Toronto, ON (Best E Casino) -
BRITISH COLUMBIA LIONS (8-5) AT TORONTO ARGONAUTS (4-9)
DATE & TIME: Friday, October 3rd, 7 p.m. (et).
GAME NOTES: Kerry Joseph is back as the Toronto Argonauts starting quarterback for this week's game against British Columbia.
New Argos head coach Don Matthews benched Joseph in favor of sophomore Cody Pickett two weeks ago. But after consecutive losses to the Calgary Stampeders, Matthews announced this week that Joseph, the CFL's outstanding player last year, would return under center.
Granted, Pickett was 0-2 in his stint as the starter, but there could also be another method to Matthews' madness.
The British Columbia defense is the CFL's best at pressuring the quarterback, and the unit comes into the contest as the league's runaway leader in sacks with 52 -- 18 more than second-place Montreal.
What's more, B.C. boasts the top two individual pass rushers in defensive ends Cameron Wake (18 sacks) and Brent Johnson (9 sacks). Wake is just 8.5 sacks short of tying the CFL's single-season record.
The league's top rookie and defensive player last year, Wake is making a very strong case to not only repeat as the league's best defensive performer but also garner attention as B.C.'s nominee for the CFL's outstanding player honor.
One of Joseph's assets is his mobility. He has the ability to not only escape a pass rush but make decent gains up the field. The expectation is that given the Lions' ability to get to the quarterback, Joseph will definitely be on the run much of the contest.
Toronto will be without its most potent weapon. Special teams star Dominique Dorsey, the CFL's all-purpose yardage leader, suffered knee and ankle injuries in last week's 44-16 home loss to Calgary. He'll be out three-to-four weeks.
But these are two teams heading in different directions.
The Argos have lost four straight games and six of their last seven. Matthews is a dismal 0-3 since replacing Rich Stubler, who was fired, with Toronto having been outscored by a whopping 117-29 margin over that span.
B.C., on the other hand, has won its last four games to climb back into contention for top spot in the West Division. The Lions have finished first in the West each of the last four years.
Buck Pierce will get the start at quarterback. He was 19-of-29 for 290 yards with three touchdowns and one interception in last week's 40-10 win over Hamilton.
Veteran Geroy Simon had five catches for 132 yards and two touchdowns.
The numbers: B.C. is 3-3 on the road this year and 5-1 against East Division teams. Toronto is 2-4 at home and 1-4 versus Western clubs.
Keys to the game: There's no doubt the Lions' defense will be coming after Joseph. However, the veteran quarterback does have the foot speed to elude the rush.
Trouble is, though, Toronto's offense has struggled mightily this year. The Argos are last in scoring (18.6 points per game), total offense (326 yards), rushing (84.5 yards), seventh in sacks allowed (30) and sixth in passing (268 yards.
Compare that to the Lions' defense, which is ranked first in fewest yards allowed (344 yards) and interceptions (22), second in pass defense (269 yards per game) and third against the run (105 yards).
Joseph's mobility should help, but there's not much to suggest the Argos offense is capable of winning the battle against a staunch B.C. defense.
Best E Casino Predicted Outcome: B.C. 27, Toronto 19.
CALGARY STAMPEDERS (9-4) AT SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (8-5)
DATE & TIME: Friday, October 3rd, 10 p.m. (et).
GAME NOTES: These are indeed tough times for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
The Riders were the CFL's best team to start the season, winning their first six games despite an abundance of injuries. But Saskatchewan has managed just two wins over its last seven games to fall back into a tie for second in the West Division standings.
The Roughriders were held without a touchdown in last week's 37-12 loss to the Montreal Alouettes. Quarterback Michael Bishop was 23-of-42 passing for 364 yards but also had two interceptions.
Saskatchewan was without running back Wes Cates, the CFL's rushing leader with 1,055 yards. And the Riders certainly missed Cates, running for just 35 yards against Montreal.
Bishop will get the start against Calgary but the expectation is that head coach Ken Miller, given the magnitude of this game, won't hesitate to make a quarterback change should Bishop struggle. Darian Durant will be waiting in the wings.
