Edmonton Eskimos: Shake-ups Will Help Bring Team Closer to CFL Grey Cup

Edmonton's defense has undergone numerous major changes over the past few days as they acquired defensive back Byron Parker from Toronto and signed defensive back Randee Drew, linebacker Reggie Hunt, and defensive tackle Jerome Haywood.

When you look at it you see aging veterans (Hunt and Haywood), an injury-prone player (Drew) and a player who failed to crack the lineup in Toronto potentially due to him "not learning the playbook" as coach Bart Andrus explained it.

But when you look at it further you see a 6-6 Eskimos team that holds a one-game lead over BC, a two-game lead of, and a three-game lead over Toronto for the fifth out of six teams in the playoffs.

Also, Edmonton has given up the most points in the league, 369 with the next closest being Saskatchewan with 331 and they are adding Hunt, a seven-year CFL veteran, to a linebacking corps who's most experienced player is four-year CFL vet Maurice Lloyd.

Haywood was brought in to replace the injured Dario Romero, yet while Haywood isn't as talented he, just like Romero, has seven-plus years of CFL experience and will likely combine with six-year veteran Kai Ellis in leading a group that contains two two-year veterans and a group of rookies.

Now Parker and Drew, while they are not as experienced (Parker has four years in the league, Drew has two), bring in more talent.

Jason Goss leads the secondary in tackles with 39 and Kelly Malveaux leads them with two interceptions after they failed to get one in seven weeks.

Both Parker and Drew should help in the tackling game with Drew having 86 (67 in 2007) and Parker having 99 (40 in 2008), while Parker has 18 interceptions with a season high of eight in 2006.

Bringing in these four players should in my opinion be able to pass the Roughriders and Calgary Stampeders who are both 7-5.

All they need now is for the the offense to step up from the fourth best (based on points for) in the league.

Is Mike Kelly Slowly Losing His Mind?

What a season for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

New coach Mike Kelly promptly made moves acquiring QB Stefan LeFors while releasing CB Stanford Samuels, DE Tom Canada, QB Timmy Chang, and QB Kevin Glenn.

The 2009 regular season, on the other hand, started with a bang as star wideout Derick Armstrong and Kelly did battle and Armstrong eventually earning his way out of town.

LeFors struggled so veteran Michael Bishop was brought in.

However, running back Fred Reid has been dominant and rookie linebacker Jonathan Hefney has been a pleasant surprise.

Through 12 games, though, they've struggled to a 4-8 record with LeFors hitting the 9-Game injured list and journeyman Casey Bramlet being brought in.

Don't get me wrong, the season hasn't been a total wash as the above-mentioned Fred Reid has been dominant, while Hefney's been okay, and Jovon Johnson and Ike Charlton have been tackling machines.

Fred Perry and Dorian Smith have also been wreaking havoc in the backfield with five sacks each.

Terrence Edwards leads the receivers in receptions (36), receiving yards (518), and touchdowns (1).

And no, the one touchdown is not the problem for Winnipeg as Fred Reid has six.

But the reason Winnipeg is struggling this year is new head coach Mike Kelly.

Not only was the Armstrong confrontation problematic but so was the most recent one.

This week, Kelly informed team leader Barrin Simpson (who leads the team with 58 tackles) that he'll be on the bench so they can shake things up.

Simpson obviously declined as he's blowing out his stats from last year and could contend with his career high 115 tackles in 2001.

So, Winnipeg responds by placing him on 9-Game injured list since they couldn't find a trading partner.

The issue, not only with the Blue Bombers handling of the situation, is that Simpson did not approve his placement on the injured list.

CFL rules require that a player okays the move before it can happen.

Not only is Winnipeg facing a rules violation and a road trip to Montreal, but they're also facing the dreaded "rebuilding" that plagued Hamilton for years.

Winnipeg fans better be prepared for the day Kelly tells Fred Reid that they decided to go with another player since Kelly and stars clearly clash, which just shows that he's slowly losing his mind by the day.

Jackson Sidelined For 3-5 Weeks, Casey Printers Returning the Den?

On Thursday, the B.C. Lions announced that starting quarterback Jarious Jackson will be out for about three-to-five weeks after a damaged rotator cuff after he had an MRI on his throwing shoulder, according to the Vancouver Sun. It was reported by the Sun that backup quarterback Buck Pierce will replace him.

But the Lions might have to add a new quarterback to the roster. It definitely seems Wally Buono still has interest in Casey Printers, who was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Player back in 2004. Printers also played in the National Football League, giving him some more knowledge of the game.

"It's not as good as we thought, but it's not as bad, either,” Buono said. "There is some damage to the rotator cuff, but the doctors aren't exactly sure as there still is a little bit of inflammation. They think it may be three to five weeks."

Jackson has been missing many practices lately. Jackson was going through injuries, especially after the loss towards the Montreal Alloutes. Pierce retained his starting job after losing it to Jackson after suffering from injuries. The Lions haven't been that good this year, but with Printers in, it'll boost things up.

And he may be the answer.

Amos Allen: A Chip off the Old Block?

Amos Allen graduated from the University of South Dakota in 2007, which was a year after star Stefan Logan left.

After Logan's failed NFL stint with the Miami Dolphins, he headed northwest to the BC Lions. Joining him there was his Pop Warner friend, Amos Allen.

Allen and Logan first met as kids in Miami, Fla., and were both neglected by Division I-A NCAA teams.

Logan went on to go to play at South Dakota, only to have Allen follow him there.

After going undrafted in 2007 and joining the Dolphins practice squad midway through 2007, he joined the BC Lions for 2008.

Allen, on the other hand, also went undrafted, and instead of waiting joined his childhood friend in the Lions backfield.

Logan went on to start for the team, while Allen was cut in training camp.

In 2009, Logan signed on with the Pittsburgh Steelers while Allen tried to follow up Logan's performance and re-joined the BC Lions.

However, for the second straight year, he was cut by the Lions in training camp.

On the other hand, Logan made the Steelers' final roster as a kick returner and debuted last Thursday.

Allen finally made a team, joining the Toronto Argonauts, and debuted on Friday, a season after Logan made his debut.

Logan was the return specialist for the Steelers while Allen shared returning duties with rookie wideout Jason Carter.

Throughout their respective careers, they both got shunned from opportunities and were forced to work for them.

Logan started for the South Dakota Coyotes in 2006, Allen in 2007.

While Logan starred for the Lions in 2008, Allen first played in 2009 and has yet to make a major impact.

However, if Toronto running back Jamal Robertson were to go down, Allen would step in and take all or most of the carries.

If he makes an impact in the return game and in the backfield, don't be surprised to see Allen follow up Logan once again and join an NFL team a special teamer.

Big Moves Around the CFL

Recent NFL final cut victims, Tearrius George and Charleston Hughes have opted to re-join the Calgary Stampeders.

And while I'm not one to brag, I predict Hughes would be back (see http://twitter.com/TheCFLReport/status/3800352409).

In his previous Calgary stint in 2007, George recorded 33 tackles and eight sacks. Following which, he spent failed NFL stints with the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins along with time spent on the New Orleans Saints active roster.

Hughes had 66 tackles, five sacks and two forced fumbles in his only season which was last year in 2008. Following the season he was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles only to be waived/injured, placed on injured reserve and released with an injury settlement (as I said in the above mentioned tweet).

Also, in somewhat surprising move the Edmonton Eskimos have released off-duty police officer Kitwana Jones.

Jones "only" had 17 tackles and one sack for the season.

The Eskimos also showed offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Rick Worman the door. Senior Offensive consultant Kevin Strasser has taken over his duties.

Could Chase Daniel Eventually Follow Graham Harrell's Career Path?

Graham Harrell was a Sammy Baugh Trophy winner, Johnny Unitas Golden Award winner, AT&T All-American Player of the Year, 3-time All-Academic Big 12, and a Heisman Trophy candidate.

Despite, all of this collegiate accolades, Harrell went undrafted out of Texas Tech and received tryout invitations with the Cleveland Browns and then tried out for the UFL.

He went unsigned both times.

Following his UFL tryout, rumors started that Harrell could sign with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL.

Those rumors eventually transpired as he signed with the team on July 20 and was immediately placed on the inactive list as he adjusted to the Canadian game.

Harrell has yet to make his debut and the earliest he could is October 2 in a game against the BC Lions in Vancouver.

Chase Daniel on the other hand was a one-time Heisman Trophy candidate (2007), Second-team All-Big 12, Big 12 Male Athlete of the Year, First-team All-Big 12, Second-team All-American, Maxwell Award semifinalist and also a finalist for the Manning Award, Walter Camp Award, Draddy Trophy, and Davey O'Brien Award winner.

