Tag Archives: crossover playoff

There Was a Time When the Crossover Was A Reward…

Posted on October 17, 2010 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

When the Canadian Football League moved Winnipeg back to the East and created the crossover playoff structure, the crossover was a reward.

It was created to honor a good team stuck in a great Conference. For instance, if the East had a 13-5 team and  12-6 teams and your favorite team was 10-8, your favorite team would make the playoffs because the West probably had a 12-6 champ and, ay, three teams that were about 4-14. A 10-8 team deserves to be in the playoffs.

This year, however, a team that is 6-12 could conceivably reach the post-season in the crossover because the B.C. Lions and Edmonton Eskimos are so bad, they’re both embarrassments to the CFL.

Yesterday, the Montreal Alouettes defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 22-19 because when it really counted, the Bombers offence couldn’t make a play. It’s been the same sad story all year for Winnipeg. When they play on the road, they stink. They’re 0-8 away from Canad Inns this season and with a 4-3 record at home, the Bombers are now 4-11.

And still, because Edmonton beat B.C. 31-28 in overtime on Saturday night, the 4-11 Bombers still have a legitimate chance to make the playoffs. Not only are Edmonton and B.C. both 5-10, there is no reason to believe either team will win another game this season.

Edmonton finishes the season at home to Saskatchewan, at home to Winnipeg and on the road at Saskatchewan. They could easily go 0-3 down the stretch. B.C. goes to Calgary, plays at home to Saskatchewan and goes to Hamilton. They could easily go 0-3 down the stretch. Winnipeg has Toronto at home this week, goes to Edmonton and plays host to Calgary. They could easily go 2-1 or even 3-0 down the stretch.

While the Canadian Press wanted to make it clear in their national game story yesterday that the Bombers were dead, nothing could be further from the truth. CP wrote, “The loss further dims the unlikely playoff hopes for the Blue Bombers,” when in fact, it doesn’t dim them much at all. After what happened on the weekend, the Bombers are officially two games back of Edmonton and B.C. (they must finish ahead of the Lions and Eskimos to claim the crossover) with three games to play and they have a relatively easy schedule to finish the year. The Lions and Eskimos have extremely difficult schedules. Winnipeg could make the playoffs with a 1-8 or even an 0-9 road record (if they win their two home games and B.C. and Edmonton lose out).

Look, the Bombers are a lousy football team, but they aren’t so lousy, they won’t make the playoffs.

And that, in itself, is as embarrassing to the CFL as the absolute dreadfulness of the three bottom teams in the league this year.


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Bombers Win Again (Just As We Called). It’s going to Be Fun in the Playoffs.

Posted on October 12, 2009 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Wonder what all those misguided fans (it’s not their fault, they just read daily newspapers) and the thin-skinned Winnipeg mainstream media think of Mike Kelly today?

Didn’t that Bomber ream look terrific on Monday in their 38-28 road shellacking of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats? Pretty much as we called it, by the way.

I will reiterate, Mike Kelly is the best coach the Bomber organization has seen since Mike Riley. And there IS a Grey Cup in his future. Probably sooner than later, too.

Monday, Michael Bishop threw three touchdown passes as the Bombers won their third straight game, improved to 6-8 and pulled into a second-place tie with the Ticats in the Eastern Division.  The Bombers have four games remaining, three of them in Winnipeg and with a victory this week against B.C. at Canad Inns Stadium, they might just eliminate the crossover playoff format.

Can anyone say, “10-8?” Granted that would take two wins over Montreal, but right now, I wouldn’t call that impossible.

Monday, Bishop went 21-for-38 (not great) for 356 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions (not at all good). Bishop also lost one of two fumbles as the Bombers once again turned it over too many times.

However, since Bishop took ownership of this football team and Kelly weeded out the wideouts who didn’t want to play (Armstrong and Bryant), this football team has come together. Unlike the Labour Day Classic and Banjo Bowl, the Bombers can now score enough to overcome three turnovers.

Monday, Adarius Bowman had 10 catches for 213 yards and two TDs while Brock Ralph had five catches for 98 yards and one touchdown and even Lenny Walls got into the act with a fumble return for a TD. Until the Bombers went into a strange prevent-defence type of thing in the fourth quarter, they completely dominated that football game.

