CFL WEEK 5 PREVIEW & PICKS

BY ADAM GREENE

We had a light week of CFL action leading into the holiday weekend for two of the three countries in North America, with just three games on the schedule.

We get a full slate for Week 4, minus the one team enjoying their bye, and have the odds, lines and totals with which to make the most of our viewing pleasure.

At the same time, we wrapped our second of the three active spring football leagues as the 2.0 version of the USFL hosted its second championship game. The Birmingham Stallions repeated as title holders thanks to a 28-12 win over the seriously outmatched Pittsburgh Maulers.

I wrapped my USFL season with a final week record of 1-0 straight up and against the spread for a 27-14 straight up mark. I went 24-17 against the spread. All this was significantly superior to my XFL performance, where I was 22-21 straight up and 18-25 against the spread.

Our final spring football league isn’t even hitting its halfway point and won’t be done for a while, as each team plays a ridiculous 18 games over 21 weeks. It’s the kind of thing you have to deal with when you have nine franchises and a problem I will attempt to fix with the modest spring football proposal I’m currently crafting.

POWER RANKINGS

1. TORONTO ARGONAUTS (3-0)

To no one’s surprise the Argonauts have opened the season perfect, but thanks to a scheduling snafu, the CFL’s top draw is now sitting out for its second bye in the league’s first five weeks. That’s Canadian scheduling for you. First, they have their July 4^th on July 1^st and now this. Ridiculous. Last week: No. 1

2. WINNEPEG BLUE BOMBERS (3-1)

Winnipeg’s early season offense still hasn’t made an appearance in two weeks, but their defense made up for it in Week 3, holding the previously unbeaten Montreal Allumettes to just a field goal. Last week: No. 3

3. BC LIONS (3-1)

The Lions put it to the Blue Bombers a week ago, but Week 4 proved they’ve still got a ways to go before they can stand toe-to-toe with Toronto. Last week: No. 2

4. SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (2-1)

Saskatchewan is coming off a bye week and, thanks to the scheduling of the winless Edmonton Elks, they pretty much have another in Week 4. Last week: No. 5

5. MONTREAL ALOUETTES (2-1)

While the Alouettes made a statement to open the season, they met a solid bit of punctuation last Saturday as they were held out of the end zone by the Blue Bombers. Last week: No. 4

6. CALGARY STAMPEDERS (1-2)

Last season the Stampeders dropped just six games before the playoffs. As they gear up to face Winnipeg Friday night, they’re in danger of reaching half that loss total before their southern neighbors run out of discount fireworks and fingers. Last week: No. 6

7. OTTAWA REDBLACKS (1-2)

Nothing fixes what ails a losing team like facing the Edmonton Elks in a battle of previously winless squads. Ottawa has now matched 25 percent of their win total from a year ago. Last week: No. 8

8. HAMILTON TIGER-CATS (0-3)

Here’s the good news. The Tiger-Cats are coming off a bye and playing an Ottawa team that just got its first win of the season. The bad news is Hamilton has yet to record its first win of the season. Last week: No. 7

9. EDMONTON ELKS (0-4)

Of all the teams that could probably use a bye, the Elks have yet to enjoy theirs while the CFL’s top ranked team is cruising into its second. Last week: No. 9

WEEK 5

Byes: Toronto Argonauts

THURSDAY

EDMONTON ELKS AT SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (-7.5, O/U: 43)

A week after their offense showed up for a 31-point losing effort against Toronto, Edmonton decided to leave that unit on the bus, as they fell 26-7 to the Ottawa Redblacks last Friday. Jarrett Doege was far too generous with the ball, tossing three picks to go with a 19 of 33 passing day for 223 yards and one touchdown. He scrambled four times for 14 yards. Kevin Brown led the Elks rushing with seven carries for 28 yards. Maurice Ffrench caught eight passes for 74 yards and a score. Steven Dunbar, Jr. had six receptions for 45 yards. Nyles Morgan recorded seven tackles. Adam Konar had six tackles. Kony Ealy, a former second round pick of the Carolina Panthers and NFC Champion, had three tackles and a sack.

Saskatchewan took a much deserved by week rest after outlasting the Calgary Stampeders in a 29-26 shootout in Week 3. Trevor Harris was 20 of 30 for 273 yards, one touchdown and an interception in the win. He scrambled twice for 21 yards. Jamal Morrow rushed 22 times for 133 yards. Shawn Bane, Jr. caught three passes for 77 yards. Tevin Jones had five receptions for 75 yards and a score. Samuel Emilus caught three balls for 57 yards. Larry Dean ended his night with nine tackles and a pick. CJ Reavis had eight tackles. Rolan Milligan had five tackles and an interception. Amari Henderson had three tackles and a forced fumble. Pete Robertson had two tackles and a sack. Nick Marshall had one tackle and an interception. Mario Alford picked off a pass. 

Edmonton will win a game at some point this season, I just don’t see it happening this week. Especially with Saskatchewan getting an extra week of prep. Roughriders 27, Elks 16

FRIDAY

CALGARY STAMPEDERS AT WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (-7.5, O/U: 46.5)

Calgary was forced to sit alone in their room and think about what they’d done during their bye week after a 29-26 fourth quarter loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Week 3. Jake Maier was 18 of 35 for 288 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions in the loss. He added four scrambles for 17 yards and a score. Dedrick Mills rushed 14 times for 74 yards. Mali Henry caught four passes for 92 yards and a TD. Tre Odoms-Dukes had four catches for 63 yards. Cole Tucker hauled in four passes for 60 yards. Luther Hakunavanhu caught three balls for 58 yards. Michael Griffin ended his evening with 11 tackles and a sack. Micah Awe had 10 tackles. Kobe Williams had seven tackles with five for a loss. Cameron Judge had three tackles and an interception. Brandon Dozier had two tackles and a forced fumble. Mike Rose had a tackle, a sack and a fumble recovery.

