Saskatchewan comes to Toronto, the actual city, for the first time since before the pandemic. The Roughriders fans travel well and they should know that a ticket to see the Argos also gets you into the Canadian National Exhibition.
The Argonauts usually get 2 home games during the CNE but got a bye last week. If you are going to be in Toronto, the CNE runs though September 2.
Saskatchewan hasn't played Toronto in Canada's largest city since September 28, 2019 with a 41-16 over the Argonauts. The Roughriders played the Argonauts in Halifax (2023) and Wolfville, NS (2022) and didn't have a road trip to Toronto in 2021.
The CFL on TSN panel will be on site at BMO Field.
Hamilton gets to relive memories of playing Winnipeg for the Grey Cup (2019 and 2021). Unfortunately for the Tiger-Cats fans, both those tries fell short. Michael O'Shea remembers from the other sideline at Princess Auto Stadium.
CBS Sports Network throws off the algorithm by carrying the Friday night game.
The BC Lions study up on sleeping on planes with the team's second-longest road trip as they go to the federal capital. Ottawa has a much better team and has performed well at TD Place. This is the Saturday game and NOT on CBS Sports Network.
Alouettes GM Danny Maciocia remembers well the yellow and green of the Edmonton franchise. The Elks visit Maciocia's current home of Montréal on Sunday night. CBS Sports Network has this game in the United States.
Calgary gets a chance to rest up for the Battle of Alberta at home at McMahon Stadium.
CBS Sports Network
Friday
Hamilton @ Winnipeg, 8:30p
Sunday
Edmonton @ Montréal, 7p
TSN
Thursday
Saskatchewan @ Toronto, 7:30p
Friday
Hamilton @ Winnipeg, 8:30p
Saturday
BC @ Ottawa, 7p
Sunday
Edmonton @ Montréal, 7p
Bye week: Calgary
The spider cam work on this return is phenomenal!
— Dustin Nielson (@nielsonTSN1260) August 17, 2024
I’m not paying attention to it during the play, obviously, but wow. pic.twitter.com/IGe1dlVfmA
James Letcher Jr. was in the end zone for Montréal, waiting on a Brett Lauther field goal attempt. This is usually a futile exercise since Lauther usually makes these field goals.
To say Friday night was not Brett Lauther's best night is a sharp understatement. The kick missed wide right and Letcher returned the ball 128 yards for a touchdown.
Lauther won a game for Saskatchewan last year over Edmonton with a kickoff single late in the game. The Roughriders still had a chance to tie the game and send it to overtime.
Trevor Harris returned at quarterback for the Roughriders with 31-for-39 for 355 yards and 2 touchdowns. Saskatchewan struggled to get majors early on under favourable conditions.
Cody Fajardo, who used to be the Saskatchewan starting quarterback (3 seasons) was in uniform as a backup.
Davis Alexander can make you think his team won't win but then they do. Can't explain it. Alexander finished 22-for-33 for 285 yards and a passing touchdown. Alexander scored on the ground late in the game to give the Alouettes the win. The TSN replay showed green in between the white shoe and the sideline. There was another shot on the Internet showing Alexander's foot out of bounds.
The Alouettes won their 8th straight road game, going back to September 9 of last year. The previous record was set in 2002-2003.
A shout-out to Saskatchewan's Rolan Milligan Jr. who may be the defensive player in the CFL. TSN flashed his stats during the 3rd quarter: first in interceptions (6) and pass knockdowns (10) as well as second in special teams tackles and defensive plays. We pay more attention to offence than defence yet Milligan is a standout.
CBS Sports Network doesn't usually carry added a rare Friday game, likely not knowing that this would be a classic.
Montréal gets back another outstanding receiver in Austin Mack after a stint with the NFL Atlanta Falcons. Mack had 78 receptions for 1,154 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2023. He had 104 yards in the Grey Cup.
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Calgary wanted to sweep Toronto but lost control of the game at BMO Field. The Stampeders didn't want to get swept by Ottawa yet the RedBlacks gave Jeremiah Masoli his first CFL win in 999 days. Calgary suffered its first loss at McMahon Stadium.
That might have been the best played first half by both teams in a CFL game this season. Calgary had 2 punt singles while Ottawa had 1. They may seem meaningless but not to the margin to get a win, or the previous week for Ottawa to get a tie.
Ottawa seemingly blew a chance on a tough 3rd down call, turning the ball over late in the game. Yet the RedBlacks defence came through and forced a punt that led to the game winning drive.
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As good as Masoli was in a long layoff, Nathan Rourke was not that great in his return.
Nathan Rourke was rusty. Really rusty. The BC Lions put a lot into Rourke at the home game against Winnipeg. Jake Dolegala likely couldn't have done much better. The same could be true of Chase Brice.
Rourke went 8-for-25 for 126 passing yards with 2 interceptions. He could have had more than that in terms of interceptions. Winnipeg was coming off a bye and looked very comfortable. Despite the terrible Blue Bombers start, Winnipeg is a game behind BC and Saskatchewan within striking distance once Labour Day weekend arrives.
Michael O'Shea wins his 100th game as coach for the Blue Bombers.
