Week 11 in the Canadian Football League is here with a battle of two first-place teams highlighting a strong slate of games at the midway point of the season.
I may have been the only person happy with how last week’s game between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Ottawa Redblacks ended as it helped me to go 3-0 in my predictions. Let’s try to keep that momentum going this week.
Thursday, Aug. 15: Ottawa Redblacks at Calgary Stampeders — 9:00 p.m. EDT
The Calgary Stampeders are back home for a matchup with the team that embarrassed them just a few weeks ago: the Ottawa Redblacks. On July 26, Ottawa crushed the Stamps 33-6 in our nation’s capital, a game that was easily Calgary’s low point of the season.
The team’s defence played well over a recent home-and-home against Toronto, moving out of the basement in net offence allowed to improve from ninth to fifth. The unit hasn’t exactly been dominant, but it’s still much better than it once was.
Making a case for Calgary’s defensive improvement after they gave up 39 points last week might seem odd but, if you dive into how those points were scored, you start to see it wasn’t all their fault. Janarion Grant scored a punt return touchdown, Jake Maier threw a pick-six, and two field goals came off turnovers. Don’t let the point totals fool you: Calgary’s defence is starting to play a lot better.
They now go up against Jeremiah Masoli, who has thrown just 10 pass attempts in regular-season action over the last 24 months. This should be a spot where Calgary’s defence continues to show their improvements, especially with rookie phenom Kalil Pimpleton out of the lineup for the Redblacks.
As for when the Stamps have the ball, just two of Maier’s seven interceptions this year have come at home where Calgary is a perfect 4-0. The club’s run game could also improve as Kylin Hill will make his debut behind starter Peyton Logan, providing the ground game with some fresh legs.
It may not be pretty, but I believe Calgary will get the job done one more time at home this week.
Pick: Calgary -3.5
Friday, Aug. 16: Montreal Alouettes at Saskatchewan Roughriders — 9:00 p.m. EDT
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are looking to put last week’s tie behind them as they face the Montreal Alouettes. These two first-place teams met in Montreal in Week 8 with Davis Alexander bursting onto the scene as Montreal outscored Saskatchewan 17-0 in the second half to win 20-16. Since then, the Riders haven’t won and Montreal hasn’t lost.
The Riders could be getting some reinforcements back at quarterback with Trevor Harris being listed as a full participant in practice both Monday and Tuesday. Shea Patterson hasn’t looked great in the past few weeks, so Harris’ return is welcome.
One concern, however, is the offensive line. Saskatchewan has started four different right tackles in the last five weeks after Jermarcus Hardrick went down with an injury in Week 6. While Trevor Harris coming back would give this Riders’ offence a boost, he might not help much if they can’t solidify the offensive line.
They face a Montreal defence that is first or second in several categories including opponent net offence, opponent passing yards, and points allowed. They shut down the Riders in the second half of their matchup three weeks ago, helping Davis Alexander lead the comeback.
Alexander has looked very comfortable in relief of Cody Fajardo, leading the defending Grey Cup champions to a touchdown on 29 percent of his drives. That’s the second-best percentage in the CFL behind Tre Ford and almost five percent better than Fajardo. It should be noted that the majority of that production has come against Hamilton’s struggling defence but it still shows the effectiveness of Montreal’s attack.
The Alouettes have maintained their aggressive offensive approach even with a backup under centre with Alexander attempting 14 passes of over 20 yards in the two-and-a-half games he’s played. He’s completed 10 of those with four ending in a touchdown. No team has allowed more big plays than the Riders this season, making this a tough matchup for Corey Mace and company.
Cody Fajardo was a limited participant in practice to start the week. Whether he plays or Alexander continues to get the ball, the Als should be in good shape against the Riders this week.