Needless to say that's a bit more than Harrell's accolades yet Daniel has faced the same treatment as Harrell has, NFL wise.

Daniel spent the entire training camp with the Washington Redskins before being cut.

After being cut, while the Redskins were assembling their practice squad he was told he'd be added to it.

However, the Redskins opted to go with ex-Kentucky Wildcats quarterback and New York Giant cut (ironically, the Redskins first opponent in 2009) Andre Woodson.

After being shown the door by the Redskins, Daniel has opted to take his show to New Orleans under the mentoring of gun-slinger Drew Brees.

Luckily, for Daniel the New Orleans quarterback situation is less log-jammed down the road as the only backup is almost 40 year-old Mark Brunell.

Now, odds are Daniel will see limited time on the active roster and even less time on the field but a situation that has gone unmentioned in the media is the fact he could decide to go the CFL once his deal with the Saints expires.

As you may or may not know most of the league has little to no backup depth.

It also doesn't hurt that Daniel is a prototypical CFL quarterback (6'1", 219) and has solid arm strength along with time in one of the toughest conferences in the NCAA.

In my opinion, Daniel staying in the NFL in the short term would be a mistake for him down the road, and taking the path blazed by the likes of Warren Moon, Doug Flutie and Graham Harrell makes sense for him and his potential team.

CFL: Is Fred Reid the Next Stefan Logan?

Ex-BC Lions running back Stefan Logan signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers following a 1,366 all-purpose yard season.

The year before the South Dakota product signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in November 2007 and spent the rest of the year on their practice squad.

Logan then headed north of the border with the BC Lions where he put together a 122 rushing attempts, 889 rushing yard, 52 catch and a 477 receiving yard season.

He added three touchdowns (all receiving) and four fumbles (all while rushing) to his season totals.

Following 2008, he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers where he's battling for a roster spot as a return specialist.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers running back Fred Reid on the other hand played his college football at Mississippi State, which is no South Dakota but following the draft also went selected.

Just like Logan he bolted for south Florida but headed towards the shore with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2005.

He was cut before the season, and didn't play football in 2006.

After star linebacker Barrin Simpson recommended Reid to the Bombers front office guys, they brought him into camp and obviously showed enough to keep a spot on the roster.

As a rookie in 2007 Reid got 40 carries, 270 rushing yards, two touchdowns and eight catches for 120 yards.

Playing in Joe Smith and Charles Roberts's shadow again in 2008, he still managed to get 101 carries and 709 yards with three scores.

Reid added 13 catches for 96 yards to his 2008 totals.

Now, Logan obviously had the better 2008, but Reid is on pace to shatter Logan's 2008 season.

After eight games in 2009, he has 115 rushes (seven less than Logan in a full season) and 795 rushing yards (93 less than Logan in 2008).

Not only are Reid's stats better in three years than Logan in one, they similar in body size.

Reid 5'8", Logan is 5'7" while they're both speedy 185 pound backs.

Because of these similarities, I'd be very surprised to not see Reid get an NFL shot as a kick returner or even a backup running back.

CFL: Plenty of Running Backs Available For Ottawa CFL Team

As a follow-up Steve Thompson's article about possible quarterbacks available for the new Ottawa team in 2010, 2011 or 2012 here's a list of possible running backs who'll be available.

(Kudos to Steve for suggesting this article on my bulletion board.)

•Jesse Lumsden, Edmonton Eskimos
Face it, you and me both know the power back out McMaster is easily one of the most injury prone players in the CFL. However, he has outstanding talent so much so the Seattle Seahawks brought him to training camp in 2005.
But back to the injuries, in the three seasons in Hamilton he always had some kind of injury that caused him to miss some games.
This season, one of the first hits he took all year in the first game, he injured his shoulder. The shoulder injury has caused him to undergo surgery and he'll miss the rest of the season.
But, let's go back to the talent. With his talent he'll most likely continue to get chances with teams in the CFL who need a quality running back or better backup.
Lumsden recently turned 27, which means in 2012 he'll be 30 by mid-season which tends to be the start of the downfall for running backs. But, if Ottawa wants to put fans in the seats they'll take a chance on one of very few Canadian running backs.

•Kenton Keith, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Coming into this season, Keith was the projected start for the Tiger-Cats, but an injury forced rookie running back DeAndra Cobb into the starting role.
As of today, Cobb has 479 yards on 67 carries and is easily one of the best rookies in the CFL.
Cobb's performance makes Keith expendable and whether the Ottawa team starts next season or one of the following years, Keith could be available for them. Assuming he doesn't leave for another NFL oppurtunity.

•Ian Smart, BC Lions
The speedy kick returner was the projected starter when Stefan Logan headed for greener pastures with the Pittsburgh Steelers but an injury and Martell Mallett's great camp performance ended that hope.
Smart is now on the reserve list waiting for another oppurtunity.
BC's backup running back Emmanuel Marc has been satisfactory and doesn't seem like he'll lose his job anytime soon.
If something doesn't happen soon, Marc could become available for team Ottawa.

•Demetris Summers, Calgary Stampeders
Summers wasn't great last year in Calgary (19 carries, 121 yards, 1 touchdown) and then an injury this year has caused him to miss every game.
Calgary has some running back depth behind star Joffrey Reynolds with Canadian Jon Cornish and import Derek Watson.
Summers is more than expendable and Calgary and their fans probably wouldn't be hard broken to part with him.

• Charles Roberts, Free Agent
Probably one of the least likely to be picked up by team Ottawa but the 30 year-old still might be ineligible for "Cash for Clunkers" and could have some gas in the tank.
With his most recent 1,000 yard season coming in 2007 and then getting almost 800 yards with BC and Winnipeg last year he has shown he can still get the job done to an extent.
If no one else if available for them I wouldn't be surprised to see Roberts get a look.

•Other Names
•Joe Smith
•Lavarus Giles
•Tyler Ebell
•An NFL cut

Channeling Anger, Showing Character|Let's Talk About Jarious Jackson

All of us BC Lion fans remember what happened in that game against the Toronto Argonauts. Last Friday, Jackson came out of the game with the Lions at a 19-7 deficit. Coach Wally Buono took Jackson out for third-string quarterback Travis Lulay, who hadn't made a CFL snap last year. It was surprising to me, though, after my post I made about a month ago for the case of Jackson at starting quarterback.

“Here’s a guy who was put down,” Buono said. “I don’t want to say we didn’t embarrass him, we must have. He was devastated at half-time in the locker room. But my job isn’t to worry about how they feel, unfortunately. My job is get them to win. It’s really a tough process.”

I believe it was a really tough process. Said Jackson after being put out for Lulay:

“I was disappointed. I was very angry. I wanted to stay in there. But I took that anger, I guess, and just channeled it in a different way. I guess that gave me focus.”

It wasn't that big of a deal as Lulay only survived six plays. Coach Buono's decision was to bring Jackson back in again. Many of you may think that Jackson would just fire at Wally, but he came in and played strong after throwing three touchdown passes and stunning Toronto in a 36-28 win.

“Everybody knows that Jarious is a good guy,” Buono said. “But that showed true character. When things were the lowest for him, what did he do? He could have easily quit on us. He could have done all of the things that bad character people do. But he didn’t. He isn’t a turd. He can deal with adversity.”

And that is why I like Jarious Jackson. Just a week after the win against the Toronto, BC lost to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers a week after, 37-10. On September 4, the Lions will face the Montreal Allouettes. Let's hope Jackson performs well, like he has been all year.

Sources
The CFL Report
Vancouver Sun
BCLions.com

CFL Preview Week Eight: The Bye Week Part 1

In week eight in the CFL, four teams have a bye. The Edmonton Eskimos, Calgary Stampeders, Toronto Argonauts and Hamilton Tiger Cats will all have to endure the gruelling bye week that no one ever enjoys!

But, though it may be a bye week for some teams, it most certainly won’t mean a bye for my weekly predictions!

The more and more I think about it, I like the idea of this bye week. My record isn’t the best in the world, and maybe I just need fewer games to pick.

Friday August 21st Doubleheader
Game One: Saskatchewan Roughriders at Montreal Alouettes

The Roughriders will look to exact revenge on the Montreal Alouettes in Montreal this week. Montreal embarrassed Saskatchewan at home earlier in the year, so it should be an intense game.

The Riders have been anything but consistent this season, but they are getting players back from injury slowly. Their offensive line has improved, and Wes Cates has finally found his game.

If Wes Cates can get going against the Montreal Alouettes, it could take the pressure off of Darian Durant.

Montreal is a tough match for any team. They can hurt you on offence in multiple ways and their defence has been stingy.