Still, based on the e-mails I receive from many fans — and the argument I had with my old friend Joe Daley last week — a lot of Winnipeggers simply hate Mike Kelly. Still.

It’s an odd thing, but when I mentioned earlier that Winnipeggers would rather have an outgoing, humble coach they liked, even if he couldn’t win, as opposed to a guy who was blunt and honest even when blunt and honest hurt, but knew exactly what he was doing and won football games, it appears they would indeed rather have the lovable loser.

It’s weird, but it’s Winnipeg.

And no need to worry. Those fans will still have fun in the playoffs.

(Don’t forget to listen to Coach Kelly with Tom & Joe this week on 92-CITI-FM.)

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Some Blue Bomber Thoughts. On a Perfect Tuesday in September

Posted on September 15, 2009 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

The NFL is back and at this stage, I like New England and Minnesota in the Super Bowl. That, of course, is subject to change.

The NHL is back and right now, I like Calgary and Washington in the Stanley Cup final. That is also subject to change.

The CFL, meanwhile, is heading into Week 12. There are eight games remaining and things start to get serious now. If I were a betting man today, I’d bet Calgary and Montreal meet in the Grey Cup, but who knows? That could change, too. This year, the CFL is as close as it’s ever been, at least among the league’s top four teams: Calgary, Montreal, Edmonton and Saskatchewan. Meanwhile, Hamilton isn’t bad and B.C. should be better.

Toronto and Winnipeg, however, are extremely lousy, but if B.C. doesn’t improve, one of these two dogs could reach the playoffs.

1) Yep, that’s the craziest part about Winnipeg’s last two defeats – 29-14 in Saskatchewan and 55-10 by Saskatchewan in Winnipeg. As badly as Winnipeg has been beaten and as horribly as they’ve played, the Bombers are still in the thick of the playoff hunt.

Granted, when six teams out of eight make the playoffs, it’s harder to miss the post-season than to make it. But that’s a good thing if you’re the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Right now the 3-7 Bombers are only two points out of the playoffs, tied with Toronto at 3-7 and in view of crossover B.C. at 4-6.

Meanwhile, after this coming Sunday’s game in Montreal, the Bombers have a very easy schedule with more home games than road games. Playoffs here we come????

2) Mike Kelly continues to deny that Casey Printers is ever, ever, ever coming to Winnipeg, but what happens when Montreal clobbers the Bombers this week and again, it’s the quarterback position that kills the local side?

Kelly doesn’t like Printers, it’s personal and that’s fine, but the coach does have a quarterback problem and he’s running out of options. Jeff Garcia signed with Philly on Monday so he’s not returning to Canada any time soon.

And don’t tell me Casey Bramlet is the answer. Please don’t tell me that.

3) In the midst of a football world full of craziness, you have to give the Toronto Argos some credit. At least, they’re trying to get better.

Yesterday, the scorchingly fast Dominique Dorsey returned to the Argos. Dorsey, who was a CFL special teams all-star last season and a guy who led the league in combined yards despite missing five games due to injury, was just recently cut loose by the NFL’s Washington Redskins. No other NFL team came calling, so Dorsey re-signed with the Boatmen, the team with which he played for the past two seasons.

The Argos return game, just like the Bombers return game, has been less than satisfactory this year and Dorsey will immediately make the Argos better. He’ll also play some running back and catch the football from the H-back position. Evidently, the Argos don’t want to fall to 3-8 if they don’t have to.

Toronto plays in B.C. this week while Winnipeg plays in Montreal.

Wonder what the Bombers will be thinking about on Monday? Casey Printers? Pacman Jones? Kevin Glenn? All interesting thoughts.

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It’s Saturday. There is even more stuff banging around in my head.

Posted on September 12, 2009 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Sorry, my head hurts again. Between the Coyotes bankruptcy case in Phoenix, the CFL’s officials’ mistakes in Vancouver and the sad, ugly circus that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have created for themselves, I hit the Advil pretty hard last night.

Let me get this stuff out of my cranium…

1) NHL commissioner Gary Bettman talks like those far-right Republican loons in the United States — lots of confidence and hatred and bluster, but no apparent logic.

On Friday, Mr. Bettman was lamenting comments by Phoenix Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes, a man who lost approximately $300 million of his own money on a franchise that doesn’t work now and will never work in the future. Moyes suggested he has been treated badly by the NHL.

