Landry: 5 must-watch video games down the stretch
OK Tire Labour Day Weekend has come and gone. The stretch is upon us and, my oh my, have a look at these standings.
The East? Two heavyweights on the prime that may be headed for a slobberknocker or two and a remaining playoff spot that’s not presently firmly gripped.
The West? Jigsaw puzzle items strewn about, with no clear image rising simply but.
With that in thoughts, listed below are 5 video games I’ve circled on my CFL schedule as we head in direction of the playoffs.
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WEEK 16: MONTREAL AT OTTAWA, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
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I’ve truly had this one on my thoughts since Week 8 when the REDBLACKS trounced the Calgary Stampeders by a rating of 33-8 at Lansdowne Park.
Even then I used to be pondering forward to this sport, deciding that the REDBLACKS weren’t going anyplace and as I wrote in my “Takeaways” column that week: “Chainsaw’s gettin’ louder.”
If Montreal does what they’re favoured to do and so they win in Calgary this weekend, so long as Ottawa beats the Tiger-Cats in Hamilton the REDBLACKS would go into subsequent week’s sport three factors out of first, with an opportunity to actually flip up the warmth on the Alouettes with a win.
If Calgary occurs to upset the Als, paired with an Ottawa win? Boy, howdy, that might make this sport even tastier, with Ottawa truly having an opportunity to take over first place.
And if the Alouettes win and the REDBLACKS lose this week?
Effectively, heck, Ottawa nonetheless has tons to show on this one, after being humbled by Montreal in Week 3, by a rating of 47-21. Proving they belong will likely be inspiration sufficient for them and there may be extra on the road than that.
WEEK 16: WINNIPEG AT EDMONTON, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
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Tre Ford will return to motion in Week 16 in opposition to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Timothy Atticus/CFL.ca)
Proper after Montreal and Ottawa tangle, two of the most popular groups within the CFL meet up as our dessert merchandise on this present day and it ought to be so, so candy for soccer followers.
Each the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Edmonton Elks will likely be coming off a bye once they meet, so that they’ll be rested and well-prepared to face each other.
The Blue Bombers know who they’re. They’ve all the time identified, even when within the midst of an oh-and-four begin. Since then? 7-2 and first within the West.
The Elks – who shared the basement with Winnipeg in these early weeks of the season – are rising from the ashes of an oh-and-seven begin, winners of 5 of their final six.
By that stretch, Edmonton’s offence has pounded opposing defences, scoring 24 touchdowns in these six video games, 12 by land, 12 by air.
Now that offence will tangle with one of many CFL’s stingiest defences. The Blue Bombers’ D has allowed the second-fewest factors per sport, the second-fewest touchdowns and the fewest passing yards.
And with Edmonton interim head coach Jarious Jackson declaring that Tre Ford would be the beginning quarterback on this sport, it means the younger pivot will likely be firing passes right into a secondary that features his twin brother Tyrell, who simply occurs to share the league lead in interceptions (six) in the meanwhile.
A li’l whipped cream in your dessert, there.
WEEK 18: SASKATCHEWAN AT EDMONTON, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5
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I don’t know but precisely what we’ll have within the Saskatchewan Roughriders on this one, however I do know that this sport will likely be completely essential in checking out the staff’s destiny in 2024.
Possibly the Riders come out of their bye with consecutive wins over Calgary (on the highway) after which Ottawa (house), leaving the ghosts of a seven sport winless streak far behind, I don’t know.
In that case, then they’ll have holding the Edmonton Elks at bay whereas focusing on a house discipline playoff date on the expense of both BC or Winnipeg on their minds.
Or, they may very well be completely determined to maintain the potentially-third-place Elks from galloping out of sight, whereas giving facet eye to a crossover playoff spot on the expense of the Toronto Argonauts.
Both approach, large, large sport right here.
The Elks and Riders break up their first two, this season, so this one looms massive as a possible tie-breaker.
WEEK 20: MONTREAL AT BC, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19
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Tyrice Beverette has been having a sensational season and he and his Alouettes will likely be taking up the BC Lions in Week 20 (Peter McCabe/CFL.ca)
A Gray Cup preview? Yeah, perhaps however let’s not be so certain about issues we shouldn’t be so certain about. Particularly with at the least three different groups (Winnipeg, Ottawa and Edmonton), proper now, trying like they’ve the potential to do what the Alouettes did final 12 months and that’s to be sizzling, sizzling, sizzling at exactly the proper time.
This one seems to be like a magnificence it doesn’t matter what you consider early Gray Cup predictions, as a result of it should naturally have the texture of a preview only a month earlier than the massive sport, within the stadium the place it is going to be performed. That will likely be particularly so ought to the Lions be sitting in first place within the division on the time.
Past that, although, we’ll see the Alouettes trying to do to the Lions what the Lions did unto them only a week in the past, and that’s win an vital sport in opposition to a formidable opponent in that opponent’s raucous stadium. Revenge!
This one could have every little thing that their Week 14 conflict had, minus the air horns. Until Lions’ proprietor Amar Doman is considering a sport night time giveaway….
WEEK 21: WINNIPEG AT MONTREAL, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26
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The Alouettes punched the Blue Bombers within the mouth fairly good in Week 1, proper in Winnipeg. They usually additionally punched the Blue Bombers within the mouth fairly good in final 12 months’s Gray Cup sport.
I believe the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have had sufficient of the Alouettes punching them within the mouth.
I additionally imagine the Montreal Alouettes would love nothing greater than to plunk the Bombers on the ol’ pie gap as soon as once more.
This one gained’t have the texture of a final week of the season, inter-divisional sport, I don’t assume, particularly since I imagine that the Blue Bombers could have one thing to play for out of doors of payback. The Als may need wants on this one, too, if Ottawa retains chasing onerous over the subsequent few weeks.
AN HONOURABLE MENTION GAME, DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS THIS WEEKEND
Ought to the BC Lions beat the visiting Toronto Argonauts on Friday night time, and will the Hamilton Ticats knock off the visiting Ottawa REDBLACKS on Saturday afternoon, then the Ticats could be 4 factors again of third-place Toronto within the East. That may imbue the Week 16 match-up between the Ticats and Argos at BMO Area with a sure one thing wouldn’t it not?