Montreal is always a tough place to win at, and the Saskatchewan Roughriders have had their share of struggles their. Yet you can never count out the Roughriders, who win when they are not expected too and lose when they are favoured. Yet, beating a red hot Alouette team at home may be too much to ask.

My Pick: Montreal

Game Two: Winnipeg Blue Bombers at BC Lions

In BC, it will be a battle of two gunslingers, as Lion’s pivot Jarious Jackson faces off against Bomber’s pivot Michael Bishop.

Both sitting in their respective division basements, both teams will look to move up the standings.

The Lions have been doing just enough to win ball games recently, winning two in a row. They will hand the ball to Jarious Jackson in this game. Jackson has impressed with the deep ball, but has also been inconsistent. While he will likely test the Bombers defence deep, he also needs throw the intermediate routes as well.

Look for rookie running back Martel Mallet to continue his success.

The Bombers on the other hand are in a lot of trouble. Michael Bishop has been inconsistent, and the team doesn’t have any proven stars on offence except for Fred Reid and Terrance Edwards.

Luckily for the Bombers, BC’s run defence is pretty bad, so Fred Reid could have a huge game. If the Bombers can get Fred Reid going, and their defence plays well like it has in the past, they may have a chance to pull off the upset.

My Pick: Winnipeg

Winnipeg Blue Bombers Add Vikings QB to Negotiation List

WINNIPEG, MB-The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have announced that Minnesota Vikings backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson has been added to their negotiation list.

Jackson a Alabama State product, was competing with journeyman quarterback Sage Rosenfels for the starting job before Brett Favre came out off retirement again, and was named starter.

Not only that but he missed half of training camp and told them he was retiring, only to come back out of it, escorted by Brad Childress and his escalade to practice. And to top it all of he was followed by ESPN's helicopters.

Damn it, I'm babbling.

Back to the Jackson story, he'll more likely never come up to Canada, just like Vince Young being on the Argos neg. list, but if he becomes a free agent and isn't signed he'll be open to join the Bombers.

Currently, Michael Bishop is starting while Stefan LeFors (who recently took a paycut) is the backup with Bryan Randall third string.

However, the odds of him joining that group is slim with teams like the Jacksonville Jaguars needing a backup.

But, if he does get released and doesn't get signed (you have better chances of winning the lottery than having that happen) then my guess is that LeFors will be given his walking papers, solely because of his awful performance as starter.

Backup Quarterbacks Needed Everywhere

Let's see here, all across the CFL there are 23 quarterbacks on active rosters, two on practice rosters, three injured and one on reserve.

Zac Champion of the BC Lions is the one on reserve and is irrelevant to this discussion while Ricky Santos (Montreal), Graham Harrell (Saskatchewan) and Jason Boltus (Hamilton) are "injured" and also irrelevant here.

And also for the purpose of this discussion (which you're not sure about yet) let's exclude every free agent quarterback and every quarterback who'll be cut by the NFL.

Now, where am I headed with this? You'll see in a minute.

In Calgary there's a bit of a quarterback controversy and I'd say they'd like to keep Burris, Nealy and Tate with them for now while they sort it out.

Hamilton likes Porter, Glenn and Tafralis, Montreal is good with Calvillo, McPherson and Leak while in Winnipeg Bishop, LeFors and Randall are good enough for them.

Now that leaves BC, Saskatchewan, Edmonton and Toronto.

If you saw the game between BC and Toronto last night, you saw Buck Pierce and Travis Lulay go down with head injuries for BC while Jarious Jackson was inconsistent.

In Toronto, Joseph and Pickett are doing battle but Pickett looked good enough and they don't seem to need a third guy and the only other QB on the roster is Stephen Reaves (practice roster) who probably won't garner much interest.

Edmonton and Saskatchewan however have some moveable pieces.

With Graham Harrell's expected arrival any week now from the injured list, Saskatchewan could part with either Steven Jyles or Dalton Bell in a trade but that would require a team give up something like a draft pick.

On the Riders practice roster is high flying quarterback Cole Bergquist and all a team would have to do is sign him and give up nothing but money to the guy.

Edmonton on the other hand has starter Ricky Ray, veteran Jason Maas and rookie Jared Zabransky.

Zabransky has shown the Eskimos enough promise to keep him on while Maas has a proven track record.

Now to the point of this article, if Pierce and/or Lulay are going to miss any significant amount of time or if Calgary decides they need more QB help or Toronto decides they need a third guy but don't want it to be Reaves then watch out for some moves.

If anyone goes I'd expect Bergquist to get signed, Bell might get dealt and Maas could go if Zabransky continues to improve.

CFL Preview Week Seven: The Wild West

Could the real contender in the Wild Western Division please stand up?

Six weeks through the CFL season and there are few certainties.

The Montreal Alouettes and Hamilton Tiger Cats seem to be firm contenders in the East, but not one team in the West has stood up. Through a series of missed opportunities, we are still uncertain who the powerhouse in the West is.

Three of the teams currently sit at 3-3 while the BC Lions pulled to 2-4 last week by beating the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Speaking of that game, it contributed to my two incorrect picks last week. In the other, I picked Winnipeg to upset Calgary, which almost did happen. After going 2-2, I am still below .500 with my picks.


Prediction Time
Disagree with my picks. Tell me your picks down below.


Thursday Aug. 13th
Game One: Calgary Stampeders at Edmonton Eskimos

The Calgary Stampeders fought back last week to get back to .500, whereas the Edmonton Eskimos missed a glorious opportunity to sit atop the West by losing to the Hamilton Tiger Cats. In this years first installment of the "Battle of Alberta," tempers should be high.

Ricky Ray continued his inconsistent play last week. He threw for a lot of yardage, but also tossed two interceptions. Still, Ray looks to be regaining his solid form slowly. Throw in the fact that Edmonton now has somewhat of a running game, and their offense suddenly isn’t looking so anemic.

Look for the Eskimos to attack Calgary’s inexperienced secondary with Kamau Peterson, Maurice Mann, and Fred Stamps.

Calgary, on the other hand, is still off course without star receiver Keynon Rambo. Luckily, players like Jermaine Copeland have stepped up.

Edmonton has a stingy front seven, so running the ball with Joffrey Reynolds may be tough. If Calgary can establish him, however, they could open up the passing game and terrorize Edmonton’s defense.

With two teams that look to be fairly equally matched, this game could come down to who can run the ball and control the line of scrimmage the best. This game will likely be a close contest, but Edmonton is playing at home. Their natural grass is still one of the toughest turfs to play on, and that may be the advantage they need.

My Pick: Edmonton


Friday August 14th
Game One: BC Lions at Toronto Argonauts

Things are starting to look up for the BC Lions. They got an ugly win against the Saskatchewan Roughriders last week and are facing one of the most struggling teams in the CFL, the Toronto Argonauts. Fresh off a shut-out loss against the Montreal Alouettes, the Argonauts are desperate for a win.

For the game, the Argos have benched former MOP Kerry Joseph in favour of back-up pivot Cody Picket. The news was a bit shocking, seeing as Toronto has a lot of other problems than just the quarterback position. Still, a change was perhaps necessary. Pickett will look to rejuvenate a struggling Argos offense.

To do this, it would be smart to get Jamal Robertson involved. BC’s run defense is one of the worst in the league and they could get a big game out of Jamal Robertson.

Similarly, the Lions need to establish the run with rookie sensation Martel Mallet. Mallet is a hard runner which is good because Toronto has a tough front seven. Buck Pierce didn’t have an amazing game last week, but he did a little better job of taking care of the ball. This will be crucial against an Argos team that will be looking for any break they can get.

Upon first glance, it would appear that the Lions will win this game. They are coming off of a victory and Toronto is struggling. The game is in Toronto, however, and road games are never a sure thing. Toronto will likely get a good running game going against the Lions, which will help Cody Pickett settle down. If Pickett has any success at all, look for Toronto’s stingy defense to take care of the rest.

My Pick: Toronto

Saturday August 15th
Game One: Montreal Alouettes at Winnipeg Blue Bombers

They have beaten the Toronto Argonauts and the Hamilton Tiger Cats, and now it is time for the Montreal Alouettes to prove they are indeed top dogs in the East by beating Winnipeg. In fact, Winnipeg has also beaten Toronto and Hamilton, but I’m pretty sure no one thinks they're top dogs in anything.

Winnipeg has recently seen new life with quarterback Michael Bishop added into the line-up. Bishop has been an immediate upgrade over Stefan Lefors and almost led the Bombers to victory over the Stampeders.