“I just don’t think I’ve been treated right,” Moyes said. “I gave it a 100 per cent try and I feel betrayed by the NHL. Hockey will not work in the south. Mr. Bettman’s plan is not working out. You got Phoenix, you got Dallas, you Nashville, you got Atlanta you got Tampa Bay all in  trouble. These teams are not working in the south. You have to go north where people love hockey.”

Bettman, of course, responded like a petulant child.

“I’m disappointed in those remarks,” Bettman told Rogers SportsNet. “Considering the NHL has been operating this team for the past year when Mr. Moyes was supposed to be, I find that disappointing.”

Moyes lost about $300 million on that dog of a franchise and the guy who lied to everyone — everyone! — for an entire year about taking over the operation of the team, says he’s “disappointed.”

The illogical hubris of that remark makes me gag.

2) The Canadian Football League said last week that the B.C. Lions’ 19-12 win over the Montreal Alouettes will stand despite the fact that “mistakes were made by officials as the clock wound down.”

“While the errors were unintentional,” said commissioner Mark Cohon,  “the league’s regret at this incident is deep and profound.”

Odd response. Deep and profound sounds good, but it just doesn’t cut it. Cohon has both teams in Montreal this week. Send them out on the field before the main game starts and replay the final minutes (and perhaps overtime) of last week’s game. That will fix the problem.

Or is the real problem that CFL officiating is lousy and now the league has pretty much admitted it’s lousy? That’s not good.

Of course, there is another problem here. With the crossover playoff rule, if the post-season started today, the B.C. Lions would be in and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Toronto Argos would be out. If those “mistakes” in B.C. cost a team a playoff appearance then, what you have, is a pretty illegitimate league.

(Listen to my complete rant on this issue before the Saskatchewan-Winnipeg game on Sunday at about 2 p.m. CDT. I’ll be on the pre-game show with Roger Currie on 620 CKRM in Regina)

3) The Stefan Lefors quarterback experiment in Winnipeg is over for the season — and it just might be over period.

The 3-6 Bombers put their former starting quarterback on the nine-game injured list on Thursday because of recurring pain in his non-throwing shoulder. He might undergo surgery.

Guess I was wrong. Stefan Lefors wasn’t the second coming T.J. Rubley. Sadly, he wasn’t good enough — or unbreakable enough — to be the second coming of T.J. Rubley.

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The CFL Conference finals. Are we looking at an All-Alberta Grey Cup?

Posted on November 15, 2008 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

This season, the West dominated the East. The tally was 22-6 when the Edmonton Eskimos went into Winnipeg and beat the Bombers 29-21 in the crossover semifinal.

 

Montreal hasn’t played well for seven weeks and Anthony Calvillo hasn’t taken a snap in anger in three weeks. Ricky Ray — and his receiving corps — has looked very good in the final month of the season.  

 

Out west, Calgary has owned B.C. all season. they should own them again on Saturday.

 

We are looking at an All-Alberta Grey Cup IN Montreal next Sunday. Could be fun. Especially for the Scott Taylor Reports on The FAN 960 in Calgary on Tuesday and Thursday and on the TEAM 1260 in Edmonton on Wednesday.

 

Let’s take a close look at the Conference finals:

 

Edmonton Eskimos (11-8) at Montreal Alouettes (11-7)

 

Saturday, 12 Noon, CT, TSN

 

The Eskimos became the first Western team in history to win the West-East crossover semifinal. In fact, last week’s win in Winnipeg was pretty easy. This week, the Eskimos go into Montreal, where the Alouettes lost 24-23 to the Bombers in Week 18. In Week 19, the Eskimos whipped the Alouettes 37-14 in Edmonton, but Montreal played without Anthony Calvillo. Of course, Calvillo hasn’t played well since he put up 43 points against sad-sack Toronto in Week 17. In fact, Montreal hasn’t beaten a team with a winning record since Week 14, way back on Sept. 28, when they whipped a banged-up Saskatchewan team 37-12 at Molson Stadium. Since then, the Als have lost to Hamilton, Winnipeg and Edmonton and beaten only 3-15 Hamilton and 4-14 Toronto. On Saturday, the Esks and Als play at the cavernous Olympic Stadium and that’s really not homefield advantage for the Alouettes. It’s West vs. East and I always pick West first. 

