Cfl: Week 8

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CFL Preview - Saskatchewan (5-2) at Ottawa (2-5)




From The Sports Network

By Ted Michaels, CFL Editor

DATE & TIME, Thursday, August 7, 7 p.m. (et).

GAME NOTES: The Saskatchewan Roughriders grabbed a share of first place in the west after they beat Calgary last wee, 27-11, their first regular season win in Calgary since 1989.

It was a see-saw battle in the first-half, which saw Calgary jump to a 3-0 lead. Then Saskatchewan took its first lead of the game, when Nealon Greene hit Travis Moore with a 25 yard TD pass. In a delicious bit of irony, or, revenge, Moore was playing his first game in Calgary, since he was traded in the off-season by the Stampeders. Moore, who was admittedly bitter when the deal was announced, said he did not want to talk to media leading up to the game, saying he would do his talking on the field.

After falling behind 10-7 after the first fifteen minutes, the Riders scored 13 unanswered points in the second quarter, on two field goals, of 42 and 41 yards from Paul McCallum, and a five-yard TD Chris Szarka run. The Riders offence was hitting on all cylinders in the opening 30 minutes, and Greene was a big reason why, completing 16-19. In the final quarter, Saskatchewan salted away the win, with a 59 yard run by rookie Kenton Keith, who had 134 yards rushing on 10 carries.

In total, Greene threw the ball 29 times and completed 21 of his attempts for 224 yards and the TD pass to Moore.

Ottawa probably deserved a better fate then their 31-26 home loss to Edmonton last Thursday. The defence, which had four rookie starters in it due to injury, threw a virtual blanket over the Edmonton offence, especially in the first quarter. The Eskimos had no first downs, eight yards passing and just two yards rushing. And, the Renegade offence kept the ball for 9:31 in the first quarter. However, lack of protection in the red-zone hurt Ottawa, as they had to settle for two Lawrence Tynes field goals in the first quarter.

It was a bit better for them in the second quarter, when Josh Ranek scored on an eight-yard TD from Kerry Joseph, capping a beautiful nine-play, 96-yard drive. Ottawa took a 16-7 half-time lead into the dressing room but then things started to unravel. Leading 19-14 in the fourth quarter, they allowed Edmonton to score two touchdowns in less than two minutes to take a 28-19 lead, followed by a field goal to give Edmonton a 31-19 edge. Those three points probably should not have happened, but safety Donnavan Carter was called for illegal contact on a receiver and followed that up with an incredible display of stupidity. Carter tackled Mike Pringle, lost his helmet, then decided to bump Pringle with his chest, all the while talking trash. Result? Ten more yards for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The numbers: Last season, the Renegades and the Riders met twice. Saskatchewan won the first-ever game for the expansion Ottawa club, 30-27, then won the re- match at home, 29-11.

Keys to the game: When the Riders can run, they win. Heading into the Calgary game, they were 4-0 when they ran successfully, averaging 189.8 yards. In their two losses, they averaged just 87.5 yards rushing. They ran for 146 against the Stampeders, and are facing a team that has allowed 95 yards rushing per game. Conversely, Ottawa has to get Darren Davis into the game, and producing. Davis has missed the last three games with a hamstring injury. With Davis in the line-up, Ottawa is 4-5. Without him, the Renegades are just 2-14.

On the other side of the ball, here?s an indication of how Saskatchewan has improved. In 18 games last year, they had a total of 16 sacks. So far this season, in seven games, they are number two in the league with 24. And, with the improvement in the rush, comes an increase in TD passes allowed. The Riders defence gave up 49 passing TDs in 2000, 17 in 2001, 16 last season, and so far this year, just seven. When the Riders last won in Calgary, back in 1989, they went on to win the Grey Cup.

Sports network predicted outcome: Saskatchewan 30, Ottawa 25.
 
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CFL Preview - Hamilton (0-7) at Montreal (6-1)




From The Sports Network

By Ted Michaels, CFL Editor

DATE & TIME: Friday, August 8, 7 p.m. (et).

GAME NOTES: Better, but not good enough. That was the case Saturday at Ivor Wynne, where the Tiger-Cats were beaten 37-20 by Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Quarterback Danny McManus played his best game of the season, completing 26-43 passes for one touchdown and no interceptions. The major came from newly-acquired Chad Plummer, plucked from the Blue Bomber practice roster. Plummer's 30 yard TD was one of four catches he made, for a total of 54 yards. McManus spread the ball around to all his receivers, eight of them in all.

But, the same problem kept cropping up. Dropped passes and mistakes prevented any more TD?s being scored. The other new receiver in the Hamilton camp, Ibrahim Tounkara, was wide open and dropped a pass that had TD written all over it, Tyree Davis also dropped a TD pass in the end zone, and Archie Amerson turned the wrong way on a pattern that, had he caught the ball, would also have scored a TD.

