TORONTO — Week after week, CFL.ca’s writers send their picks in with at least a sense of what they think might happen in a league that’s difficult to predict at the best of times.
Every once in a while you get a stretch of days that absolutely no one could see coming.
It starts with last weeks’ opening game, that saw the Ottawa REDBLACKS and Saskatchewan Roughriders end up tied, 22-22.
Wins have been hard to come by for the writers this season and while no one directly picked a tie last week, no one was neither correct nor incorrect in their picks, so everyone got a win in their records.
The game was the league’s first tie since the 2017 season and, as you’ve probably heard by now, the last one happened in Ottawa as well. The REDBLACKS have been a part of the league’s last three tied games — the two previous with the Calgary Stampeders — in 2016 and 2017. It’s very fitting then, that the REDBLACKS and Stamps meet up this week. Don’t worry though, the game is in Calgary and these REDBLACK ties seem to only happen at TD Place.
The other bit of slightly-out-of-nowhere news came on Tuesday, when Nathan Rourke signed with the BC Lions. Rourke will join his new/former team on Wednesday and while it seems slightly far-fetched to think he’ll suit up and play on Sunday, the winner of the 2022 Most Outstanding Canadian award impacted a couple of our pick makers this week.
Let’s see what other curveballs Week 11 can throw at us.
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OTT at CGY
After a disappointing loss to the Argos, the Stamps head to the comforting confines of home, where they’re a perfect 4-0 this season. They’ll need that positive atmosphere to hold off a new look REDBLACKS team that will be led this week by veteran QB Jeremiah Masoli, who sees his first action of the season in the wake of Dru Brown‘s injury. Our writers see the Stamps defending their turf in the Week 11 opener.
PICK
Writers: 66% Calgary
MTL at SSK
The stage just may be shaping up to be perfectly set this week in Regina. Cody Fajardo is on the mend from a hamstring injury; Trevor Harris‘ knee injury may be behind him as he’s gotten back on the field this week with his teammates. Jason Maas is his usual passionate but measured self and is set for his — and Fajardo’s — return to Mosaic Stadium for the first time since the 2022 season. Harris, of course, spent a season and change in Montreal, before signing with the Riders in 2022. It just so happens that each team is atop of their respective divisions, despite all of those QB injuries. With AJ Ouellette also possibly getting back into the lineup for the Riders, we could have the makings of a heavyweight collision. Still, our writers — save for picks leader Jamie Nye — thinks the Als are winning this one.
PICK
Writers: 83% Montreal
EDM at HAM
From the top two teams in the league on Friday, we get the two teams with the worst records meeting on Saturday, but there’s plenty of intrigue in this one. Both 2-7, the Elks and Ticats have been sparked by a change at quarterback, with Tre Ford taking over the offence in Edmonton and Taylor Powell taking charge last week in Montreal, and starting in Week 11. The writers haven’t been shy in taking the Elks this year, even as their nail-biter losses mounted. While Ford’s status remains up in the air after leaving Sunday’s win in the second quarter, the writers are still picking the Elks to pick up their third straight win.
PICK
Writers: 83% Edmonton
WPG at BC
The buzz around the Lions was instant with the news of Nathan Rourke‘s return. While we wait to see if that will factor into things this week, a selection of our writers made a last-minute change and took the Lions to end their three-game slide and down the visiting Bombers. Put the 2024 record aside, though and remember that Mike O’Shea’s club is tough, tough team to face coming out of a bye week (11-0, per aforementioned picks leader Jamie Nye). Still, the Lions hype train has left the writers’ picks station, regardless of who’s got the start this week.
PICK
Writers: 66% BC