 

Pick: Edmonton

B.C. Lions (12-7) at Calgary Stampeders (13-5)

Saturday 3:30 p.m. CT, TSN

Last week, B.C. won on the road in Regina. There is no tougher place to play. That means could certainly take out Calgary this week. Calgary beat B.C. in Calgary 28-18 in Calgary way back in Week 1. Calgary beat B.C. 36-29 in B.C. in Week 9. And Calgary wasted B.C. 41-30 in Calgary in Week 19 in a game B.C. had to win to play host to the Western semifinal. Calgary has B.C.’s number and the Stamps put up a lot of points to get to 13-5. If Henry Burris avoids brain farts and Cameron Wake, Calgary could blow the Lions away. It’s time. It’s time for an All-Alberta Grey Cup.

Pick: Calgary

Last Week: 0-2

Season: 45-21

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CFL Picks: It’s semifinal weekend and we love the Bombers and Riders…

Posted on November 8, 2008 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Granted, weather has a lot to do with our selections this week.

 

Here in Winnipeg, it’s absolutely dreadful. We had snow on Thursday, it stayed on Friday and it’s coming back on Saturday. A weather warning has been issued and at 7 a.m. it screamed “high winds and freezing rain.”

 

Ahhhh, what a great day for football.

 

In Regina, the 7 a.m. forecast predicted low clouds and cold, cold, cold. Perhaps minus-13 by game time.

 

It’s time for the runningbacks to take their rightful positions at the top of football’s food chain…

 

Let’s take a closer look…

 

EASTERN SEMIFINAL

Edmonton Eskimos (10-8) at Winnipeg Blue Bombers (8-10)

12 Noon, CST, TSN

 

This is when the CFL’s crossover playoff becomes silly. An 8-10 team gets homefield advantage against a 10-8 team. It’s time to reward to good football and cut out this East vs. West charade. Perhaps, next season, the CFL’s tall foreheads will come to their senses. As it is, however, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will play host to the Edmonton Eskimos in the crossover Eastern semifinal at Canad Inns Stadium and, amazingly, the 8-10 Bombers are 2 ½-point favourites. More than 26,000 tickets have been sold for the game, a game that Milt Stegall guaranteed the Bombers would win if Winnipeg sold 30,000 tickets and sold out the ballyard. It doesn’t look good. The two teams split the season series, but the Bombers won here in Winnipeg and they were the hottest team in the CFL in the last two months, going 6-2 down the stretch. If head coach Doug Berry does nothing but run “Thunder and Lightning,” Joe Smith and Fred Reid, the Bombers win by two touchdowns. The banged up Bomber defence is almost 100 per cent healthy this week and it will shut down Ricky Ray. The winner heads to Montreal for the Eastern final next week

 

Pick: Winnipeg

 

WESTERN SEMIFINAL

B.C. Lions (11-7) at Saskatchewan Roughriders (12-6)

3:30 p.m., CST, TSN

 

During the season, this series belonged to B.C. The Lions won the only game in Regina, 27-21 on Sept. 20, and then they split in Vancouver: Saskatchewan won 26-16 on July 4, when the Riders were healthy and red-hot and then lost 28-23 to the Lions on Sept. 13, when they had 19 players on the injured list. This week, Saskatchewan is healthy again and they’re coming off three straight high-scoring wins over Hamilton, Edmonton and Toronto. B.C., meanwhile, is heading south. The Lions lost 41-30 to Calgary in a game they had to win to play host to Saturday’s semifinal and they’re 2-2 in their last four. B.C. is a passing team (RB Charles Roberts is out for the season) and a windy, cloudy day in Regina, won’t help an indoor team with a passing offence. The winner heads to Calgary for the Western final next week. 

 

Pick: Saskatchewan

 

Last Week: 4-0

Season: 45-19

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Week 19 in the CFL. The final week of 2008. Bring on the playoffs… please…

Posted on October 30, 2008 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Thank goodness it’s over. After all, with the exception of the battle for playoff positions in the West, the CFL hasn’t been particularly interesting for the past three weeks.

Could it be that 18 games are too many?