But the big reason for the improvement in Winnipeg’s offense is Fred Reid. Reid rushed for 176 yards against Calgary last week, and he will be the player to watch on Saturday. Winnipeg should look to get Reid involved in the run game and the passing game. The Bombers can also look to their other big gun on offense, Terrance Edwards.

The Montreal Alouettes, on the other hand, have a balanced offensive attack. They can hurt you on the ground with Avon Cobourne, or go to the air with Ben Cahoon, Jamal Richardson, and Kerry Watkins. Winnipeg’s defense has been better as of late, but it is a big task shutting down the Als offense.

Fans in Winnipeg have new faith since Michael Bishop arrived. But as a Roughriders fan all I can say is, give it a few weeks. Sure, Bishop looks good at times, but he will ultimately choke when the pressure is on. Montreal is likely going to key on Fred Reid all game, forcing Michael Bishop to throw the ball a lot and likely turn the ball over. On the other side, Anthony Calvillo should do enough to get an important road win.

My Pick: Montreal


Sunday August 16th
Game One: Hamilton Tiger Cats at Saskatchewan Roughriders

The Hamilton Tiger Cats are 4-2? Is this the same team who has been so bad for so long? Every game so far, fans have been saying, “This is the real test for Hamilton.” Well so far, they have passed most of those tests. They have swept the BC Lions in two games and beaten the Edmonton Eskimos, proving they are indeed for real. Still, they will get another test this week against the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The Riders have been so inconsistent this year. They look good one week against a tough opponent, and then falter the next week against an easy one. Ken Miller doesn’t seem to be inspiring the Riders to do well, and it has surely shown in their play.

Luckily, the team will be getting back defensive end John Chick, who should help stabilize the defensive line. Unluckily, however, the team will be without star middle linebacker Renauld Williams for some time. This isn’t good when DeAndra Cobb is coming into town.

Cobb has been the story of the year so far. He is tearing it up in the ground game and should pose a problem to a weak Riders run defense. Gary Etcheverry’s defense, which is good at creating turnovers, will have to also focus on shutting down Cobb. Without a running game, Quinton Porter will have to throw the ball to beat the Riders. This could only bode well for the Riders.

On offense, the Riders need to get the ball to their playmakers. With Wes Cates in the backfield and receivers like Jason Clermont and Weston Dressler, the Riders have no shortage of talent. The offensive line also needs to do a much better job giving Darian Durant protection.

Finally returning home after a two game road trip, the Riders will be playing in front of a loud home crowd. But will they give them anything to cheer about? I never thought I would pick Hamilton to win in Regina, but they have DeAndra Cobb on their side. Without Renauld Williams in the middle, I’m not sure Saskatchewan can stop the run this week.

My Pick: Hamilton
My Record: 11-13 (46%)

CFL Recap Week Six: The Call

Fans that happened to tune in to the Friday tilt featuring the BC Lions and Saskatchewan Roughriders were likely surprised about two things.

Firstly, the Riders played so poorly after beating the Calgary Stampeders the week before. And secondly, a crucial call was missed in the first half that may have changed the momentum of the game.

The call happened near the end of the second quarter. Sean Whyte had just punted the ball and Gerran Walker had attempted to catch the short punt in the air. Walker fumbled the football, and a crazy series of events pursued.

The Lions' James Dennis failed to pick up the fumble, and then rookie linebacker James Yurichuk of the Lions kicked the ball forward. As the ball was bouncing toward Saskatchewan’s end, Jason Arakgi tried and failed to pick up the pigskin. Eventually, O’Neil Wilson picked up the football and scored a 14-yard touchdown.

So what was wrong with the play?

Well, according to CFL rules, a player is allowed to dribble the ball forward, but it has to be recovered by an onside player. Jason Arakgi, the first Lion to touch the ball after the kick, was offside. The ball should have returned to the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Head official Tom Higgins said, "It was wrong, we made a mistake, and this is too big not to 'fess up to.'" It's hard because the official who is watching has to watch the football. How can he tell if someone is onside or offside when he's watching the football?

This was a huge momentum changer in the game. Saskatchewan could have had time left in the half to increase their 14-12 lead, but instead they went into the half down 19-14, on a touchdown that should not have even counted.

BC went on to outscore the Riders 16-10 in the second half and won the game 35-20.

Of course, the bad call isn’t taking anything away from the Lions' performance. The Lions were on a mission and took advantage of a sloppy Roughriders squad. However, that non-call still had a huge impact on the game.

The Riders basically lost by one touchdown, as the Lions scored one late. Instead of giving up a touchdown late in the first half, the Riders may have increased their lead. Needless to say, the officials will need to do a better job on these crucial plays.

While Ken Miller and the Riders should have challenged the call, the officials also could have as well, especially on such a pivotal play.

Other Notes from Week Six:

The CFL—Where Shutouts Happen:

The Toronto Argonauts fell to the Montreal Alouettes 25-0 on Friday, failing to register a point for the first time in 17 years. Though offensive struggles have been nothing new to the Toronto Argonauts, a shutout is a new low for the team.

Both Argo pivots, Cody Pickett and Kerry Joseph, were sacked a combined total of seven times, and neither threw over a hundred yards. Jamal Robertson’s struggles continued as he only rushed for 20 yards.

On the other side of the ball, the defense struggled to contain Anthony Calvillo and Ben Cahoon. Calvillo threw for 380 yards and Cahoon had over 100 yards.

Do or Die For the Lions:

In the Lions aforementioned victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the Lions' big guns finally stepped up. Buck Pierce was 26/34 with 215 yards and a touchdown.

Martell Mallet rushed for 99 yards and Paris Jackson had 92 yards receiving. New middle linebacker seemed to fit in well for the Lions. The win was crucial for the Lions, who would have fallen to 1-5 with a loss.

Glatt’s Got the Riders Number:

Lions' linebacker Javier Glatt, who has currently been demoted with the signing of Jojuan Armour, registered an interception against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Glatt has two interceptions on the season, both against the Riders.

Hamilton Makes A Statement:

The Tiger Cats beat the Eskimos 28-21 this week, in what was one of the most exciting games of the season so far.

The Tiger Cats faced adversity throughout the game, but their defense stepped up big-time. They held the Eskimos to three points in the second half. Meanwhile, the offense did enough to get the job done.

DeAndra Cobb tore it up on the ground, pulling off a huge run near the end of the game that set up the game-winning touchdown. Many doubted Hamilton heading into the season, but they are succeeding where a lot of other supposed contenders are failing.

Bruce All Mighty:

Tiger Cats receiver Arland Bruce, who was traded from the Argonauts because of his poor attitude, has been making a great impression on his new team. Bruce has been a much better tea player in Hamilton, and he has started contributing to the offense. Bruce had 78 yards for the Tiger Cats against the Eskimos.

Shoot-Out in Calgary:

The Blue Bombers have been struggling a lot on offense recently, but they did much better this week against Calgary. Winnipeg nearly pulled off the upset, losing 31-23. The exciting Michael Bishop threw for 209 yards and Fred Reid tore it up on the ground, running for 167 yards and two touchdowns. Yet, when all was said and done, the Stampeders got the job done.

Players of the Week: Week Six

Offensive: Anthony Calvillo

In the Als route of the Argonauts, Calvillo threw for 380 yards. That is never easy against a usually stingy Argonauts defense.

Defensive: Brent Johnson

All year, the Lions have been lacking a solid pass rush with the loss of Cameron Wake. Brent Johnson finally stepped up against the Riders. He recorded three sacks and a forced fumble.

Special Teams: Sean Whyte

Whyte was 4-4 in the kicking department this week. He nailed four crucial field goals in the Lions' victory over the Roughriders.

CFL Preview Week Six: Playing For Schultz

Week five was a typical week in the CFL, one full of surprises.

From the unexpected debut of Michael Bishop for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, to Edmonton’s impressive victory of the then undefeated Montreal Alouettes. The Hamilton Tiger Cats ran over the BC Lions at home and Saskatchewan silenced a lot of doubters by going into Calgary and stealing a win.

Well these surprises made for an entertaining week, it certainly was not favourable for my picks. Thanks to Montreal’s collapse, Winnipeg’s narrow victory, and Saskatchewan finally waking up, I went 1-3 with my picks last week.

My record is now up to 9-11, but I refuse to believe that I will stay in this funk! We all heard the saying before, ‘it’s not how you start but how you finish.” Well I plan to prove that from now on by making some solid picks.

Prediction Time
Disagree with my picks… well you’re probably right. See if you can do better by commenting down below.

Friday Double Header

Game One: Toronto Argonauts at Montreal Alouettes

The Montreal Alouettes showed us one thing last week; they are human, not all mighty super gods. And, contrary to Chris Cuthbert’s beliefs, will not go 18-0 this season. The Alouettes will welcome in their bitter rivals to town, the Toronto Argonauts.