The Lions have lost 4 in a row and don't have the tiebreakers versus the Edmonton Elks and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. BC only has 2 more games with West opponents, none until October: hosting Calgary on October 4 and traveling to Regina on October 12. Back to back games with Ottawa is not the panacea the 2023 version might have provided.
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The Edmonton Elks have a 3-game winning streak after a rare blowout win for the Elks. McLeod Bethel-Thompson won his first start as an Elk and had the first win as a starting quarterback not named Tre Ford in a very long time.
Tiger-Cats receiver Luther Hakunavanhu suffered a head injury on the first scrimmage play. That injury overshadowed the game with about a 20-minute delay before play resumed. Taylor Powell started the game at quarterback for Hamilton but a head injury forced Powell from the game.
Nyles Morgan contributed both hits. The hit on Hakunavanhu looked terrible but possibly was a "football hit." The hit on Powell was head on head. While Powell was running the ball, the hit should have drawn a penalty and/or a fine/suspension.
Justin Rankin ran for 108 yards as the Edmonton run game is now one of the best in the league, regardless of the quarterback.
Bo Levi Mitchell had good numbers in a losing cause again: 23-for-34 for 294 yards with a touchdown and 2 interceptions. Harrison Frost finished up in the 4th quarter.
This season series is over so neither team can rely on a relatively easy win.
Former Edmonton coach Chris Jones was seen at Tim Hortons Field on Saturday. Jones replaced Mark Washington as defensive coordinator on Sunday. The Tiger-Cats already replaced the special teams coach. Psst. The coaches aren't to blame.
Farhan Lalji reported that Jones will calling the defensive plays and not get paid by the Ticats for the rest of the season. Lalji noted that his buyout by the Elks means "receiving approx 12 months pay following his dismissal."
Toronto Argonauts update on Chad Kelly status pic.twitter.com/a2zp4oBHR3
— Toronto Argonauts Media Relations (@ArgonautsMR) August 18, 2024
The CFL has decided to reinstate Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly after a "last chance agreement." We have a number of problems with everything on how this was handled.
The Argos should not have fired the coach in question. Everything that happened with Kelly physically in camp. Kelly's past, official and unofficial. The only remote remorse from Kelly came in a statement he almost certainly didn't write or see until he signed it. Whether the standards of "success" would be acceptable to women who have experience sexual harassment at this level.
Cameron Dukes and Nick Arbuckle have shared the Argos quarterback position. Kelly gets the start for the home game against Saskatchewan tonight.
Thomas Bertrand-Hudon is the first professional football player to wear a guardian cap in a regular season game.
— CFL (@CFL) August 17, 2024
This is the second year of the guardian cap implementation in the CFL. Players have had the option this season to wear it in game if they wanted. pic.twitter.com/c1RoVW4MR9
Saskatchewan's Thomas Bertrand-Hudon is the answer of the trivia question: Who was the first professional football player to wear a guardian cap in a regular season game? The head is the part we want to protect. Good on Bertrand-Hudon to take the lead. We are curious if players like the feel of the guardian cap. Helmets seem to come off quite a bit in football, so we are also curious if guardian caps are more likely to stay on the head.
Safety may not be "cool" but a healthy head means more football and a better life after football.
Stefan Flintoft showing the power for @BCLions, and referee Ben Major is loving it too! #CFLGameDay
— CFL (@CFL) August 19, 2024
📺 on @TSN_Sports & @CBSSportsNet
📱 on TSN+ pic.twitter.com/LmKA9MnoDj
The BC Place renovation of 2010-2011 brought in a very new, very awesome video scoreboard hanging down from the centre of the new retractable roof. Stefan Flintoft kicked a very high punt that went off the scoreboard Sunday night against Winnipeg. Head referee Ben Major had the best line of the week with his response.
As impressive as the current scoreboard is at BC Place, there will be a new video board as part of renovations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. CFL punters should take note.
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Ottawa @ Calgary: Rod Smith/Paul LaPolice/Farhan Lalji
Montréal @ Saskatchewan: Dustin Nielson/Glen Suitor/Brit Dort
Edmonton @ Hamilton: Marshall Ferguson/Duane Forde/Matthew Scianitti
Winnipeg @ BC: Dustin Nielson/Glen Suitor/Farhan Lalji
Farhan Lalji is based in Vancouver yet Lalji seems to be the unofficial choice to cover Calgary on the sidelines. Shantelle Chand has also handled sideline duties in Vancouver. Lalji usually calls play by play on a game or two in Vancouver. We predict September 13 might be one of those times, maybe with Matt Dunigan.
Paul LaPolice seemed a logical choice in the Ottawa game in Calgary because of his relationship with Jeremiah Masoli (being his coach in Ottawa). TSN seems more likely to send LaPolice west than Duane Forde.
Milt Stegall had the week off. Laura Daikun filled in for Kate Beirness for Sunday, which also had 4 human beings on the CFL on TSN panel. We had seen a host and 2 panelists all summer on Sundays. Dave Naylor made his 2024 CFL on TSN panel debut on Sunday, though that could have been tied to the whole Chad Kelly story.
logo credit: CFL
Twitter capture: @nielsonTSN1260; @ArgonautsMR; @CFL; @CFL
photo credit: TSN/CFL
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