The CFL returns to U.S. TV for the first time in over a month with a Sunday afternoon matinee in Montréal. The Alouettes will go with interim coach and current GM Kavis Reed after firing Jacques Chapdelaine (above). This game is crucial for playoff positioning for the Als and their newest rival Ottawa RedBlacks.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats host Saskatchewan in a battle of surging last-place teams on Friday night. The Saturday doubleheader feature local late afternoon starts in Toronto with the Esks at BMO Field and Calgary hosting the BC Lions in southern Alberta.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers get to rest after their Banjo Bowl victory on Saturday.
ESPN2
Sunday
Ottawa @ Montréal, 1p
TSN
Friday
Saskatchewan @ Hamilton, 7p
Saturday
Edmonton @ Toronto, 4p
BC @ Calgary, 7p
Sunday
Ottawa @ Montréal, 1p
Bye week: Winnipeg
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Travis Lulay, Trevor Harris, Kevin Glenn all came out of their games last week. BC might be in slightly better shape with Jonathon Jennings having played a lot this season. The Lions signed Mitchell Gale as a backup QB as Lulay is done for the season. The Ottawa RedBlacks smartly grabbed Drew Tate but the team couldn't overcome the worst team in the league at home. Harris went on the 6-game injured list. Saskatchewan needs Kevin Glenn if the Roughriders have playoff hopes. But the team might need to see Brandon Bridge and Vernon Adams Jr. play for the Riders' long-term hopes.
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The Montréal Alouettes were fading fast, so firing coaches Jacques Chapdelaine and defence coordinator Noel Thorpe is the latest step to try and correct a highly struggling franchise. Dan Hawkins, Jim Popp (twice), Tom Higgins, and Chapdelaine: All since Marc Trestman left after the 2012 season.
Chapdelaine certainly wasn't the worst coach on that list and Thorpe had done miracles up until recently. But the team wasn't playing anywhere near the capability. Getting rid of Bear Woods proved costly. The release of DB Ryan Phillips and the trade of QB Vernon Adams Jr. were both a bit puzzling.
This is the 3rd season in a row that the Als made a mid-season coaching change. The Alouettes have lost 4 straight and 6 of their last 7. The fabled Winnipeg comeback where the Blue Bombers scored 14 points in 100 seconds seemed to be the breaking point.
Kavis Reed coached Edmonton from 2011-2013. Reed has made things clear that he will only serve until the end of the season. After that, once again, the Alouettes will look for a head coach. A head coach that can provide some security to this once-proud franchise.
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The CFL doesn't like taunting, and I did think that Edmonton got away with a throat slash gesture by Chris Edwards late in the Battle of Alberta rematch. I saw what Chris Cuthbert and Glen Suitor did not see long before the replay after the officials called a penalty. In a close game, those 15 yards made a difference. Yes, a throat slash gesture had to be one of the lamest actions at that point, but the CFL will make you pay for those actions.
2017 CFL Week 12 preview
Calgary has swept 5 of the last 6 years against Edmonton. The Esks are licking their wounds with a 4-game losing streak. The good news for both teams is that they won't face another opponent this tough until October 28. The Stampeders will have the tiebreaker on Edmonton.
Winnipeg and Saskatchewan split their Labour Day/Banjo Bowl contests. The Blue Bombers fans have been on a kick about fake injuries by the Roughriders. There was a contest over which side had the louder stadium. You might have seen the graphic during both games. If you are new to the CFL, these teams have the loudest, most passionate fans. The big cities in Canada are much cooler to their teams than the teams in the Prairies. I got a chance to see this in motion last season, traveling to both stadiums. Though I haven't been to the new one in Regina and didn't see them play each other.
Montréal and BC went the previous 3 games with losses and not scoring in the 1st quarter. The Lions ended that streak with a touchdown and 2-point conversion.
Hamilton is only 2 points behind Montréal though 3rd place in the East doesn't mean much. The Tiger-Cats even have a better division record than the Alouettes.
Calgary may run away with the West title but there is a lot of movement below in the West standings. Winnipeg is now in 2nd place with 16 points, with Edmonton at 14 points, BC at 12 points, and Saskatchewan at 10 points. The quarterback scenarios in the last 2 teams will play a crucial role.
CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage
We had a fourth person on the CFL studio panel in TSN football insider Dave Naylor. Unfortunately, in most of the breaks I caught from Saturday, there was no audio from the studio. Don't know if that was a TSN messup or WatchESPN was the problem. Hopefully, some were able to hear what was said. Bringing in Naylor says unofficially Chris Schultz will be out longer.
Jock Climie was on set because Matt Dunigan got to call the Banjo Bowl with Gord Miller. Normally, Miller gets to do more CFL games but the season was lined up where he wasn't needed. With games limited mostly to Friday and Saturday for the rest of the season, Miller will get more chances before his, um, day job kicks into gear. #NHL
photo credit: ESPN2/TSN/CFL
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