1. Calgary Stampeders (7-1-0; LW: 1; Defeated British Columbia 48-35 in Week 9; W5)

The Stampeders took advantage of Saskatchewan’s struggles and widened their lead in the West Division. The Lions put up some resistance – largely thanks to three interceptions by Henry Burris – but Burris responded by throwing two touchdowns and doing enough to put B.C. away. The Stampeders are sitting pretty right now.

2. Montreal Alouettes (6-2-0; LW:3; Defeated Winnipeg 39-17; W1)

Montreal had an impressive victory over the Bombers. What made it impressive is that they were without Anthony Calvillo for the second half. The problem is: if Calvillo is out for a long period of time, will Montreal be able to maintain its strong play.

3. Saskatchewan Roughriders (5-3-0; LW: 2; Lost to Edmonton 17-14; L1)

Was their loss to Edmonton a fluke? The Riders had better hope so. If they can’t beat a 1-6-0 team, they are going to have trouble catching Calgary for first in the West. Maybe a Labour Day matchup against Winnipeg is just what they need to get their groove back.

4. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (4-4-0; LW: 5; Defeated Toronto 16-12; W3)

It wasn’t pretty, but the Tiger-Cats victory in Toronto was crucial. They finally proved they could beat a team either than Winnipeg and pulled much closer to Toronto in the East Division. A win over the Argonauts this week is crucial for them.

5. Toronto Argonauts (5-3-0; LW: 4; Lost to Hamilton 16-12; L1)

After beating Montreal, Toronto surprised some people by losing to Hamilton. They failed to take a big lead over Hamilton in the East. Now, they have the tough task of traveling to Hamilton. Their offence will have to be much better in that game.

6. Edmonton Eskimos (2-6-0; LW: 7; Defeated Saskatchewan 17-14; W1)

The Eskimos pulled off the ugly upset over Saskatchewan last week. Their offence was nothing to write home about but their defence finally stood out. The question still remains: who will get the start at quarterback?

7. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2-6-0; LW: 6; Lost to Montreal 39-17; L4)

When you fail to beat a Montreal squad that lost Calvillo for the entire second half, there is something wrong. Winnipeg has kind of been like Edmonton. They will play a close game after close game but always come out on the losing end. If it doesn’t change soon, they can forget crossing over.

8. British Columbia Lions (1-7-0; LW: 8; Lost to Calgary 48-35; L7)

Wow, this team is just awful. That’s really all there is to say.

Biggest rise: Montreal, Hamilton and Edmonton +1

Biggest drop: Saskatchewan, Toronto and Winnipeg -1

Players like Malik Jackson might not win any awards, but they are helping Calgary win games.

The Calgary Stampeders were left out of the Gibson’s Finest CFL players of the month awards in August. While many would feel the Stamps were snubbed by the decisions, if you asked the players themselves, I’m guessing they wouldn’t be too hurt by the choices.

The CFL has seen some very talented players making waves throughout the season and most of them have been on teams that haven’t necessarily been winning. You’d think that a team that is 7-1-0 and leading the league in many categories would be stacked with players leading the league.

The reality this year has been that big player performances haven’t really led their teams to victory. None show this fact more than Arland Bruce III, who tied a CFL record with 16 catches to go with 272 yards receiving back on July 31st. The Tiger-Cats weren’t ever really in the game, losing 37-24 to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Kevin Glenn had 425 yards passing in the game to go with three touchdowns. Bruce was the offensive player of the week,and Glenn was the runner up in a game that they didn’t come close to winning.

It’s the same for the Calgary/Saskatchewan game in Week 4. The Stampeders doubled the Riders 40-20, yet Durant had 354 yards passing to the 279 yards passing Burris had.

When you look at the rushing stats for two time rushing leader Joffrey Reynolds, you might wonder if he’s having a tough year. Reynolds has only had one 100 yard rushing game, but still sits in third place in rushing yards, although he’s 170 yards back of Toronto’s Cory Boyd.

