CFL.ca Game Notes: Comebacks galore

TORONTO — It is the season of comebacks.

Out of 16 games played in 2024 so far, 13 featured a team trailing at some point in the game before capturing the win. Add to that the fact that in Week 4, three of the four games were decided on a walk-off field goal and you already have more than enough reason as to why you should never miss a CFL game.

That means four more exciting matchups to look forward to this week, starting on Thursday when the Toronto Argonauts face the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Mosaic Stadium. It’ll be Corey Mace and AJ Ouellete’s first game against the Argonauts after a successful stint with the Double Blue. The Riders will start quarterback Shea Patterson after starter Trevor Harris was placed in the six-game injured list.

Friday features the second time quarterback Dru Brown and the Ottawa REDBLACKS face the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2024. Brown led his team to a 23-19 win over the Bombers in Week 2 and will look to move his team to 3-1 with a win. Winnipeg is still looking for its first win of the season and could be without quarterback Zach Collaros, who was listed as questionable for the game. Backup Chris Streveler would be first in line to lead the Blue and Gold in case Collaros is not ready to go.

The weekend offers a matchup between the Calgary Stampeders and the Montreal Alouettes on Saturday, followed by a battle between the BC Lions and Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday. The Alouettes are riding a 12-game winning streak but six of the last seven games between the two teams have gone down to the final three minutes. It’ll be a Philpot-on-Philpot battle as twins Jalen and Tyson matchup for the first time in 2024.

Sunday’s game features the two most explosive offences in the CFL over the first four weeks of the season. BC is first with a net offence average of 408 yards per game, while Hamilton is second with 391. Despite similar offensive success, the Lions have won three of their four games while the Tiger-Cats have yet to add to the win column. The team is hoping Bo Levi Mitchell‘s 11-6 career record against BC helps the team get things going in 2024. Who is going to come out on top?

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WINNING RECIPE

• Teams that have better field position in a game are 12-4.
• Only three teams committing more turnovers have won a game this year (3-10).
• Teams that allow less sacks in a game are 10-2.
• Teams with a higher second-down conversion rate are 12-4.
• Teams that made more BIG plays are 11-4.
• The least penalized team has won the last six games in a row.

QUICK SLANTS

League-Wide

• It’s the first time in league history that there have been three teams with a 0-4 record.
• Three games last week were decided on a walk-off field goal.
• The average margin of victory this season is 7.7 points.
• In Week 4, there were 16 lead changes.
• Sacks are down 33 per cent compared to last year – one in every 22 dropbacks compared to 1 in every 13 last season.
• Through 16 games, 13 teams have trailed and came back to win.
• Kickers are six-for-six on 50+ yard field goal attempts.

TOR at SSK

• Saskatchewan’s quarterback Shea Patterson looks to make his first CFL start.
• The last five Roughrider quarterbacks to make their first start with the team are 1-4 (Trevor Harris won his first game last year).
• The Roughriders are looking to start 4-0 for the first time since 2013.
• Saskatchewan has outscored its opponents in the fourth quarter 48-16.
• Off a bye week, the Roughriders are 8-3 since 2018.
• Toronto (+3) and Saskatchewan (+5) are two of three teams with a plus turnover ratio.
• Former Argonaut, and current Roughriders’ running back, AJ Ouellette (1,944) needs 56 rushing yards for 2,000 in his career.
• Toronto has won the last four matchups against Saskatchewan.
• Ryan Dinwiddie is 10-2 following a loss. In his 53 games coached, he’s had only two consecutive losses.
• Toronto’s running back Ka’Deem Carey leads the league with 230 rushing yards and 10 runs of 10+ yards.

OTT at WPG

• REDBLACKS’ quarterback Dru Brown makes his return to Winnipeg after spending three seasons with the team.
• Ottawa is looking to win both games versus Winnipeg this season for the first time since 2015.
• The REDBLACKS have won their last two meetings in Winnipeg.
• Blue Bombers’ linebacker Adam Bighill (906) recorded eight defensive tackles to surpass 900 in his career last week.
• Winnipeg’s Sergio Castillo’s 60-yard field goal last week is a club record and tied for the second-longest in CFL history.
• The Blue Bombers lost their last three games by a total of nine points.
• If Chris Streveler starts at quarterback for Winnipeg, it will be his 13th start in the CFL (4-8).
• In the first meeting between both clubs in Week 2, Ottawa came back after trailing heading into the fourth quarter. Ottawa was led by Justin Hardy with 111 yards on seven catches and 95 rushing yards by Ryquell Armstead.

CGY at MTL

• The two teams have split the last 16 matchups since 2014.
• Six of the last seven games between the two teams have gone down to the final three minutes.
• Stampeders’ quarterback Jake Maier is 1-2 versus Montreal, while Cody Fajardo is 2-0 as the Alouettes’ quarterback versus Calgary.
• Montreal looks to extend its club-record winning streak of nine regular season games.
• Calgary’s next win will give head coach Dave Dickenson 82 wins, tying him with George Brancato for 15th all-time.
• Maier (8,674) is 11th on the all-time Calgary passing yards list. Next is his coach, Dave Dickenson (9,340).
• Fajardo has eight touchdown passes this year in four games. He didn’t reach that mark until 10 games into the 2023 season.
• Alouettes’ receiver Tyson Philpot has four touchdown receptions through four games this season. The Canadian record is 17, set by Terry Evanshen in 1967.
• Montreal’s fullback Alexandre Gagné (98) needs two more special teams tackles for 100 in his career.
• Calgary’s linebacker Cameron Judge’s (299) next defensive tackle will be his 300^th.

BC at HAM

• The top two offences meet in Hamilton; BC is first with a net offence average of 408 yards per game, while Hamilton is second with 391.
• Lions’ quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. is averaging 342 passing yards a game this season.
• During BC’s three-game winning streak, Adams has five TD passes and zero interceptions.
• Lions’ receiver Alexander Hollins leads the CFL with 457 yards and 40 targets.
• Each of BC’s games this season have been decided in the final three minutes (3-1).
• Lions’ kicker Sean Whyte brings a career-high made-field goal streak of 29.
• BC’s running back William Stanback (3,945) needs 55 rushing yards to reach 4,000 in his career.
• Hamilton has won three of the last four games against BC at Tim Hortons Field, and five of the last seven games between the two clubs.
• Tiger-Cats’ quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell has a career 11-6 record versus BC.
• Mitchell (34,869) passed Michael Reilly (34,805) and Dieter Brock (34,830) to move into 13th on the all-time passing yards list.
• Hamilton’s receiver Tim White (243) needs seven more receptions for 250 in his career. Last week, he registered his 14th career 100+ yard game.