The CFL has a lot of momentum coming out of the revenge games weekend. So 3 teams hit a bye week. Sad.
The BC Lions host Toronto to start the week on Friday night. This was the criticism last year where the Lions struggled in Toronto but didn't get a chance to host the Argos. Fun to think about a Toronto team that plays at 10 pm, unlike the Maple Leafs on a Saturday night.
This is the first CFL game in Vancouver since August 18, though there was a home game in Victoria.
The U.S. viewers should make a late night out of this game since this is the only CFL game this week on the CBS Sports Network. Only 3 scheduled TV games after this one, including Canadian Thanksgiving.
Hamilton swept Ottawa last season yet the RedBlacks won the first contest against the Tiger-Cats at home. Ottawa will be at Tim Hortons Field on Saturday afternoon on the CTV game.
The Philpot brothers do the second part of their family reunion, though Tyson (Montréal) is injured for the trip to see Jalen at his home in Calgary on Saturday night. The Stampeders had a considerable lead at Molson Stadium before the Montréal comeback. The Stampeders lost their last 2 home games after starting 4-0 at home while the Alouettes are the league's only undefeated team on the road.
Edmonton, Saskatchewan, and Winnipeg get to spend a nice weekend in Western Canada, hopefully without wildfires.
CBS Sports Network
Friday
Toronto @ BC, 10p
CTV
Saturday
Ottawa @ Hamilton, 3p
TSN
Friday
Toronto @ BC, 10p
Saturday
Montréal @ Calgary, 7p
Bye week: Edmonton, Saskatchewan, Winnipeg
Chris Streveler posts on his instagram this evening that he tore three major knee ligaments in the Banjo Bowl.
— Darrin Bauming (@DarrinBauming) September 10, 2024
He describes it as “a long road to recovery” which will, in all likelihood, omit him from the remainder of the 2024 season, but pledges to return to the field. #Bombers pic.twitter.com/1gV4AZ3Kqb
Miles Brown has had plays that injured 3 CFL quarterbacks in 2024. Difficult to put blame on the hit that hurt Dru Brown (Ottawa). The hit on Zach Collaros (Winnipeg starter) was cheap, late, and not a football play. Chris Streveler (Winnipeg backup) became his 3rd victim in 2024 with crutches after that hit on Saturday.
Perhaps Brown has an allergy to the capital of Manitoba since Brown used to play for Winnipeg. We aren't as concerned as to whether Miles Brown is a "dirty player" and just want the terrible hits to stop. Brown can't hurt any more Winnipeg quarterbacks since the season series is done.
Winnipeg converted a 3rd down play late in the game to kick a field goal to go up 5. Trevor Harris had a chance to snap the Roughriders rough stretch but his final pass landed in the arms of Blue Bombers cornerback Tyrell Ford for a second time.
Winnipeg has won the last 5 Banjo Bowls. The 5-point margin (26-21) was the smallest in that 5-game streak. Saskatchewan started 5-1 yet has gone 0-6-1 since then. The Roughriders would have a playoff spot as of now. Winnipeg won its 5th straight to improve to 7-6.
Former Toronto Argos backup Bryan Scott and Jake Dolegala, late of BC and Saskatchewan, are newly signed contenders for the backup role to replace Streveler. Terry Wilson has been the third-string quarterback.
If Miles Brown had been suspended for the Banjo Bowl, as we wanted, Streveler could walk without crutches.
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A pretend conversation with defensive backs Tyrell Ford (Winnipeg) and Damon Webb (Ottawa):
Ford: "I had an amazing day. 2 interceptions. The last one clinched the win for our team. Can you beat that?"
Webb: "I had 2 interceptions. Amazing. Ran both back for a Pick-6. In the first half. The margin of our win was 14 points, which matched what I brought to the game."
Ford: "You had the better day. I am tied with Rolan Milligan Jr. (Saskatchewan) with 6 interceptions, tops in the league."
Webb gets style points for a 98-yard return on the second interception. Chad Kelly had 3 interceptions for Toronto. Dru Brown went 30-for-40 for 348 yards and a touchdown.
This was the first matchup between the Ontario teams that are likely to play in the opening round of the playoffs. The RedBlacks tie likely won't mean a tiebreaker is at stake. When the teams meet in Toronto on October 19, the backups will likely be in play so this was the best test for these teams.
SO NICE, HE DID IT TWICE!
— CFL (@CFL) September 7, 2024
Damon Webb has his second pick 6 of the game.😤
📺: #CFLGameday on @TSN_Sports, @RDSca
📱: Stream on CFL+ pic.twitter.com/25dcnHqmDq
Montréal wins 5, loses 1, wins 5, and loses 1. At this rate, the Alouettes will lose the final game of the regular season, which won't matter too much. Both of those losses have come at Percival Molson Stadium.