Even the receivers haven’t blown us away. Nik Lewis is on pace to be named an all-star, but the catches have really been spread out. Although Ken-Yon Rambo missed the first four weeks of the year, he could be on pace to shine.

What is most impressive about this season for the Stampeders is the fact the whole team is doing well. The passes have been spread around and the rushing is even being shared. Drew Tate has had only taken a few snaps at Quarterback, but has been very impressive going 7/8 for 66 yards and three touchdowns with a very impressive 158.3 passer rating. Jon Cornish has even taken some serious reps at running back and has not disappointed with an 8.8 yard average and 274 yards rushing.

Looking at the defence, the Stamps have had everyone pulling their own weight. Calgary leads the league in sacks with 22, but no Stampeders players are close to the sack leader. Montreal’s John Bowman and Winnipeg’s Phillip Hunt lead the league with seven sacks, while both Robert McCune and Malik Jackson have four sacks each.

No Stampeder player is even in the top 20 in defensive tackles. Juwan Simpson leads them with 29 tackles, 24 behind league leader Kevin Eiben.

With all that said, it doesn’t surprise me that the Stampeders haven’t been well represented in the players of the week, or the players of the month. The team has been playing so well together, everyone has been pulling their weight and making the most of their chances when they get the chance.

The Stampeders still have a long way to go before they can say they are the best team in the league, seeing as they still have two games against the Montreal Alouettes and two games left against the Saskatchewan Roughriders AT Mosaic Stadium. That being said, playing well as a team will make it that much harder for other teams to beat them. There aren’t any huge weaknesses and shutting down one player only leaves openings for others to step up, and so far they have.

At the end of the year, they may not take home any of the hardware, but they’ve got as good a shot as any of winning it all. 

CFL stat attack takes a statistical look at the past week in the CFL

Top performer

James Patrick (Safety, Saskatchewan) – Defence: Three tackles, three interceptions and one touchdown.

Low performer

Darian Durant (Quarterback, Saskatchewan) – Passing: 19/39, 211 yards and three interceptions; Rushing: Seven carries, 19 yards and one fumble.

Surprise performer

Brandon Whitaker (Running Back, Montreal) – Rushing: 11 carries, 74 yards and two touchdowns; Receiving: Five catches and 44 yards.

Top quarterbacks

1. Henry Burris (Calgary): 20/34, 276 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.

2. Kevin Glenn (Hamilton): 25/36, 247 yards and one interception.

3. Cleo Lemon (Toronto): 18/31 and 208 yards.

Top running backs

1. Fred Reid (Winnipeg): 14 carries and 116 yards.

2. DeAndra’ Cobb (Hamilton): 20 carries, 99 yards and one touchdown.

3. Joffrey Reynolds (Calgary): 12 carries and 94 yards.

Top receivers

1. Emmanuel Arceneaux (British Columbia): Six catches, 154 yards and one touchdown.

2. Ken-Yon Rambo (Calgary): Nine catches, 108 yards and two touchdowns.

3. S.J. Green (Montreal): Three catches, 61 yards and two touchdowns.

Top defensive players

1. James Patrick (Safety, Saskatchewan): Three tackles, three interceptions and one touchdown.

2. Stanley Franks (Defensive Back, British Columbia): Five tackles and two interceptions.

3. Kai Ellis (Defensive Lineman, Edmonton): Five tackles, two sacks and one forced fumble.

Top special teams players

1. Jovon Johnson (Defensive Back/Returner, Winnipeg) – Punt Returns: Six returns, 105 yards and one touchdown.

2. Noel Prefontaine (Kicker, Edmonton) – Field Goals: Three for three; Punts: Eight punts, 46.3-yard average.

3. Yonus Davis (Running Back/Returner, British Columbia) – Kick Returns: Seven returns, 180 yards and a 25.7-yard average.