A couple of questions will factor into the result of this game. Is Toronto’s offense capable of playing like they did earlier in the season, or have they reverted back to last year’s offense? And was last weeks loss to Edmonton the wake-up call that Montreal needed, or are they going to have a hangover from the loss?

The only thing that will prevent this game from being a blow-out in Montreal’s favour, is Toronto’s suddenly impressive defense. The front seven, lead by Adriano ‘the kissing bandit’ Belli, Ronald Flemons and an impressive linebacking core have helped make Toronto’s defense one of the top defense’s in the league. Toronto will likely send the house at Anthony Calvillo, blitzing like crazy to throw the crafty pivot off his game. It will also give Anthony Calvillo less time to throw the ball, which will in effect eliminate the deep game.

Toronto may have a decent time stopping Montreal on offense, but the Argo’s offense is porous. Kerry Joseph is struggling and Jamal Robertson’s productivity has all but disappeared. Without Arland Bruce, Toronto is lacking a deep threat at receiver.

As mentioned, Toronto’s defense will likely prevent this game from being a blow-out, but it won’t deliver them a win. Toronto will have to move the ball consistently against Montreal to win the game, but this has been easier said than done for Toronto. Montreal is going to be angry, and playing in front of their home crowd.

My Pick: Montreal

Game Two: Saskatchewan Roughriders at BC Lions

With long time defensive tackle Scott Schultz’s surprising retirement earlier this week, the Saskatchewan Roughriders will be thinking of Schultz as they travel to hostile BC Place to take on the Lions. After a two game losing streak, the Riders seem to have things back on track, whereas the Lions are in a funk.

In all honesty, this game may well be a blow-out for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Riders have played well in recent years at BC, much like the Lions have played well in Saskatchewan. The Lions run defense is porous, and Saskatchewan will attack them with a healthy Wes Cates. The Riders were lacking an effective running game in their first game against the Lions, which resulted in a close game.

A solid running game should tire out a talented Lions secondary, and open up the passing game for Darian Durant and receivers Weston Dressler, Chris Getlzaf and Jason Clermont.

As I said, the Riders should very realistically win this ball game, but they were supposed to win against Edmonton too. Saskatchewan needs to be focused going into the game and get the job done.

If the Lions want any chance to win this game, they need to get Paris Jackson and Geroy Simon more involved. Simon and Jackson are the Lions best players on offense, but their success has been limited. Establishing the running game with talented rookie Martel Mallet could help.

It is always a close contest when these bitter rivals face off, but BC has lost their spark this year. With so many veterans released, and not enough quality players stepping into their place, Wally Buono has had his hands full making this team a winner. Saskatchewan has the momentum on their hands, whereas BC is coming off of two humiliating losses in a row.

My Pick: Saskatchewan

Saturday Double Header

Game One: Edmonton Eskimos at Hamilton Tiger Cats

The Eskimos and Hamilton Tiger Cats have both had their struggles in recent years. Hamilton has not had a winning season in ages and Edmonton just came off a two year drought from the playoffs last year. Yet, both of these teams find themselves in a good position so far this season. The Eskimos are tied for first in the West and the Hamilton Tiger Cats are in striking distance of first in the East.

Both sporting identical 3-2 records, this game should show which of these teams has what it takes to go to the next level.

Ever since there comeback victory in Saskatchewan, the Eskimos have been playing great. They handed the Montreal Alouettes their first loss of the season, and are starting to look like contenders.

Edmonton is having success on the ground with Calvin McCarty and Arkee Whitlock, and Ricky Ray is back on track in the passing game. Edmonton’s defense is also looking much better under the guidance of Richie Hall.

But Edmonton is facing off against a Tiger Cat team that is equally impressive. Star running back DeAndra Cobb has been eating defense’s alive, and Quinton Porter is improving each game. This game may very well be won in the trenches. The team that can run the ball and protect their quarterback the best, may be the team that wins the game.

Both Edmonton and Hamilton are fairly equally matched on paper, but Hamilton does have home field advantage. In a game that appears to be this close, that may be the advantage they need.

My Pick: Hamilton

Game Two: Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Calgary Stampeders

In week two, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers got their first win, in the process dropping Calgary’s record to 0-2. Calgary will look to exact revenge as they welcome the Bombers into town.

I have to give Bomber’s head coach Mike Kelly credit. After the horrible play from all three of his quarterbacks, Kelly brought in Michael Bishop and got him ready to play on short notice. Bishop threw for 213 yards with one touchdown and interception, and did enough to get the Bombers the win.

It would appear that Winnipeg has it tough against the Calgary Stampeders, but the CFL is hardly predictable. With Stefan Lefors at the helm in week two, the Bombers handled the Stampeders quite easily. The Bombers have a talented running game, and Michael Bishop seems to play well against the Calgary Stampeders.
The Stampeders offense is still playing well this year, even without Kenyon Rambo in the line-up. Henry Burris still has plenty of tools at his disposal, such as Joffrey Reynolds, Jermaine Copeland and Nik Lewis. But they are matching up against one of the top defenses in the league, led by the fierce Doug Brown, Barrin Simpson in the middle, and the ball hawking outside linebacker Shideq Shibazz.

While the Stamps may have the advantage on paper in this game, I think it is time to stop piecing Calgary to win just because they are the defending Grey Cup Champions. It’s a new year, and Calgary will have to show they still have what it takes to win this year. Calgary’s defense is not as good as the Bombers defense. If Michael Bishop can put up some points on the Calgary defense, the Bombers may pull off yet another upset in the CFL.

My Pick: Winnipeg

My Record: 9/20 (45%)

Derick Armstrong Remains Free Agent, But for How Long?

After one game this year, in which wide receiver Derick Armstrong declined to play since he was made designated import, he was released.

Following his release, many Hamilton fans like myself believed it would be a match made in heaven for Armstrong to team up with star Prechae Rodriguez and young quarterback Quinton Porter. But that never turned out and Hamilton ended up trading the rights to defensive lineman Corey Mace (now with the Bills) to the Argonauts for unhappy star Arland Bruce.

Now let's think here, Hamilton now has more than likely no interest in him, Montreal should be good without him, Calgary has seven active ones so no need there, Edmonton is solid enough and Saskatchewan has really no problem with its wideouts.

So that leaves BC and Toronto since I doubt Winnipeg will take him back. But since Toronto recently re-signed P. K. Sam (he signed with Buffalo in the offseason but was waived when he became injured) and so far Mike Bradwell and Tyler Scott have held their own as well. So I'll take Toronto out of the running.

That leaves BC if you didn't figure that out already. Why BC you ask? Yes, Paris Jackson was a CFL West All-Star last year and Geroy Simon is just amazing. Rookie Emmanuel Arceneaux has also impressed while there's really nothing wrong with Ryan Grice-Mullen, Rufus Skillern, Greg Hetherington and Lyle Green. But that's just the thing everyone other than Simon will get no more one defender. And since you play three that's not so good.

By bringing in Derick Armstrong, the Lions add another scary wide receiver which will take some attention off of Geroy Simon who's been held pretty quiet for who he is. In my opinion, the Lions should bring in Armstrong if they hope to turn around their 1-4 start.

Goodbye Schultzy: Remembering Scott Schultz

It’s official, Saskatchewan Roughrider’s defensive tackle and fan favourite Scott Schultz has retired from the Canadian Football League. Unexpected and sort of untimely, the announcement is definitely surprising and saddening for the ‘Rider Nation’.

A retirement during the beginning of the season is rare, but Scott Schultz is apparently pursuing a promising career opportunity in the insurance business.

Though Scott Schultz is still young, the 31-­­­year-old Moose Jaw native has had a lasting impact on the Saskatchewan Roughriders organization.

In college, Scott Schultz spent his entire career with the North Dakota Fighting Soux. The gritty nose tackle was a team captain in 2000, and had 146 career tackles and 11.5 sacks. Schultz definitely had a successful career in college and was named first team all-NCC in 1999 and 2000.

Scott Schultz was then selected with the first overall pick in the 2001 Canadian Football League College Draft. Schultz didn’t make an immediate impact for the Riders, as he also spent time with the San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers during his first two years.

2003 was the beginning of great things for the Moose Jaw boy. In 2003, Schultz had six sacks and 32 defensive tackles. He also started in both the Western Semi-Final and Western Final, where he recorded one sack. The next season, Schultz finished with 27 tackles and eight quarterback sacks.

Scott Schultz continued his success over the next couple of seasons, and he was named a CFL all-star in 2005.

