Peerless Week 12 picks

While not quite as humbled as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who need to find a way to regain their swagger, the Peerless One did take it on the chin strap last week.

For the first time in several weeks, Peerless finished with a losing record, going 1-3.

He is still baffled by the Calgary Stampeders, who have killed him all season. How do you figure Calgary, heavily favoured to win at home against Edmonton, loses by a substantial margin, then turns around four days later on the road and covers the spread with a convincing win in Edmonton?

What's the deal with the Stamps?

The Stamps-Eskimos series, with the home team losing each game, made as much sense as Winnipeg losing back-to-back games against Saskatchewan. Then again, the Riders are a different team since the firing of head coach Greg Marshall. Peerless took the Riders in the second half of the back-to-back series, so he was feeling pretty good after taking the Bombers and the points the previous week.

Heading into the final game last week, Peerless had a 1-2 record and had reason to feel good taking Hamilton and the points in the second half of their back-to-back series against Montreal. The Als did a reversal of what they did in Hamilton on Labour Day and covered the spread -- and then some -- proving they are not ready to be buried just yet.

As for Toronto and the Lions, well, B.C. swept the series, which wasn't entirely surprising. Peerless thought the Argos would be a little more competitive in their first game with new quarterback Steven Jyles, but the offence still played as if Cleo Lemon was behind centre.

So on to Week 12 of Perry's Peerless Picks. This week, the spreads are considerably large, an indication that there may be some mismatches.

Friday

Edmonton (6-4) at Hamilton (5-5)

Edmonton was probably done early in the rematch against Calgary when running back Jerome Messam dropped an easy catch in the score zone that should have produced a touchdown. It was a harbinger of what would happen throughout the game. Giving up a Hail Mary touchdown on the final play of the first half was another inexcusable mistake.

Give Calgary credit for its effort in the 30-20 win, but the game was there for the taking for the Eskimos. The Eskimos are 1-4 in their last five after jumping out to a 5-0 start.

What is really concerning is their run game, or lack thereof. They're in the bottom of the league, albeit the Ticats aren't much better. The offensive line continues to be a work in progress, which is part of the issue, although the Eskimos need to be as committed to the run now as they were earlier in the season. Esks cut Arkee Whitlock earlier in the season and Daniel Porter last week. The two had been occupying the starting role the last two years.

Messam is fifth overall in individual rushing with 390 yards, but his yards-per-carry average has really fallen off in the last four games. Fellow Canadian Calvin McCarty is slated to start this game. He plays well in spurts. Receiver Fred Stamps plays his second game back following his "lower body" injury. Aside from one long bomb, he wasn't featured much in the overall pass attack. Look for that to change because the Ticats' secondary is always an issue, and you know quarterback Ricky Ray will be attacking it.

The Eskimos' defence, notwithstanding the Hail Mary, didn't play all that badly last week. Greg Peach, who can play linebacker or end, has been making plays since coming off the injured list. Rookie rush end Marcus Howard has five quarterback sacks in only four games. Weakside linebacker Mark Restelli is back following an unsuccessful stint in the NFL.

The Ticats are tough at home, but they are coming off a loss in Montreal on Sunday and have to regroup in a hurry. That's always a tough task physically, and the fact they are facing a new opponent as opposed to one they just played makes this also a mental challenge.

Edmonton has had more time to rest after they played two games in five days. Ticats won't have centre Marwan Hage, who missed the last game with an injury, and are slated to have a change at left tackle. Both switches can't help the rushing game, which has been disappointing this year. The crowd has been a huge factor in recent games at Ivor Wynne Stadium, so it will be interesting how it factors into this.

Ticats favoured by 5½ points.

And the pick is: Edmonton and the points.

Saturday

Toronto (2-8) at Saskatchewan (3-7)

It's the second game of the Steven Jyles era. The new pivot looked rusty in his debut until he found his legs and made some plays on the run. His mobility is paramount for the zone read, bootlegs and the like -- in other words, those subtle little things that can keep a defence honest.