Did you know: Darian Durant has now thrown more interceptions than touchdowns; Thanks to his three-interception performance this week, James Patrick now leads the league with six; Patrick scored half of Saskatchewan’s points; Joffrey Reynolds hasn’t rushed for 100 yards in a game since Week 1; Despite being injured for half of the game, Anthony Calvillo threw for more yards than Steven Jyles, who played the whole game; No quarterback threw for over 300 yards over the last two weeks and there were a total of nine interceptions thrown compared to only seven touchdowns; Five teams scored under 20 points in the last two weeks.

Heading into the 2010 CFL season, fans wondered if this was the year the torch would be passed from Henry Burris to Darian Durant.

After all, last season Durant and the Saskatchewan Roughriders didn’t lose a game to the Calgary Stampeders and Durant matched up well against Burris in head-to-head meetings. It was a common opinion that Durant’s stock was rising, while Burris’ stock was on the decline.

This season, however, Burris has shown he is not quite ready to be surpassed by Durant just yet.

After Durant started off strong this season and Burris started off slow, Burris has rebounded nicely and is now outplaying Durant. Calgary’s recent success and Saskatchewan’s recent struggles certainly reflect this.

The change in each team’s fortunes started in Week 4, when the 3-0-0 Riders travelled to Calgary to take on the 2-1-0 Stampeders.

At this point, Durant had gone 62/ 101, for 941 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception on the season, while Burris had gone 71/111, for 788 yards, five touchdowns and six interceptions. Durant was not only outplaying Burris, but he was a leading candidate early in the season for the most outstanding player award.

Burris and the Stampeders are outplaying the Riders right now.

As a team, the Riders had already beaten the powerhouse Montreal Alouettes and had earned victories over two West Division foes: the Edmonton Eskimos and the British Columbia Lions. Calgary, on the other hand, had earned their two victories over East Division opponents. In fact, they had not played a West opponent until this point of the season. Because of this reason, many fans felt the Stampeders’ record was deceivingly-high and they would get a wakeup call the hands of the Green and White.

There was a wakeup call in the game, but it was delivered to Saskatchewan instead. Tied at seven going into the second half, Calgary exploded for 33 second half points and stunned the Riders 40-20. Durant threw one touchdown and three interceptions, while Burris tossed four touchdowns and two interceptions.

This was really a turning point in the season so far for both teams. Suddenly, Calgary is red-hot. The team is currently riding a five-game winning streak and sit first place in the West comfortably at 7-1-0. Saskatchewan is stone cold, dropping two of its last four games. Last week, both facing 1-6-0 teams, Calgary easily took care of B.C. while Saskatchewan lost in the dying minutes against the Eskimos.

The rise and fall of each team has had a lot to due with the play of the quarterbacks. Stats-wise, Durant was outperforming earlier in the season. Now, not so much. Burris’ numbers on the season are: 183/281, for 2,226 yards, 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Durant’s numbers on the season are: 177/301, for 2,474 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Besides yards and interceptions, Burris is leading Durant in almost all categories. He has more completions, a better completion percentage, more touchdown passes and a better quarterback rating.

Has Burris been perfect? Not exactly. Though his team is on a five-game winning streak, there have been some close calls. But, he is doing what Durant is having trouble doing currently, winning.

The fact that Burris is leading in the league in touchdown passes and has cut down somewhat on the interceptions just show how much he has improved since his early-season struggles. Since Week 4, he is averaging close to 300 passing yards a game. More importantly, he and the Stampeders are doing what they failed to do early in the season, attack opposing defences deep. Some of these deep throws have led to interceptions, but in the process Calgary has become far more explosive on offence. With Ken-Yon Rambo back and Nik Lewis and Romby Bryant playing well, Burris has tons of hot targets to throw the ball to.

Burris has also been using his feet more effectively to buy his receivers time, something Durant was doing well earlier in the season.

