Canadian Crossing

2024 CFL Week 14 preview: Revenge games

The BC Lions went from Ottawa to Victoria (Touchdown Pacific) and then back out to Montréal on Friday night. Could be worse if Halifax finally gets a CFL team. This is the anti-climatic start to a weekend of revenge games. Well, a couple of them on Saturday. The revenge games aren't worthy of the CBS Sports Network as the U.S. outlet carries only this game in the CFL weekend.

The Toronto Argonauts switch opponents and travel to the federal capital for the first of the Saturday tripleheader. This is the first Toronto-Ottawa battle of the season and lining up to be a playoff match. This is also the RedBlacks' first game against an East Division opponent since June 30.

The Banjo Bowl (Saskatchewan in Winnipeg) marks the first over-the-air CFL telecast since the 2007 Grey Cup. CTV runs an exclusive Saturday afternoon package in Canada. There will be a significant overlap for the CFL+ fans in the States versus the first game of the day.

The revenge game in the Battle of Alberta completes the tripleheader in Edmonton.

Hamilton has more time to recover from hosting the Labour Day game and posting its second win over Toronto.

CBS Sports Network

Friday
BC @ Montréal, 7:30p

CTV

Saturday
Saskatchewan @ Winnipeg, 3p

TSN

Friday
BC @ Montréal, 7:30p
Saturday
Toronto @ Ottawa, 1p
Calgary @ Edmonton, 7p

Bye week: Hamilton

VICTORIA! Thank you for being such an amazing host for #TouchdownPacific this past weekend 🧡

Re-live the entire TDP experience with this 🔥recap 🎥: @westjet | #BCLIONS pic.twitter.com/r5fTpxs7Nl

— BC LIONS (@BCLions) September 3, 2024

The BC Lions had a lot riding on Touchdown Pacific. Giving the spotlight to Victoria and Vancouver Island. A neutral site game with a home-field advantage. Oh, there was a 5-game losing streak.

Nathan Rourke had his best game since 2022 with 21-for-30 for 325 yards, 3 passing touchdowns and a rushing major along with an interception.

The Lions got William Stanback involved with 93 rushing yards on 20 carries and 6 receptions for 78 yards.

The Ottawa RedBlacks, who had defeated the Lions in Ottawa, had their undefeated streak snapped at 6 (5-0-1). Dru Brown was 21-for-33 for 206 passing yards and a touchdown.

Touchdown Pacific drew a great crowd of 14,727 at Royal Athletic Park, home of the Victoria HarbourCats of the West Coast League (baseball).

There was a bit of a spark about the abrupt end of the interview with Nathan Rourke with Farhan Lalji at the teams went into halftime. We liked things better when both team interviews happened after the teams came back out in the second half. Rourke will learn to talk more in subsequent interviews. The "job's not done" approach should factor in that the interviews are part of the "job."

2024 CFL Week 13 preview: Touchdown Pacific comes to Victoria, BC

WHAT JUST HAPPENED!?!?

Mario Alford muffs the Jamieson Sheahan (@JamSheahan) punt and Nick Hallett (@nhallett21) recovers to retake the lead!#CFL #Bombers #ForTheW
pic.twitter.com/2JgqpdyQlE

— 3DownNation (@3DownNation) September 2, 2024

The Zach Collaros injury shifted the dynamic of the second half of the Labour Day Classic in Regina (more on this below). Saskatchewan had its way through the second half. The Blue Bombers did get 2 field goals in the second half. Too often, leading teams go scoreless in the second half so this was a switch.

Winnipeg's rouge in the first half did make a difference in that Saskatchewan could have gone for a single extra point when scoring the touchdown late in the game.

Willie Jefferson is a physical presence. Watching Jefferson get taken down on the onside kick was a genuine surprise. Brett Lauther came close to hitting a 60-yard field goal at the end that would have been Labour Day Classic legendary.

Both the Roughriders and BC Lions have had tailspins of late. BC found its way for one week. We will see when Saskatchewan does the same.

2024 CFL Week 12 preview

2024 CFL Week 11 preview

The running joke with a bad team is that as long as you beat your rival, the season isn't so bad. Hamilton has 3 wins on the season and 2 of them are against Toronto. The Tiger-Cats have won the season series over the Argonauts.

Bo Levi Mitchell is now 7-0 on Labour Day, 6 of those with Calgary. Mitchell, who finished with 347 passing yards, hadn't played on Labour Day in 5 years. Chad Kelly had his first loss against the Ticats. Hamilton won 10 of the last 13 Labour Day Classics and snapped a 2-game losing streak.

Mitchell connected on the long ball, something we don't see a lot of these days in the CFL. Tim White is good, catching 2 long passes in the 1st quarter. The Ticats defence held the Argos, forcing then to kick 5 field goals, which were better than touchdowns in a close game.

Thanks to the Hamilton fans who brought out signs and had chants about Kelly over the harassment of a now former Argos coach.

On a personal note, the only Labour Day Classic I attended in person was at old Ivor Wynne Stadium where the Hamilton team sold me a ticket to a seat that didn't exist. The fans let me sit there anyway as long as I wasn't rooting for the Double Blue. The only revenge game I saw in person was this rivalry at Rogers Centre. I remember Timmy Chang throwing a few interceptions against Toronto.

2024 CFL Week 10 preview

2024 CFL Week 9 preview

The Calgary Stampeders suffered their second home loss of the season to the archrivals from up north in Edmonton. Unlike the other 2 rivalry games, the Battle of Alberta was one-sided.

McLeod Bethel-Thompson went 25-for-36 for 486 yards with 2 TD passes to Tevin Jones and another to Eugene Lewis.

The Elks snapped a 2-game losing streak on Labour Day. Edmonton had lost 10 of the last 11 on the holiday.

Peyton Logan had the Stampeders highlight with a punt return for 104 yards for a touchdown. Rene Paredes set a personal record with a 57-yard field goal.

Calgary is 0-5 on the road and headed to Edmonton for the revenge game late on Saturday. The team has a streak of 18 consecutive playoff appearances, 4th-longest in league history. Calgary has lost 3 in a row.

VICTORIA! Thank you for being such an amazing host for #TouchdownPacific this past weekend 🧡

Re-live the entire TDP experience with this 🔥recap 🎥: @westjet | #BCLIONS pic.twitter.com/r5fTpxs7Nl

— BC LIONS (@BCLions) September 3, 2024

More on the CFL Victoria experience.

Zach Collaros is shaken up after a direct hit to the head. Yikes. pic.twitter.com/26TYiZsCZP

— Connor Hrabchak (@ConnorHrabchak1) September 2, 2024

Winnipeg Blue Bombers President Wade Miller and your humble narrator have something in common. Our reaction to a non football hit by Saskatchewan's Miles Brown on Zach Collaros. The pass interference call on this play meant there was no actual punishment for this play. 15 yards is sufficient in most roughing the passer calls. This was beyond terrible.

A penalty box where either the offender sits out for the rest of that quarter and the next quarter. Automatic ejection. Automatic 1-game suspension. A 25-yard penalty chip the other team can use within that quarter, cashing it in to improve field position.

Plays that are not tied into the contact of football deserve a special category.

Brown did receive a fine. The amount of CFL fines are not disclosed.

2024 CFL preseason schedule

Random news and notes:

The Montréal Alouettes clinched a CFL playoffs spot. Exciting yet that seems to be the only certainty for the upcoming playoffs.

Dean Faithfull was the kicker for the Elks instead of Boris Bede. Faithfull missed a 29-yard attempt but otherwise had a good day.

We haven't talked much about the Alouettes kicking situation. José Maltos has filled in well for David Côté. We noticed that Montréal released Canadian kicker Michael Domagala this week. Maybe Edmonton would look in that direction.

By all accounts, Ryquell Armstead has had a successful year on the field as a running back for the Ottawa RedBlacks. The RedBlacks added running back Jamal Morrow to the practice roster while releaseing Armstead. There was the game in Week 8 against Calgary when Armstead was ejected and Ottawa was left without a traditional running back for most of the game.

The criticism of the smaller Saskatchewan crowds earlier in the season had a contrast for the Labour Day Classic, where 33,861 attended, the largest crowd ever at the new Mosaic Stadium. Roughriders fans often travel long distances to Regina and the holiday helped boost the attendance. Thursday night games are more viable in Toronto or Montréal than Regina.

Calgary had 17 days of rest. McLeod Bethel-Thompson complained about too little rest earlier in Edmonton's schedule. The Stampeders felt like a team with rust. Edmonton had a rough stretch at the end of the 2021 season that would have been worse if they had any chance at a CFL playoff spot.

Woah. #CFL #CFLonTSN pic.twitter.com/63l3l3bUxW

— Rider fan (@GreyCupBound) September 3, 2024

We normally don't even blink at the CFL standings in early September. The West Division is very different this season. Edmonton and Winnipeg have 2 games to come. Same for Calgary and Saskatchewan. BC has 2 divisional games left in the whole season. The Roughriders tie is a significant variable. Consider that the top 3 go to the playoffs and 2 of them will go home.

2024 CFL on CTV schedule, all kickoff times ET:

Sept. 7 | SSK at WPG | 3 p.m.
Sept. 14 | OTT at HAM | 3 p.m.
Sept. 21 | MTL at OTT | 3 p.m.
Sept. 28 | OTT at SSK | 3 p.m.
Oct. 12 | EDM at CGY | 3 p.m.
Oct. 19 | OTT at TOR | 3 p.m.
Oct. 26 | WPG at MTL | 3 p.m.
Nov. 2 | Eastern… https://t.co/8U37PsRNg1 pic.twitter.com/3EOIsGmxPW

— Justin Dunk (@JDunk12) June 6, 2024

CTV hasn't carried a CFL game since the end of the 1986 season. The Canadian Football Network (1987-1990) carried games on over-the-air stations. CBC resumed control of the CFL in 1991 and carried its last game in 2007.