The Lions with their many air miles felt very comfortable coming off the longest non Atlantic Canada road trip currently available.
Nathan Rourke threw 3 interceptions yet went 22-for-28 for 304 passing yards, adding a TD pass and a run for a major that reminded us of 2022. William Stanback rose to the occasion in his first trip back to La Belle Province. Stanback had 128 rushing yards on 20 carries and 28 receiving yards on 2 catches.
The Alouettes could field an all-star team with injured receivers. Tyson Philpot, Austin Mack, and Kaion Julien-Grant lead that unfortunate list. Philpot is now out for the season.
Good to see a sellout at Stade Molson for a non-division opponent.
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Let's play things that haven't happened to the Calgary Stampeders since 2004!! The team hasn't lost 4 straight games and got swept by Edmonton in the Labour Day series. Both of those happened last week.
Logan Bonner started for Jake Maier as the Calgary quarterback. Bonner threw 5 interceptions, more than Johnny Manziel in his CFL debut (4) for the Alouettes. Though Bonner played the whole game to get those 5 interceptions.
Calgary is still winless at 0-6 on the road, even with its shortest road trip of the season.
Edmonton has 2 strong quarterbacks and 3 solid running backs. Calgary, well, doesn't. If Montréal gets the road win this week, the Stampeders will be a full game in back of the Elks without the tiebreaker.
Good Morning from Winnipeg!
— Dustin Nielson (@nielsonTSN1260) September 7, 2024
What can I say, Banjo Bowl on CTV!!
I’ve got the call with @GlenSuitor & @JohnLuTSNWpg! pic.twitter.com/BHmP2HK9KN
Everything lined up for the Banjo Bowl to be huge for the CFL on CTV, 21st century version. The potential for an exciting game in Winnipeg versus the blowout in Ottawa by the time kickoff happened in the Manitoba capital.
Turns out the Banjo Bowl on CTV drew more than 100,000 fewer viewers than last year's Banjo Bowl on TSN. The CTV numbers were 571,000 versus 688,100 for the 2023 Banjo Bowl on TSN.
The Friday night Nathan Rourke show in Montréal drew a combined 701,700 (458,200 TSN; 243,500 RDS). The latest Battle of Alberta in Edmonton drew 488,100 while Toronto in Ottawa had 253,300 viewers.
CTV requires a cable or satellite password to stream. The over-the-air network has stations in Regina and Winnipeg; those outside those cities would need some other way to watch. The 3 pm Eastern starts for the CTV games that were originally 4 pm Eastern starts. The casual fans who didn't pay attention.
The regular season games are CTV exclusives while the postseason games are on CTV and TSN. The idea is to build momentum. There is no more early Saturday afternoon games for the rest of the CTV run. We will follow this ongoing saga.
Thanks to 3 Down Nation for staying on this topic. Let us know in the comments if you had a good or poor experience with accessing the CFL on CTV.
2024 CFL preview
We've written twice this season over the TVA Sports patch on the Montréal Alouettes uniforms. The first time was when we first noticed the patch. The second time was when we thought the patch issue was fixed.
The pattern we see is that the Alouettes wear the TVA Sports patch for home games and have a different patch for the road games.
Montréal Alouettes owner Pierre Karl Péladeau owns TVA Sports. RDS, rival to TVA Sports, has the CFL rights en Francaise as part of Bell Media.
The American mind simply can’t comprehend pre-snap motion pic.twitter.com/DX6igs7gTh
— r/CFL on Reddit (@cfl_reddit) September 12, 2024
2024 CFL preseason schedule
CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage
BC @ Montréal: Rod Smith/Paul LaPolice/Kenzie Lalonde
Toronto @ Ottawa: Marshall Ferguson/Duane Forde/Claire Hanna
Saskatchewan @ Winnipeg: Dustin Nielson/Glen Suitor/John Lu
Calgary @ Edmonton: Rod Smith/Matt Dunigan/Ryan Rishaug
Rod Smith logged in some major miles Toronto to Montréal to Edmonton. Paul LaPolice was in Montréal on Friday and the studio on Saturday. Ryan Rishaug made a rare CFL sideline appearance in Edmonton.
Jim Barker and Henoc Muamba filled in for Davis Sanchez and Matt Dunigan, the latter spending the weekend in Edmonton.
logo credit: CFL
Twitter captures: @DarrinBauming; @CFL; @nielsonTSN1260; @cfl_reddit
photo credit: CTV/CFL
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