Durant has averaged a decent amount of passing yards a game in the last four weeks, but his interception total has skyrocketed. Not all of these interceptions have been his fault, but the fact is it is an area that continues to be a concern for Durant. For all of the beautiful touchdowns he will throw on the run, he is starting to throw just as many interceptions in general. His team has suffered as a result. In their stunning loss to Edmonton last week, Durant deserved most of the blame.

With Saskatchewan playing relatively week foes recently, they haven’t exactly looked impressive. Once again, this has something to do with Durant. Against teams with winning records, Montreal and Calgary, Durant has thrown for over 400 yards a game. Against teams with non-winning records, Edmonton, B.C., Hamilton, he is throwing for less than 250 passing yards a game.

Now, it is too early to right off Durant just yet, but the fact that Burris is outplaying him at all is surprising. Heading into the season, with all of Calgary’s losses and Saskatchewan’s gains, to see Calgary playing so well and Saskatchewan playing so poorly is something no one would have expected.

Saskatchewan is not out the race for first in the West yet. Calgary still has to travel to Saskatchewan twice this season and play the Montreal Alouettes twice. However, if the Riders hope to get match-up against the Stampeders, Durant will need to improve. With similar defences and special teams units, Durant and the offence will need to outshine Calgary’s offence to win in the future.

Durant may be an up-and-coming star, but for now Burris looks content to hold onto his elite quarterback status.

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"As long as the Esks still have a shot at a berth in the playoffs, Ricky Ray will continue to be the starting quarterback for the Green & Gold"

The Edmonton Eskimos will play the Saskatchewan Roughriders this weekend in what is the start of a pivotal three game series for not only the Esks season, but perhaps the direction of the franchise. If the team can truly turn their spiraling season on its ear and win at least two of the next three games, they will most likely continue with the players and staff that they have, making only minor adjustments. However, if they keep walking the same path that’s led them to stumble and fumble their way through what has been a forgettable start to the 2010 season, changes both on the football field and within the organization are all but guaranteed. And the changes might be quite drastic.

As mentioned on EsksNation.ca, as long as the Esks still have a shot at a berth in the playoffs, Ricky Ray will continue to be the starting quarterback for the Green & Gold. He is simply the team’s best option, and quite frankly, despite not finding the endzone much in 2010, is still one of the premier signal callers in the game. His completion percentage, yards per attempt average, and interception rate puts him right among the likes of Anthony Calvillo, Henry Burris, Kevin Glenn and Darian Durant. The only problem is that if the Eskimos come out of the next three games and their record drops to an unthinkable 1-9-0, the time for an organizational rebuild will have surely arrived. A team can’t be that bad without major changes occurring. If you want an example, the 2009 Toronto Argonauts come to mind as they purged their entire quarterback roster after going 3-15-0 last year.

The Esks don’t need to do anything as drastic as the Argos as Jared Zabransky appears to be a bonafided prospect that has shown enough in his limited appearances to have quite a few people believing that he could be a franchise quarterback in the CFL. If the playoffs become nothing more than mathematical equation based on the team going on an unforeseeable hot streak, the organization should start looking towards a new era in Eskimos football, and the change will need to start at quarterback. Sooner or later the organization needs to give Zabransky multiple starts to show what he can. If they need to sit down, and perhaps even part with Ricky Ray, then so be it.

Including players on the injured lists and practice squad, the Esks have 34 players who are 26-years-old or younger. The future of the football team is in the hands of these young players, and in addition to Zabransky, the club will need to evaluate who can realistically become a difference maker in the CFL and who should be thanked for their services before being turned loose. Most of these young players have not played a significant amount of snaps, but if the team is committed to regaining their footing next year, getting these guys in some games will only help the organization in the long run.