CFL commissioner Randy Ambroisie wanted the CFL on CTV for some time, as previous commissioners likely felt the same way.

The setup is similar to what ESPN telecasts on ABC look like as these are TSN productions for CTV. Hoping for some fun graphics or even special blazers for the CTV effort.

The few Americans who have access to a CTV station should be in great shape. Those games should not be blacked out for any reason. As we've noted, none of the CTV games appear on the CBS Sports Network.

We don't know about the streaming options for the CTV games in Canada. Enhanced feeds of the CTV game should be on TSN+.

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

Ottawa @ BC: Dustin Nielson/Glen Suitor/Farhan Lalji
Winnipeg @ Saskatchewan: Rod Smith/Paul LaPolice/Brit Dort
Toronto @ Hamilton: Marshall Ferguson/Duane Forde/Matthew Scianitti
Edmonton @ Calgary: Dustin Nielson/Glen Suitor/Farhan Lalji

Before the pandemic, the CFL crews were very specific for the 3 major Labour Day weekend games. Touchdown Pacific threw that off. Glen Suitor wasn't in Regina. Dustin Nielson called Touchdown Pacific and the Battle of Alberta. Marshall Ferguson called the Labour Day Classic in Hamilton.

The regular CFL on TSN panel was in place, as in Victoria on Saturday and Hamilton on Monday.

We will be curious as to whether the same PBP and colour crews will stick with the same matchups in the revenge games. This used to be the weekend for Gord Miller and Matt Dunigan, a combo where I would watch them call just about any sport.

TSN had some issues in Victoria with the stuttering transmission. Someone could have said "sorry" for what happened.

logo credit: CFL
Twitter captures: @BCLions; @3DownNation; @BCLions; @ConnorHrabchak1; @GreyCupBound; @JDunk12
photo credit: CFL

2024 CFL Week 13 preview: Touchdown Pacific comes to Victoria, BC

Touchdown Pacific kicks off the Labour Day weekend for the CFL on Saturday night. The Ottawa RedBlacks travel to British Columbia to Royal Athletic Park in Victoria instead of BC Place in Vancouver. This game will indeed by on the CBS Sports Network in the United States.

The primary prairie teams have Sunday night to themselves as the Blue Bombers travel to Regina. The teams also met in Week 7 in Regina.

Toronto goes down the Queen Elizabeth Way to Hamilton for the Labour Day game. The teams also met in Week 7 in Hamilton with a rare Ticats win.

Unlike the other 2 major rivalries, this is the first Battle of Alberta in 2024 as the Elks and Stampeders match up in Calgary. This is the Labour Day nightcap.

CBS Sports Network has all the games on Labour Day weekend in the United States.

Montréal enjoys the Labour Day weekend to finish up the summer in La Belle Province.

CBS Sports Network

Saturday
Ottawa @ BC, 7p
Sunday
Winnipeg @ Saskatchewan, 7p
Monday
Toronto @ Hamilton, 2:30p
Edmonton @ Calgary, 6p

TSN

Saturday
Ottawa @ BC, 7p
Sunday
Winnipeg @ Saskatchewan, 7p
Monday
Toronto @ Hamilton, 2:30p
Edmonton @ Calgary, 6p

Bye week: Montréal

Nice to have a special CFL game without the pressure of putting a team in that city. Victoria, BC is hosting a CFL game but there is virtually no way a CFL team will end up in the British Columbia capital.

Victoria is not normally a late night spot downtown after the game but as we noted in our latest travel notebook, the city offers some fun in the evening.

Royal Athletic Park is a short walk away from downtown with a slight elevation going away from downtown. We are thrilled that CBS Sports Network is carrying the game.

We know that BC has quarterback issues, among other things lately. Nathan Rourke is from Victoria and will start the game.

If you are going, enjoy Victoria and then explore Vancouver Island.

Canadian travel notebook: Brittlestar talks up Atlantic Canada

WALK-OFF ROUGE 🚨

Argos only needed a single point to win... and they got it!#CFLGameDay pic.twitter.com/vkvuxF9f5K

— CFL (@CFL) August 23, 2024

The beauty of the CFL is deeper end zones — 20 yards — to give the offence more chances to score. Except that BMO Field in Toronto doesn't have regulation size end zones. They are 18 yards, still larger than puny NFL end zones of 10 yards.

The short end zone cost the Toronto Argonauts in 2019 as Chris Rainey caught the ball after a Sergio Castillo miss but stepped on the back line, giving the BC Lions a narrow win.

Saskatchewan had a strong 1st quarter but 2 quick interceptions helped Toronto back into the game. The Roughriders defence was legendary on the goal line to prevent Argos touchdowns.

Saskatchewan's game management was quizzical at the end. A timeout called with 31 seconds negated a first down reception. The timeout also limited the ability to run out the clock, though a run play would have helped knock off some time off the clock.

Not that the Roughriders wanted another tie but that looked more tempting as Lirim Hajrullahu's missed field goal gave Toronto the win.

Brett Lauther went perfect in field goals in a bounce back week for the Roughriders. Toronto's Chad Kelly went 24-for-39 with 322 passing yards and an interception. That was the most passing yards the Argos had this season in a game.

2024 CFL Week 12 preview

The BC Lions have lost 5 games in a row. Their defence, which had been the pride of the team, has been missing for some time. Dru Brown compiled 390 passing yards with 3 touchdowns. Nick Mardner caught 2 of those touchdowns for 95 overall yards. The big play with a 64-yard TD pass, the majority of which was YAC (yards after catch).

Nathan Rourke was a lot better, going 22-for-31 with 234 passing yards and 1 interception. Sean Whyte had his beautiful 46 consecutive made field goals streak come to an end thanks to a block from Ottawa's Jovan Santos-Knox.

Ottawa remains undefeated at home, something Montréal can't even claim.

The BC Lions could use some help in the past rush. Canadian defensive lineman Mathieu Betts (BC Lions) got his walking papers from the other Lions team, as in Detroit Lions. Betts had 2 solo tackles and a sack in 3 NFL preseason games. While Betts was a CFL free agent, he did return to Vancouver.

2024 CFL Week 11 preview

Before Friday's game in Winnipeg, Zach Collaros had 24 game-winning drives while Bo Levi Mitchell had 21 game-winning drives. The Blue Bombers slept walked through most of the second half while the Tiger-Cats took the lead. Winnipeg had one good drive in the second half, which was enough for the comeback win. Kenny Lawler caught the winning TD pass as he had struggled since returning from injury.

2024 CFL Week 10 preview

The Edmonton Elks had a formula when they lost. Play close but never getting enough momentum. The Elks 3-game winning streak was snapped in a new way: have a big lead and then don't score in the second half. Edmonton had the 17-6 halftime lead. The running game was excellent with Kevin Brown and Justin Rankin. McLeod Bethel-Thompson looked unbeatable. Cody Fajardo did not look like himself.

The magic of the second half led the Alouettes to another comeback win. Cole Spieker had 2 major touchdown catches in the second half: a 33-yard effort over the middle and a 22-yard sideline grab with the sideline running out on Spieker. The receiver finished with 5 catches for 107 yards.

Fajardo ended up with 22-for-34 in the air for 336 yards.

Yes, Boris Bede missed a field goal attempt in the second half on the turf of his original CFL home field. That was as close as the Elks got to productive offence. The Alouettes defence even stopped the Elks running attack.

Montréal celebrated the 1974 Grey Cup championship team. The Als defetaed Edmonton on a rainy day at the old Empire Stadium (pre BC Place) in Vancouver.

Austin Mack seemed destined to be in the NFL. Mack returned to the CFL and got some security with a rare (for non quarterbacks) 4-year contract with the Alouettes.

2024 CFL Week 9 preview

Saskatchewan (5-5-1) has a ½ game lead over Winnipeg and BC (5-6) and 1½ games up on Calgary (4-6).

Winnipeg is 1-4 on the road and Mosaic Stadium should be loud on Sunday. The Roughriders are 1-0 over the Blue Bombers so far.

Calgary is 1½ games ahead of Edmonton. The Stampeders are 4-1 at home while Elks have 2 of their 3 wins on the road.

Toronto is 1-3 on the road while Hamilton is 1-4 at home. Psychologically, this is the best chance Hamilton has to beat Toronto.

Ottawa is 2-2 on the road while BC is 3-1 at home, though the Saturday game is in Victoria.

Here’s the thing that defenders of the rouge fail to admit: the kickers who ‘earn’ the point view it as FAILURE for 59 minutes.
🏈 If a kicker misses a FG he’s disappointed, so is his team.
🏈 If a punter fails to pin the opponent inside the 10 & the ball goes into the endzone,… pic.twitter.com/nl4BrkLQ2m

— Farhan Lalji (@FarhanLaljiTSN) August 23, 2024

Twitter went wild over the way the Saskatchewan-Toronto game ended. Even Farhan Lalji, who is pro-rouge, has some doubts. As a convert who didn't understand all parts of the rouge for a long time, I have an outsider view that embraces all aspects of the rouge. You can be a CFL fan and not like some or all parts of the rouge.

If the reasons you dislike the rouge have to do with gambling or point spreads, I ask calmly to get a nicer hobby. Hug your spouse and/or kids. Take walks in the park during football season. Or just stick to the boring NFL game.

MLB has taken a lot of the fun out of the game. Forced designated hitter in the National League. Constraining many elements of the game. Setting high standards for when a position player can pitch. The fun strategy part of sports. Your humble narrator gravitated to the CFL because of the many points combinations you can get.

Lalji is right in one sense that teams don't think much of the rouge early in the game. Unlike Whose Line Is It Anyway, the points do matter, no matter when they are scored. They might just add up to victory.

Last season, @goelks lost on a rouge in the final minute. Rewarding #BrettLauther for a great kick. Strategy makes @CFL better.