The Roughriders will face a Calgary team that's on a nice roll, having won its last four games. Included was an emphatic sweep of Toronto in a home-and-home series where the Stampeders outscored the Argos 78-20.
Quarterback Henry Burris is again enjoying a banner campaign for Calgary. He has completed almost 65 percent of his passes, is third overall in yards (3,750) and second in touchdown passes (26).
Last week against Toronto, Burris was 18-of-32 passing for 256 yards with a touchdown and an interception. While that's not overly impressive, the Calgary offense was capably supported by a defense that forced three turnovers and set up 17 points.
A key play came on special teams when the Stampeders recovered a Mike Vanderjagt fumble in the end zone on a fake punt to take a 10-6 lead in the second quarter. Later in the opening half, Burris hit Jeremaine Copeland on a big 60-yard completion that set up Joffrey Reynolds' one-yard touchdown run.
Defensively, Calgary did a solid job, holding Toronto to just 217 total offensive yards.
But this is the first game in a key home-and-home series between the two that could end up deciding which team finishes first in the West Division.
The numbers: Calgary is a CFL-best 5-2 on the road this season and 4-3 within the West Division. Saskatchewan is 4-2 at home but 3-4 against divisional competition.
Keys to the game: It's hard to deny the impact injuries have had on the Roughriders this season. The club has 19 players on its injured list, many of them starters. Despite their record of late, Saskatchewan has done a solid job of remaining a factor in the West Division despite its injury woes.
The trouble is, though, the Stampeders won't be in the mindset of giving the Riders any pity. Whoever Saskatchewan puts on the field defensively will have to get after Burris and force him to throw before he's ready. Granted, Calgary is on a nice roll but Burris has shown that, if pressured, he can be forced into making mistakes.
Despite putting 44 points on the board last week against Toronto, the Calgary offense wasn't overly sharp. The unit is going to have to play much better against a Saskatchewan defense that's rugged and tough.
Bishop has been rather mediocre since joining the Riders and, like Burris, can be pressured into making mistakes. And with Cates again not expected to suit up this week, the Calgary defense will have the added luxury of being able to pin its ears back and come after Bishop.
Best E Casino Predicted Outcome: Calgary 23, Saskatchewan 21.
MONTREAL ALOUETTES (9-4) AT HAMILTON TIGER-CATS (2-11)
DATE & TIME: Saturday, October 4th, 4 p.m. (et).
GAME NOTES: Avon Cobourne made a triumphant return to the Montreal Alouettes lineup.
Cobourne rushed for 125 yards and scored a touchdown to power the Alouettes to a 37-12 win over Saskatchewan last week. Cobourne had missed the previous three games with an ankle injury.
Prior to getting hurt, Cobourne was threatening to become the first player in CFL history to achieve 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season. That goal would appear gone now considering Cobourne currently has 48 catches for 471 yards.
With Montreal having just five regular-season games remaining, he'd have to average more than 100 yards a game to reach 1,000 yards receiving. But reaching 1,000 yards rushing certainly is within reach considering Cobourne has 840 yards to stand third overall behind Calgary' Joffrey Reynolds (1,046) and Saskatchewan's Wes Cates (1,055).
Quarterback Anthony Calvillo finished 27-of-39 passing for 287 yards with three touchdowns and an interception last week. Ben Cahoon had eight catches for a team-high 91 yards.
Montreal's defense was stellar as well, forcing four turnovers and keeping Saskatchewan out of the end zone. It marked the second straight game that the Alouettes hadn't given up a touchdown.
Hamilton has lost six straight games, the last being last week's 40-10 decision to B.C. In that contest, the Lions recorded a whopping 10 sacks and forced six turnovers.
Rookie quarterback Quinton Porter made the start for Hamilton, completing 14- of-27 passes for 144 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. But the Ticats' offense managed just 189 total yards.
Kenton Keith appeared in his first game after signing with Hamilton as a free agent. The former Indianapolis Colt ran nine times for 33 yards.
The numbers: Hamilton is 1-6 at home and 2-5 within the East Division. Montreal is 3-3 on the road and 6-0 against Eastern rivals.