Playing the Roughriders followed by back-to-back games against the Calgary Stampeders is a tough assignment, irregardless of the team’s current record. Unfortunately for the Esks, the hand they have been dealt must be played. If they can start winning, we can forget about planning for the future and wait for the off-season before such considerations need to come into play. If they stay on the rails to nowhere, then using the final eight games of the season as a springboard to the 2011 might not be a bad idea.

Gizzie Willie is a popular CFL blogger, writing for the Edmonton Eskimos, as well as his blog, EsksNation.ca. You can follow EsksNation.ca on Twitter.

Well, it’s Week 9 in the CFL and the East Division gets a bye week this week.

First and foremost, neither of last weeks games were really exciting and unfortunately this weeks games won’t be either. Oh, there may be a lot of scoring, but I don’t see a field goal shootout like we saw last week in Toronto. Instead, we have two David versus Goliath match-ups with the two worst teams in the league taking on two of the best.

A few notes from Week 8

The good

The Eskimos and Lions were undefeated over the weekend.
Hamilton finally beat a team other than Winnipeg.
Even without Anthony Calvillo, the Alouettes mopped the floor with the Bombers.
DeAndra’ Cobb continues to improve for Hamilton.

The bad

Although undefeated, the Eskimos and Lions still haven’t won anymore games.
Either Winnipeg, Edmonton or British Columbia will make the playoffs.
The crowd in Toronto is increasing slowly.

The ugly

The Eskimos and Lions have to resume play this week.
Having to sit through two bye weeks.
The Alouettes season if Calvillo remains injured.
Winnipeg’s season regardless of who stays healthy.

Players of the week

Offence: Brandon Whitaker (Running Back, Montreal) – 11 rushes, 74 yards, two touchdowns; five receptions and 44 yards
Defence: Chip Cox (Linebacker, Montreal) – Nine tackles and one sack
Special Teams: Jovon Johnson (Defensive Back, Winnipeg) – Six punt returns, 105 yards and one touchdown.

Now… on to Week 9!

Fri Aug 27			AT
Breakdown: Chris: There isn’t much that can be said about this game, one of the best teams in the league pays a visit to one of the worst. Jonathan: British Columbia sucks. Scott: This week is a week where both games could easily see a wounded dog jump back and bite. The only problem is that everyone had a week off so most bumps and bruises and a lot of injuries have time to heal. B.C. is at home and getting some players back, including Printers and Rasouli. It will help, but the Lions have a few more issues than that, and even though the Lions may make it close, I still think that a rested Stampeders team will have enough to fight back should the Lions come out strong and take a lead. Calgary 35-29 Brandon: Blub Blub
Chris	Brandon	Dalen	GizzieWillie	Jonathan	Scott	Chase
Sat Aug 28			AT
Breakdown: Chris: Um… ditto. Jonathan: Edmonton sucks. Scott: My gut has been telling me this could be the upset, but I don’t think they’re quite ready yet. The Eskimos have made some changes, and although Ricky Ray is back, I just don’t think the Eskimos have enough without Fred Stamps to take down the Roughriders. The Riders defence has been playing better and their offence isn’t about to be shutout by the Eskies D. Saskatchewan 32-20 Brandon: Blub Blub
Chris	Brandon	Dalen	GizzieWillie	Jonathan	Scott	Chase
Bye:
Results
Chris	Brandon	Dalen	GizzieWillie	Jonathan	Scott	Chase
1-1	1-1	0-2	2-0	1-1	1-1	1-1
22-10	17-11	19-13	16-17	21-11	18-14	11-10

Game 1 – Winnipeg Blue Bombers 17 at Montreal Alouettes 39: The big story coming out of this game was a rib injury to Montreal’s star quarterback Anthony Calvillo in the second quarter. If he is forced to miss any time, the Alouettes could be in trouble. Luckily for Montreal in this game, they had already built up a sizable 24-0 lead before he was injured. Chris Leak didn’t dazzle in relief – going 10/15 for 99 yards and one interception – but did enough to hold off Winnipeg. The Bombers failed to take advantage of Calvillo’s injury in this game. This was largely thanks to Montreal’s ferocious defence, which registered five sacks and two forced fumbles. A 100-yard performance on the ground by Fred Reid was not enough to power Winnipeg to victory.