Throughout his career, Schultz perhaps had the most success when he was teamed up with fellow defensive tackle Nate Davis. Davis and Schultz created a deadly combo at the tackle position, helping form a tough defense for the Riders. Schultz and Davis also forged a solid friendship.

But the crowning moment in Schultz’s career, along with many of the long-time Saskatchewan Roughriders involved, was the Grey Cup victory in 2007. Schultz was a integral part of the Saskatchewan Roughriders Cinderella run to the Grey Cup finals, where they beat the rival Winnipeg Blue Bombers to claim the Grey Cup.

Schultz shared in the glory of the victory. He was able to lift the cup high and proud, as he helped deliver glory to a promise that had been long starved of the Grey Cup.

Scott Schultz meant so much to the Riders, more than the stats could ever tell.

He was a consummate pro and a leader on the Saskatchewan Roughriders team. Anyone who has been to a Rider game has seen Scott Schultz right in the middle of team huddles, pumping up the team and the crowd. Schultz always brought a level of emotion to the game that made him a fun player to watch.

Schultz also meant a lot to the community. He did and still works in Regina, and has always taken time to give back to Regina. He has been running a football camp for some time now, giving advice to players who share the same dream that he did.

Always friendly with the media, Scott Schultz always came up with the most interesting one-liners He was always willing to take time out for the fans.

Being a former high-school defensive tackle in Saskatchewan, I know that Scott Schultz was always a player you aspired to be. A player who always gave it his all and was always a tough match for any offensive lineman. I still remember meeting Scott Schultz for the first time and getting his autograph. It was a great experience.

Whether it was signing an autograph, taking time to talk to the media, or bringing the crowd to its feet with an amazing tackle, Scott Schultz represented what it meant to be a Saskatchewan Roughrider.

On behalf of the Rider nation I’ve got to say: congratulations on your retirement and a great career Scott Schultz, and we will miss watching you creating havoc in the backfield.

BC Lions Sign Three Including Armour

VANCOUVER, BC-In a move to shure up their linebacking core, the BC Lions signed ex-Calgary Stampeder JoJuan Armour. They also added running back AJ Harris and defensive lineman James Edwards.

Armour spent the 04' and 05' seasons with BC and will more than likely bump Javier Glatt to special teams. Armour who was released by Calgary after throwing teammate Jeremaine Copeland to the ground in training camp said that he is "week to week" and won't speculate when he'll play.

Harris spent the 2008 season with Edmonton and had 37 catches for 422 yards for the Eskimos before being released this offseason.

Edwards led the McMaster Marauders in sacks in both 06' and 07' and had one year of eligibility remaining.

CFL Recap Week Four: Settling the Quarterback Controversies

Take a seat and enjoy the ride, the league wide quarterback carousel in the CFL has begun to spin out of control.

Instead of making a push for a permanent starting job, many starting quarterbacks this year have seemed to be giving the coach every reason to go with another option. In fact, besides last years MOP player Anthony Calvillo, no quarterback has shown any level of consistency.

This was once again evident in week four, as many quarterbacks didn’t even last the whole game.

This inconsistent play has had led to many heated quarterback controversies in the league. In a game where the most popular player is usually the back-up pivot, fans have been given all the more reasons to beg for the back-up quarterback to get a chance.

The coaches have seemed to do little to solve these controversies, further escalading the problem.

But all of that is about to change.

I am about to do what most coaches of the CFL have failed to do… decide which quarterbacks should be getting the start. Examine the pros and cons of each quarterback in hopes of ending this league wide quarterback controversy once and for all!

Edmonton Eskimos: The Eskimos did pull off an amazing victory against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, but have struggled for most of the season so far. The quarterback position has been a heated area of discussion during this time frame. The main debate has been between two quarterbacks, the star Ricky Ray and the veteran Jason Maas.

Ricky Ray: It is hard to imagine the man who has led the Eskimos to two Grey Cup victories involved in a quarterback controversy, but it is true. Rick Ray has been a consistent threat to go over 5,000 yards passing each season, and already has 1,011 yards this season. Unlike in the past however, Ray has experienced a lot of struggles this season. He has made some poor decisions and turned the ball over uncharacteristically. Ray can throw one of the best deep and short balls in the league, but he isn’t very mobile, which can lead to more sacks.

Jason Maas: Ironically the man who once lost his job to Ricky Ray may just have a chance to win it back. During all of the time he has sat on the bench, Jason Maas has developed into a smarter quarterback. He makes better reads now and throws a solid ball. Jason Maas has proven to be fairly injury prone in his career, and he hasn’t played a lot of games in a row for a couple of season. This would lead one to question how consistent he would be as a starter.

The Verdict: It is a no-brainer here, Ricky Ray keeps his starting job. Ricky Ray has been the face of the Eskimos franchise for years and he is the catalyst of their offense. The early struggles of the Eskimos can’t be shouldered on Rick Ray’s shoulders. Jason Maas is a veteran quarterback, but he hasn’t been a permanent starter for such a long time.

BC Lions: Buck Pierce or Jarious Jackson? That has been the dilemma facing the BC Lions so far this season. Such questions are bound to arise after a 1-3 start. Quarterback controversy has been a familiar thing in BC. A few years ago, Dave Dickenson and Casey Printers were involved in a huge quarterback duo, that ended when Printers were eventually released.

Buck Pierce: With quarterback Buck Pierce, you know what you can expect. Pierce will make some plays for your team, but he is a fairly conservative player. He doesn’t really possess the ability to stretch a defense deep. This season, Pierce has developed a tendency for turning the ball over.

Jarious Jackson: Jarious Jackson has never really had a chance to step in the starters role, sitting on the roster behind player Dave Dickenson, Casey Printers, and most recently Buck Pierce. Jackson has shown flashes of brilliance in his career, most recently against the Edmonton Eskimos. He came in to relive the injured Buck Pierce and threw four touchdown passes.

The Verdict: It’s time to change things up in BC. Buck Pierce isn’t the answer for the Lions, so Jarious Jackson should get a shot. Things can’t get much worse in BC, and the Lions have seemed to respond well to the strong arm of Jarious Jackson.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers: After the latest debacle in Winnipeg, Bomber fans are desperate for a quarterback who can get the job done. Should it be southpaw Stefan Lefors, second stringer Bryan Randall, experienced back-up Richie Williams, or new acquisition Michael Bishop.

Stefan Lefors: Lefors got his back chance this year when he was traded from the Edmonton Eskimos to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Lefors was immediately vaulted to the starters role with Kevin Glenn being released. Let’s just say things haven’t worked out as he expected. Lefors has the worst quarterback rating among starting quarterbacks and recently threw for an appalling 30 yards in the Bombers loss against the Argos.

Bryan Randall: Randall hasn’t had much luck backing up Stefan Lefors. In limited time Randall hasn’t had any success, throwing for two interceptions. Richie Williams: Richie Williams probably has the most success out of all Winnipeg’s quarterbacks. Williams has a career quarterback rating of 84.7 and has thrown for over 2,000 yards. Williams competed for the starting quarterback job in Hamilton over the last couple of years.

Michael Bishop: Bishop is back! The erratic, exciting pivot who most recently saw time with the Saskatchewan Roughriders will look to earn a starting job in the CFL. Bishop’s career has been marred by inconsistency. He was great at times for the Riders last year, but also struggled.

The Verdict: Tough one to call here. None of the Bombers quarterbacks are very enticing. My call would be Richie Williams. Lefors and Randall have looked awful and Williams has experience. If Williams struggles the Bombers can look to Bishop to provide a spark.

Hamilton Tiger Cats: Last but not least we have the Hamilton Tiger Cats. Hamilton is in the middle of a quarterback controversy, thanks to the play of former Bomber Kevin Glenn. Heading into the season, the plan was to develop quarterback of the future Quinton Porter, but Porter has fallen on tough times.

Quinton Porter: Porter looked promising last season for the Riders, and he was awarded the starting role this season. Quinton Porter has a decent quarterback rating this season, and led the Tiger Cats to a victory against the BC Lions in week two. However, Porter didn’t play well in any other game so far.

Kevin Glenn: Glenn has been an amazing story for the Tabbies so far. He engineered a comeback victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and has looked great every time he has come in to relief Quinton Porter.