— Chad Rubel (@canadian_xing) August 24, 2024

The Saskatchewan Roughriders fans travel well and hadn't been in Toronto in 4 years. The Canadian National Exhibition was in town so ticket holders got free admission to the Ex. Chad Kelly returned for his first game. The Argos drew 19,327 to BMO Field, the second-largest crowd there since 24,812 attended the Argos' first-ever game on the lakefront.

2024 CFL preseason schedule

An independent arbitrator upheld the CFL’s indefinite suspension of defensive lineman Shawn Lemon for wagering on CFL games. The league suspended Lemon on April 24 over a $100 wager while with Calgary in 2021. The wager involved a game in which he played.

Lemon retired before the suspension and came back during an appeal. He played in 4 games this season with 6 tackles and a sack.

Lemon won a Grey Cup with Montréal in 2023 and played for the Alouettes before losing his appeal. If the Alouettes repeat, would his name go on the Grey Cup again? 

As much as we like Shawn Lemon on the field, we have zero sympathy for his situation. Didn't seem worth what he lost.

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

Saskatchewan @ Toronto: Rod Smith/Glen Suitor/Matthew Scianitti
Hamilton @ Winnipeg: Dustin Nielson/Duane Forde/John Lu
BC @ Ottawa: Rod Smith/Glen Suitor/Claire Hanna
Edmonton @ Montréal: Marshall Ferguson/Paul LaPolice/Kenzie Lalonde

Glen Suitor got some time out east to get some chemistry with Rod Smith. Maybe Suitor likes the rides in the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. Dustin Nielson and Duane Forde worked together for the first time in 2024. Paul LaPolice is getting games Matt Dunigan would have had this year.

Glad to see Claire Hanna back on the CFL sidelines in Ottawa after her stint calling beach volleyball at the Olympics in Paris.

The CFL on TSN panel went back to 3 people on Sunday. This Sunday is the last one until Grey Cup day.

logo credit: CFL
Twitter capture: @CFL; @FarhanLaljiTSN; @canadian_xing
photo credit: TSN/CFL

2024 CFL Week 12 preview

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!

I’m not paying attention to it during the play, obviously, but wow. pic.twitter.com/IGe1dlVfmA

— Dustin Nielson (@nielsonTSN1260) August 17, 2024

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.

2024 CFL Week 11 preview

2024 CFL Week 10 preview

2024 CFL Week 9 preview

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.

2024 CFL Week 8 preview

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.

2024 CFL Week 7 preview

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.

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

— CFL (@CFL) August 17, 2024

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
📺 on @TSN_Sports & @CBSSportsNet
📱 on TSN+ pic.twitter.com/LmKA9MnoDj

— CFL (@CFL) August 19, 2024 

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.

2024 CFL preseason schedule

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

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

2024 CFL Week 11 preview

screw it, Nathan Rourke highlights. 😤#CFL pic.twitter.com/6D9kzMd3s4

— CFL (@CFL) August 13, 2024

Calgary fans hope their home game against Ottawa will be as lopsided as the road loss was in the federal capital. The Stampeders, undefeated at home, face a new quarterback. Jeremiah Masoli gets the start for the RedBlacks on Thursday night. This is the only CFL game not on TV in the States.

Saskatchewan has its own revenge outcome in mind as Montréal travels to Regina on Friday night. The Roughriders didn't score in the second half in Montréal in the earlier game. Cody Fajardo will be back at his old stomping grounds at Mosaic Stadium, even if he might not be ready to play. Former Alouettes QB Trevor Harris might play in this game.

Tre Ford gets a homecoming Saturday night as the Elks travel to Hamilton, near where Ford grew up in Ontario. The Tiger-Cats got a taste of what Ford can do when he came into the earlier game and threw 3 TD passes in the 4th quarter. Taylor Powell hopes to be stronger on offence for Hamilton.

The last Blue Bombers versus the Lions matchup was horrendous for BC. A 25-0 shutout and the loss of Vernon Adams Jr. was a terrible scenario for the Lions. Nathan Rourke should make a difference Sunday night in Vancouver.

CBS Sports Network has the final 3 games in the United States.

Toronto is usually playing at home during the Canadian National Exhibition but gets the week off. The CNE is an option as is going out to the Toronto Islands for relaxation.

CBS Sports Network

Friday
Montréal @ Saskatchewan, 9p
Saturday
Edmonton @ Hamilton, 7p
Sunday
Winnipeg @ BC, 7p

TSN

Thursday
Ottawa @ Calgary, 9p
Friday
Montréal @ Saskatchewan, 9p
Saturday
Edmonton @ Hamilton, 7p
Sunday
Winnipeg @ BC, 7p

Bye week: Toronto

CFL command centre rules roughing the passer after Riders recover supposed game-winning fumble in OT https://t.co/qGki7eEkvY#Saskatchewan #Riders #Redblacks #CFL pic.twitter.com/TobdIH8FyU

— Justin Dunk (@JDunk12) August 9, 2024

Rod Smith said the game was over. Twice. One time when Ottawa had won and another time when Saskatchewan won. Neither team won. Not Rod Smith's fault.

You could have slept through the first 3½ quarters and missed little except the Roughriders blocking 2 Ottawa field goal attempts. The RedBlacks got a punt single while Saskatchewan scored the only touchdown in regulation.

The Command Centre was busier than perhaps the players and coaches wanted. Very few were happy with the results. As Kate Beirness noted sarcastically, "Everyone was super happy after that game, like super pleased with the results."

Dru Brown was injured in the second quarter on a roughing the passer call. Dustin Crum finished up for Ottawa.

The last CFL tie was in the opening game of the 2017 season at TD Place featuring Calgary and Ottawa. Each time got a point, which is worse than 2 points and better than 0 points.

Jeremiah Masoli starts for the RedBlacks at quarterback. No matter which team you root for, here is hoping Masoli finishes the game in 1 piece.

2024 CFL Week 10 preview

2024 CFL Week 9 preview

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats had a comedy of errors to start the game in Montréal. A time count violation followed by a pass and a fumble. The second possession resulted in an interception. Taylor Powell came in for Bo Levi Mitchell. Soon after, the snap went over Powell's head, resulting in a safety.

The Alouettes couldn't get a touchdown on any of those moments. Davis Alexander did well enough to pull out a 3rd straight win with Cody Fajardo out of the lineup. Nice return for Dominique Davis in his return to the Alouettes as the short yardage quarterback.

Scott Milanovich says Taylor Powell will start next week vs Edmonton. Matthew Scianitti reported that Bo Levi Mitchell did not want to speak on camera post game.

Nathan Rourke knew Austin Mack from Atlanta NFL camp. The Falcons just released Austin Mack. Will that be to the benefit of the Alouettes? Tyson Philpot was hurt last week and presumably won't play this week.

2024 CFL Week 8 preview

2024 CFL Week 7 preview

Turns out Jake Dolegala vs. McLeod Bethel-Thompson is not must see(FL) TV. Dolegala and the Lions had an excellent first drive. His difficulty in going deep made things easier for the Elks defence. Bethel-Thompson seemed more relaxed coming in relief for Tre Ford for Edmonton.

Watching the second half made us wish for this game with Ford vs. Vernon Adams Jr. The Elks won their first home game in almost a calendar year in what was the largest home crowd to see an Elks game in 2024.

Edmonton has the tiebreaker with the BC Lions, something the team has not enjoyed with any team since 2019.

The Lions released Dolegala yesterday so perhaps Chase Brice, who finished up last week, is the backup this week.

Nathan Rourke bounced around the NFL: Jacksonville, New England, New York Giants, and Atlanta. Rourke signed a 3-year deal to return to the Lions and he knows the playbook. Regardless of the quarterback, the BC Lions have a 3-game losing streak. Perhaps Rourke can make that big of a difference.

2024 CFL Week 6 preview

2024 CFL Week 5 preview

There are a lot of quarterback stories in the 2024 CFL season. One we didn't see coming was Nick Arbuckle starting for Toronto and getting a win over his original CFL team, the Calgary Stampeders.

Jake Maier threw for 373 yards, more than twice the passing yardage of Arbuckle (181) yet Arbuckle got the W. The Argos were helped on defence with a DaShaun Amos Pick-6 that gave Toronto the lead for good and yet another punt return for a TD from Janarion Grant (86 yards). Grant and Justin McInnis are up there for most meaningful off-season CFL acquisition.

Ka’Deem Carey gained 89 rushing yards and a touchdown on 13 rushes for the Argonauts against his former club.

The CFL season is sort of half over and there isn't much we can assume, given the current standings. The crossover looks really slim. The West Division standings outside of Edmonton are rather tight. Winnipeg still has a shot at climbing back into a playoff spot: 2 games left with Saskatchewan.

Upper bowl seating is OPEN at @saveonfoods Field at @bcplace when we host Winnipeg on Sunday, Aug 18. 🙌

Adult prices start at $25 and $15 for kids 17 & under. All tickets for Aug 18 are also valid for a FREE weekday entry to the @PNE_Playland! 🎢

🎟️| https://t.co/svGx0A7q7p.. pic.twitter.com/RivwdDr7Li

— BC LIONS (@BCLions) August 7, 2024

We note the connection Toronto has to the CNE. The BC Lions connection to the Pacific National Exhibition used to be as prevalent when the team played at Empire Stadium on the PNE grounds. The ticket deal applies to weekdays, which is still a good deal.

Nathan Rourke's return to Vancouver will also impact ticket sales. If you are visiting Vancouver and were going to the PNE, then you might as well take in the CFL.

Very intrigued for the Elks press conference on Thursday introducing Larry Thompson as the new owner.

I’ve heard there will be a desire to rebrand over the next 1-2 years to Esks or back to Eskimos.

