CFL WEEK 12 PREVIEW & PICKS

BY ADAM GREENE

Three months into the season and we had our first, legitimate surprise result not due to injury this past week. Thanks to the Week 12 schedule we could have a similar shocking lineup this weekend.

While we did have a final score closer due to one of those injuries, the upset didn’t happen there. It was one of the best quarterback efforts between two teams of the season and it capped the Week 11 action Sunday night.

We’ve got a full slate again with celebrating Saskatchewan Roughriders getting the single weekend break. The rest of the slate? The Toronto Argonauts are back from their one week sabbatical and Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zack Collaros is also expected to return from an injury. As for us? We have the odds, lines and totals with which to make this as entertaining, and profitable, as possible.

POWER RANKINGS

1. WINNEPEG BLUE BOMBERS (8-2)

Winnipeg picked the wrong week for its offense to stall out, but the defense did plenty of heavy lifting, keeping the Blue Bombers win streak intact and their spot atop the Power Rankings secure. They might get to stay there thanks to injured quarterback Zack Collaros practicing this week. Last week: No. 1

2. TORONTO ARGONAUTS (7-1)

Toronto enjoyed its final bye before a long, 10-game stretch to wrap the season after starting what will likely be a new win stream with a victory over the Ottawa Redblacks in Week 10 and a monster day from quarterback Chad Kelly, back from injury. Last week: No. 2

3. MONTREAL ALOUETTES (6-3)

It took a fourth quarter comeback, but the Alouettes remain a factor in the league as we continue into the second half of the season. Montreal put it all together to claim a one-point victory over the Ottawa Redblacks. Last week: No. 4

4. SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (5-5)

The Roughriders have earned their bye, upsetting the BC Lions with a 34-point offensive showing and defensively holding off a late Lions run in the fourth quarter. Not only is Saskatchewan at .500, but they proved last week they can play with the big boys. They could be a nice surprise here in the second half of the season. Last week: No. 5

5. BC LIONS (7-3)

The Lions found themselves in a surprise shootout last week and in spite of a valiant effort in the fourth quarter, couldn’t keep from taking their third loss of the year. Was it a stumble or could they not stand toe-to-toe with the suddenly surging Saskatchewan Roughriders? Last week: No. 3

6. CALGARY STAMPEDERS (3-7)

Calgary gave it the old college try, but unfortunately, this is professional football. Of a sort, at least. The Stampeders couldn’t put two wins together in a row, falling to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers by a point. Last week: 6

7. EDMONTON ELKS (1-9)

Oh my God. It happened. Not only did the Elks’ offense show up last Thursday, but their defense made the trip too as they won their first game of the season over what had to be a very embarrassed Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Last week: No. 9

8. OTTAWA REDBLACKS (3-7)

The Redblacks were 15 minutes away from recording their fourth victory of the season, only to surrender two touchdowns in the final period to remain near the bottom of the rankings thanks to a loss to the Montreal Alouettes. Last week: No. 8

9. HAMILTON TIGER-CATS (3-6)

Speaking of embarrassing, I’m not sure the Tiger-Cats will ever live down scoring just 10 points against the Edmonton Elks last week. Any team can win on any given Thursday, as it were, but it’s like they barely put up a fight against a team that was the worst professional football franchise on the continent a week ago. Last week: No. 7

WEEK 12

Byes: Saskatchewan Roughriders

THURSDAY

MONTREAL ALOUETTES AT WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (-8.5, O/U: 47.5)

Montreal has started to separate itself from the chaff but needed a 15-point fourth quarter comeback to seal it last week. The Alouettes overtook the Ottawa Redblacks 25-24 last Saturday. Caleb Evans went 24 of 36 passing for 333 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He added seven scrambles for 45 yards and a score. Austin Mack caught nine passes for 116 yards. Tyler Snead had seven receptions for 98 yards and two TDs. Hergy Mayala caught one 51-yard pass. Defensively, Frederic Chagnon had seven tackles and a sack. Tyrice Beverette had five tackles and a sack. Wesley Sutton recorded five tackles of his own. Reggie Stubblefield had four tackles and a pick. Shawn Lemon had three tackles, a sack and three tackles for a loss. Tyrell Richards had two tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Zach Collaros was out again and the offense suffered for the Blue Bombers. Luckily for Winnipeg, their defense was more than up to the task as they defeated the Calgary Stampeders 19-18 last Friday. Dru Brown, in for Collaros, did not light up the stat sheet. He finished 17 of 27 passing for 171 yards. Brady Oliveira rushed 14 times for 80 yards. Dalton Shoen caught three passes for 50 yards. Kyrie Wilson and Adam Bighill co-led the defense with five tackles each, with Wilson adding a tackle for a loss. Demerio Houston had two tackles and an interception.