The defense also was at fault. Twice, they allowed Winnipeg, on second and long, to get the first down. In the first quarter, looking at a second-and-23, Khari Jones hooked up with Robert Gordon on a play that covered 46 yards. In the third, with a second-and 20, Jones again hooked up for a long pass, a 24 yarder, that kept their drive alive.

For the defending Grey Cup champs, it looks like they're in cruise control. Montreal played last Tuesday, and beat Winnipeg 37-27 in front of another sell-out home crowd at Molson Stadium.

Anthony Calvillo threw three touchdown passes and Keith Stokes returned a punt 74 yards for a TD in the win. Calvillo was good on 24-38 passes for 389 yards. His top target was Kwami Cavil, who had seven catches for 79 yards, while Ben Cahoon had five receptions for 193 yards.

The swarming Montreal defense had five more sacks in the game, giving them a league-leading 31. This is the first time the Als will play an Eastern opponent this season. The two teams meet next Friday back in Hamilton.

Hamilton?s injury woes continue. Plummer will miss this one with a knee injury. In his roster spot is newly-acquired wide receiver/kick returner Craig Yeast, a 27 year-old Kentucky native. He played nine games with the Cincinnati Bengals in 1999, 15 in 2000, then went to the New York Jets. Also questionable are offensive tackle Dave Hack (groin) and linebacker Sean Woodson (hamstring).

The numbers: these teams have met a lot in the regular season over the last three years. Hamilton holds a 6-3 advantage, with a 3-2 record in the last five in Montreal. They meet in a re-match next week in Hamilton.

Keys to the game: rush hour. One CFL coach told me, he expects McManus to carve up the Montreal defense. Why? His quick release. Agreed, but, if McManus can't get rid of the ball quickly, and his receivers don't hold onto the ball, it'll be a long 60 minutes. And, here?s something to ponder. With all the problems Hamilton has had offensively, first with production, with wrong routes being run, and with way too many dropped passes, would a third offensive assistant help? Every other team in the CFL has at least three offensive coaches, Hamilton has but two. This is a game story of the fastest defense in the league, versus the slowest offense in the league. Speed kills...every time.

Sports network predicted outcome: Montreal 36, Hamilton 15.

08/06 13:46:11 ET
 
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CFL Preview - Toronto (4-3) at Edmonton (4-3)
From The Sports Network

By Ted Michaels, CFL Editor

DATE & TIME: Saturday, August 9, 10 p.m. (et).

GAME NOTES: It was a historic night and a memorable weekend for Argos quarterback Damon Allen. First, he became just the third quarterback in pro football history to crack the 60,000-yard passing mark, joining Warren Moon and Dan Marino. Then, one day later, he headed off to Canton, Ohio to see his older brother Marcus inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Allen led the Argos to a 28-26 overtime win over the BC Lions, but it wasn't easy. In the first half, Allen threw two interceptions, was sacked five times and led the team to just 59 yards total offense.

Meanwhile, the defense couldn't stop BC's offense, allowing a whopping 265 first-half yards. Toronto trailed 19-3 at the half, but got things rolling in the second thirty minutes.

First, Bashir Levingstone showed why he has put fear into other teams, returning a punt 78 yards for a TD, his second punt return touchdown this year. The play was even more remarkable because Levingstone took the punt, ran back fifteen yards to set up his blocking, then took it all the way. Noel Prefontaine hit four field goals in the second half, then two more in the extra frame, to help secure the win.

Including the historic throw that put Allen over the 60,000-yard mark (a 30- yard reception by slotback Mike Morreale), the Cal-State Fullerton grad ended up completing 15 of 28 passes for 203 yards. He also showed how elusive he still is at the age of 40, running seven times for 59 yards. Allen gave everyone a scare in the overtime session, when he was hit and crashed into the sideline TC camera cart. Allen suffered a twisted back and laughed about it afterwards, saying it looked worse than it was.

The Eskimos head into this game coming off a hard-fought 31-26 win in Ottawa last Tuesday night. The Edmonton offense had a hard time getting anything going in the first quarter. They had zero first downs and a total of ten yards of offense. A prime reason for the lack of production was the team's time of possession, a mere 5:29. The second quarter wasn't much better, with just 101 total yards and 12 minutes of possession.

However, head coach Tom Higgins gave quarterback Ricky Ray a vote of confidence, keeping him in the game instead of going to back-up Bart Hendricks. Ray got hot, especially in the fourth quarter. He threw two TD passes to Jason Tucker and a third to tailback Mike Pringle, as the Eskimos outscored Ottawa 24-13 over the final 30 minutes.