— Dustin Nielson (@nielsonTSN1260) August 13, 2024

One oddity about the CFL is the idea of community-owned franchises, especially in the West Division. The season started with 3 such franchises: Edmonton, Saskatchewan, and Winnipeg. We had known for some time that the Elks were looking for a private owner.

Now we know unofficially that Larry Thompson is the new private owner of the Edmonton Elks. Thompson is the former owner of Thompson Brothers Construction. The issues with the coaching staff debt have been settled and so the hope is that Edmonton can work out building back its base like we have seen in Vancouver and Montréal.

We are excited about the long-term prospects with Edmonton. However, that will disappear over any backwards rebranding. The Elks are a forward moving team. Win more, make the playoffs, play exciting football, especially at home and the nickname talk will be just that: talk.

2024 CFL preseason schedule

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

Saskatchewan @ Ottawa: Rod Smith/Duane Forde/Kenzie Lalonde
Calgary @ Toronto: Marshall Ferguson/Matt Dunigan/Kenzie Lalonde
Hamilton @ Montréal: Rod Smith/Duane Forde/Matthew Scianitti
BC @ Edmonton: Dustin Nielson/Glen Suitor/Tom Gazzola

Kenzie Lalonde was in Toronto instead of Matthew Scianitti while Scianitti was in Montréal instead of Lalonde.

A statement regarding today's announcement about 900 CHML.#TheHammer pic.twitter.com/UYjoZyq7uI

— Hamilton Tiger-Cats (@Ticats) August 14, 2024

We got word yesterday that CHML AM 900 in Hamilton is no more. One of Canada's oldest radio stations, Corus shut down the station. Not a format change but shutting off a key AM signal in the community. This is part of the insanity (a word we rarely use) that is Corus scrambling to make cuts.

The tweet notes that Tiger-Cats games are still available on Y108 CJXY-FM at 107.9 on the FM dial as well as online at ticats.ca/listen. CHML covered more ground in southern Ontario than Y108 does.

Besides the CFL angle, Hamilton needs more news outlets, including CHML. The CRTC should allow another company to take over the 900 AM signal in Hamilton.

Twitter captures: @CFL; @JDunk12; @BCLions; @nielsonTSN1260; @Ticats
logo credit and photo credit: CFL

2024 CFL Week 10 preview

Did not have Saskatchewan at Ottawa on Thursday as being a game of significance at the start of the season. The Roughriders are tied for first place in the West while the Ottawa RedBlacks are undefeated at home. This used to the Red Riders/Green Riders as the Ottawa team then was the Rough Riders.

Toronto giving up 21 points to Calgary in the 4th quarter should boost the incentive to defeat the Stampeders on Friday night. Calgary is winless on the road and the Argos are way better at home.

The Tiger-Cats and Alouettes also played last week and will battle for the final time in the regular season in Montréal on a Saturday. If you go to the game, there are plenty of entertainment options after the game.

Jake Dolegala in for Vernon Adams Jr. may be excited to get a chance to throw against the Edmonton Elks defence at Commonwealth Stadium on Sunday night. The Elks are winless at home yet coming off their first win of 2024.

CBS Sports Network has the weekend games in the United States.

Winnipeg doesn't mind a week off with many of its players on the injured list.

CBS Sports Network

Saturday
Hamilton @ Montréal, 7p
Sunday
BC @ Edmonton, 7p

TSN

Thursday
Saskatchewan @ Ottawa, 7:30p
Friday
Calgary @ Toronto, 7:30p
Saturday
Hamilton @ Montréal, 7p
Sunday
BC @ Edmonton, 7p

Bye week: Winnipeg

Tre Ford with 190 passing yards, including this deep shot to the former Rider Tevin Jones. Elks as a team with 129 on the ground.

Riders hanging right with them. 20-15 EE at the half.

pic.twitter.com/Yi1JLjybKW

— Dustin Nielson (@nielsonTSN1260) August 4, 2024

Tre Ford is 1-0 as a starter for the Edmonton Elks in 2024. Every Elks win in the past 2 seasons have come with Ford as the starting quarterback. The team is 5-6 with Tre Ford as the starter and 0-15 when McLeod Bethel-Thompson or Taylor Cornelius starts.

Ford looked a lot better as a passer in the pocket and occasionally out of the pocket. He finished 18-for-22 for 252 yards with 2 TD and 1 interception. Even the interception was one of those "might as well been a punt" ones.

Javon Leake, in for Kevin Brown, was a flash with 169 rushing yards and 3 TDs. Leake looked like the Starship Enterprise when it goes into warp drive.

Saskatchewan had allowed 48 yards rushing per game. The 276 rushing yards is well above average. Ford had 46 rushing yards on 5 carries.

Ford also was the quarterback the last time the Elks played in Regina, The 36-27 victory on September 15, 2023 was Edmonton's previous CFL win.

2024 CFL Week 9 preview

2024 CFL Week 8 preview

2024 CFL Week 7 preview

Winnipeg went 2 CFL games without a touchdown in any form. The BC Lions were coming off a bye. Oh, how 3 hours changed a lot of things.

The Lions suffered its first shutout since October 2021, a 25-0 whitewashing. Unfortunately, Vernon Adams Jr. suffered a significant knee injury that will reduce the momentum that had been the first-place team in the West Division.

The Winnipeg defence is hotter than the temperature in the Manitoba capital. 9 offensive points allowed in the previous 2 games and an effort that gave up 4 first downs and 102 net yards against the Lions.

Jake Dolegala gets his first start in orange and white. More William Stanback for certain.

Zach Collaros connected with newcomer Lucky Whitehead for a touchdown late in the first half. Whitehead played with Winnipeg and had spent 3 seasons in Vancouver. This was also the first game for Keon Hatcher for BC.

Sergio Castillo hit his SECOND 60-yard field goal in 2024 for the Blue Bombers.

2024 CFL Week 6 preview

2024 CFL Week 5 preview

Saskatchewan had a big lead over Montréal a couple of weeks back. The Roughriders didn't score a single point in the second half and the Alouettes pulled off a big comeback. Toronto had a big lead over Calgary on Sunday. The Argos did score 1 point in the second half, a punt rouge in the 3rd quarter.

The Stampeders had 0 points in the 1st quarter and 3rd quarter with a couple of field goals in the 2nd quarter. Yet Calgary scored the final 21 points for its own amazing comeback.

Calgary's road woes likely means the Argos will get revenge in Toronto this week. The Stampeders are still undefeated at McMahon Stadium.

2024 CFL Week 4 preview

2024 CFL Week 3 preview

HOTDOGS - 2$ 🌭 HOTDOGS - 2$ 🌭 HOTDOGS - 2$ 🌭

Notre offre la plus gourmande est de retour au stade ce samedi !

*Limite de 4 hotdogs par commande
*Jusqu'à la fin du premier quart#Alouettes | Match présenté par @PurolatorInc pic.twitter.com/EIE96EurN3

— Alouettes de Montréal (@MTLAlouettes) August 6, 2024

Davis Alexander seemed perfect when coming off the bench to lead the Alouettes past Saskatchewan. Alexander was not perfect in Hamilton yet Alexander and Caleb Evans did enough to snap the Tiger-Cats 2-game winning streak.

Alexander went 19-for-27 for 262 yards with a TD pass and a Pick-6. Evans came in after Alexander took a bad hit in the 4th quarter and threw a TD pass on the next play. Evans also ran for a touchdown.

Evans suffered a season-ending knee injury late in the game. The Alouettes signed quarterback Dominique Davis as a replacement.

Oh, by the way, starter Cody Fajardo is expected to return for the rematch with Hamilton.

The Alouettes tied a club record with their 7th straight road victory.

As for the hot dogs in Montréal on Saturday night, there is a limit of 4 hot dogs per order and the sale only runs through the end of the first quarter. Just in case you don't know much French.

An ode to Canadian football - Washington Examiner https://t.co/TO24ycoMDT

— Zach Schnitzer (@zachschnitzer48) August 5, 2024

A nice and enthusiastic column for the advantages to Canadian football, the CFL over the NFL. We are seeing more skilled Canadians, especially at wide receiver. Otherwise, the piece is spot on and a fun read.

2024 CFL Week 2 preview

2024 CFL Week 1 preview: Opening week

2024 CFL preview

We noted in our Week 4 preview that the Montréal Alouettes had TVA Sports patches on their uniforms. The Videotron patch was to the left if you were facing the Alouettes player with the TVA Sports patch to the right. Noticed in the game in Hamilton that Montréal players now have the Videotron patch on the right and a Freedom Mobile patch to the left.

RDS carries all the Montréal and Ottawa games plus selected other CFL games. Pierre Karl Péladeau, owner of the Montréal Alouettes, owns Videotron and TVA Sports.

Someone actually paid attention to our point and the patches were changed.

2024 CFL preseason schedule

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

BC @ Winnipeg: Dustin Nielson/Glen Suitor/John Lu
Montréal @ Hamilton: Marshall Ferguson/Duane Forde/Matthew Scianitti
Edmonton @ Saskatchewan: Dustin Nielson/Glen Suitor/Brit Dort
Toronto @ Calgary: Marshall Ferguson/Paul LaPolice/Farhan Lalji

Rod Smith, Kate Beirness, and Davis Sanchez got some summer vacation time away from the CFL. Laura Diakun filled in again on the CFL on TSN panel with Jermain Franklin handled duties on Sunday.

Marshall Ferguson got a rare trip out west in Calgary. Ferguson and Paul LaPolice formed the nerd version of CFL commentators. Part of me envisioned Rick Ball getting a freelance assignment to call a CFL game. Ball isn't employed by Rogers Sportsnet and the Chicago NHL preseason hasn't started. Dave Randorf could also be in the mix for calling CFL games in the summer.