The Argos need to pound the ball more with feature back Cory Boyd. Getting him involved is the key to kick-starting the offence, which hasn't scored a touchdown in several games. At least with a mobile quarterback, you would think this should open up the game for a better ground attack with Jyles using the zone read. The Argos need to give the ball more to Boyd. He is sixth overall in rushing with only 379 yards. What's the deal with that? At least with a mobile quarterback, you would think this should open up the game for a better ground attack with Jyles. But the receiving corps remains an issue. Prechae Rodriguez, who played for the Riders in his much-traveled career, makes his Argo debut. The team still needs a true speed-burner.

Though the Argos beat Saskatchewan in Toronto before the break, holding on for dear life, the Riders are a completely different team now. They are 2-0 since the firing of Greg Marshall and the return of Ken Miller. Quarterback Darian Durant looks as though he is in a groove. The receiving corps is starting to come together after a case of too many drops earlier in the season. With running back Wes Cates and receiver Andy Fantuz back in their second games, it's two impact players who should be more effective than last week with better conditioning.

The defence is far more aggressive now. Rookie end Shawn Lemon and first-year Rider end Tearrius George are giving the team some power off of the edge, which was a key issue going into the season. There will be energy and excitement in the crowd, which will play a huge role in terms of making it difficult for the Argos to make adjustments.

Riders favoured by 7 points.

And the pick is: Riders to cover.

B.C. (4-6) at Calgary (7-3)

Lions are on a roll, but this is a huge test after beating the woeful Argos back-to-back and a weakened Edmonton squad previous to that. The team is playing with confidence in all areas, and there are some emerging stars in the receiving corps.

The Lions are second in overall sacks. The switch to a standard front four instead of three down linemen and four linebackers has made a huge difference. Granted the defence has feasted off weaker opponents in recent games, but key adjustments in schemes and personnel cannot be overlooked. The big thing will be the matchup of Lions' linebacker Solomon Elimimian and his ability to shut down the run. Whether he'll be spying on Calgary quarterback Henry Burris or concentrating solely on the Stamps' running back tandem will be interesting to see.

Stamps rebounded from a terrible game at home the day before Labour Day against Edmonton to beat the Eskimos five days later. The Hail Mary pass at the end of the first half was the momentum changer.

This is an interesting challenge for the Stamps to create some consistency and shed this inability at home. Hard to go against the Stamps, but B.C. is still an unknown at this point in the season. Are the Lions poised for another run like last year or simply beating bad teams?

Stamps favoured by five.

And the pick is: B.C and the points.

Sunday

Winnipeg (7-3) at Montreal (6-4)

The big game of the week. Will Buck Pierce play or not? He's taking first-string reps as if he wants to play, but it's up to head coach Paul LaPolice. Logic would suggest giving Pierce a rest because this is not a do-or-die game. Moreover, it might be a good idea to give backup Alex Brink some quality reps in a key game. Whoever starts, the protection on the line needs to be better, particularly protecting the quarterback's blindside.

Attacking the Als' crippled defensive backfield, notably the corners, is paramount if the Bombers hope to gain momentum. The Bombers' defence, which was the strength of this team far more than the offence, is starting to show some signs of coming undone. Stud middle linebacker Joe Lobendahn is done for the year with torn knee ligaments. Marcellus Bowman moves into his spot, but he's had limited experience at middle linebacker. Rush end Odell Willis needs to pick up his game.

What is perhaps the biggest issue -- and I noted it last week -- is the Bombers' overall kicking game. It simply is an overall weakness.

The Als exploded against Hamilton, re-establishing their character and strength. With a win, the Als tie Winnipeg for first in the East. At home in front of a jacked-up crowd, the Als will be fired up. The defensive line took it personally when Eric Wilson was benched two games ago and came back last week with vigour. But there are other aspects of the defensive line that are interesting, notably Kitwana Jones coming off the edge when rotated in to play.

In summation, the Als are superior on offence and special teams. You could make the case that the teams are even on defence, although Winnipeg's is coming down to earth.

Als are favoured by 8.

And the pick is: Als to cover.

Record last week: 1-3

Record this year: 23-16-1

Perry Lefko keeps you connected to all the news in the CFL on Sportsnet.ca.