Ray ended up 19-for-30 on the night, good enough for 252 yards. His top receiver was Tucker, who had seven catches for 114 yards. Pringle picked up 27 yards on 12 carries.

The numbers: In the last ten meetings, the Eskimos hold the upper hand, winning six. Toronto is 3-2 in the last five games at Commonwealth, with Edmonton taking the last two. These two teams meet again next week in Toronto.

Keys to the game: Old versus new. This game almost signifies a passing of the torch. Allen, the 19-year veteran, faces sophomore Ricky Ray. If Pringle can run effectively against a Toronto defense that is ranked eighth at stopping the run, it opens up so many options for Ray. Something tells me that Allen may not have too much left for this one, after the emotionally-draining week he had. If he isn't quite right, the Edmonton defense will tee off on him. Speaking of emotions, this game will celebrate 25 years of football at beautiful Commonwealth Stadium. Many member of the alumni from Edmonton's five-straight Grey Cup Championship teams (1978-82) will be in attendance. And the Argos will find out first-hand why it?s tough to win in Edmonton.

Sports Network predicted outcome: Edmonton 27, Toronto 21.

Last week: 5-0, Season record: 25-7.
 
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CFL Preview - Calgary (2-5) at British Columbia (4-3)

From The Sports Network

By Ted Michaels, CFL Editor

DATE & TIME, Friday, August 8, 10:30 p.m. (et).

GAME NOTES: Stampeders quarterback Scott Milanovich found out first hand how different the Canadian game is Friday night in Calgary. He threw four interceptions, three of them in the red zone, as the Stamps lost a 29-11 decision to Saskatchewan.

Milanovich completed 23 of 41 passes for 278 yards and one TD, but had three passes picked off inside the Saskatchewan five yard-line, and threw another pass that was intercepted deep in Rider territory, leading to a Saskatchewan TD. All together, inside the Riders 30-yard line, he completed just 3 of 10 passes for 44 yards. The combination of the wider field and the extra man seemed to have caused problems for the former NFL and XFL'er.

Still, between the 30's, the offense moved the ball. Total yardage for Calgary was 310. Milanovich's prime target was Darnell McDonald, with eight grabs for 76 yards, while the QB's former XFL teammate Latario Rachal had two catches for 77 yards, including a 55-yard TD pass. One other problem that was apparent was Milanovich's lack of mobility. He was sacked five times.

The BC Lions headed into last week's game at Toronto with one question: how would Spergon Wynn play at quarterback? Wynn got the start in place of Dave Dickenson, who had a pin placed in his ring finger of his left hand after breaking it in the previous game.

Wynn for the most part delivered, but the Lions fell short, losing 28-26 in overtime to the Argos. The Lions blew a 19-3 half-time lead, and the game may have come down to one play.

Trailing 28-25 in the second and last overtime frame, rookie kicker Curtis Head missed a 27-yard field goal, which went for a single point. Up until the miss, Head was good from 51, 17, 30, 24 and 31 yards in the first 60 minutes. He then gave the Lions a 25-22 lead in overtime, nailing a 32-yarder. Head also had another miss, from 41 yards with 30 seconds left in regulation time, that would have given the Lions the lead.

Wynn had 83 yards passing in the first half, but the Lions ran the ball well, compiling 182 yards. The running game also allowed BC to lead in the possession game, tallying almost 17 minutes in the opening half. Wynn carried 12 times in total for 56 yards, Kelvin Anderson had 49 yards on 12 carries The lone BC major came from Geroy Simon, who took a lateral pass from Wynn, ran around end, and beat three Argos en route to an 88-yard TD run. On the night, Wynn completed 21 of 31 passes for 212 yards.

The numbers: In the last 10 meetings, Calgary holds a 6-4 margin and has won three of the last four in BC Place. And, in perhaps the most telling statistic, Milanovich has played five quarters and thrown seven picks in 58 pass attempts. The two teams meet in a re-match next week in Calgary.

Keys to the game: While it may sound trite, the key is quarterbacking. Dickenson should be back. Milanovich, on the other hand, said the extra man and bigger field didn't make a difference. If that?s the case, then why four interceptions? He may be the answer to Calgary?s quarterbacking problems, but for now, the CFL learning curve continues. And while the Lions defense may not be as good as Saskatchewan's they have enough veterans to get the job done.

Sports Network predicted outcome: BC 26, Calgary 18.
 
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TORONTO-VIGILANTE

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) Calgary +16.5 and the Under +58.5
1 unit gets you back 1.71 units
Click to expand...


what an f-ugly first half of a game by calgary......

but this game is kind of goin the way i planned it.....

sorry BC backers, i need calgary to atleast score a TD and a FG (yeah, i feel that BC may score a few more.....) and hopefully the under will stay just about where i clocked it.
:eek:
 
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