Unlike ESPN+, CFL+ shows some of the pregame. We haven't figured out how much but the last 5 minutes or so of the pregame is available on the CFL+ feed. We wondered for years why the pregame couldn't also be part of the ESPN+ coverage. 

logo credit: CFL
Twitter captures: @nielsonTSN1260; @MTLAlouettes; @zachschnitzer48
photo credit: TSN/CFL

2024 CFL Week 9 preview

The best West matchup in the last couple of years may not be as notable in 2024. This doesn't mean things won't get interesting when the BC Lions travel to Winnipeg for Thursday night football.

Montréal and Hamilton play twice in 2024 within a 9-day period. The Tiger-Cats really want to gain on the top team in the East. A home win on Friday would really make Tiger-Cats fans very happy.

TSN gives yellow as the color for the Elks against the green of Saskatchewan on Saturday night. The Roughriders are coming off a tough loss and will be in no mood to mess around. The Elks have a better chance on the road even as Saskatchewan is in second place in the West Division.

CBS Sports Network has the Saturday game in the United States. The schedule is subject to change.

Toronto at Calgary features a lot of players who have played for the other team. Most notably, this is Ka'Deem Carey's first time back in Calgary to show their coaches what they likely miss. The Sunday night game has a special advantage since most Canadians celebrate a holiday the next day.

Ottawa gets a breather the RedBlacks don't want to enjoy looking at the water portion of the Rideau Canal instead of skating on the ice 6 months from now.

CBS Sports Network

Saturday
Edmonton @ Saskatchewan, 7p

TSN

Thursday
BC @ Winnipeg, 8:30p
Friday
Montréal @ Hamilton, 7:30p
Saturday
Edmonton @ Saskatchewan, 7p
Sunday
Toronto @ Calgary, 7p

Bye week: Ottawa

A little bit of magic from @treford_1 #GoElks

pic.twitter.com/tyrlGvqVmr

— Edmonton Elks (@GoElks) July 29, 2024

Hamilton didn't look like a team with only a single win. Edmonton had a 6-0 lead and even a 8-7 lead (thanks, punt singles). The Tiger-Cats got another blocked punt, the running and receiving of James Butler, and Bo Levi Mitchell setting a personal record of 5 TD passes in a game.

Everyone agrees that the Elks problems are not McLeod Bethel-Thompson and they aren't. Tre Ford got to (finally) play in the 4th quarter and threw 3 touchdown passes.

2024 CFL Week 8 preview

2024 CFL Week 7 preview

Your humble narrator watched the first half from Montréal. The first half was Saskatchewan-dominated with Frankie Hickson getting 98 rushing yards on 14 carries. The Roughriders coaching staff looked like geniuses to leave AJ Ouellette back in Regina.

Usually when a first-string quarterback (Cody Fajardo) is out, announcers would mention the backup (Davis Alexander) to the backup (Caleb Evans). TSN isn't too good at mentioning that type of information. Well, Jason Maas went with Alexander in place of Evans and Alexander went 15-for-18 for 178 yards with 2 touchdown passes.

Saskatchewan had a 16-3 halftime lead yet didn't score at all in the second half. Brett Lauther missed 2 field goals by hitting the crossbar. A point out of one of them meant the Roughriders could have tied the game late. Hickson only ran 4 times in the second half for 19 yards.

Mitchell Picton caught what would have been a key first down late for Saskatchewan. Unfortunately for the Roughriders, Picton was out of bounds before coming back into play: Illegal participation. TSN didn't have video or couldn't show the video. We did get a freeze frame of Picton's foot being out of bounds.

PIMPLETON TO THE HOUSE ‼️ @REDBLACKS #CFLGameday: LIVE on TSN
📲: Stream on CFL+ pic.twitter.com/Dh62SQaIpJ

— CFL (@CFL) July 27, 2024

Calgary came into Ottawa winless on the road. Ottawa welcomed Calgary being undefeated at home. Those trends continued in the RedBlacks 33-6 win.

If we were to tell you that the starting running back of one of the teams got kicked out with 10 minutes remaining in the second quarter and the team had no more running backs, you likely wouldn't guess that happened on the winning team. Ryquell Armstead was ejected for 2 misconduct penalties and the Redblacks had no running backs.

Armstead finished with 22 yards on 4 carries. Bralon Addison had 28 yards on 5 carries while Justin Hardy also had 28 yards but on 2 carries. Dru Brown made up for those yards, going 30-for-37 for 325 yards.

Kalil Pimpleton helped out with 162 return yards, including the 99-yard punt return for a major, and 80 receiving yards.

Ottawa has 5 wins, the highest total for a season since 2018, the last season Ottawa finished above .500 AND made the playoffs.

#CFL officials do a far better job than they’re given credit for. Command Center generally gets it right, both with review & eye in the sky, & the league is better for its use. But this is PI & should have been overturned IMHO. #Bombers #Argos pic.twitter.com/6C1DfCS18D

— Farhan Lalji (@FarhanLaljiTSN) July 28, 2024

The Winnipeg-Toronto game was a head scratcher for a lot of reasons. Seemed like a good challenge for pass interference on the Argos only touchdown, an interception for a Pick-6. We didn't get a full replay from TSN but from what we saw, the play looked like pass interference.

The Blue Bombers looked like they barely got a first down late in regulation. The spot of the ball was automatically reviewed but didn't change. That was less obvious than the pass interference.

The defences played well for Winnipeg and Toronto. The Blue Bombers are now 2-6 and the path to the CFL playoffs is overcoming Calgary (at the moment).

2024 CFL Week 6 preview

2024 CFL Week 5 preview

The West Division has been the dominant division for as long as I can remember. All of the crossover teams have been West teams traveling east. All 4 East teams over the weekend defeated the West teams. Winnipeg and Calgary likely can't rely on a crossover in 2024.

Hamilton is on a 2-game winning streak. Right now, the Tiger-Cats wouldn't qualify for a crossover.

2024 CFL Week 4 preview

2024 CFL Week 3 preview

Winnipeg has lost more good receivers to offseason transactions and injuries than some CFL teams have on their rosters. Rasheed Bailey signed with Toronto in the offseason after excelling in Winnipeg. The Argos released Bailey earlier in the week. The Blue Bombers might sign Bailey. Too bad he missed this game in either uniform.

Janarion Grant tied the record (3) for consecutive games with a return for a touchdown. Toronto's only touchdown was on defence. Grant also used to play for the Blue Bombers until this season.

2024 CFL Week 2 preview

2024 CFL Week 1 preview: Opening week

2024 CFL preview

Ottawa didn't need their 3rd string quarterback this past week. The name of that quarterback was a pleasant surprise: Jeremiah Masoli. Masoli, 35, ruptured his Achilles tendon on July 8, 2023, the first game since a season-ending leg injury in 2022.

There are football hits, borderline hits, and then the cheap shot from Saskatchewan's Garrett Marino in 2022. We do not promote litigious behaviour as a rule but feel like this is a well-deserved exception.

It's unofficially official. @cfl @gwr record has been broken. It took a country of fine people across the nation to stuff the bucket. No matter how long the record lasts, the legacy YOU all created will last forever. Thank you. #CFLGWR #bucketguy #CFLFamily @cflffc pic.twitter.com/LGs1vxrVPk

— Chris Tymofichuk 🇺🇦 - The Bucket Guy (@Xpeggr) July 28, 2024

CFL overtimes are limited in scope so there wasn't much danger of running out of time to set a world record. Even with overtime, the game was well under 3 hours. Tymofichuk set the goal of eclipsing the record by 90 minutes.

The main focus is cancer research so a huge thank you to those who put loonies, twoonies, and bills into the bucket. The total as of Monday was over $26,288. Cancer sucks.

The idea of a CFL fan getting to all 9 cities in 362.5 hours is remarkable.

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

Saskatchewan @ Montréal: Rod Smith/Duane Forde/Kenzie Lalonde
Calgary @ Ottawa: Marshall Ferguson/Matt Dunigan/Matthew Scianitti
Winnipeg @ Toronto: Rod Smith/Duane Forde/Matthew Scianitti
Hamilton @ Edmonton: Dustin Nielson/Glen Suitor/Tom Gazzola

Matthew Scianitti made his 2024 CFL on TSN debut after covering soccer for the network. Scianitti made both games in Ontario this weekend. Dustin Nielson never had to get on a plane or sleep in a hotel since Nielson is based in Edmonton.

Davis Sanchez had the week off. Milt Stegall wasn't there on Sunday as the 3-person experiment continues.

logo credit: CFL
Twitter capture: @GoElks; @CFL; @FarhanLaljiTSN; @Xpeggr

2024 CFL Week 8 preview

The last 2 undefeated CFL teams (before they finally lost) battle on Thursday night in La Belle Province. The Montréal Alouettes, sending Cody Fajardo to the 6-game injured list, battle his old team in the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who will not have running back AJ Ouellette.

Calgary returns to the scene of the last CFL tie in Ottawa. The opening game of the 2017 season featured the Stampeders and RedBlacks in the national capital with a 31-31 tie. This is the Friday night game.

The 2022 Grey Cup rematch happens Saturday night with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers travel to BMO Field in Toronto. Both teams are coming off a rough loss last week.

The Sunday contest features the 2 worst CFL teams in 2024 in a place where the hometown Elks haven't performed well in recent seasons. Plenty of seats still available as the Tiger-Cats go to Edmonton. The Tiger-Cats have 1 more win than the Elks, which is 1.

CBS Sports Network has the weekend games in the United States, hopefully the whole game. Would have been a good week to skip the Sunday game.

BC could use some rest to enjoy a lovely summer weekend in Vancouver. We recommend the beach.

CBS Sports Network

Saturday
Winnipeg @ Toronto, 7p
Sunday
Hamilton @ Edmonton, 7p

TSN

Thursday
Saskatchewan @ Montréal, 7:30p
Friday
Calgary @ Ottawa, 7:30p
Saturday
Winnipeg @ Toronto, 7p
Sunday
Hamilton @ Edmonton, 7p

Bye week: BC

The Ottawa RedBlacks had 4 total wins each in 2023 and 2022. The 2024 squad has 4 wins in only 6 games. Admittedly, 2 of those wins were against the winless Edmonton Elks. Ottawa has had its home woes in recent seasons yet the RedBlacks now have 3 home wins at TD Place.