The Verdict: Quinton Porter may be the quarterback of the future, but Kevin Glenn is the quarterback of the present. Glenn has experience on his side and he is playing strongly. Quinton Porter can use the time on the bench to further learn the offense.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Power Rankings: Week Four
Check back every week to see who sits where in the power rankings
1) Montreal Alouettes 4-0 (LW:1)Montreal didn’t dominate the Tiger Cats, but their victory solidified Montreal’s dominance in the East Division.
2) Calgary Stampeders 2-2 (LW:6)Calgary is finally playing like the defending champs. Their victory against the Lions was very convincing and showed the Calgary will contend in the West.
3) Hamilton Tiger Cats 2-2 (LW:3)A morel victory wasn’t what Hamilton was looking for, but they gave Montreal everything they could handle.
4) Edmonton Eskimos 2-2 (LW:8)The Eskimos pulled off an unbelievable win against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on the road. For now their woes of the past will be forgotten.
5) Saskatchewan Roughriders 2-2 (LW:2)The Riders looked so good in the first two weeks, but two straight losses have left the Riders scratching their heads. Things only get harder for the Riders who travel to Calgary for a road game.
6) Toronto Argonauts 2-2 (LW:7)It wasn’t pretty, but Toronto outlasted the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Bart Andrus looked good for benching Arland Bruce yet still getting the win.
7) BC Lions 1-3 (LW:4) The BC Lions blew out the Eskimos in week three, but were embarrassed at home by the Calgary Stampeders. The Lions are facing a lot of questions with few answers right now.
8) Winnipeg Blue Bombers 1-3 (LW:5)Winnipeg was only able to muster eight first downs in their embarrassing offensive performance against the Toronto Argonauts. The Bombers had no running game and all three quarterbacks who saw the field struggled.

Biggest Rise: Calgary, Edmonton +4
Biggest Drop: Saskatchewan, Winnipeg, BC -3

Check back twice a week for preview and recaps from the CFL. Also, check back every couple of weeks for a look at who is winning the race for the MOP award.

Should the BC Lions Start Jarious Jackson Now?

Hey guys, I'll now be serving as an exclusive CFL and BC Lions writer for The CFL Report.

---

The answer to that title question would be, "Heck yeah!"

On July 16, 2009, BC Lions fans witnessed a saddened approach of quarterback Buck Pierce, who went down with an injury after a concussion. But although they did win with a score of 40-22, it showed a sign of what skills their backup quarterback had. Jarious Jackson showed what he can do on the football field.

He threw a pair of touchdowns that game as he created a tandem with Geroy Simon. Jackson had thrown for 362 passing yards and four touchdowns that game, showing that he deserved to be the man when Pierce is out.

Jackson also created a tandem with Paris Jackson, and after tearing up the Eskimos, Jarious and Paris Jackson were named the CFL's Finest Players of the Week. BCLions.com then named the group called the "Jackson Two," which sounded somewhat similar to the Jackson Five. But no need for music, this is the Canadian Football League.

After the powerful performance, Jackson also displayed speed as he is a good scrambler in the pocket. He also ran for 20 rushing yards on three carries during that 40-22 win. But after that, the Lions were destroyed by the Calgary Stampeders in a 48-10 loss the next week. It looked the Lions were literally stampeded.

Buck Pierce had a very poor performance which brough Jackson in, who scored the only touchdown of the game on a one-yard dig. Although he didn't play that good, at least it wasn't as worse as Buck Pierce's.

Now it brings me to something, should the BC Lions start Jarious Jackson?

I mean, come on, they have the best backup quarterback in the CFL right now. Let's examine the stats of Buck Pierce and Jarious Jackson:

See now? Jarious Jackson is coming close to Buck Pierce's passing yards despite Pierce playing two more games. Jackson is already beating Pierce to it in touchdowns. He has less interceptions and he has a better rating than Pierce.

Overall, Jackson has been much better Pierce this year. He already has the same amount of stats even though Pierce has played more games. It is surprising actually. Pierce has been playing very poor this year as well. Jackson has shown quite an improvement this year.

I really do think Jarious Jackson deserves the job as starter. He has the speed, the quickness, and the arm. Jackson also has more knowledge of the game than Pierce as he also had some playing time in the NFL for quite some time. I do think the BC Lions should think about making a switch.

With the Lions at 1-3, and their only game that was won was when Jackson started, I think it's time switch and be Grey Cup champions like they were three years ago. The clock is ticking, and Jackson is waiting.

The Lions need to make a move now.

CFL Preview Week Four: It’s Time to Regroup

I’m not going to sugar coat it, I got almost all of my picks wrong last week. It was ugly. After going 1-3 last week, my record now stands at 6-6.

In fairness, the picks were rather difficult to make last week and there were definitely some surprising results. For the first time all year, I picked the Calgary Stampeders to lose in their game against the Toronto Argonauts.

The reason?

Toronto was on fire even though they had lost to Saskatchewan and Calgary had let me down for two week in a row. So naturally Calgary goes out and plays amazing, blowing out the Argos.

In my other wrong pick, I thought Winnipeg would beat the Hamilton. After a 6-6 first half score and an interception return for a touchdown by Winnipeg, this looked very possible. Then Winnipeg reject Kevin Glenn comes in against his former team and lights it up! Definitely an unpredictable week three.

I think many teams in the CFL were sharing my disappointment when it came to week three. The Edmonton Eskimos were lit up by Jarious Jackson and the Lions at home, allowing passing touchdown after passing touchdown. Saskatchewan also felt Edmonton’s pain, as they fumbled and bumbled to an agonizing loss to the Montreal Alouettes. And the Argos lost badly to the Toronto Argonauts, making fans wonder if the team is for real after all.

The best thing for these teams to do in week four is forget, but learn from the past. Focus on the basics, such as taking care of the football, establishing a productive offense, and avoiding key mistakes.

Prediction Time

Thursday July 23rd
Game One: Montreal Alouettes vs. Hamilton Tiger Cats

Montreal’s first game against the east this year sees them hosting the underdog Hamilton Tiger Cats. In a supposed battle of the titans last week against the Riders, Montreal proved they are the top dogs in the league. Hamilton on the other hand, continued their impressive early start to the season by beating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Pride and first place will be on the line in this bitter Eastern battle.

Montreal’s Keys to the Game:

AC Throw and AC Run: Really two of the biggest threats for the Alouettes may in fact be league leading running back Avon Cobourne and Anthony Calvillo. We saw last week how effective Cobourne really is running the ball, and Montreal should continue to call his number last week. If Cobourne struggles, Anthony Calvillo will have to set the offense back on course.

Take Care of the Ball: One of the big reasons that Montreal struggled against Saskatchewan in the first half was that they didn’t take care of the ball. Careless fumbles led to a lot of missed opportunities. Hamilton is known to pounce on your mistakes this season, and they will be eager to get a momentum changing turnover.

Put the Pressure On: Whether it be Kevin Glenn, or Quinton Porter behind center, pressure will be the key to stopping Hamilton’s offense. Hamilton has developed a good receiving core this year with Chris Davis, Prechae Rodriquez and Dave Stala, so it will be key to not allow Hamilton’s quarterback time to get the ball to these playmakers.

Hamilton’s Keys to the Game:

Run Cobb Run: Montreal loves to put the pressure on opposing offenses, so Hamilton should go to DeAndra Cobb early and often. Running is a great way to counter the blitz, and if it successful, it will open up the passing game where stars like Rodriquez and Davis can take over.

Minimize Mistakes: Whether it be a missed tackle that leads to a long gain, or a turnover that leads to points, Hamilton can’t afford any mistakes against Montreal. Montreal is so good that if you give them a chance, they will bury you.

Don’t Sit Back: Since Anthony Calvillo and Montreal’s offense can hurt a team in so many, it might be tempting to sit back and not let any big plays go down. Hamilton however needs to be aggressive, blitzing and attacking Anthony Calvillo. If Calvillo has time, he will pick Hamilton apart.

Both Hamilton and Montreal have proven to be very good football teams this year. Montreal has been pretty dominate in every game, though they showed some weakness against the Rides. Hamilton is riding a high following two straight wins, and they will play hard for a chance at first place. Montreal however is just to good. If Hamilton is indeed the Cinderella team this year, then Montreal is the big orge who will stomp on Cinderella.

My Pick: Montreal

Friday July 24th
Game One: Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs. Toronto Argonauts

In another heated eastern rivalry, the Argos and Bombers will look to shake off last weeks losses and come up with a huge win. Winnipeg lost against the Hamilton Tiger Cats thanks to their old friend Kevin Glenn, and Toronto got stamped by Calgary.

Winnipeg’s Keys to the Game:

Put up Points: As obvious as it sounds, Winnipeg needs to score points to win the game. Winnipeg only put up 13 points last season, six of those on an interception return for a touchdown. Mike Kelly needs to prepare a better game plan, and Stefan Lefors needs to be sharper.

Run it Down Their Throats: Giles and Reid form one of the best running back combos in the league. Reid has a lot of explosiveness and Giles is very shifty. Toronto has some holes in their defense, and Winnipeg needs to wear them out with the running game.

