CFL WEEK 9 PREVIEW & PICKS

BY ADAM GREENE

We’re still not halfway through the season, but the CFL teams have already started to separate themselves. Only three of the nine franchises currently have a winning record. We have one at .500 and five squads below water including the Edmonton Elks, who have not won a game. In fact, they haven’t tasted victory since Sep. 16, 2022.

The real enemy appears this week as well as the NFL kicks off its preseason Thursday night. Still, there’s plenty to pay attention to in Football Above The Ice Wall and we have the odds, lines and totals with which to make it lucrative.

POWER RANKINGS

1. TORONTO ARGONAUTS (6-0)

The only reason Toronto hasn’t amassed more wins this season is because the league stuck two of their byes in its first six weeks. At this point, anything less than a Grey Cup repeat would be a shock for the Argonauts. Last week: No. 1

2. BC LIONS (6-1)

The Lions got a nice little extra bye a week ago, traveling to Edmonton and downing the Elks 27-0. They needed the extra “rest” and tune up as they’re facing one of the league’s only two other winning squads this week, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Last week: No. 2

3. WINNEPEG BLUE BOMBERS (5-2)

The Blue Bombers had a week off to prepare for their game against the BC Lions and, if their previous matchup is any indication, they needed it. In Week 3 the Lions beat them 30-6. Last week: No. 4

4. HAMILTON TIGER-CATS (3-4)

Hamilton survived a defensive struggle against the suddenly capable Redblacks last week in a game that might get more important as the season rolls on. Last week: No. 5

5. MONTREAL ALOUETTES (3-3)

While we have only three teams with winning records, the Alouettes at least pulled back to .500 after holding off the Calgary Stampeders last Sunday. Last week: No. 8

6. OTTAWA REDBLACKS (3-4)

Part of the problem in tossing your hat into the contender ring is that another team might stomp on that hat and place it back atop your head askew. Ottawa’s hat was downright cattywampus after losing a defensive struggle to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Last week: No. 4

7. CALGARY STAMPEDERS (2-5)

Calgary lost a total of six games last season, not counting their postseason defeat. They’ve already hit five losses in this one and the schedule gets no easier here on out. Last week: 6

7. SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (3-4)

The Roughriders battled to get their record to .500, but are right back under water after getting dominated by the league’s best team, the Toronto Argonauts, last week. Last week: No. 7

9. EDMONTON ELKS (0-8)

It only took nine weeks, but the Elks finally get a reprieve and enjoy the first of their three byes of the season. Watching one of the CFL pregame shows over the weekend, the panel discussed how bad it was for the league for Edmonton to be this terrible and they were all correct in that. It’s a black eye on the CFL and one that I do believe I had a solution to remedy for good. Last week: No. 9

WEEK 9

Byes: Edmonton Elks

THURSDAY

BC LIONS AT WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (-5.5, O/U: 45)

The Lions walked into Edmonton already hot and the weather was just as nice in that province as they downed the Elks, 27-0. Dane Evans had a nice day under center, going 25 of 32 for 330 yards and two touchdowns. Taquan Mizzell rushed 22 times for 117 yards. Alexander Hollins caught five passes for 94 yards. Keon Hatcher hauled in five balls for 87 yards. Lucky Whitehead had six receptions for 54 yards. Ben Hladik, TJ Lee and Isaiah Guzylak-Messam all finished with four tackles apiece. Manny Rugamba and Boseko Lokombo had three tackles each, with Rugamba adding a sack and Lokombo a pick. Garry Peters had a tackle and an interception.

The Blue Bombers got to enjoy a bye before their bye, thanks to a 28-14 drubbing of the hapless Edmonton Elks in Week 7. Zach Collaros finished his evening 20 of 24 for 308 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. Brady Oliveira rushed 17 times for 110 yards. Nic Demski caught four passes for 115 yards and a TD. Kenny Lawler had seven catches for 93 yards. Rasheed Bailey had three grabs for 23 yards and a TD. On defense, Abu Daramy finished with six tackles. Demerio Houston had four tackles and a pick. Jackson Jeffcoat, Willie Jefferson and Ricky Walker all had two tackles and a sack. Cameron Lawson picked off a pass.

Back in Week 3 these two teams met and it wasn’t close, with the Lions blowing out the Blue Bombers 30-6. I don’t see this one being that lopsided, but the end result will probably be the same. Lions 24, Blue Bombers 20

FRIDAY

TORONTO ARGONAUTS AT CALGARY STAMPEDERS (+9, O/U: 51)

Chad Kelly didn’t have his best passing day, but the Argonauts didn’t need it. The defense led the way in a 31-13 beatdown of the Saskatchewan Roughriders last Saturday. Kelly finished 13 of 21 for 122 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Andrew Harris rushed seven times for 41 yards. Cam Phillips caught four passes for 38 yards. Wynton McManis led the defense with nine tackles and a sack. Brandon Barlow, Royce Metchie, Robertson Daniel and Adarius Pickett all had five tackles apiece, with Barlow adding a sack and Daniel picking off a pass. DaShaun Amos and Shawn Oakman both had two tackles, with Oakman adding a sack and Amos an interception.

