The Canadian Football League season is underway and eight of the nine teams were in action. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers got the first bye week but they’ll be in business this week. Here is a look at the top five in the CFL according to the odds.
1. Calgary Stampeders
Last Week: –
Odds To Win Grey Cup: +275
The Stampeders (0-0-1) played the defending Grey Cup champions Ottawa Redblacks to a 31-31 tie on the road, powered by Bo Levi Mitchell. The Calgary quarterback was 31-of-48 for 376 yards and two touchdowns as the Stampeders came back from a 14-point deficit late in the game. It wasn’t enough to get the win as kicker Rene Paredes was 3-of-4, missing a 37-yard attempt.
The Stamps really wanted this game as they didn’t play as well as they could have in the Grey Cup. However, it doesn’t look like this team learned much as they started off poorly once again. They again had to dig themselves out of a hole. Calgary is still one of the best teams in the league but this appears to be becoming a trend for them and that’s a concern.
At any rate, the Stampeders host the Redblacks to kick off Week 2 in this battle of last season’s Grey Cup finalists. We’ll see if they can put forth a better performance then.
2. Edmonton Eskimos
Last Week: –
Odds To Win Grey Cup: +500
The Eskimos (1-0-0) held off the British Columbia Lions on the road in a wild 30-27 finish, and the offense was humming. Mike Reilly was 20-of-28 for 315 yards and two touchdowns with no picks, while John White ran 17 times for 104 yards and a score. However, the defense allowed 16 points in the fourth quarter. The Eskimos need to fix that before next week’s home opener against Montreal.
3. British Columbia Lions
Last Week: –
Odds To Win Grey Cup: +500
The Lions (0-1-0) fell just short in their comeback bid against the Eskimos, and Jonathon Jennings was solid enough. The B.C. quarterback was 22-of-34 for 264 yards, and he also ran five times for 32 yards. However, he had no touchdowns (no interceptions, either) and the Lions will have to generate touchdowns through the air to be competitive in the West. The Lions head to Toronto for Week 2.
4. Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Last Week: –
Odds To Win Grey Cup: +650
The Tiger-Cats (0-1-0) didn’t get off to a good start as they were thumped 32-15 in Toronto. It was a poor performance all around as Zach Collaros was 26-of-39 for 242 yards, no touchdowns and a pick, but it was the defense that really killed Hamilton’s chances. The Tiger-Cats allowed 506 yards through the air and that needs to be rectified before they come back to action in Week 3 as they have a bye next week.
A lot of football fans might look up and wonder why the Ti-Cats have a bye so early in the season but that’s just how the CFL works. Considering how badly they were pummeled last week, this is an ideal time for them to regroup and hit the reset button on their season. They’ll be working on pass defense all week long. If they don’t improve in a couple of weeks time, though, then they won’t be holding on to a spot in the top five.
5. Montreal Alouettes
Last Week: –
Odds To Win Grey Cup: +750
The Alouettes (1-0-0) needed a late field-goal miss from Saskatchewan’s Tyler Crapigna for a 17-16 home win. It was a sweet win for quarterback Darian Durant, who was 20-of-31 for 233 yards, two touchdowns and no picks in his first game against his former team. The Montreal defense made big stops when they had to in what turned out to be a very low-scoring game. It’s not often that you see just 33 points in a CFL game.
It was an emotional week for the Alouettes, who knew how bad Durant wanted to win this game. But they have to re-focus quickly as they head to Edmonton in Week 2. Playing at home in an emotional game versus on the road in the western part of the country is two very different stories. The Als better hope they don’t have an emotional letdown.
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