Shut Down Robertson: We saw what happened last week when Jamal Robertson was shut down. Toronto became one dimensional. Winnipeg has a good front seven and they will need to focus on stopping Toronto’s running game, forcing Kerry Joseph to throw the ball all day long.
Toronto’s Keys to the Game:

Protect Joseph: Kerry Joseph is a very mobile quarterback, but he needs protection from his offensive line. Calgary got a lot of pressure on Joseph which forced him off his game. Joseph is best when he has time to set his feet and get in to his throw.

Establish a Running Game: When Jamal Robertson gets going, Toronto is usually very successful on offense. Rob Murphy, Dominic Picard and the rest of the line need to get a good push and spring holes for Jamal Robertson.

Stop the Run, Win the Game: So far, Winnipeg hasn’t had a ton of success throwing the ball. They have relied a lot on the run to win football games, and if Toronto could contain Fred Reid, they could win the game.

Winnipeg is always a better team at home. Stefan Lefors plays better and the crowd is behind them. Toronto has benched Arland Bruce for the game, taking away a big playmaker for their team. It is hard to have much faith in the Argos, especially with a big playmaker like Bruce out of the line-up. Winnipeg might not have the advantage of knowing Toronto’s plays in advance, but they should still do well.

My Pick: Winnipeg

*Game of the Week**
Game Two: BC Lions vs. Calgary Stampeders*

Two western teams fresh off big victories will square off in BC, as the Lions host the Calgary Stampeders. Jarious Jackson was the story for the Lions in week three, as he was came in for the injured Buck Pierce and helped romp the Eskimos. Calgary finally got back to their winning ways against the Argonauts. Always a bitter rivalry, this game should prove to be one of the best this week.

BC’s Keys to the Game:

Air it Out: BC needs to continue to air the ball out this week. With talented receivers such as Paris Jackson and Geroy Simon, the Lions have all the talent they need. Calgary’s secondary is still young and inexperienced, and BC could get some big plays.

Change it Up: As mentioned, Calgary’s defense is young and the Lions should take advantage of this. BC should use a lot of misdirection plays that could catch Calgary off guard and spring BC for some big gains.

Make Calgary Settle for Short Gains: Calgary went to the short passing game against Toronto last week and it worked effectively. Still, BC would be smart to let Calgary settle for these short plays because the more they do, the more chance there will be for them to make a mistake. If BC plays to close to Calgary’s receivers, players like Keynon Rambo could burn them deep.

Calgary’s Keys to the Game:

Run with Reynolds: Jofffrey Reynolds still hasn’t got going this season, but there is always a possibility he can take over a game. Reynolds has had success against the BC Lions before, and Calgary should try to get him going.

Avoid Turnovers: BC has a ball hawking secondary who loves to get interceptions. Burris needs to make smart throws and avoid turning the ball over.

Keep on Eye on BC’s Big Guns: Paris Jackson and Geroy Simon are both talented recievers, and they both killed the Eskimos last week. If Calgary loses track of either of these receivers in coverage, they could burn them for a big play.

Both Calgary and BC are coming of big wins. However, it appears that Jarious Jackson, the man who orchestrated the win for BC won’t be starting. Instead inconsistent Buck Pierece will get the start. I think this is a mistake personally, and it will swing things in Calgary’s favour.

My Pick: Calgary

Saturday July 25th
Game One: Saskatchewan Roughriders vs. Edmonton Eskimos

It is a homecoming party in the prairies. Former Rider Maurice Lloyd, Kitwana Jones and defensive coordinator Richie Hall are all returning to Saskatchewan to face the Riders. After leaving the Riders to coach the Eskimos this season, Hall has struggled so far. The Riders on the other hand started the season strong with two straight wins, and then faltered with a blow-out loss against the Alouettes.

Saskatchewan’s Keys to the Game:

Give Cates the Ball: Wes Cates returned last week but he was a bit rusty. With another week of practice in, Cates should be ready to go and the Riders should give him the ball. Cates always has success against the Eskimos.

Take Care of the Ball: The Riders cannot turn the ball over! It seems that the Riders have been very successful this season except for when they turn the ball over. The thing is, most of these turnovers have been fumbles, which shouldn’t be happening.

Where’s Clermont: The Rider have neglected to use Jason Clermont this season. Clermont is perfect for catching short passes and turning them into big gainers.

Edmonton’s Keys to the Game:

Protect Ray: Rick Ray has struggled during the season, but he hasn’t gotten any help from the offensive line. The o-line needs to give Ricky Ray time to get the ball out to his playmakers.

Run the Ball: The Eskimos have failed to run the ball at all this season. Saskatchewan is a bit weak against the running game, and Edmonton could have success in the game if they develop a running game.

Put Pressure on Durant: We all saw last week that Darian Durant isn’t good when he pressure on him. Edmonton’s defensive line has been there bright spot this season, and they should try to create as much pressure as they can against the Riders.

With plenty of former Riders returning to Mosaic Stadium, it should be a heated atmosphere. The Riders crowd is always loud and should cause problems for the Eskimos on offense. Ricky Ray always has the potential to have a big game, but the Eskimos are struggling a lot right now, and the Riders are still playing very well this season.

My Pick: Saskatchewan
My Record 6-6 (50%)

Kitwana Jones Tackles Thief

EDMONTON, AB-Eskimos defensive lineman Kitwana Jones tackled a robber at about 6:45 this morning.

The man allegedly robbed a 50 something year old woman and stole her purse and laptop.

After robbing her, the man was being chased by Jones and another witness, with Jones tackling the man in an alley.

I have a feeling Jones should get a pay raise for making a tackle on a dayoff.

Ranking the Rookies

Rookies always make an impact. Whether they're returning kickoffs, catching passes or sacking quarterbacks. The purpose of this slideshow is to try and rank the top ten rookies in the CFL. Every team but the only unbeaten team have been mentioned. Which isn't shocking since Montreal didn't have many holes to fill this offseason.

Whether you disagree or think I I'm the smartest feel free to comment. Enjoy.

No. 10-DB Bobby Keyes, Edmonton Eskimos
Keyes began his career with the Washington Redskins before moving on to the Birmingham Steeldogs and Dallas Desperados.

So far, this season Keyes has recorded 14 tackles tying him for the lead in tackles with some more rookies who'll you'll meet later on.

No. 9-DE Odell Willis, Calgary Stampeders
After going undrafted in 08' out of West Georgia, Willis signed with the af2's Peoria Pirates. He was later traded to the Green Bay Blizzard.

Willis has put fear in the hearts of all quarterbacks out there, with three sacks.

No. 8-DB Darren Toney, BC Lions
Toney joined the Carolina Panthers in 2008, before being cut. He signed with BC this offseason and has been impressive.

For the season, Toney is tied with Keyes with 14 tackles surpassing preseason expectations.

No. 7-DB Lin-J Shell, Toronto Argonauts
No, Shell doesn't have 14 tackles like Keyes and Toney, but the former Orlando Predatos, Philadelphia Eagle and New Orleans VooDoo does have something Willis has.

Shell has two sacks and adds to that with one interception in his rookie season in Toronto.

No. 6-LB Kye Stewart, Saskatchewan Roughriders
Stewart a product out of Illinois State has done outstanding on special teams for the Roughriders.

Stewart has seven special teams tackles along with two on defense.

No. 5-DE Greg Peach, Edmonton Eskimos
Peach graduated from Eastern Washington after setting the school record for most tackles for a loss in a career with 63.

As a CFL rookie, Peach has 14 tackles and on top of that one sack.

No. 4-RB DeAndra Cobb, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Cobb has impressed after spending three years out of football. Following his Michigan State career he joined the Atlanta Falcons in 2005 and the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2006.

During his CFL rookie season, he has 25 rushes for an astounding 142 yards. Cobb also has eight catches for 88 yards and a touchdown.

No. 3-RB Martell Mallett, BC Lions
Mallett is in his first professional stop after having 2,888 yards on 582 carries with 27 touchdowns at Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

He has rushed for 171 yards and a touchdown on 37 carries. Mallett has also caught nine passes for 114 yards.

No. 2-WR Titus Ryan, Calgary Stampeders
Ryan has made three NFL stops but never saw any game action in Kansas City, New Orleans and Carolina. So, after not getting any attention in America, Ryan decided to go north.

And boy did he made an impact, so far he's gotten eight kickoffs for 248 yards which includes a 104 yard score.

No. 1-WR Emmanuel Arceneaux, BC Lions
Making his first pro stop following a successful career at Alcorn State, Arceneaux has been nothing short of impressive. He has caught nine passes for 143 yards and has added three touchdowns which puts him beind grisled vetertans Avon Cobourne, Joffrey Reynolds and Geroy Simon.