Calgary fought down to the wire but couldn’t overtake the Montreal Alouettes in the fourth quarter. The Stampeders fell 25-18 to the Alouettes. Jake Maier ended his night 24 of 44 for 256 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. Tommy Stevens “led” the team rushing, if you can call it that, with two carries for 32 yards. Reggie Beglton caught eight passes for 102 yards. DeVontres Dukes had eight grabs for 87 yards. Micah Awe led the defense with eight tackles. Titus Wall had six tackles. Brad Hyman-Muhammad had five tackles. Brandon Dozier had four tackles and a sack.

If Calgary has a chance to get right, it’s not happening this week. Toronto is too good, and while this might be seen as a trap game, and the Argos aren’t going undefeated, I can’t see them stubbing their toe here. Argonauts 33, Stampeders 17

SATURDAY

MONTREAL ALOUETTES AT HAMILTON TIGER-CATS (+3, O/U: 45)

Montreal popped back from their bye and put forth maybe their best performance of the season, defeating the Calgary Stampeders 25-18 last Sunday. Cody Fajardo was 16 of 29 passing for 158 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. He added five scrambles for 27 yards. William Stanback rushed 15 times for 86 yards. Kaion Julien-Grant caught five passes for 71 yards. Tyrice Beverette had seven tackles. Marc-Antoine Dequoy had five tackles. Kabion Ento had three tackles and a pick. Kordell Rodgers had a tackle and an interception.

The Tiger-Cats grabbed some turf in the second half, holding the Ottawa Redblacks to just six points over the final two periods on their way to a 16-12 victory. Bo Levi Mitchell was very generous with the ball, tossing five interceptions to go with a 23 of 40 passing day, 353 yards and two touchdowns. Hamilton got nothing in the run game, with James Butler “leading” the team with six carries for 12 yards. Kai Locksley caught two passes for 91 yards and a TD. Terry Godwin hauled in five passes for 71 yards and D’haquille Williams had five grabs for 54 yards and a score. On defense, Jameer Thurman finished with seven tackles. Malik Carney, Stavros Katsontonis and Tunde Adeleke all had five tackles, with Carney adding two sacks and Katsantonis one. Casey Sayles had four tackles and a sack. Tre Crawford had three tackles and two sacks. Mohamed Diallo had two tackles and a sack. Kenneth George, Jr. had two tackles and a pick.

SUNDAY

OTTAWA REDBLACKS AT SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (+1, O/U: 44)

Ottawa made some good news for itself, getting back into the CFL race by nearly hitting half their 2022 win total within the first seven weeks of the season. That good news ended last Thursday as the Redblacks fell 16-12 in a defensive struggle to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Dustin Crum was 13 of 22 for 158 yards, no touchdowns and an interception in what’s being called, by me, a USFL-worth QB performance. Crum led the team rushing with 13 carries for 82 yards. Devonte Williams had eight rushes for 53 yards. Justin Hardy caught five passes for 65 yards. Frankie Griffin had 11 tackles and an interception. Alonzo Addae finished with five tackles and a pick. Bryce Carter and Brandin Dandridge both had three tackles, with Carter adding a sack and Dandridge an interception. Douglas Coleman and Abdul Kannah had a tackle and pick apiece.

Saskatchewan is back under .500 thanks to losing to the undefeated Toronto Argonauts last Saturday in blowout fashion, 31-13. Mason Fine finished 27 of 39 passing for 302 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. Jacob Dolegala took some snaps in mop up duty, finishing 4 of 5 for 100 yards and a touchdown with no picks. Jamal Morrow led the team with 10 rushes for 41 yards. Shawn Bane caught 10 passes for 144 yards and a TD. Tevin Jones had nine receptions for 133 yards. Samuel Emilus caught five balls for 91 yards. Derrick Moncrief and Micah Teitz wrapped with seven tackles apiece. Pete Robertson had five tackles and a sack. Nick Marshall picked off a pass.

Neither of these teams scored much last week, so they might make up for it in this one. I bought into Ottawa and it cost me. I’m rolling with Saskatchewan this week. Roughriders 23, Redblacks 20

Last week

Straight up: 3-1

Against the spread: 2-2

Season

Straight up: 24-7

Against the spread: 20-11

Follow Adam Greene on Twitter @TheFirstMan.

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