It didn’t look nearly as pretty as their first two wins of the season, but it still counts as Winnipeg downed the previously undefeated Montreal Alouettes, 17-3. Zach Collaros ended his Saturday night 15 of 23 for 177 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. Brady Oliveira rushed 20 times for 120 yards. He added two catches for 19 yards. Greg McCrae had four carries for 49 yards and caught two passes for 10 yards. Dalton Schoen led the team with five catches for 86 yards and a TD. Drew Wolitarsky had three grabs for 29 yards and a score. Alden Darby and Abu Daramy-Swaray all had six tackles apiece, with Darby adding an interception. Swaray recovered a fumble. Willie Jefferson had three tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery. Cameron Laweson wrapped with two tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. Brandon Alexander had two tackles and a pick. Deatrick Nichols recorded two tackles and a fumble recovery. Ricky Walker, Celestin Haba and Jackson Jeffcoat all had a tackle and a sack. Demerio Houston had a tackle and forced two fumbles.

Winnipeg might be the second-best team in the CFL or they could be the third. Either way, I don’t think Calgary has caught them just yet and the Blue Bombers are due for an offensive resurgence after a couple of less than stellar weeks. Blue Bombers 31, Stampeders 21

SATURDAY

OTTAWA REDBLACKS AT HAMILTON TIGER-CATS (-2.5, O/U: 44.5)

Ottawa made the most of their early season bye to prepare for their Week 4 contest. The Redblacks cruised to an easy victory, their first of the season, 26-7 over the Edmonton Elks. Tyrie Adams finished his day 14 of 20 for 185 yards and a touchdown. He added three rushes for 31 yards. De’Montre Tuggle carried the ball 17 times for 126 yards and a score. Marco Dubois caught three passes for 58 yards and a TD. Jaelon Acklin had four catches for 49 yards. Hakeem Bailey finished with six tackles and three for a loss. Douglas Coleman II had five. Cleyon Laing, Lorenzo Mauldin IV and Kane Onyeka all made two tackles and each picked up a sack. Brandin Dandridge had two tackles as well to go with an interception.

It was a Week 3 rematch from the 2022 playoffs and the results were the same, with the Tiger-Cats falling to the Montreal Alouettes 38-12 before they had to hit the couch for an early season bye. Matthew Shiltz, owner of the most dangerous name in professional sports, was 25 of 47 for 345 yards, no TDs and two picks in the loss. He led the team rushing with four carries for 24 yards. Tim White caught seven passes for 143 yards. D’haquille Williams had five receptions for 102 yards. Terry Godwin caught six balls for 57 yards. Malik Carney and Lawrence Woods both had seven tackles apiece, with Carney adding a sack and five tackles for a loss. Chris Edwards and Jameer Thurman had four tackles and a sack each, with Edwards notching three tackles for a loss. Ted Laurent had two tackles and a sack.

Hamilton has not had the 2023 season opening it expected, but Ottawa is here to save the day. Tiger-Cats 27, Redblacks 13

MONDAY

MONTREAL ALOUETTES AT BC LIONS (-7, O.U: 45.5)

After a strong beginning to the season, the Alouettes faceplanted at the worst possible time against the worst possible opponent, losing 17-3 to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers last Saturday. Cody Fajardo ended his night 17 of 27 for 270 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He added six carries for 40 yards. William Stanback led the team with eight rushes for 42 yards. Kaion Julien-Grant caught six passes for 129 yards. Austin Mack hauled in six receptions for 115 yards and a TD. Bryce Notree had six tackles. Wesley Sutton and Nakee Murray both finished with five tackles, with Murray adding a fumble recovery. Marc-Antoine Dequoy had four tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Kordell Rodgers finished with three tackles and a pick. Nick Usher had two tackles and a sack.  

The Lions, after a triumphant statement victory over the Blue Bombers in Week 3, were ready to show the world they’d be a factor in the 2023 Grey Cup race in Week 4. Instead, there were completely overrun by the defending champion Toronto Argonauts, 45-24. Vernon Adams, Jr. all but melted down in the game, tossing six picks to go with 24 of 39 passing for 388 yards and three touchdowns. Kienan Lafrance and Taquan Mizzell co-led the team in rushing with 22 yards apiece. Lafrance had three carries and Mizzell six. Mizzell added three receptions for 23 yards. Keon Hatcher caught eight passes for 104 yards and a TD. Justin McInnis had four catches for 81 yards. Alexander Hollins caught three balls for 68 yards. Dominque Rhymes hauled in three passes for 65 yards and two scores. Emmanuel Rugamba led the team with seven tackles. Ben Hladik had six tackles. Garry Peters, Quincy Mauger and TJ Lee all had five tackles. Mathieu Betts had four tackles and two sacks. Boseko Lokombo had two tackles and a sack.  

Both these teams made it to the Division Finals last season and neither made it out. They did not look especially good last week, but BC still has a triumphant performance over Winnipeg on its resume and that’s why I’m picking them here. Lions 34, Alouettes 17

Last week

Straight up: 2-1

Against the spread: 1-2

Season

Straight up: 11-4

Against the spread: 10-5

Follow Adam Greene on Twitter @TheFirstMan.

Connect with us our socials on Twitter and Instagram for the latest sports news, viral moments, betting odds and the occasional memes.