Weekly Predictor: Who wins in Week 14?
By Jamie Nye
There was a double dose of Labour Day ‘Classics’ on OK Tire Labour Day Weekend as the Riders/Bombers and the Tiger-Cats/Argonauts had people on the edge of their seats for the final minutes of their respective games.
There was a pick-two, with Tevaughn Campbell helping seal the win for the Roughriders against the Bombers, and Dejon Brissett’s miraculous catch-and-run to set up the winning field goal for the Argonauts.
Both games were played in front of historic crowds at Hamilton Stadium and Mosaic Stadium.
Although the Tiger-Cats fans went home disappointed, they can’t complain about the entertainment factor.
So, after it all settled out we have the Roughriders and Stampeders as the cream of the crop in the CFL with just eight weeks remaining until the playoffs begin.
The gun has sounded and the sprint to the post-season is underway for the next two months!
And the picks will not get any easier.
BC AT OTTAWA
Friday, September 5
7:30 p.m. ET
Week 14 begins with a Friday Night Football affair of two teams that took the week off to reset. Both the Lions and REDBLACKS are teetering on the line of making the playoffs or not and need a strong final few weeks to grab hold of a spot.
The Lions defensive coaching staff needed that week to ensure they have the right personnel and the right scheme in place after consistently allowing teams to pile up the points. Ottawa’s defence has not been all that much better.
So will it come down to more consistent quarterback play and who can establish a time of possession to keep the other defence on the field a lot more often?
I’m giving the edge to Nathan Rourke, who after the team’s first bye week this season put up 40+ points in that first game back.
I do want to believe the REDBLACKS can make a push, but they’ll have a tremendously tough schedule with their final seven games against teams currently in the playoffs.
You also don’t like to see Dru Brown as a limited participant at practice on Monday after a full week being able to rehab that knee injury. We’ll see how the week plays out for Ottawa’s quarterback.
PICK: BC
HAMILTON AT MONTREAL
Saturday, September 6
1:00 p.m. ET
Wow… this game features a quick turnaround for the Tiger-Cats against a team coming off a bye week.
The Tiger-Cats already went through a three-game stretch with consecutive short prep weeks and now they have to do it again.
The Alouettes might be getting Davis Alexander sooner rather than later, and that will be a huge boost for this team’s run to the playoffs. Keep an eye on that injury report this week.
The Tiger-Cats will likely have one practice to prepare, while Jason Maas has had time to game plan for this one and get his team on the field for a full work week to get ready.
Hamilton, Montreal and Toronto could give us one heck of a show on which team will get a well deserved week off in November ahead of the Eastern Final.
If all things were equal this week, I’d go with the Tiger-Cats. But they’re not.
It’s a short week and they have to play a team off a bye and on the road. That’s three strikes against Hamilton. And Montreal does have a top notch defence!
PICK: MONTREAL
SASKATCHEWAN AT WINNIPEG
Saturday, September 6
4:00 p.m. ET
Saskatchewan is hoping Winnipeg becomes a second home to them this season. They’ve already been there once this year in a preseason game and the Riders are back for the Banjo Bowl this weekend. They have another game back in Winnipeg later on this year and of course Winnipeg is also hosting the 112th Grey Cup.
The Riders are also trying to sweep the Labour Day/Banjo Bowl home-and-home for the first time since 2018 when Zach Collaros was the quarterback for the Riders.
Saskatchewan edged out Winnipeg 34-30 in a dramatic finish this past Sunday, but I’d argue the Roughriders were the better team on the offensive and defensive lines for most of that game.
The Bombers need to stay committed to Brady Oliveira to at least take some pressure off the quarterback and get the physicality along the offensive line amped up!
When Brady goes, so too do the Bombers.
Now, it’s easy to say ‘run the ball’ but it’s another to do it against this defensive line. The Roughriders do have possibly the best defensive line in the league.
I think both teams come out firing after a 0-0 start on Sunday, but I just think the Riders are too much to handle up front for this Bombers team.
PICK: SASKATCHEWAN
CALGARY AT EDMONTON
Saturday, September 6
7:00 p.m. ET
The Stampeders look like they’re too good for anybody right now.
The Stamps are undefeated against West Division opponents and when Vernon Adams Jr. starts and finishes games the Stampeders are 8-1.
Dedrick Mills can be a one-man wrecking crew, while we start to see some familiar names and faces returning to the offence.
I don’t have a lot of bad things to say about both quarterbacks in this game. Vernon Adams Jr. has been an absolute godsend for the Stampeders to have as a leader. Same for Cody Fajardo in Edmonton. Sure, the three game win streak ended, but Cody has given the Elks reason to believe and reason to be ambitious about chasing down some teams ahead of them in the West.
We’ll see if the Elks can rebound in the rematch after not finding the end zone in Calgary on Monday but even then, it’s going to be a tough ask as a healthier Stampeders offence with a healthy Vernon Adams Jr. should be able to complete the sweep.
PICK: CALGARY
