The regular season is coming to an end and it's time for Perry's Peerless Picks to finish strongly.
I was thinking of giving my backup the majority of the work this week because I want to be fully rested for the playoffs. But I believe in the theory that if you take a week off, you lose your sharpness. And I'd like to think I've been sharp of late.
My critics -- you know who you are Chiefs44, Gemini, Zipperad, Stevieb751, Roddy1980 and Ganggreen -- would suggest otherwise. Personally, I think my critics are all from Edmonton and Regina and are angry that I haven't pick their respective teams to win every game this year.
Here in the Centre of the Universe, my supporters have stood by my side, although I think Eskimopie may be a secret fan of mine from out West. He knows I'm The Coach.
So without further ado, we present Week 19 picks.
Saskatchewan (11-6) at Toronto (4-13): The Roughriders come to town needing a win to put them in a position to possibly host a playoff game. My buddy Gene Makowsky, Sportnet's blogger extraordinaire, deserves this win. He has played virtually every position on the offensive line this year because of the Roughriders' many injuries. But all eyes will be cast on Michael Bishop, the onetime Argo and quarterback of the future. He can be really good or quite ordinary, but this will be his chance to silence his critics. He won't have to do it alone because running back Wes Cates and the Roughriders' improving receivers -- Matt Dominguez in his third game off the injury layoff, Andy Fantuz in his second game off the injury list -- and Bishop have enough talent to get the job done. The Roughriders' defence is fast and maybe the best overall as a group. The kicking game is sound…For the Argos, it's the last game of a woeful season. Kerry Joseph faces his former team following a season to forget, although he's shown improvement of late. But the problem is the Roughriders' defence is just too tough.
And the winner is: Saskatchewan (see Roughrider fans, I picked your team. Don't blame me if the Green Machine falters).
Montreal (11-6) at Edmonton (9-8): The Als are going to start Marcus Brady at quarterback -- they must have read my column last week about the Ted White factor -- to give Anthony Calvillo a rest. The Als have been somewhat unpredictable in recent weeks, losing to Hamilton and Winnipeg. If I were the coach -- yeah, yeah I'm The Coach -- I would start Calvillo, play him for a half, and then go with Brady. Two weeks between games is an eternity. But Marc Trestman knows best. Anyway, it will be up to the Als to put up a decent battle without their star pivot, who will be the East nominee for Most Outstanding Player. And if the CFL had a special award for Comeback Player, Calvillo would be the odds-on choice this year…Now on to the Eskimos, my beloved Eskimos. Don't know how many times I picked them and came up with an L. Unless the Eskimos figure out a way to control the ball -- in particular quarterback Ricky Ray -- their post-season will be over in a hurry. But it isn't just Ray who's been in a funk. Too many of his teammates have dropped passes. This is gut-check time for the Eskimos, particularly playing at home. After this, they are on the road. So here goes.
And the winner is: Edmonton (don't le me down Eskimos).
Hamilton (3-14) at Winnipeg (7-10): It's the last game of the season for the Ticats and quarterback Quinton Porter will not play due a minor knee injury. So, this means that Casey Printers should be playing. He's missed a lot of time on the injured list and his stock has plummeted in Hamilton. His future is unclear, but if he shows something in this game it could open all kinds of possibilities -- i.e. trade. The likelihood is Hamilton will cut him to save salary for next year and invest it in players on the roster, free agents and trades. With Jesse Lumsden sidelined and headed for free agency, the Ticats could be sitting on more than $600,000, basically a quarter of the cap. With that in mind, this game could mean the difference for some players between coming back or getting the pink slip...Winnipeg pulled off a stunning win last week against Montreal, but lost their starting two quarterbacks with injuries. First-stringer Kevin Glenn is the healthier of the two, but the Bombers may elect to give playing time to their third and fourth-string quarterbacks to be healthy for the playoffs. So, this game is really a tossup. In betting parlance it would have a circle. But it's the last game of the regular season and a chance to take a flyer.
And the winner is: Hamilton.
B.C. (11-6) at Calgary (12-5): If Saskatchewan loses, the Lions clinch second, homefield advantage for the semi-finals and can rest some of their starters, in particular quarterback Buck Pierce. If second place is on the line, the Lions have to play with more desire and intensity and playing their regulars. Again, this game has a circle around it. Rush end Cameron Wake can provide one more reason why he should be the West's Most Outstanding Player -- he'd have my vote, taking into account his league-leading sacks, 60 tackles, touchdown and block field goal. How often does a defensive player put that kind of a stats line together? He's a freak and is NFL-bound after this season. But back to B.C. in this game: The uncertain quarterback situation, the loss of running back Charles Roberts, the possibility of cold weather or snow don't play in B.C.'s favour. If B.C. wins this game and the west semi-final at home against Saskatchewan, this game will be a rematch of the West final. But that's too many ifs…Calgary has every reason to want to finish strongly, particularly at home, because it will be two weeks until the next game, and losing will leave the team with a bad taste. I think it's a chance for quarterback Henry Burris to make one last statement why he should be the West's Most Outstanding Player. It's all up to head coach John Hufnagel to determine how much he wants to play his starters and whether winning is the most important thing. I think he'll be playing for the win and give Burris at least a half of playing time.
And the winner is: Calgary
Record so far: 36-32