Game 2 – Hamilton Tiger-Cats 16 at Toronto Argonauts 12: The first meeting of the season between these two heated rivals wasn’t as explosive as some expected. Each team attempted and made three field goals. It was as if both teams were sitting back, waiting for the other one to make the mistake. Fortunately for Hamilton, Toronto made this mistake in the fourth quarter, turning the ball over to Hamilton in their end. This lead to a six-yard touchdown run by DeAndra’ Cobb – who had another strong performance with 99 yards and one touchdown – that put the game away. Cory Boyd matched Cobb’s performance on the ground for Toronto, rushing for 81 yards. This was a huge victory for Hamilton. With a loss, they would have fallen six points behind Toronto and Montreal for first place in the East Division. Thanks to the victory, they are only two points behind Toronto and four behind Montreal.

Well, it’s Week 8 in the CFL and the West Division gets a bye week.

Not only is it the first bye week, but this CFL Daily Dose’s 100th POST! So, before getting into this week’s games, I would like to thank anyone and everyone who has made CFL Daily Dose a success.

A few notes from Week 7

The good

If you are a Saskatchewan Roughriders fan you have to like the way the green and white bounced back last week after a few rough weeks.
Cleo Lemon was impressive against the Alouettes.
For the first time ever, it looks like an East team will crossover for the playoffs.
BC had to have liked what they saw out of running back Yonus Davis.
Marcus Thigpen will look to continue to find different ways to score touchdowns for Hamilton, after becoming the first player in CFL history to have scored a touchdown five different ways in one season.

The bad

The Lions and Esks are inching closer and closer to being eliminated from playoff contention.
Winnipeg has lost three straight games.
Montreal lost to Toronto.

The ugly

With only 28 points between them last week, the Lions and Eskimos were outscored by all four winning teams.
The Lions and Eskimos quarterback situations.
Dominique Dorsey returning kicks.

Players of the week

Offence: Chad Owens – Receiving: Six catches, 163 yards and two touchdowns; Kick Returns: Two returns and 85 yards
Defence: Jerrell Freeman – Three tackles and three sacks
Special Teams: Kelly Campbell – Kick Returns: Five returns, 141 yards; Punt Returns: Five returns, 162 yards and one touchdown.

Now… on to Week 8!

Thu Aug 19			AT
Breakdown: Chris: I highly doubt that Montreal loses two in a row, especially at home. Winnipeg would do well to study the last six quarters the Als have played and use that to their advantage… but even if they do that it’s not likely that the Alouettes lose. Jonathan: Montreal will be angry in this one. Winnipeg has been so close to winning their last three games, but close won’t be enough against Monteal. I think the Bombers have a chance, but no team seems to be able to win in Montreal. Scott: The Bombers have some life with Steven Jyles coming off the bench to score some points late against the Tiger-Cats, but Winnipeg is no Toronto and Montreal will be motivated after losing to the Argos. If Winnipeg was playing a lesser opponent, I might think it would be close or a Winnipeg win. Montreal 30-23 Brandon: We’re talking about Montreal… coming off a dissapointing performance… Winnipeg is going to get tore up like something out of a Jaws Movie. nuff said.
Chris	Brandon	Dalen	GizzieWillie	Jonathan	Scott
Fri Aug 13			AT
Breakdown: Chris: I like Hamilton in this one. Why? Because, Toronto still isn’t an unbeatable team. I suspect this will be the game that Hamilton finally starts playing to expectations. Jonathan: I may have underestimated Toronto, but I still think Hamilton will be second place in the East Division when all is said and done. The Tiger-Cats need this victory more, because if they lose Toronto will gain a big lead on them. Expect Arland Bruce III to have another big day. Scott: This is a tough pick for me, seeing as I still question if Toronto is the team the have been far. The Tiger-Cats have been playing very well as of late, but it’s only been against the Bombers. The main thing I think the Argonauts do have going for them is that they are playing at home. I think it will be close, but Toronto should end up on top. Toronto 32-28 Brandon:I like Hamilton to take this one, but, then again, Hamilton usually loses one of these home and home games to Toronto and I’m attending the Labour Day Classic and won’t enjoy watching them lose. But, who says they can’t win four in a row? Last year Hamilton lost in Toronto because of their kicker Nick Setta, but, replace Setta with Deangelis and that’s not going to happen.
Chris	Brandon	Dalen	GizzieWillie	Jonathan	Scott
Bye:
Results
Chris	Brandon	Dalen	GizzieWillie	Jonathan	Scott
2-0	2-0	2-0	1-2	2-0	1-1
21-9	16-10	19-11	14-17	20-10	17-13