Collaros has practiced this week with Winnipeg so it’s bad news for a Montreal team looking to put a serious streak together. He might be rusty, so covering this spread could be an issue. Blue Bombers 31, Alouettes 24

FRIDAY

CALGARY STAMPEDERS AT TORONTO ARGONAUTS (-9.5, O/U: 51)

Calgary got a break with Winnipeg Blue Bombers quarterback Zack Calleros missing their game last Friday but couldn’t make the most of it. The Stampeders came up just a point short, falling 19-18 last week. Jake Maier was a pitiful 11 of 24 passing for 190 yards, no touchdowns and a pick which should have the Pittsburgh Maulers sliding into his DMs before the week is out. Ka’Deem Carey “led” the team on the ground, rushing 10 times for a paltry 28 yards. Marken Michel caught three passes for 63 yards. Cameron Judge had eight tackles in the losing effort. Titus Wall had seven tackles, a sack and a tackle for a loss. Brandon Dozier had six tackles. Julian Howsare had three stops, a sack and a fumble recovery. Derek Wiggan had three tackles and a sack. Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund had a tackle, a sack and a fumble recovery.

The Argonauts should be the most rested team in the league after returning from their third bye of the season. In Week 11, they got back on the winning track, knocking off the Ottawa Redblacks 44-31 in a shootout. Chad Kelly was back to his old self after getting injured the week before. He was 21 of 28 for 417 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. He scrambled three times for 17 yards. AJ Oullette rushed 14 times for 90 yards. Cameron Dukes had a one-yard touchdown plunge. DaVaris Daniels caught six passes for 180 yards and three TDs. Cameron Phillips had five grabs for 115 yards. David Ungerer III caught four balls for 62 yards. Wayne McManis topped the defense with eight tackles. Adarius Pickett had six tackles and a sack. Robertson Daniel had six tackles himself with two sacks. Folarin Orimolade had four tackles and a sack. Deionte Knight had two tackles and a sack.

Calgary is coming off a one-point heartbreaker while the Argos are just coming up from their couches. A loss will put the Stampeders even further in the hole with the postseason growing ever closer. But nothing’s going to stop it from happening. Argonauts 41, Stampeders 23

SATURDAY

HAMILTON TIGER-CATS AT BC LIONS (-10, O/U: 46)

It’s going to take the Tiger-Cats a while to live this one down as they opened last weekend with a shocking and shameful 24-10 loss to the previously winless Edmonton Elks. Taylor Powell was 20 of 26 passing for 218 yards, no touchdowns and no picks. He scrambled three times for 18 yards. James Butler led the team rushing with 14 carries for 114 yards and a TD. Tim White caught nine passes for 101 yards. Jameer Thurman and Simoni Lawrence wrapped their night with seven tackles apiece. Casey Sayles had five tackles and a sack.  

In what might be a CFL playoff preview and a result the Lions would hate to repeat, BC fell 34-29 to the shockingly relevant Saskatchewan Roughriders last Sunday night. Vernon Adams, Jr. was on point in the quarterback duel with the Roughriders’ Joke Dolegala, finishing 26 of 41 for 455 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in the loss. He also led the team rushing with two carries for 24 yards. Alexander Hollins led the receivers with seven catches for 161 yards and a TD. Lucky Whitehead caught five passes for 122 yards and a score. Keon Hatcher hauled in six balls for 94 yards and a touchdown. Ben Hladik led the defense with six tackles. TJ Lee had four tackles, all for a loss. Matthieu Betts had two tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery.

Hamilton has picked the wrong time to be coming off their worst game of the season. British Columbia is angry and humbled after last week’s result with the Roughriders. They’re going to take it out on the kitties from the other side of the field. Lions 38, Tiger-Cats 20

SUNDAY

OTTAWA REDBLACKS AT EDMONTON ELKS (pk, O/U: 45.5)

The Redblacks were in control, leading 24-10 heading into the fourth quarter against the Montreal Alouettes last week, but the defense clocked out early and gave up 15 points in the final period. Ottawa fell by a single point, 25-24. Dustin Crum could get a call any day from the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL after putting down a pathetic 14 of 19 passing performance for only 130 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. He did scramble four times for 42 yards and a TD. Tyrelle Pigrome had nine carries for 30 yards and two TDs. Devonte Williams led the team with nine rushes for 64 yards. Shaq Evans caught three passes for 41 yards. Adam Auclair ended his night with eight tackles and a sack. Damon Webb and Deandre Lamont both had six tackles apiece, with Webb adding a pick. Sherrod Baltimore had four tackles, an interception and a tackle for a loss. Cleyon Laing and Kene Onyeka each had two tackles and a sack. Bryce Carter had a tackle and a sack.

Hold onto your antlers, because the Elks are winners, baby! Edmonton opened the game strong, got stronger in the second quarter and then cruised on defense in the third and fourth to knock off the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 24-10 last Thursday. Trey Ford still looked as if he’s auditioning for the Michigan Panthers next season, going 13 of 18 passing for 174 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He added five rushes for 60 yards. Kevin Brown led the team on the ground with 16 carries for 89 yards. Steven Dunbar, Jr. caught four passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns. Nyles Morgan led the defense with six tackles and two sacks. Darrius Bratton had five tackles. Ed Gainey had four tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery. AC Leonard had three tackles and a sack. Jake Ceresna had three tackles and two sacks. Kony Ealy had a tackle and a sack.

Just look at the confidence the book is giving Edmonton after putting it all together for the first time after 10 weeks of football. I’m not buying it just yet. Ottawa’s record isn’t much better, but they seem to always put up a fight to make it close. The Elks can’t say the same. Redblacks 27, Elks 17  

Last week

Straight up: 2-2

Against the spread: 1-3

Season

Straight up: 32-10

Against the spread: 25-17

Follow Adam Greene on Twitter @TheFirstMan.

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