Als look to sweep aside faltering Lions
THURSDAY
B.C. at Montreal, 7:30 p.m., TSN: Since 2007, each season series between the Lions and Alouettes has ended in a 1-1 split, a trend the Leos hope will continue after Montreal won 23-13 on Aug. 20 in Vancouver, the Als’ first victory at BC Place Stadium since 2000. Yet, judging by the way the Als gashed the Lions for 251 rushing yards two weeks ago, the second leg at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium could parrot last year’s East Division semifinal, when the Lions were routed 50-17 in the final game of Mike Benevides’ coaching career. Could Jeff Tedford find his name on the endangered list too?
Pick: Alouettes
SUNDAY
Winnipeg at Saskatchewan, 4 p.m.,
TSN: This is one Labour Day Classic that promises to be labour-intensive for the television viewer. After all, how do you hype a game between the 0-9 Roughriders and the 3-6 Blue Bombers, who’ve given up more points than any team in the league — except (ta-da) Saskatchewan? TSN’s Game of the Weak features the head coaching debut of Bob Dyce, the Roughriders’ special teams coordinator who replaced fired head coach Corey Chamblin on Monday. With professional dignity at stake, the Riders should be motivated.
Pick: Roughriders
MONDAY
Toronto at Hamilton, 1 p.m., TSN: If the Blue Jays keep playing like World Series contenders, the basement tenant at Rogers Centre — the Argos — could find themselves calling Tim Hortons Field home for a couple of games in October. Until then, the Ticats’ den is a decidedly unfriendly place for Toronto, although no longer a Never Win Stadium for visitors. The Alouettes were able to sack Zach Collaros six times in a 26-23 win over the Tabbies a week ago, ending Hamilton’s undefeated home streak at 10. The surprising Argos got to 6-3 the hard way with a series of second-half comebacks. Their luck runs out.
Pick: Tiger-Cats
Edmonton at Calgary, 4:30 p.m.,
TSN: “His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy. There’s vomit on his sweater already.” Eminem probably never played the position (we don’t think), but his graphic lyrics might describe the pressure cooker facing young quarterbacks. Relying on a third-stringer normally is a sign of desperation. But Eskimos rookie James Franklin looked the part of a seasoned pro in his first career start, a 38-15 win over the Argos. The young man from Missouri has tools and size, but he’s taking a step up in class this week.
Pick: Stampeders
Bye: Ottawa Last Week: 2-2 Season: 22-18