 

This week, we will get to find out whether it will be Saskatchewan or B.C. playing host to the Western semifinal. And that’s it. On Pro Line, three of the four games are considered blowouts this week. Winnipeg will play host to Edmonton in the Eastern semifinal at Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg (1 p.m. CST on TSN) while Calgary and Montreal have each wrapped up first in the West and East respectively.

 

Other than that, the only worry this week is who or how many will be banged up and unable to perform in the playoffs.

 

In the meantime, let’s take as close a look as we possibly can at Week 18, a week that look an awful lot like pre-season…

 

Saskatchewan Roughriders (11-6) at Toronto Argonauts (4-13)

 

Thursday, 6:30 p.m. CT, TSN

 

Michael Bishop is back in Toronto for a rare end-of-season Thursday night game, even though there is a chance he might not play all that much. Riders head coach Ken Miller also has Derian Durant and Steven Jyles and who knows? All three of them could play. As Saskatchewan gets more of its players back from injury, the team just could be playing its best football of the year (judging from last week’s 55-9 demolition of Edmonton, they probably are). Kerry Joseph, meanwhile, has been a bust in Toronto, ever since he was dealt from Saskatchewan to the Boatmen before the season began. Last winter, GM Eric Tillman lost his Grey Cup-winning quarterback (Joseph just wanted too much money and was too old) and his Grey Cup-winning coach (not many people thought Ken Miller would be a significantly better coach than Kent Austin) and his team is even better than it was last year at this time. But who knows? Prhaps the Argos will win one for coach Don Matthews. Or, maybe not.

 

Pick: Saskatchewan

Montreal Alouettes (11-6) at Edmonton Eskimos (9-8)

Friday 8 p.m. CT, TSN

Hard to imagine what’s worse. Last week Montreal was beaten 24-23 at home by the then-6-10 Winnipeg Blue Bombers while Edmonton went on the road and lost 55-9 in Regina. In their own special ways, both games were lopsided upsets (Montreal should have won by three TDs) and both losing teams left the field embarrassed. The Eskimos have been blitzed in their last two games and have allowed 98 points. The Edmonton defence is ready for an overhaul except that there is only one game in which to do the overhauling before the Eskies haul ass to Winnipeg for the Eastern semi (isn’t there something odd about an Edmonton-Winnipeg Eastern semifinal?). Marcus Brady is set to start at quarterback for Montreal.

Pick: Edmonton (holding my nose)

Hamilton Tiger-Cats (3-14) at Winnipeg Blue Bombers (7-10) 

Saturday 1 p.m. CT, TSN

Wouldn’t you love to be Marcel Bellefeuille? He was the interim head coach of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, went 1-6 in the job and because of all that success, had the interim tag removed from his title. His record isn’t as good as the guy the ‘Cats fired, but Bellefeuille got the guy’s job anyway. Poor Charlie Taafe should sue for unlawful dismissal. The ‘Cats are awful and Bellefeuille hasn’t done much to make them any better. Winnipeg, meanwhile, has improved dramatically since the addition of Jason Armstead, Kai Ellis, Zeke Moreno and Joe Smith. Brendan Taman should be executive of the year. The Bombers have won five of their last seven and should win again this week.

 

Pick: Winnipeg

B.C. Lions (11-6) at Calgary Stampeders (12-5)

Saturday, 4 p.m., CT, TSN

If Calgary actually tries, the Stamps should blow away a B.C. Lions team that is pretty good, but not that good. If Toronto happens to upset Saskatchewan (which they won’t), the Lions could be playing for home-field advantage in the Western semifinal. As they probably won’t be playing for anything at all, this will simply be a battle of two of the league’s superstars: B.C. defensive lineman Cameron Wake and Calgary quarterback Henry Burris. I like Burris, if he plays more than a quarter.

Pick: Calgary

Last Week: 2-2

Season: 41-19

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Week 18 in the CFL. Will Saskatchewan or Edmonton be the crossover team?

Posted on October 24, 2008 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

The six CFL playoff-bound teams are all set: Montreal and Winnipeg will play host to post-season games in the East. Calgary, Edmonton, B.C. and Saskatchewan have all made it in the West, but we still aren’t sure who will play whom.

