Weekly Predictor: Win No. 2 for Edmonton?

Jamie Nye

CFL.ca

@jamienye

Week 9 in the CFL was an interesting week.

The Bombers on a short week completely dismantled a rested Lions team coming off the bye.

The 0-7 Elks went into Mosaic Stadium, where the Riders rush defence has been best in the league, and ran for nearly 300 yards.

Calgary mounted an epic fourth quarter comeback to beat Toronto.

Let’s just say those are clearly things I DID NOT see coming when I submitted my picks last week.

Now going into this week, everyone should be second guessing what could happen in the CFL.

The parity in the league is closer than some of the records right now may indicate and the Elks with Tre Ford create a heck of mismatch for defences to try and contain him in the run game.

And now the BC Lions without Vernon Adams Jr. makes for an interesting few weeks ahead with them and the now struggling Saskatchewan Roughriders trying to fend off their western counterparts.

Saskatchewan at Ottawa
Thursday, August 9
7:30 p.m. ET

I was all ready to write off the Roughriders this week because of the short week and Ottawa coming off a bye, but that was the scenario for the Bombers last week and they shutout the Lions.

Shea Patterson more than likely starts his final game for the Riders with Trevor Harris cleared to practice this week as he’s set to come off the six-game injured list next week vs. Montreal.

Patterson was able to put the ball in the end zone a few times last week, which is a welcome sign for a team who hasn’t scored a lot of touchdowns in the previous few games.

But there are more injuries and departures along the offensive line again this week as the Riders will be three deep at left guard and four deep at right tackle. That’s not good news when you matchup against a defensive line that has Lorenzo Mauldin IV and upstart defensive end Bryce Carter.

In Ottawa, Dru Brown has been everything they wanted when they went out and got him from the Bombers. He’s still a raw talent starting this season but he’s starting to settle in.

Add to that a receiving corps that started with impressive players like Justin Hardy, Dominique Rhymes and Jaelon Acklin. Now you add Kalil Pimpleton to the group?

Yikes.

PICK: OTTAWA

Calgary at Toronto
Friday, August 9
7:30 p.m. ET

These two teams are the definition of having what it takes if you can figure it out before it’s too late.

And now they play the second half of a back-to-back after the Argonauts just blew the first half by being outscored 21-0 in the fourth quarter.

Jake Maier had a fourth quarter to remind us of what he’s capable of doing but what we don’t see on a sustained level.

It feels like Cameron Dukes is fading from a nice start to the regular season. Toronto is last in offensive yards this season and seventh in offensive scoring. Toronto is second in the league overall in scoring thanks to five defensive/special teams touchdowns, which leads the league.

So if Jake Maier can avoid the big mistake, I think the Stamps could pull of wins in back-to-back games.

Toronto, however, is going to rally after that loss last week and I’ll do the safe bet of going with the home team split in the series, which is the way it usually goes in the CFL when the home team wins the first one.

PICK: TORONTO

Hamilton at Montreal
Saturday, August 10
7:00 p.m. ET

As I wrote on CFL.ca last week, the Tiger-Cats had a chance to show that they belonged in the conversation against the Montreal Alouettes.

Well, they failed their first test but have another one this coming Saturday.

The Alouettes once again created turnovers and capitalized, while the Tiger-Cats couldn’t find a big play at the right time as Montreal pulled away in the second half.

Bo Levi Mitchell still looks like he’s got it but again inconsistencies and a porous defence are never going to beat Grey Cup contenders like the Alouettes.

It’ll be another start to the week to see if Cody Fajardo is actually back after being removed from the six-game injured list, though Davis Alexander and Caleb Evans proved it hasn’t mattered with a 2-0 record without their starting quarterback.

The Tiger-Cats could still give the ball to James Butler more as he averages over five yards per carry and you get the feeling the Tiger-Cats offensive line LOVES run block.

PICK: MONTREAL

BC at Edmonton
Sunday, August 11
7:00 p.m. ET

We wrap up the week with the two biggest surprises from last week; the Lions getting shut out and the Elks winning their first game of the season.

We now know what the Elks look like for a full game with Tre Ford and it’s trouble for the opposition. We also saw Javon Leake run the ball and the speed he brings out of the backfield is another major factor to deal with.

The Lions will turn to Jake Dolegala this week after the injury to Vernon Adams Jr. The former Roughrider quarterback has a big arm and the desire to hit the big play. With the talented receiving group he has to utilize, it’ll be interesting to see.

But if there is a defensive coordinator who will have a book on what to do against Dolegala, it’ll be Jason Shivers in Edmonton. He was the Riders defensive coordinator and his defence ran a lot against Dolegala in practice last season.

I’m also keeping in mind that the week after Adams Jr. went down last season, the Lions went to Edmonton and shutout the Elks with Dane Evans at quarterback.

My head is saying Elks, my gut is telling me the Lions respond to their loss in big way. The last time I went with my gut it did not go well.

PICK: EDMONTON

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