The latest win would not be considered a masterpiece. Reminded your humble narrator of a cold August night in 2014 when I saw Edmonton play the league's newest team in a less than ideal contest. Ottawa outscored Edmonton 6-5 in the second half.

We saw Tre Ford running a couple of series early in the game for the Elks. That is the first time we saw any Canadian quarterback in the CFL on the field, though Nathan Rourke was in the TSN booth the week before in Vancouver.

The RedBlacks went 11-7 in 2018. Since then, Ottawa has won 3 games in 2019, 3 games in 2021, 4 games in 2022, and 4 games in 2023. The RedBlacks success could mean extra pressure on West teams since only 3 teams might get to the CFL playoffs.

Enormous turnover for the physical Roughriders defence late in this one! #CFLGameday on TSN 📲: Stream on CFL+ pic.twitter.com/qYpKpgM9rN

— CFL (@CFL) July 20, 2024

If you asked a Saskatchewan Roughriders fan about their goals and priorities, beating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, beating them at home, and holding them to no touchdowns would all score well. The Blue Bombers had 3 field goals in the 19-9 Roughriders win.

Saskatchewan had a home win in overtime on Labour Day eve in 2023. Otherwise, the Roughriders have been 0-7 since 2021 against Winnipeg. The Roughriders aren't the same without Trevor Harris but haven't collapsed like we've seen recently.

2024 CFL Week 7 preview

2024 CFL Week 6 preview

Calgary has figured out the BC Lions more than most teams can say. One play does not a game make. When Jalen Philpot (Calgary) became the victim of a punch out to the ball by safety Adrian Greene (BC), cornerback Ciante Evans (also BC) got the script he wanted. Pounce on the ball and recover the fumble. The ball slipped out from Evans and Philpot got his own fumble. "What is happening" indeed. Dustin Nielson could not have said it any better.

Calgary does well at home at 3-0. An 0-3 road record is a concern. The game in Ottawa, where the RedBlacks are now a lot better at home, could prove intriguing.

2024 CFL Week 5 preview

We have discussed breaking trends in the 2024 CFL season. Toronto had won 6 in a row and 10 of 11 over Hamilton in a one-sided rivalry. BC had won 5 of the last 6 against Calgary. The Tiger-Cats and Stampeders came out on top over the weekend.

Both were close games on the surface. Toronto made things closer with Nick Arbuckle coming off the bench at quarterback for the Argos.

Hamilton is a better team than Edmonton right now though the futility by the Elks might make them a bit hungrier.

2024 CFL Week 4 preview

2024 CFL Week 3 preview

Following the Elks loss, McLeod Bethel-Thompson called out the #CFL schedule saying it’s a “travesty” & “disgusting” given Edmonton & Ottawa were playing with 4 days rest.

“You couldn’t add two days to it? How many season ending injuries did we and that team have tonight?”…

— Claire Hanna (@clahanna) July 20, 2024

McLeod Bethel-Thompson may get his second reprimand from the CFL in 2024 for complaining about the Edmonton schedule. Ottawa and Edmonton played tired on Friday night. Could have been worse but 4 teams played Friday night.

The non-division back-to-back games could be handled better. For example, the BC Lions play in Ottawa, Victoria, and Montréal in 3 consecutive weeks. We love a full schedule but maybe not have long trips back to back on the schedule.

Bethel-Thompson isn't my favourite CFL player yet I like his energy with Edmonton in standing up for his team.

Calgary voters say no to 2026 Winter Olympics

We got pictures of the theoretical Scotia Place in downtown Calgary, the new arena to be built a couple of blocks north of the Saddledome. Calgary was supposed to have a 2-part deal with a new football stadium to replace McMahon Stadium. That was tied to the Calgary 2026 Winter Olympics bid.

The Calgary Flames and concerts have been in the spotlight more than the CFL Stampeders and the University of Calgary Dinos. McMahon Stadium, which opened in 1960, also hosts the Calgary Colts of the Canadian Junior Football League as well as the Calgary Gators and Calgary Wolfpack of the Alberta Football League.

Salt Lake City just got the 2034 Winter Olympics with brand new infrastructure to come.

The target date for the new arena is the fall of 2027. As for McMahon Stadium, the oldest CFL stadium, nobody knows.

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

Edmonton @ Ottawa: Rod Smith/Matt Dunigan/Claire Hanna
Winnipeg @ Saskatchewan: Dustin Nielson/Glen Suitor/Brit Dort
Toronto @ Hamilton: Marshall Ferguson/Duane Forde/Paul LaPolice
BC @ Calgary: Dustin Nielson/Glen Suitor/Farhan Lalji

Claire Hanna won't be on the CFL sidelines for awhile as she will be in Paris calling beach volleyball for the Olympics coverage on CBC, TSN, and Rogers Sportsnet. Milt Stegall was out for the whole weekend.

The U.S. audience missed the blocked punt in Hamilton and a few minutes on Saturday as well as the opening kickoff in Calgary on Sunday night. ESPN had its issues as well though CBS Sports Network seems to have a lot of live sports programming around the CFL schedule.

logo credit: CFL
Twitter capture: @CFL; @clahanna

2024 CFL Week 7 preview

The CFL throws the crowd a mild curveball by blowing off football on Thursday night to have a Friday night doubleheader. The preview runs today because the CBC Saturday night Canadian film schedule runs on Friday.

The Edmonton Elks travel to Ottawa after hosting the RedBlacks on Sunday. The Elks made some changes since Sunday night.

The second half of the Friday doubleheader is the first of 2 straight major rivalry games. The prairie teams give us an early debut as Winnipeg travels to Saskatchewan. The Roughriders are the better team so far over the Blue Bombers, even as this rivalry has been one-sided in the other direction.

The Friday night games will likely overlap, which wasn't as bad for U.S. viewers when ESPN+ was the option.

We get another major rivalry Saturday night as the Toronto Argonauts travel for about an hour by bus to Hamilton. The Tiger-Cats had a week to reassess a struggling start to 2024.

BC makes its only 2024 visit to Calgary as the CFL week finishes up on Sunday night. The Lions won at home earlier this year with the distraction of a sellout home crowd and a 50 Cent concert. Neither of those will be an issue at McMahon Stadium.

CBS Sports Network has the weekend games in the States.

Montréal needs a week for Cody Fajardo and Marc-Antoine Dequoy to recover. The city is an amazing summer destination, something the players can explore with a bye week.

CBS Sports Network

Saturday
Toronto @ Hamilton, 7p
Sunday
BC @ Calgary, 7p

TSN

Friday
Edmonton @ Ottawa, 7p
Winnipeg @ Saskatchewan, 9:30p
Saturday
Toronto @ Hamilton, 7p
Sunday
BC @ Calgary, 7p

Bye week: Montréal

2024 has been the year of the Canadian receiver in the CFL. Ontaria Wilson is an American and both Wilson and Justin McInnis had stellar performances over the weekend. Wilson caught Zach Collaros' first passing TD of the season for the Blue Bombers. McInnis had 14 targets, all of them caught.

Dru Brown of Ottawa was a lot healthier, going 26 for 38 for 480 yards in the squeaker over Edmonton. The RedBlacks had 3 receivers go over 100 yards: CFL newcomer Kalil Pimpleton (4-153), Dominique Rhymes (7-131), and Justin Hardy (5-110).

Zach Collaros, Brady Oliveira @ rookie Ontaria Wilson led a Blue bomber offensive outburst in a heart stopping 41-37 win over Calgary. Oshea’s gutsy decision to go for a 2-pt convert on the winning TD allowed Wpg to clinch the season series vs Calg. Mega win for Bombers.

— Bob Irving (@BobIrvingCJOB) July 13, 2024

Why did Winnipeg go for the 2-point conversion late in the 41-37 win over the Stampeders? The 2-point conversion gave the Blue Bombers a +1 point differential in the 2-game series, the first tiebreaker.

This unfortunately was the last time these 2 teams play in the regular season. They deserve a 3rd game. Given the way Calgary plays on the road, a playoff game at Princess Auto Stadium would be unfortunate for the Stampeders.

2024 CFL Week 6 preview

Usually we talk about the excitement of the last 3 minutes of the second half of a CFL game. Calgary in Winnipeg was outrageous (a word we rarely use) in the final 150 seconds of the first half. The game deserved to be tied at 23 at halftime.

Calgary was up 13-9 at the 2:30 mark left in the first half. Collaros connected on a touchdown to Ontaria Wilson. The Blue Bombers then had a Pick-6 from defensive back Deatrick Nichols with a 55-yard interception return.

Jake Maier completed a 32-yard TD pass to Erik Brooks. The Stampeders added a field goal to end the first half. The teams scored 22 combined points in the first 27:30 of the game and 24 points in the final 2:30 of the half.

The Stampeders also scored 23 first-half points against Montréal the previous week. They left the offence in the locker room in La Belle Province. The Stamps scored in the second half but suffered another frustration road loss.

2024 CFL Week 5 preview

The BC Lions had a watermelon smash for the second year in a row with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Vancouver. Some Roughriders fans are known for wearing watermelons on their heads to keep cool.

Both undefeated teams lost over the weekend. Toronto used offense, defence (a very easy Pick-6 to Wynton McManis), and special teams (Janarion Grant with a kickoff return going 103 yards for a major) in Montréal. Cody Fajardo had a hamstring injury and Caleb Evans took over for the Alouettes.

Montréal had a club-record 13-game run that included the 2023 playoffs and the Grey Cup.

Edmonton and Hamilton are the only CFL teams without a win in 2024.