That’s because one of those Western teams will morph into an Eastern team and play the Eastern semifinal in Winnipeg on Nov. 8. That team will be Edmonton if they lose to Saskatchewan on Saturday night, but the Roughriders have been so ravaged by injuries this year that it’s hard to imagine them beating a good opponent anytime soon. And Edmonton IS a good opponent.

 

Frankly, if I were Edmonton right now, I’d throw the game, rest my stars and finish last in the West. Playing in Winnipeg in the Eastern semifinal on a cold, November Saturday as opposed to playing in Calgary or Saskatchewan in the semifinal would be a lot more inviting. When you consider the West is 22-6 against the East this season, playing the Bombers would be a lot better than playing against a Western rival.

 

So that’s it. All that’s left in the CFL regular season is to determine which team finishes in which spot in the West.

 

So does all this sound familiar to you? It should. The league has been like this for almost the entire season and now the CFL is finally — we’re told — discussing a change to the concept of divisional alignments.

 

In fact, I’ll be on the Saskatchewan Roughriders pre-game show this Saturday evening (around 5 p.m. CDT) with host Roger Currie, discussing my column in last week’s National Post where I suggested the CFL needed to go to an non-divisional, eight-team format as soon as possible.

 

In the meantime, let’s take a closer look at Week 18…

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Week 17 in the CFL. All that’s left is the crossover team.

Posted on October 17, 2008 by Scott Taylor| Comments Off

The six CFL playoff-bound teams are pretty well determined: Montreal and Winnipeg in the East and Calgary, Edmonton, B.C. and Saskatchewan in the West.

 

One of those Western teams, however, will morph into an Eastern team and play the Eastern semifinal in Winnipeg on Nov. 8. That team is beginning to look like Saskatchewan, a team that has been so ravaged by injuries this year that it looks more like the Hilltops than the Roughriders.

 

Montreal has the East by the cojones, Winnipeg could finish 6-12 and still play host to the Eastern semifinal. The West, however, remains a competitive quandary. Will Calgary hold on or will Edmonton catch its hated rival? Will B.C. or Saskatchewan get to make the trip to Winnipeg as opposed to say, Edmonton?

 

Frankly, If I were a slumping Western team right now, I’d rather finish last in the West than third. Playing in Winnipeg as opposed to Calgary or Edmonton in the semifinal would be a lot more inviting.

 

All that’s left in the CFL regular season is to determine which team finishes in which spot in the West. 

 

So let’s take a closer look…

 

B.C. Lions (9-6) at Edmonton Eskimos (9-6)

 

Friday, 8 p.m. CT, TSN

 

The B.C. Lions appear to be playing like a team that is trying desperately to finish fourth in the West. They were dreadful last week against Edmonton in their own barn and it now looks like they’d much rather play Winnipeg than the Eskimos. And why not? The Lions are 3-5 against the West and 6-1 against the East. The Eskimos are about to get a home-and-home sweep under their belts. And, oh yeah, Ricky Ray has never looked better. 

 

Pick: Edmonton

Montreal Alouettes (10-5) at Toronto Argonauts (4-11)

Saturday 2 p.m. CT, TSN

This game isn’t fair for two reasons. No. 1 Don Matthews is 69 and he hasn’t won a game since his return to coaching this season and No. 2, Anthony Calvillo is the best player in the CFL. Tough combination for a wonky Argos team that would have a lot of trouble beating the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Calvillo has already thrown for 5,097 yards this season and Ben Cahoon will soon become the third leading all-time receiver in CFL history — even though the current No. 3 (Milt Stegall) is still playing. This Montreal team should win the Grey Cup.

Pick: Montreal

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (6-9) at Calgary Stampeders (10-5) 

Saturday 5:30 p.m. CT, TSN

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are so convinced they’re finishing second in the East, they started selling playoff tickets to the general public today. In fact, if Montreal beats Toronto (which they will), the Bombers could clinch that No. 2 spot in the East before the game begins. Calgary is a 10 1/2-point favourite and for good reason. If the Stampeders defence is even marginally decent, the Stamps will win by two touchdowns. But then again, that defence has more brain farts than Brain Fart Burris.

