Daniel Crump/CFL.ca
OK Tire Labour Day Weekend is here!
It’s one of the best weekends of the CFL season and I just know we’re going to be treated to four incredible matchups.
The intensity ramps up as heated rivals go head-to-head and that always makes for some exciting football. I can’t wait.
OK TIRE LABOUR DAY WEEKEND
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Things start in Victoria, B.C. as the BC Lions and Ottawa REDBLACKS meet for Touchdown Pacific on Saturday night.
Then on Sunday, the three traditional rivalry games get underway starting with the Saskatchewan Roughriders hosting the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Monday’s doubleheader starts at Tim Hortons Field as the Toronto Argonauts pay a visit to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for the Battle of the QEW. And finally, the week ends in Calgary as the Stampeders welcome the Edmonton Elks for the Battle of Alberta.
To get you set for the week, here’s one storyline to follow in each Labour Day Weekend matchup.
I CAN’T WAIT TO GET ON THE ROAD AGAIN…
Ottawa at BC | Saturday, August 31 | 7:00 p.m. ET
The only losses the red-hot Ottawa REDBLACKS have tallied this season have come on the road. They’re 2-2 away from TD Place, where the team has enjoyed a 5-0-1 start to the year. It must feel nice to see some wins, eh, REDBLACKS fans?
This Touchdown Pacific matchup is technically a BC Lions home game but it won’t be played a BC Place. The teams will meet in Victoria, B.C. at Royal Athletic Park.
Can Ottawa keep their winning ways going with a win on the road in an unfamiliar building? Or will BC get their first victory since Week 6?
Last week’s contest was a nice preview of what’s to come for the Labour Day Weekend opener.
After a sluggish start to his return to the CFL in Week 11, Nathan Rourke settled in against Ottawa, completing 22 of 31 passes for 234 yards and an interception. He’s been confirmed as the starter for this game and will be looking for his best performance of 2024 this week.
On the other side, Dru Brown lit up the BC defence, throwing for 390 yards, three touchdowns, and a pick in his team’s win. He’ll hope to lead his REDBLACKS to their third win on the road on Saturday and build on their 5-0-1 record in their last six games.
THE BATTLE FOR FIRST IN THE WEST
Winnipeg at Saskatchewan | Sunday, September 1 | 7:00 p.m. ET
It’s rather remarkable that after starting the season 0-4, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have a chance to jump into first place in the West Division with a win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders this week. As if the Labour Day Weekend matchup between these two teams wasn’t exciting enough, this added layer makes this game even more important for either side.
The Bombers currently sit 5-6 while the Roughriders are 5-5-1, just one point ahead of their rivals.
Both teams have gone in different directions recently. Winnipeg has won three in a row and four of their last six. Saskatchewan has gone 0-4-1 in their last five.
Interestingly enough, the last time the Roughriders won was in Week 7 against Winnipeg.
A lot has changed since that game, but Saskatchewan will be hoping to get back in the win column to add a bit of distance between them and the Bombers in the standings. Winnipeg is hoping for quite the opposite, heading into Mosaic trying to improve on their 1-4 record on the road with their fourth-straight victory.
CAN HAMILTON START TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER?
Toronto at Hamilton | Monday, September 2 | 2:30 p.m. ET
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are 2-9 on the season as they head into their Labour Day Weekend matchup against Toronto and while that isn’t a good record by any means, last week’s game against the surging Bombers was something to build on for Scott Milanovich’s group.
Hamilton’s defence was led by Chris Jones, the team’s new senior defensive assistant, and looked solid against Winnipeg, despite the loss. They picked off Zach Collaros three times and had just as many sacks. They unit also allowed just 177 passing yards and 26 points; heading into Week 12, they were giving up a league-worst 33.4 points per game and a mid-pack 279.4 yards through the air per game.
Bo Levi Mitchell took care of the football against a stingy Winnipeg defence; he did not throw an interception after throwing at least one pick in each of his last five outings.
Despite only winning two games this season, Hamilton does lead the CFL in passing touchdowns (22), passing yards (320.1 per game) and net offence (385.5 per game),
So now it begs the question: if the Ticats can tighten up on defence (they have given up a CFL-high 37 touchdowns so far this year and have allowed a league-high 142 total points in the fourth quarter) and Mitchell keeps things clean, will they make a push in the second half of the season?
A win against Toronto this week will be essential for the Tabbies if they want to start to make up ground in the difficult East Division.
THE THIRD QUARTER MATTERS, TOO, YA KNOW
Calgary at Edmonton | Monday, September 2 | 6:00 p.m. ET
A common theme for the Edmonton Elks and the Calgary Stampeders has been their struggle to put points on the board in the third quarter.
Through the first 12 weeks of the season, Edmonton has just 19 points total coming out of the half. That’s compared to their fourth quarter scoring, which is at a whopping 123 total points. The Elks also haven’t scored a single third quarter point since Week 6. The Stampeders have found the same sluggish start to the second half of games, with just 23 points scored in the 15 minutes following the break.
With a massive Labour Day Classic matchup between these two teams, who are separated by just two points in the standings, on the horizon, it’ll be essential for both to try to get better in the third quarter on Monday.
Edmonton is the best team at converting in the red zone, scoring touchdowns on 73.7 per cent of their trips inside the 20-yard line. In 38 red zone opportunities (most in the CFL), the Elks have scored 28 majors. Whoever starts at quarterback, McLeod Bethel-Thompson or Tre Ford, will want to capitalize on their success deep in their opponent’s zone this weekend by coming out of half time with any necessary adjustments to move the ball down the field.
The Stampeders have been playing well at McMahon Stadium (4-1) and will need their defence to continue to take the ball away from their opposition and keep Edmonton’s third quarter production at bay. Corners Tre Roberson and Demerio Houston are tied for second in the CFL with the most defensive takeaways this season. Roberson has three picks and a fumble recovery while Houston has four interceptions.
Who comes out on top of the first of the home-and-home series? Find out as Week 13 wraps up on Monday night.
