the CFL record with seven special teams tackles in a single game. He managed this feat on July 5, 2019 against the Ottawa REDBLACKS. He shares it with Paul Clatney (CGY, 1991), Terry Wright (HAM, 1991), Brendan Rogers (WPG, 1994), Norman Bradford (SHR, 1995), Donovan Gans (BHM, 1995) and Darren Jackson (OTT, 2003).

QUICK SLANTS

Get to the QB: No team who has allowed a sack on a drive has scored a touchdown this year.
58% of games this year have been decided in the final three minutes.
The current margin of victory this year has been 9.4 points.
Average game time this season is 2:51.
Ottawa’s Avery Williams is on a torrid pace this season with 23 tackles in two games – 11.5 tackles per game. He leads the league in tackles through three weeks and Canadian Jordan Williams is second with 20 tackles.
Punting Battle: Jon Ryan leads the league with 49.4 yards per punt this year. However, Richie Leone leads the league with 43.9 yards net punting average. Only two players finished a season with a 40+ yard net punting average: Josh Miller 40.7 yards (1995) and Damon Duval 40.2 yards (2006).
As a league, kickers are 8 of 14 (57%) on 50+ yard field goals. Three kickers have made multiple: Sean Whyte (3/3), Lewis Ward (2/3) and Boris Bede (2/4). The record for most 50+ yard field goals made in a season is eight held by J.T. Hay (CGY, 1986) and Carlos Huerta (BAL, 1995).
Saskatchewan and Calgary have not missed a field goal attempt this season each going a perfect 9/9.
Week 3 set new season-highs in receiving yards and rushing yards in a game. Greg Ellingson snagged nine receptions for 148 receiving yards. It marked his 24^th career game with 100+ yards. His teammate, James Wilder Jr., recorded 127 yards rushing on 22 carries.
Winnipeg’s Kenny Lawler and Saskatchewan’s Kyran Moore lead the league with 19 receptions each. BC’s Bryan Burnham leads the league with an average reception of 18.8 yards (minimum eight receptions).

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