Ottawa snapped 8-game road losing streak in the win over the Elks. Edmonton has lost the last 3 games on a game-winning field goals as time expired and 4 straight by exactly 3 points.

2024 CFL Week 4 preview

2024 CFL Week 3 preview

Edmonton Elks record by starting QB since Chris Jones was hired in 2022:

Tre Ford, 5-8
Taylor Cornelius, 3-16
Nick Arbuckle, 0-3
McLeod Bethel-Thompson, 0-5#Elks | #ElksCharge | #Edmonton | #CFL

— John Hodge (@JohnDHodge) July 15, 2024

Edmonton finally said goodbye to Chris Jones, head coach and general manager. Jones had gone 0-5 in 2024 and 8-33 in his second stint coaching the team.

Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jarious Jackson is the interim head coach while assistant general manager Geroy Simon is the interim general manager.

Glen Suitor has been on Jones to play Kevin Brown more at running back and went extensively on Sunday about how Eugene Lewis was sharply underutilised in the Elks offence. We agree wholeheartedly with Suitor's observations.

Jones is a defensive-minded coach and the offence has suffered in part because of that approach. Jackson, being responsible for the offence, is now in charge so we will see what new wrinkles may come.

Other teams (Winnipeg, Montréal, Calgary) incorporate backups at times. Jones has been steadfast on not playing Tre Ford, even for a single play. We anticipate that will change under Jackson. This isn't a knock at McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who has had good numbers. Chris Streveler has a different energy with the Blue Bombers. This can confuse the defence and in football, confusion is good. Dakota Prukop has had his moments and could use a few more.

We noted Hamilton's rough starts in recent years. The Elks started 0-9 in 2023 and Jones had to be dragged kicking and screaming to play Ford at quarterback. Ford won't make the Elks great but a bit of Ford makes better a real possibility.

"The Edmonton Elks no longer need to worry about the CFL football operations cap in terms of money owed to former coaches or personnel executives."

We noted this in our 2024 CFL preview. We knew this was a possibility.

2024 CFL Week 2 preview

2024 CFL Week 1 preview: Opening week

2024 CFL preview

It all starts in one week. Here is the gane day schedule for the attempt to break the current CFL Guinness World Record "Fastest time to visit all CFL Stadiums"#CFLGWR @CFL @GWR @cflffc @CFLonTSN

— Chris Tymofichuk 🇺🇦 (@Xpeggr) July 5, 2024

Bobby Dubeau holds the world record for fastest time being at all 9 CFL stadiums: 364 hours. Chris Tymofichuk is aiming for a new record at 362.5 hours.

Tymofichuk was at Winnipeg, Vancouver, and Edmonton this weekend to start his quest. The middle 3 (Regina, Hamilton, and Calgary) will be the roughest stretch this coming week. The final 3 stops are out east (Montréal, Ottawa, and Toronto) the following week.

Tymofichuk is raising money for the Michael Cuccione Foundation, funding childhood cancer research. Debeau is in on this and has offered his support.

Here is the 2024 itinerary:

July 12 Winnipeg
July 13 Vancouver
July 14 Edmonton
July 19 Regina
July 20 Hamilton
July 21 Calgary
July 25 Montréal
July 26 Ottawa
July 27 Toronto

If he makes all 9 games, Tymofichuk would see Calgary, Winnipeg, and Saskatchewan 3 times; BC, Toronto, and Ottawa twice; and Edmonton, Montréal, and Hamilton once.

Your humble narrator has been to all 9 CFL stadiums, though previous versions in Hamilton and Regina, plus Moncton. This took several years.

We are sad that often Canadians don't travel within their own country. Good on Bobby Dubeau and Chris Tymofichuk to show the power of Canadian travel and, of course, the CFL.

30 years went by fast! The most amazing thing about the 713 yard passing game by @MattDuniganTSN? The game wasn’t televised. https://t.co/6Z8NaWnI2O

— Gord Miller 🌻🇺🇦 (@GMillerTSN) July 14, 2024

Sunday was the 30th anniversary of the all-time best passing performance based on yardage. Matt Dunigan went 33-52 for 713 yards with 5 touchdowns and 2 interceptions for Winnipeg over Edmonton.

The fun part about this collection of clips is that Gord Miller and Matt Dunigan have called a few CFL games together. Miller also did hosting work for the CFL on TSN back in the day.

We say records can be broken yet having a hard time wondering who and how that can be done.

2024 CFL preseason schedule

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

Toronto @ Montréal: Marshall Ferguson/Duane Forde/Kenzie Lalonde
Calgary @ Winnipeg: Dustin Nielson/Matt Dunigan/Brit Dort
Saskatchewan @ BC: Rod Smith/Glen Suitor/Shantelle Chand
Ottawa @ Edmonton: Dustin Nielson/Glen Suitor/Brit Dort

Shantelle Chand handled sideline duties in Vancouver. If you were wondering, Farhan Lalji watched the game via CFL+ from Rome.

logo credit: CFL
Twitter capture: @BobIrvingCJOB; @JohnDHodge; @Xpeggr; @GMillerTSN
photo credit: TSN/CFL

2024 CFL Week 6 preview

Montréal can clinch a tiebreaker over Toronto with a home win at Molson Stadium on Thursday night. The Argos played things close in Regina while the Alouettes showed they can pull off a comeback.

Winnipeg welcomes Calgary after the teams skipped a week from playing each other on Friday Night Football. Defensive back Demerio Houston is happy to be back in Winnipeg, even as a visitor.

Saskatchewan takes its undefeated record to Vancouver to play the Lions on Saturday late afternoon (local time). Defensive back Marcus Sayles is eager to prove that the BC Lions releasing him was a mistake.

Ottawa and Edmonton were the worst teams in the CFL in 2023. The road team almost has better odds. The RedBlacks hope for this in a trip to Commonwealth Stadium on Sunday night.

CBS Sports Network has the Friday and weekend games in the States, via the TSN feed. The Friday game was not on the original schedule.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats need to escape to nearby Lake Ontario for a summer holiday this week.

CBS Sports Network

Friday
Calgary @ Winnipeg, 8:30p
Saturday
Saskatchewan @ BC, 7p
Sunday
Ottawa @ Edmonton, 7p

TSN

Thursday
Toronto @ Montréal, 7:30p
Friday
Calgary @ Winnipeg, 8:30p
Saturday
Saskatchewan @ BC, 7p
Sunday
Ottawa @ Edmonton, 7p

Bye week: Hamilton

BLOCKED ❌

Mustafa Johnson blocks the extra point attempt and Kabion Ento runs it in for two @MTLAlouettes points 👀#CFLGameday: LIVE on TSN, RDS, CBSSN
📲: Stream on CFL+ pic.twitter.com/A9A2EtqKBz

— CFL (@CFL) July 7, 2024

The Montréal Alouettes won by 4 points in a very impressive comeback. The team gave up 4 points (theoretically) by kicking a field goal at the end of the first half against Calgary. The Alouettes got 3 points by blocking the extra point and returning it to the other end zone for 2 points on a Calgary touchdown.

The NFL would be a snooze play where you likely got up for chips, an alcoholic beverage, or a bathroom break. The CFL says "wait until the commercial."

The Stampeders scored 3 points in the 3rd quarter and 0 points in the 4th quarter. Montréal had only trailed for 5 minutes going into the game. The fact that the Alouettes can also be a good comeback team is bad news for the rest of the CFL.

Tyson Philpot won the battle and the war, as such, with his brother Jalen as the 2 of them met for the first time as professional football players. Jalen had 2 rushes for 11 yards while Tyson had 12 receptions for 134 yards.

The family business. 🏈🇨🇦#CFLGameday pic.twitter.com/tp7w0KzDVu

— CFL (@CFL) July 7, 2024

Shea Patterson had a high-percentage debut as a starting quarterback with 15 of 24 for 192 yards and a touchdown. The CFL is a league where you can throw for over 300 yards and lose. The Roughriders defence was excellent with 5 turnovers, including a pick-6. What is good for Saskatchewan fans is that the whole team isn't collapsing with the loss of Trevor Harris, unlike last season.

Toronto can afford to tread water in a weak East Division. Even if Montréal runs away with the division, the Argos should be in the playoffs. Argos coach Ryan Dinwiddie said the quarterback job will go back to the original guy (whose name we aren't mentioning for now) when his suspension is over.

The Ottawa-Winnipeg revenge game had a backup quarterback theme. Dru Brown was the backup quarterback in Winnipeg, started for Ottawa, and left the game due to a shoulder to the head that took off his helmet. Chris Streveler is the backup quarterback for Winnipeg, started for Winnipeg, and led the team to its first win of the 2024 season.

The teams combined for 253 rushing and 392 passing yards. Those feel like November numbers, not early July.

Winnipeg's banged-up receivers corps will get some help as the team signed Lucky Whitehead to the practice roster.

2024 CFL Week 5 preview

2024 CFL Week 4 preview

The BC Lions only loss before Sunday was in southern Ontario. This was Hamilton, not Toronto, and that made a difference.

The offence scored majors on the first 2 drives. Vernon Adams Jr. had 321 passing yards and 4 touchdowns … in the first half (383 yards overall). Justin McInnis had more than 100 yards by the end of the 1st quarter and Alexander Hollins had more than 100 yards in the first half. McInnis finished the first half with 8 receptions for 131 yards and 2 touchdowns and 10 receptions for 144 yards overall. William Stanback had 82 rushing yards on 14 carries and 74 receiving yards on 5 receptions.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have had some terrible starts. The team hasn't won a game in June since 2019.

Hamilton Tiger-Cats CFL season starts
Year	Record	1st win
2024	0-5 (so far)	TBD
2023	0-3	July 8
2022	0-4	July 16
2021	0-2	August 27
2019	3-0	June 13
2018	0-1	June 22
2017	0-8	September 4

 

The Tiger-Cats already swapped out special teams coaches. Scott Milanovich had a rough time at the end of his tenure as head coach in Toronto. The Twitter-sphere points out that Milanovich is now 1-16 in his past 17 games as a CFL head coach with Toronto and Hamilton.