1. Calgary Stampeders (6-1-0; LW:3; Defeated Edmonton 56-15 in Week 7)

The Stampeders come in at number one for the first time in these power rankings. This is thanks their  “massacre” of the Eskimos this past week. While the offence obviously had its moments, it was once again the ever-impressive defence of Calgary that shined. They limited Arkee Whitlock to only 35 rushing yards, Edmonton’s quarterbacks to under 200 yards passing and generated four sacks, two interceptions and a defensive touchdown. Calgary will look to build on this performance after its bye week.

2. Saskatchewan Roughriders (5-2-0; LW: 2; Defeated British Columbia 37-13 in Week 7)

Much like with the Stampeders, the Riders defence is impressive. They forced five sacks and two interceptions against the Lions, putting constant pressure on Jarious Jackson. They only real area of concern for Saskatchewan going forward will be to find consistency on offence. They clearly have the talent, but sometimes they don’t dominant defences like they could. Darian Durant is throwing more interceptions as well then he did to start off the season. With three sacks this week, Jerrell Freeman may be the pass rusher the Riders are looking for.

3. Montreal Alouettes (5-2-0; LW: 1; Lost to Toronto 37-22 in Week 7)

Montreal takes a big slide after their shocking loss to Toronto. After playing inconsistent football for the last couple of weeks, things finally collapsed for the Alouettes. A decent game from Anthony Calvillo was not enough to offset a return touchdown by Ryan Christian and two receiving touchdowns by Chad Owens, a player who was with Montreal earlier this season. After Avon Cobourne had over 100 rushing and receiving yards in the previous meeting between each team, he was held to under 30 rushing and receiving yard in this game. The question is: How will Montreal respond to this loss?

4. Toronto Argonauts (5-2-0; LW: 4; Defeated Montreal 37-22 in Week 7)

The Argonauts jumped into a tie with the Alouettes for first after their shocking victory over Montreal. A big day from Christian, Owens and Cleo Lemon vaulted the Argonauts to victory. Who would have thought the Argonauts, who have missed the playoffs for two years in a row, would be tied with Montreal at this point? A lot of credit has to go to Jim Barker. Still, Toronto can’t be ranked ahead of Montreal just yet. The Alouettes did beat them badly in the first meeting.

5. Hamilton Tiger-Cats (3-4-0; LW: 5; Defeated Winnipeg 39-28 in Week 7)

After two close victories against the Bombers in the last two weeks, Hamilton is in a good position. They are now in sole possession of third in the East Division, within striking range of Montreal and Toronto, and have won the season series against Winnipeg. The Tiger-Cats are finally playing like we all thought they would. Kevin Glenn is dissecting opposing defences, Arland Bruce III has emerged as one of the league’s best receivers and the defence is doing its part. The Tiger-Cats will need to win against Toronto if they really want to turn their season around.

6. Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2-5-0; LW: 6; Lost to Hamilton 39-28)

Lately, it has been close but no cigar for the Bombers. After three close losses, the team now finds themselves in a big hole. With the crossover possibility very realistic right now, there is no reason to give up hope. However, Winnipeg needs to win games now. To do this, it might mean starting Steven Jyles, who has really stepped up under centre. A game against Montreal this week could really make or break Winnipeg’s chances in the East.

7. Edmonton Eskimos (1-6-0; LW: 7; Lost to Calgary 56-15)

I wouldn’t rank them below the Lions right now, but it is tempting after such a brutal loss. Despite the scoreline, Edmonton really did have chances in this game. But, turnovers and penalties snuffed out whatever opportunities they might have had early on. If Ricky Ray doesn’t come back, the Eskimos will have to hope Jason Maas or Jared Zabransky can get the job done. The Eskimos really don’t have a bad roster, but if they don’t start winning soon, it won’t matter.

8. British Columbia Lions (1-6-0; LW: 8; Lost to Saskatchewan 37-13)

BC is still a mess. They have three quarterbacks, none of which have got the job done, their running game only enjoys brief flickers, star players like Paris Jackson are struggling and the run defence is terrible. Wally Buono has been known to work some magic in his time, but he would have to be a pretty good magician to work his way out of this disaster.

Biggest Rise: Calgary +2

Biggest Drop: Montreal -2

I think a round of applause are in order for Jim Barker. Maybe a couple of rounds.

Dear Jim Barker,

I write to you regarding my “colorful” letter I wrote to you just before the season started, regarding my distaste for some of the decisions you made since taking over as head coach of the Toronto Argonauts.

Anyway Jim, I think this time calling you Jim would be a little more appropiate than Jimmy, I started off my letter last time by expressing my belief that there were better candidates out there for the Toronto Argonauts to hire as a head coach this off-season, such as Scott Milanovich, offensive coordinator of the Montreal Alouettes.

As it turns out, I guess I was wrong. Your Argonauts are 5-2-0, tied for first place in the East Division with the Montreal Alouettes. This is following two consecutive seasons where Toronto missed the playoffs. Under your reign Jim, the Argonauts have gone from lovable losers, to an average team and finally to a contender. It would have been hard for another coach to duplicate that.

After that comment in my previous letter, I went on to criticize some of the moves you made in the off-season, such as not re-signing running back Jamal Robertson, who was the team’s biggest offensive threat last season. You eventually decided on Cory Boyd as your starting tailback. All he’s done is so far is lead the league in rushing with 711 yards and has also added four touchdowns. Woops, my bad.

But, Jim, the biggest concern I expressed was your decision to name Cleo Lemon as your starting quarterback instead of Dalton Bell.

Was I justified in this criticism? I think so. After all, Bell had more CFL experience than Lemon. In the preseason, Bell had gone 18/26 for 341 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, while Lemon had gone 10/26 for 99 yards and one interception. Bell clearly outperformed him, yet you still called Lemon a great “practice quarterback”.

As with the Robertson comment, I have had to eat my words. On the season, Lemon has gone 112/185, with 1,467 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions. Not great, but then again, pretty good for a first-year CFL starter. The big thing though, as has been brought up a lot this season, is that Lemon has led the Argonauts to a lot of victories. ‘Elite’ quarterbacks like Ricky Ray, Casey Printers and, for the most part, Kevin Glenn, haven’t done the same.

Once again, my bad.

After that, the rest of my original letter gets kind of fuzzy. I might called you stubborn, said the Argonauts were doomed and predicted you would quickly be fired. But hey, we’re all good, right?

I’ll admit it, pretty much everything I said in that original letter turned out to be wrong. Sometime this season, Jim, we can grab a beer and laugh about this whole thing. Well, I don’t drink, but I could grab a Pepsi or something.

Best of luck on the rest of your season, that is, when you are not playing the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Yours truly,
Jonathan Hamelin

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