Peerless looks for a winning record with his picks in Week 10.
The bye weeks are over; let the real games begin.
The Peerless One is still riding his hot streak: 7-0-1 in his last 8.
The push happened last week when Winnipeg beat Hamilton by three. Early in the game when the score was 17-3, Peerless tweeted that he thought the game would be a blowout. He promptly received various responses, including one from none other than Runako Reth (that's Arland Bruce if you don't know by now), telling him he was being premature in his speculation.
Turns out he was right, along with the others who jumped all over me.
But in the end, the Bombers won and provided a push, so Peerless didn't lose.
Peerless spent considerable time this week talking to Randall the Handle, who provides the CFL lines for some Vegas betting shops. Randall is getting tired of Peerless telling him some of his recent lines are out of whack. He says he's not handicapping the games; he's trying to create even action on both teams. But when Randall has the Bombers by three and it ends up that way, well, he's done a hell of a job.
And he's made this week's tilts quite challenging, too.
So, it's on to week 10, and it's the first of back-to-back games for every team.
Yes, it would have been great if the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Toronto Argonauts maintained their annual Labour Day game, but facing Montreal may prove to be better - at least for this year. The Ticats and Als could be battling it out for second and third in the East, although the Argos will be trying to move up. In the meantime, they'll renew the Braley Bowl with their western cousins from B.C. Last year the Argos won by four points at home in a game filled with turnovers.
Along with Ken Miller - meet the new boss, same as the old boss - returning as coach in the first game after the firing of Greg Marshall and offensive co-ordinator Doug Berry, there's intrigue in Saskatchewan -- not to mention in Winnipeg, where the fans are hoping for another dose of Swaggerville. The Bombers are on a five-game win streak.
Edmonton and Calgary resume their annual Labour Day series, and this one has now become interesting because the Eskimos are on a three-game slide, while the Stamps are undefeated in four.
Game on!
Friday
B.C. (2-6) at Toronto (2-6)
Lions really rolled over the Eskimos before the break and there's a sense of optimism now. These guys have deserved better and maybe now they'll get some consistency. When Bruce joins a new team, he plays with passion and energy, and it showed in his second start for the team. Quarterback Travis Lulay was on his game. The defence made some personnel changes and blitzed the heck out of the Eskimos. The back end looks like it's finally getting stabilized. The Argos held on for dear life against Saskatchewan. Will new defensive co-ordinator Orlondo Steinauer try some new things having had time in the break to assess things? Yes. That may give the Argos an advantage in the first half. This game will come down to two things: Cleo Lemon's ability to show some more consistency at quarterback for the Argos after a mediocre effort last time out following two solid games; and the Lions receiving corps making catches instead of drops. The Lions have a better receiving corps and a more explosive return game, and I think that's a slight edge, but if kicker/punter Noel Prefontaine is on his game like last week, he'll consistently force the Lions to play on a long field. He did not play in this game last year, which was extremely close and decided by turnovers. B.C.'s passing game and Toronto's running game were extremely potent; I can't see much difference this time. Bruce helps, but last year the Lions had Manny Arceneaux to complement Geroy Simon. The added time in the break should make Cory Boyd that much more healthy. I flip-flopped on this so many times trying to make a choice. It's a question of which team has actually turned the corner following a win.
Randall has this as a pick 'em.
And the winner is: B.C.
Sunday
Winnipeg (7-1) at Saskatchewan (1-7)
Bombers have won their last five. Their strength is the ability to produce turnovers, something that has been a problem for Saskatchewan this season. Bombers O-line has been intact all season. The Bombers have given up only 157 points compared to Saskatchewan giving up a league-leading 253. I can't see how Ken Miller coming back as coach will matter a whole lot. The Riders are still weak in the receiving corps. Recently-acquired Dallas Baker replaces Terrence Nunn but good luck running against Winnipeg's defence. Saskatchewan is making some changes in its defence with rookie Chris Graham replacing injured Barrin Simpson at middle linebacker. Safety James Patrick moves to outside linebacker replacing Sean Lucas and rookie Craig Butler moves to safety. That's two rookies against a stacked offence.
Bombers are favoured by three. That's a little too juicy for me to pass up.
And the pick is: Winnipeg to cover.
Monday
Montreal (5-3) at Hamilton (4-4)
The new Labour Day Classic. Great tilt all around. Both teams are coming off losses against quality opponents, but were victims of their own defeats because of turnovers. Montreal's secondary is getting depleted with three-fifths of the projected season-starting backfield out with injuries. Latest to go on IR is cornerback Mark Estelle. When Als played in Hamilton earlier in the season, they struggled with consistency. Quarterback Anthony Calvillo seemed to have issues getting plays off on time. The boisterous Ivor Wynne crowd clearly played a role - and they should again. The Als are at a disadvantage playing their second game on the road. We expect to see Als' defensive back Dwight Anderson in the thick of things facing another former team. It won't be as animated as it was in Calgary, but he's always a factor in some way. Wonder if he will take over from Estelle being a natural corner. But if they move him to corner and play someone else at DB, it's like making two changes. Really liked what I saw out of Hamilton last time out, in particular on defence. Maybe these guys will finally be allowed to run free and attack. You take your chances blitzing Montreal, so the other option is to drop back into zone, which Calgary did often in the second half after getting picked apart in the first half. The Als have the better receiving corps, but defensively it's even. The kicking game is fairly even, too. Again, it's the crowd that will be the difference.
Als favoured by 2½.
And the pick is: Hamilton and the points.
Edmonton (5-3) against Calgary (6-2)
How much lower can Edmonton go? With only four points in their last two games, it's pretty bad. Losing centre Aaron Fiaccone for the year is a huge loss. Guard Kyle Koch moves over to centre. Two moves on an offensive line that is already struggling is a major factor. Edmonton still won't have its key receivers back. They're going to have to suck it up for another game or two and hope quarterback Ricky Ray isn't destroyed. You just know Calgary's defensive co-ordinator Chris Jones will throw everything at the Eskimos. He was conservative against Montreal respecting their quarterback and their receivers. This isn't the same overall quality. The Stamps have found their stride. They're on a four-game roll and quarterback Henry Burris is playing like he wants another Most Outstanding Player Award. I still can't figure out what has happened to Joffrey Reynolds -- he doesn't look dominant anymore getting rotated with Jon Cornish, who looks fresher. Calgary destroyed Edmonton 52-5 last year in this game and are playing with the same firepower again.
Stamps favoured by 9½. Randall has this circled because of all the Eskimos' injuries and the uncertainly who will play.
And the winner is: Calgary to cover.
Record last week: 1-0-1.
Overall record this season: 20-11-1.