Keys to the game: The Ticats offensive line will have to play much better, both in proving protection for whoever plays quarterback as well as opening up holes for Keith and the other Hamilton running backs.
An abundance of two-and-out situations puts way too much pressure on a defense that's already overworked.
However, in Calvillo the Ticats' defense is facing one of the CFL's best quarterbacks. And if that wasn't enough, there's contending with the versatile Cobourne, who gives Montreal's offense added luxury in that he doesn't have to go out of the game on passing downs.
Montreal has shown it's the class of the East and should be able to again show its dominance here.
Best E Casino Predicted Outcome: Montreal 29, Hamilton 10.
WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (5-8) AT EDMONTON ESKIMOS (7-6)
DATE & TIME: Saturday, October 4th, 7 p.m. (et).
GAME NOTES: Kevin Glenn and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will not only be looking for a sweep of the home-and-home series with Edmonton, but a measure of redemption as well.
Glenn was the victim of a helmet-to-helmet hit from Edmonton linebacker Agustin Berrenechea in the fourth quarter last week's 30-23 win. Fortunately for the Bombers, Glenn wasn't seriously injured and is expected to start the rematch.
Berrenechea will also play after only receiving a fine from the CFL. But as a result of the incident, the league has tightened up its policy regarding player safety. It now has the mandate to suspend players who perform any illegal act that creates a substantial and unnecessary risk of injury to an opponent.
Glenn finished 18-of-26 passing for 268 yards with two touchdowns against one interception in leading Winnipeg to its third straight win. That victory, coupled with Toronto's loss to Calgary last week, moved the Blue Bombers into second in the East Division standings, two points ahead of the Argos.
Fred Reid had a solid game in the Bombers' backfield. He rushed for 93 yards on 16 carries and also had a touchdown. Joe Smith added 49 yards on seven carries.
Ricky Ray anchored Edmonton's offensive attack by completing 36-of-43 passes for 434 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
Ray did a very nice job of spreading the ball around, hitting eight different receivers. The problem was that the Eskimos had no running game at all, rushing for just 35 yards against the Bombers defense.
Stanford Samuels led the way for Winnipeg defensively with a game-high 10 tackles. Linebacker Zeke Moreno added nine tackles and a sack.
Jason Armstead had four punt returns for 150 yards for Winnipeg, taking one back for a touchdown.
But if there was a problem for the Bombers, it was with Alexis Serna. The rookie kicker missed all three field goals he attempted against Edmonton.
The numbers: Edmonton is 5-1 at home this season but just 3-3 against East Division teams. Winnipeg is 2-4 on the road and 2-4 versus Western clubs.
Keys to the game: This game is crucial for both teams, which should mean no retaliation or attempts to even the score by either club.
This could very well be an East Division semifinal preview. If Edmonton remains fourth in the West it will cross over into the other division and assume the No. 3 playoff seed and face the second-place finisher, which right now is Winnipeg.
The Bombers could pretty well clinch second with a win over Edmonton, then another victory over Toronto next week.
While Edmonton has lost two straight games, it's only two points out of second and four behind first-place Calgary.
But the Eskimos could really help themselves by giving the run a fair shot. When a team rushes for only 35 yards in a game, it's fooling no one. There's no denying Ray is capable of shouldering Edmonton's offensive attack, but giving him other options could only serve to help the Green and Gold's cause.
The good news for Edmonton is running back Calvin McCarty practiced with the starting offense this week and will likely start Saturday.
Winnipeg is playing well right now and full warranted for its current second- place standing. Glenn's a big part of the Bombers resurgence but is also getting some nice help from Reid and to a lesser extent Smith, who are faring quite well along the ground.
A reliable running game makes Glenn more dangerous because Edmonton's defense can't afford to pin its ears back and only get after the quarterback. To earn the sweep, the Bombers will have to continue doing what's been successful for them, which is playing tough defense and as close to error-free football on offense.
Best E Casino Predicted Outcome: Edmonton 27, Winnipeg 24.
Last week's record: 3-1; Season record: 26-26.