 

Pick: Calgary

Hamilton Tiger-Cats (3-12) at Saskatchewan Roughriders (9-6)

Sunday, 2 p.m. CT, TSN

This could be the best game of the week. Neither team is very good and the Saskatchewan slump prompted one Blue Bombers defensive player to say this week: “I wouldn’t mind another shot at Saskatchewan. That team is on the way down.” They’re on the way down because they have no players left. No team has suffered more injuries to key starters this season than Saskatchewan and last week, in a 43-5 shellacking at the hands of Calgary, they looked like a junior team. Derian Durant will get the ball this week, replacing Michael (The Bust) Bishop. The Tiger-Cats, despite some decent vibes from young QB Quinton Porter two weeks ago, were awful against Montreal last week and are the worst team in the CFL for the fourth consecutive year. Since the West always beats the East at home, the Riders will get their groove back.

Pick: Saskatchewan

Last Week: 3-1

Season: 36-16

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Week 16 in the CFL. The playoff participants could be set this week.

Posted on October 10, 2008 by Scott Taylor| Comments Off

You know are far the Canadian Football League’s Eastern Division has fallen into the abyss when a game between the 5-9 Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the 4-10 Toronto Argonauts has playoff implications.

 

And not just implications. If the Bombers win and get to 6-9, they’re all but guaranteed a shot at the post-season. If the Argos win, they’re tied with the Bombers and back in the hunt.

 

And here’s what’s even uglier. This is not just a fight for the playoffs, but a battle for second place in the East. Second place! The East is a mess, but on the upside, in Week 16 at least, the East plays the East and all the power in the West plays against all the power in the West. That means we should see some pretty good football games.

 

For the most part, it will be a close and competitive Thanksgiving Weekend, except for, perhaps, the opener. Let’s take a closer look…

 

Toronto Argonauts (4-10) at Winnipeg Blue Bombers (5-9)

 

Friday, 7:30 p.m. CT, TSN

 

This has the makings of a rout. Kerry Joseph, with the worst passer’s rating among (sometimes) starting quarterbacks in the CFL with a 69.2 mark, will start for an Argos team that still hasn’t won for Don Matthews. There seems to be a lot of angst in Winnipeg, worrying about this one, simply because Toronto has won two-of-three against the Bombers so far this season, but here’s why Bomber fans should stop worrying. A win tomorrow night against the Argos, a team the Bombers beat 39-9 in Toronto four weeks ago, will wrap up a playoff spot. Forget the mathematics, win ad it’s a done deal. And even if the Bombers don’t win, just one more win down the stretch should lock up that playoff spot. I’ve said it for months, 6-10 makes the grade in the East. I still believe that. However, what’s important to remember is that the last time these two teams met, in Toronto, Winnipeg won 39-9. This could get ugly.

 

Pick: Winnipeg

Edmonton Eskimos (8-6) at B.C. Lions (9-5)

Friday, 10:30 p.m. CT, TSN

The Lions have won five straight games to go from 4-5 to 9-5 and move into a first-place tie in the West although, in fairness, three of the five wins have come against Hamilton and Toronto (yeah, it’s true, you could get 11 of your buddies together and beat Toronto and Hamilton). The Eskimos, who can clinch a playoff spot with a win, whipped Winnipeg at home last week and Ricky Ray looked good in the process, but always remember the home-away scenario in the West, B.C. is at home. 

Pick: B.C.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats (3-11) at Montreal Alouettes (9-5) 

Monday, Noon CT, TSN

Last week, these two teams met in Hamilton. Montreal’s Anthony Calvillo, who absolutely, positively should be the CFL’s most outstanding player, threw for 468 yards and four touchdowns while Hamilton’s new hotshot stud, Quinton Porter threw for 429 yards and FIVE touchdowns. In an amazing football game, Hamilton beat the Als 44-36. Wow! It won’t happen again. Especially in Montreal’s little band-box.

 

Pick: Montreal

Saskatchewan Roughriders (9-5) at Calgary Stampeders (9-5)

Sunday, 3:30 p.m. CT, TSN

Things aren’t getting better in Saskatchewan, they’re getting worse. This week, the Riders had 19 players on the DL. Last week, they had 18 and still the Green Men beat the Stampeders 37-34 in a nasty game that ended with fines, after a number of Stamps got themselves into an altercation with the officials (as bad as the officiating is in the CFL, you just have to fine a way to ignore it, boys). Calgary is the better team and they are playing at home this week.

 

Pick: Calgary

Last Week: 2-2

Season: 33-15

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