4 storylines to watch in Week 9
Week 9 is here and with it comes four games with plenty of intrigue.Thursday night’s matchup features the Stamps, coming off just the second loss of the season, and the REDBLACKS, who return from their Week 8 bye rested and ready to start stringing wins together.
Friday night is a rematch of the rematch of the 111th Grey Cup, with Toronto and Winnipeg meeting for the second straight week.
And finally, Saturday features a doubleheader that starts in Edmonton with the Tiger-Cats looking to add to their five-game win streak and the Elks hoping their second game with Cody Fajardo as their starting pivot helps get a win. The week finishes in Montreal as two evenly matched teams, the Riders and the Als, meet at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium.
As we start to get closer to the half way point of the year, every game matters and here’s a storyline to watch in each this weekend.
QB UPDATES
Calgary at Ottawa | Thursday, July 31 | 7:30 p.m. ET | TSN/RDS/CFL+Heading into this week we were on QB watch for two of the starters in the CFL.
Both Dru Brown and Vernon Adams Jr. did not finish their previous games due to injury. Brown left Week 7’s contest against Hamilton before his team went on a Week 8 bye. Adams Jr. left last week late in the contest against Montreal.
Good news on the Ottawa side, with Brown listed as a full participant in practice this week and has been listed as the starter for the REDBLACKS when his team hosts the Stampeders.
For the Stamps, VA was listed as questionable on the team’s final injury report and officially ruled as out on their depth chart released on Wednesday.
P.J. Walker will lead Calgary against Ottawa as he’s been listed as the starter on the depth chart. The first-year Stamp took over for Adams Jr. in Week 8, completing three of seven passes for 20 yards. How will he do in his first career start? Find out in Week 9’s opener on Thursday night.
REMATCH OF THE REMATCH
Toronto at Winnipeg | Friday, August 1 | 8:30 p.m. ET | TSN/CFL+The second half of a home-and-home series between the Toronto Argonauts and Winnipeg Blue Bombers is a rematch of the 111th Grey Cup rematch.
In last week’s Argonaut win, Nick Arbuckle looked every bit of the Grey Cup MVP, throwing for 316 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. Oh, and don’t forget that sweet pump fake before his touchdown strike to Damonte Coxie. Arbuckle is second in the CFL in passing yards (2,007) and has a 71.4 completion percentage through the first seven games of his season.
Zach Collaros didn’t finish the game in Toronto, not returning to action after half time. The Bombers didn’t practice on Monday and cancelled their practice on Tuesday due to poor air quality. As of this writing, there’s no update on Collaros but we will be keeping an eye on his status the rest of the week ahead of Friday’s matchup.
The game now moves to Princess Auto Stadium where a hungry Bombers squad that has lost their last three contests will want revenge on the Argos that has beaten them in their two most recent meetings.
ACTIVE TIGER-CAT DEFENCE
Hamilton at Edmonton | Saturday, August 2 | 3:00 p.m. ET | TSN/CTV/CFL+I wrote about the Hamilton Tiger-Cats ability to take the ball away last week (they’re +6 on the season and have a league-leading 11 interceptions) but looking at the defensive stats, that’s not all they’re doing well.
The Tabbies D, led by first-year defensive coordinator Brent Monson, have been active on the ball in the air and behind the line of scrimmage. They lead the CFL in knockdowns, 30, as the defenders are disrupting plays all over the field. While they have only tallied 10 sacks on the season, the unit sits first in tackles for loss with 16, meaning they are still getting into the backfield and not allowing offences positive yardage.
Edmonton’s offensive line will have a big task this week trying to contain the Ticats’ backfield pressure. They’ve allowed 20 sacks on the season, just one less than Toronto for the most. Cody Fajardo will need to be accurate and patient with his receivers as well, since Hamilton’s defence will be waiting to add to their interceptions total or break the pass up before it is completed.
Will Hamilton win their sixth in a row or will the Elks put a stop to the league’s hottest team’s streak? Find out in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader.
AS CLOSE AS IT CAN BE
Saskatchewan at Montreal | Saturday, August 2 | 7:00 p.m. ET | TSN/RDS/CBSSN/CFL+The final game of Week 9 should be a dandy.
Montreal (5-2) and Saskatchewan (6-1) head into their meeting close in a ton of statistical categories, setting up what should be an exciting contest. Both teams come in riding high on confidence, with Saskatchewan winning two-straight and Montreal defeating Calgary last week with a late-game surge.
Calgary is first in points allowed per game, but right behind them is Montreal (22.6) and Saskatchewan (24.0). The Riders boast the best run defence, surrendering just 66.9 yards per game on the ground. The next best team? Montreal, who allows just 75.6.
Hamilton is currently the highest scoring team in the CFL but Saskatchewan and Montreal are right behind with 25.9 and 25.4 offensive points score per game, respectively. Yes, you read that right. Just .5 of a point separate the teams.
Both squads have found a way to get through their opposition’s offensive lines as well, with the Riders sitting atop the CFL with 20 sacks on the season, including eight last week against the Elks, and Montreal right behind with 16. Keep an eye out for both teams trying to get after Trevor Harris and McLeod Bethel-Thompson early and often in this one.
Saskatchewan may give up more yards through the air, a league-high 331.6 per game, but they also run the ball more effectively than the Als, with 106.7 yards per game for the Riders and 95.0 for Montreal.
We know that football games are played on gridirons and not on paper, but the chess match between these two evenly-matched squads is a must-watch on Saturday night.