Hamilton made the Grey Cup in 2019 and 2021 but unfortunately the team has the longest streak without a Grey Cup championship. The sarcasm that rang out at Tim Hortons Field when the team scored a rouge is the tip of the iceberg of frustration.

2024 CFL Week 3 preview

2024 CFL Week 2 preview

2024 CFL Week 1 preview: Opening week

2024 CFL preview

Montréal Alouettes defensive lineman Shawn Lemon is back to being suspended for gambling on CFL games. An arbitrator reinstated the CFL's indefinite suspension. A generous gift that Lemon got to start the season on the field. The suspension stays until an arbitration hearing rescheduled for August 1-2.

"It's stupid, it's ridiculous.."@FarhanLaljiTSN is not impressed with the #Canucks having a 5pm home game up against the Grey Cup at BC Place.

Full interview..https://t.co/ZBoFWTIl1I pic.twitter.com/YWe3OAmah6

— Donnie & Dhali (@DonnieandDhali) July 3, 2024

The world has known for some time that the 2024 Grey Cup would be in Vancouver on November 17. The NHL schedule came out last week and we found that the NHL scheduled a Vancouver Canucks home game at the same day overlapping the Grey Cup next door at BC Place.

All the CFL/NHL cities have distance between the facilities except for Vancouver. The kickoff is about 3:30 PST and the faceoff shortly after 5 pm PST. Both games will be a virtual sellout, not to mention those sports fans who would like to attend both games.

The Canucks host Chicago the night before on Hockey Night in Canada and Nashville on the evening of the Grey Cup. The NHL has shown disregard before with scheduling Canadian teams on the night of the Grey Cup such as 2016 where the RedBlacks were in the Grey Cup and the Senators were at Madison Square Garden. 

Winnipeg adjusted starting times for the CFL and NHL in December 2021. The CFL is not changing its start time in this instance.

2024 CFL preseason schedule

CBS Sports Network isn't carrying the CFL playoffs in the U.S. TV deal yet signed a deal to carry the Arena Football League playoffs. The AFL playoff game finished just in time before the CFL game on July 6.

Your humble narrator watched the last minute or so to make sure there wasn't overflow. The CFL is way more interesting than this AFL.

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

Toronto @ Saskatchewan: Dustin Nielson/Glen Suitor/Brit Dort
Ottawa @ Winnipeg: Rod Smith/Glen Suitor/John Lu
Calgary @ Montréal: Marshall Ferguson/Duane Forde/Kenzie Lalonde
BC @ Hamilton: Rod Smith/Matt Dunigan/Paul LaPolice

Glad to see TSN is using more of Marshall Ferguson in 2024. Ferguson is solid on play by play with experience playing the game. The Paul LaPolice sideline experiment continues as Matthew Scianitti is distracted by the most excellent run of Canadian men's soccer in Copa America 2024.

Laura Diakun filled in for Kate Beirness as the host of the CFL on TSN panel. The summer panel of 3 people continues.

logo credit: CFL
Twitter capture: @CFL (x2); @DonnieandDhali

2024 CFL Week 5 preview

We are running the CFL preview a day early for our American readers who might not check in on July 4.

The Toronto Argonauts finally go on the road and make their way to Regina to take on the Saskatchewan Roughriders. AJ Ouellette welcomes his old club to his new club. Hopefully, they will play the U.S. anthem for the American players.

Ottawa gets both games with Winnipeg out of the way early in the season. Dru Brown returns to Winnipeg, where we hope Brown gets a nice reaction on Friday night.

We are excited to get the Philpot reunion in La Belle Province on Saturday. Jalen was injured for Calgary while Tyson had a great season in Montréal. Maybe they will celebrate with some pre-game poutine for energy.

There may be more fans in Calgary taping the game to watch later since the Calgary Stampede will be underway on Saturday. The Stampeders (where they get the name) usually hit the road during the Calgary Stampede.

The BC Lions have been wary in playing in southern Ontario though Hamilton is a much different destination than Toronto. Cat fans love the battle of Lions versus Tiger-Cats. The Sunday night game finishes up the CFL weekend.

CBS Sports Network avoids the U.S. holiday and will have the weekend games in the States.

The Americans on the Edmonton squad get to celebrate the U.S. holiday while not playing football.

CBS Sports Network

Saturday
Calgary @ Montréal, 7p
Sunday
BC @ Hamilton, 7p

TSN

Thursday
Toronto @ Saskatchewan, 9p
Friday
Ottawa @ Winnipeg, 8:30p
Saturday
Calgary @ Montréal, 7p
Sunday
BC @ Hamilton, 7p

Bye week: Edmonton

Three of the four @CFL games this weekend ended with walk off game winning field goals!

I had the honour to call two of them. pic.twitter.com/ledcYxN8Vn

— Dustin Nielson (@nielsonTSN1260) July 1, 2024

We would like to see some streaks come to an end in 2024. The terrible home losing streaks for Edmonton and Ottawa were snapped in 2023.

Toronto managed to do 2 things on Friday that the Argos didn't do in 2023: lose at home and lose to a division opponent.

We knew of Ottawa's lack of dominance within its own division. The RedBlacks hadn't defeated Hamilton anywhere since the 2018 East Division final. Ottawa hadn't beaten a divisional opponent in the regular season at TD Place since 2018. The RedBlacks broke both those streaks against the winless Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The Winnipeg-Calgary game at McMahon Stadium made the crowd wait until late to get actual touchdowns. Hamilton and Ottawa started out with touchdowns and they didn't go back to that until late in the 4th quarter.

Chris Streveler had to come off the bench for the Blue Bombers and do something he hadn't done since returning to the league: throw a pass. Streveler kept his team in the game, even forcing overtime. Demerio Houston, formerly of Winnipeg, intercepted Streveler in the end zone in overtime.

That game in Calgary was the first overtime game of the season in the CFL. Calgary hadn't defeated Winnipeg since the final game of the 2021 season, which was 6 straight losses.

The Alouettes have won 11 in a row, including the postseason. The Lions have won 8 straight games over the Elks, though this one was as close to an Edmonton win as we have had since 2021. The Lions outscored the Elks 265-82 in their previous 7 meetings.

Edmonton plays close games but hasn't learned the killer instinct at the end of the game. The Elks went for 2 late and failed while the Lions went for 2 late and succeeded, though not in the first try.

Sergio Castillo for Winnipeg kicked a 60-yard field goal, second longest in CFL history.

2024 CFL Week 4 preview

2024 CFL Week 3 preview

Saskatchewan, undefeated (along with Montréal), placed its quarterback Trevor Harris on the 6-game injured list. The move is labelled as precautionary though Shea Patterson becomes the #1 behind centre for quite awhile.

Harris has a “moderate” MCL sprain of his left knee, according to Saskatchewan coach Corey Mace. His injury last year was a tibial plateau fracture on his right leg.

Fun fact: Harris was the Ottawa QB the last time the RedBlacks defeated Hamilton.

Ottawa was thankful in a lot of ways to get the win Sunday night with the Canada Day fireworks in the background. The RedBlacks play teams in the West Division all summer. The next East opponent is Toronto on September 7. The RedBlacks will be in Victoria (Touchdown Pacific) before playing an opponent in their division.

Hamilton, Winnipeg, and Edmonton are all winless. The Elks were good at destructive penalties down the stretch. The Tiger-Cats had the lead for a lot of the game in Ottawa. The Blue Bombers might have handled the Stampeders if Zach Collaros had stayed healthy.

The season is not over for any of those teams. Ask us in a couple of weeks.

2024 CFL Week 2 preview

2024 CFL Week 1 preview: Opening week

2024 CFL preview

I know most of you hate this rule. It’s alright. You’re wrong…. But… ATTN: defensive coordinators. If your team isn’t prepared for it, that’s on you. Not the rule. #LongLiveTheDribbleKick pic.twitter.com/zgiIjUqKod

— Jamie Nye (@jamienye) June 29, 2024

We like the CFL because everything applies equally across the board as opposed to the NHL, where certain teams can beat up opponents, unlike other teams. The Montréal Alouettes are not the only team that can implement this "trick play." The Alouettes used this play against their main rival in the Argonauts on their home field. Even Chris Jones in Edmonton can use this play. Just remember that the first time in recent memory that the Alouettes tried the play, it didn't work.

2024 CFL preseason schedule

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

Edmonton @ BC: Dustin Nielson/Glen Suitor/Shantelle Chand
Montréal @ Toronto: Marshall Ferguson/Duane Forde/Kenzie Lalonde
Winnipeg @ Calgary: Dustin Nielson/Glen Suitor/Paul LaPolice
Hamilton @ Ottawa: Rod Smith/Matt Dunigan/Claire Hanna

We are doing a new format with the announcer teams to reduce word count. You might recall that Shantelle Chand made her CFL on TSN debut in the preseason. Chand is filling the role Blake Price had done in recent seasons to back up Farhan Lalji in Vancouver.

Having Paul LaPolice in for Matthew Scianitti on the sidelines in Toronto was "cute" but TSN is digging its heels on using LaPolice on the sidelines. The sideline reporters have a journalism background that helps when asking about an injury or circumstances on the sidelines. LaPolice does okay with asking questions of the players but that is only part of what a sideline reporter does. TSN doesn't have anyone based in Calgary, which could be solved by having someone.

The Sunday night experiment continues with Kate Beirness and only 2 panelists. This might just be a summer thing yet given that this is 1 of the 2 games on CBS Sports Network, this is not a good look.

logo credit: CFL
Twitter captures: @nielsonTSN1260; @jamienye
photo credit: TSN/CFL