The Peerless One gets a chance to start over as the CFL playoffs arrive.
Finally the playoffs are here. A chance to start anew for Perry's Peerless Picks, who learned the meaning of humility this year picking against the spread.
Okay, not exactly humility.
Just maybe not as cocky.
Then again, I'm feeling good about the playoffs. I'm going to try to put some of Randall the Handle's principles at work.
Well sort of.
Sunday
Toronto (9-9) at Hamilton (9-9)
Game number four between these two teams this year, and Hamilton has won all three. The Argos sliced and diced the Montreal Alouettes B squad last week to give them some confidence heading into the playoffs.
A lot of their key players were rested, namely Cory Boyd. The Argos need to give him the ball again and again and again. He's like Mike Pringle. Give him enough carries and he'll wear down the defence. I'm not sold on Cleo Lemon's ability to win the game by himself. That's what good players do, certainly good quarterbacks, so this will be his time to shine or basically prove he simply can't be a starter in the CFL. Lemon needs to make some plays with his feet and air the ball out to at least throw the defence off. He did it well against the Alouettes early in the game and beat a good defensive back in the process. Everything about the Argos is sound, except for Lemon.
The Ticats had a great tightener last week losing to B.C. as Kevin Glenn was victimized by numerous drop balls. But I like what the game did: the Ticats will be grumpy and they'll need that to avoid overconfidence. They've got all the offensive weapons, and if receiver Arland Bruce is healthy he's a difference maker. The defence does various things schematically, whether it's a cover zero with the safety down low to blitz or using a five-man line with Baggs. I was ragging on his signing early on saying he was overrated and his critics blasted me. And when he started making some big plays, the critical heat really turned up. But he hasn't down much in the last two games. He needs to step up. The only soft spot for the Cats is the back end. And the Cats need to cut down on dumb penalties. Playing at home will benefit the Cats big time and will force the Argos to go with the silent snap count.
I liked Hamilton this year to win the East and I think they'll be too much for the Argos. Randall has the Cats by seven.
Prediction: Cats to cover.
B.C. (8-10) at Saskatchewan (10-8)
Lions are on a roll - the hottest team going into the playoffs, having beaten many of the premier teams down the stretch. Remember when they were 1-7?
A big reason for the turnaround is the rise of several key players, beginning with quarterback Travis Lulay. This is his team and he's making the most of the opportunity. He'll have to battle the crowd. He still hasn't been able to connect consistently with Geroy Simon and Paris Jackson, but some other receivers are stepping up. If Lulay ever gets dialed in with Simon and Jackson, look out.
Jamal Robertson is carrying the load at running back with his physical play. Again, he can be used to soften up the defence, both carrying and catching the ball. On defence, rookie of the year candidate Solomon Elimimiam - the Eliminator - has provided a key element: toughness. He's an absolute stud linebacker, mean, physical and fast. He had 78 tackles, five sacks and nine special teams tackle in his first season. What a find by Roy Shivers. The Lions really needed to improve their run stopping ability and he's helped. Aaron Hunt has been a load since his return to the lineup. David Hyland has proven to be a great shutdown cornerback who hits with the best of them. And with Yonus Davis, there's always the threat of a return for a TD.
The Roughriders ended a four-game losing streak by knocking off the Eskimos. Quarterback Darian Durant played with poise and didn't make mistakes. It's all about Durant now. When he's on his game, he's among the best in the league, but when he soils the sheets it's ugly. Mosaic Stadium will be a madhouse, but it's up to the Riders to make the 13th man matter - and no, we're not talking about penalties. Riders may be without Barrin Simpson, who has a wonky ankle. If he plays, he might not have the same movement. The Riders' defence is great at making turnovers. Safety James Patrick had a career year. But they need more consistency from the front four, notably at rush end. The return game has been a shambles all season, first with Dominique Dorsey and lately with Ryan Grice-Mullen. This could be a key part of the game when you compare the two teams. I think the kicking game will also play a factor. Eddie Johnson is a decent punter, but replacement kicker Warren Kean is still unproven. Compare it to the Lions and there's a noticeable difference all around in special teams between the two teams. Paul McCallum has been solid. Wouldn't it be something if he kicked the winning points after what happened to him a few years ago when he was the Riders' kicker and missed a field goal against the Lions?
This game has upset written all over it.
Randall has the Riders by 6.
Prediction: Lions and the points.
