It’s time to get set for another week of exciting CFL football.
Week 8 kicks off in Montreal as the Alouettes welcome the Saskatchewan Roughriders to town for a heavyweight battle on Thursday.
Then things move to the nation’s capital as the Ottawa REDBLACKS host the Calgary Stampeders on Friday Night Football.
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Saturday’s matchup features the Toronto Argonauts and Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Week 8 wraps up in Edmonton as the Elks open their doors to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
With Thursday night’s kickoff just around the corner, I have a storyline to watch in every game this week.
THE BATTLE OF THE 5-1 SQUADS
Saskatchewan at Montreal | Thursday, July 25 | 7:30 p.m. ET
This, to me, is the game of the week as a pair of teams sporting a 5-1 record go head-to-head in Montreal.
With both teams rolling with their backups (Trevor Harris is still recovering from an injury obtained earlier in the season and Cody Fajardo has been placed on the six-game injured list) I think this one comes down to the defences. Two defences that have the best in the league so far this season.
Caleb Evans, who will be getting the start in place of Fajardo, will have a tough task throwing against a Riders defence that despite giving up the most passing yards in the CFL (328.2 per game), leads the way in interceptions (12) and turnovers forced (19). They also boast the best run defence in the league, holding opponents to just 50.3 yards per game on the ground, limiting what Evans and running back Walter Fletcher can do on the ground.
The Alouettes, who have the league’s second-best turnover ratio (+6) and is the best at defending the pass (league-low 223.3 yards per game), will look to hold Shea Patterson at bay. Montreal gives up the second-most rush yards per game (109.0) but with Saskatchewan without AJ Ouellette this week, it’ll be interesting to see how they fair with a different running back in the backfield.
This sounds like the makings of a fantastic battle that you won’t want to miss.
THEY’RE GETTING HOT, HOT, HOT
Calgary at Ottawa | Friday, July 26 | 7:30 p.m. ET
Don’t look now, but the Ottawa REDBLACKS are getting hot.
The REDBLACKS have won three of their last four contests and now sit with a 4-2 record, just two points behind Montreal for the top spot in the East. They defeated the Edmonton Elks two weeks in a row (Week 6 and Week 7) and prior to a Week 5 loss to Winnipeg, beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Week 4.
This week is their toughest test since Week 3 when they took on Montreal, as they welcome the Calgary Stampeders (3-3) to town on Friday.
An interesting note is that Jake Maier and co. have not won a game away from McMahon Stadium this year (0-3) while Dru Brown and his team have yet to lose at TD Place (3-0).
A SENSATIONAL RETURNER
Winnipeg at Toronto | Saturday, July 27 | 7:00 p.m. ET
What a season Janarion Grant is having with the Toronto Argonauts.
He’s returned a kick for a touchdown in each of his last three games; he scored a punt return touchdown in Week 5 against Saskatchewan, a kickoff return touchdown in Week 6 against Montreal and another major on a punt return in Week 7 against the Tiger-Cats.
The speedy returner is also leading the CFL in punt return yards (474) and combined yards (1,074) and is just eight yards behind Terry Williams for most kickoff return yards (531).
As he eyes his fourth return TD in as many games, Grant is also getting set to play his old team for the first time since his departure. The 30-year-old spent four seasons with the Bombers before signing with Toronto as a free agent this off-season.
THE BUTLER IS DOING IT
Hamilton at Edmonton | Sunday, July 28 | 7:00 p.m. ET
Last week against Toronto, James Butler had 103 combined yards; 50 yards and a touchdown on the ground to go along with 53 yards receiving (51 YAC).
And that wasn’t the first time that the Ticats running back has been used in both capacities, either.
In Week 5 against the BC Lions, head coach and offensive coordinator Scott Milanovich used Butler almost evenly in the run and pass game. He had nine catches (11 targets) for 108 yards receiving and a touchdown and had nine carries for 27 yards.
His best game on the ground was in Week 1 against the Calgary Stampeders (13 carries for 119 yards) and he’ll look to try to replicate that, as well as catching passes from Bo Levi Mitchell, against an Elks defence that gives up 94.2 yards per game on the ground.