Games of Week 4, July 5 - July 7, 2018

[WestCoastJoe]

Week 4 games ...

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[WestCoastJoe]

HAM @ SSK. Take the Ham.

OTT @ MTL. Gotta be Otta.

EDM @ TOR. Edmonton, somewhat reluctantly.

BC @ WPG. Can we compete? Can we win? It won't be easy. O'Shea's team plays very hard for him. LaPolice is a top level OC. Richie Hall is very good as DC. And their STs are still tricky. But we can win. How? LOL ... Ummm ... Jarious and Jonathon operate in unison. We attack the entire field. Our pass protection is good. LOL ... Ummm ... Mark W cooks up a good game plan. We get good individual coverage. We know our assignments. Rainey breaks one or two. We confuse the opponents' defence. Manny and Burnie get wide open, as happens very often to us, when teams attack our defence. We get on a roll. Yeah, that's the ticket. Take B.C.

[TheLionKing]

Hamilton, Ottawa, Edmonton and Winnipeg

[DanoT]

HAM @ SSK. Take the Ham.

OTT @ MTL. Gotta be Otta.

EDM @ TOR. Edmonton, somewhat reluctantly.

BC @ WPG. Can we compete? Can we win? It won't be easy. O'Shea's team plays very hard for him. LaPolice is a top level OC. Richie Hall is very good as DC. And their STs are still tricky. But we can win. How? LOL ... Ummm ... Jarious and Jonathon operate in unison. We attack the entire field. Our pass protection is good. LOL ... Ummm ... Mark W cooks up a good game plan. We get good individual coverage. We know our assignments. Rainey breaks one or two. We confuse the opponents' defence. Manny and Burnie get wide open, as happens very often to us. We get on a roll. Yeah, that's the ticket. Take B.C.

I am concerned that Bombers will attack Marcel Young. We could play Manny at his CB spot because, football is a copy cat game and look at the Riders, and Jones is a genius with a plan and...never mind.

[WestCoastJoe]

https://www.cfl.ca/2018/07/03/nissan-ti ... ted-slump/

NISSAN TITAN POWER RANKINGS: RIDERS FACING UNEXPECTED SLUMP
Arthur Ward/CFL.ca

CFL.CA STAFF
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TORONTO — With their first five games against East Division opponents, including three at home, many had the Riders pegged for a fast start in 2018.

Things have changed in three weeks, with Chris Jones’ team dropping back-to-back games in losses to Ottawa and Montreal.

Many are tracing the team’s struggles to an injured Zach Collaros, or the team’s decision to play Duron Carter on defence following an injury to starting corner Nick Marshall. More likely, however, the Riders’ struggles can be traced to their carelessness with the football.

While being outscored 63-34 over their last two games, the Riders have turned the ball over a league-worst eight times. Their nine turnovers on the season put them in the CFL basement, while their minus-four ratio is also good for ninth overall.

There’s still plenty of time to respond for a team that bordered on elite throughout much of the 2017 season. But for now, the Riders are falling fast.

More in this week’s Nissan Titan Power Rankings:

Header_CFLPowerRankings
1. Calgary Stampeders
Record: 3-0
Last Week: 1
It hasn’t always been pretty for Dave Dickenson’s team, but a younger, more athletic Stamps team has raced off to a 3-0 start, including victories over the last two teams that beat them in the Grey Cup. More than a third of Calgary’s points have come off a league-leading nine takeaways, as the Stamps continue to make big plays on both sides of the ball. Of course, it helps that they remain unbeatable at McMahon Stadium.

2. Edmonton Eskimos
Record: 2-1
Last Week: 2
Kind of like flipping a switch, Mike Reilly‘s two touchdown drives near the end of the first half erased a 12-point deficit, eventually setting up a 41-22 win over the BC Lions. What’s scary about the Eskimos is they’ve once again overcome some significant injuries on the back end of their defence, while, even without Brandon Zylstra and Adarius Bowman, they have one of the scariest offences in the CFL with the dynamic duo of Duke Williams and Derel Walker.

3. Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Record: 2-1
Last Week: 3
The Ticats could easily be 3-0 this season, but they’ll take a 2-1 start to considering their opponents. In fact, many had this team pegged for an 0-3 opening when the schedule first came out and revealed three tough western opponents. Despite trailing early, June Jones’ team was calm and composed and the outcome was never in doubt throughout a 31-17 win over Winnipeg, as the early East Division leaders continue to display the mark of a true contender.

4. Ottawa REDBLACKS
Record: 1-1
Last Week: 4
A week after dominating Saskatchewan in a season-opening win, the REDBLACKS passed on their opportunity to make a bold statement with their visit to McMahon. The offence fell flat in a 24-14 loss to Calgary, led by Trevor Harris and his 13-of-29 performance that included some key misses. Still, you have to consider the opponent, and Ottawa has played well in its last 10 games, which is why the REDBLACKS stay put at No. 4.

5. Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Record: 1-2
Last Week: 5
Rookie quarterback Chris Streveler came down to earth in Week 3, throwing for 146 yards in a 31-17 loss to the Ticats. The Bombers have played it safe with their young pivot, who’s maintained a solid 6-2 touchdown to interception ratio but has averaged a meager 6.7 yards per attempt. An upcoming home-and-home could define the Bombers’ season, as they need to continue treading water in the absence of Matt Nichols.

6. BC Lions
Record: 1-2
Last Week: 8
Jonathon Jennings just couldn’t hang with Mike Reilly, as the Eskimos erased an early lead and never looked back on the way to a 41-22 win over BC. The Lions have shown some improvement early in 2018 but if Friday’s game was a measuring stick, it showed that they aren’t quite there yet. An upcoming home-and-home with Winnipeg, which doesn’t have Matt Nichols right now, could set the tone for what’s to come.

7. Toronto Argonauts
Record: 0-2
Last Week: 7
There will be plenty of emotions when the Argos come off their bye to begin a home-and-home with the Edmonton Eskimos Saturday afternoon. The Boatmen will be playing with injured quarterback Ricky Ray in mind, while also looking to avoid an 0-3 start. Then there’s James Franklin, who’s finally getting his opportunity as a starter, and against his former team at that. Can Franklin provide the spark the Argos need?

8. Montreal Alouettes
Record: 1-2
Last Week: 9
With their first win in nearly a year, the Alouettes have moved up in both the power rankings and, more importantly, the East Division standings. Saturday’s win over the Riders brings some optimism, but it should be cautious, as it’s not often a team wins in the CFL with just 10 first downs. The Als could also be without starting quarterback Drew Willy for a little while after he was injured in the third quarter and didn’t return.

9. Saskatchewan Roughriders
Record: 1-2
Last Week: 6
Three weeks after opening the season with a win and vaulting to the top-three, the Riders fall to the bottom of the Nissan Titan Power Rankings following a home loss to the Montreal Alouettes. On paper this team is far too talented to lag at the bottom of the league, but quarterback play and ball security have eluded them on the way to a disappointing 1-2 start.

[WestCoastJoe]

Moving up in the world. We lose, and our ranking improves. Ha ha

Ahead of the Argos, Alouettes and Riders. One can see that.

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[WestCoastJoe]

Writers' Picks. They are pretty much unanimous in going for the favourites.

I think there could be an upset or two.

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[WestCoastJoe]

https://www.cfl.ca/2018/07/04/predictio ... k-4-picks/

HAM at SSK
While the Roughriders try to work out their quarterbacking situation, Jeremiah Masoli continues to have the ‘holy moly’ factor in operating the Ticats offensive unit. In what has turned into a Canadian double-double in their backfield with the emergence of Mercer Timmis and Sean Thomas-Erlington just adds to the Hamilton offensive puzzle.

Nothing has been addressed regarding the Duron Carter situation. Is he on offence now? Is he still on defence? It’s a shoulder shrug. The Riders will need to get Jerome Messam rolling, however, to aid in the development and confidence with Brandon Bridge.

PICK

Writers: 100% Hamilton

Fans: 78% Hamilton

OTT at MTL
The Montreal Alouettes snapped a losing streak that no one would have liked to endure. A large factor in doing so was the connection between QB Drew Willy and WR Chris Williams. The only issue with that moving forward is that Drew Willy left the game and Jeff Mathews has been getting first-team reps so far this week at practice.

As for the REDBLACKS, Montreal gives them an opportunity to bounce back from the pounding they received from the Stampeders last week. It’ll also be the REDBLACKS first eastern opponent this season. Trevor Harris and William Powell may just have themselves a night.

PICK

Writers: 100% Ottawa

Fans: 96% Ottawa

EDM at TOR
The James Franklin era gets underway with him at the helm of the Argonauts offence, and what better way to get it started than against his former team.

The Argonauts have struggled so far this season and have looked nothing like the team that hoisted the Grey Cup last November. That being said, fresh off of a bye week, the talk surrounding James Franklin is intriguing and could be the spark the Boatmen are looking for.

Be like Mike? The reigning MOP had a gradual take off before heaving bombs on the BC Lions defence last week. Mike Reilly and the Eskimos will visit BMO Field with the hope of having a similar performance in what will be the first of a back-to-back series against the Argos.

PICK

Writers: 83% Edmonton

Fans: 91% Edmonton

BC @ WPG
Both teams are coming off of losses from Week 3.

No word on whether Chris Streveler will be the signal-caller for the Blue Bombers or whether Matt Nichols will be returning to the lineup after seeing his team get out to a 1-2 start on the season. Both quarterbacks were splitting reps with the starters at practice.

Andrew Harris is likely licking his lips after seeing CJ Gable run rampant on the Lions defence. That being said, Jeremiah Johnson and Chris Rainey are probably doing the same thing after the Blue Bombers allowed the Ticats to slice through them last week.

PICK

Writers: 100% Winnipeg

Fans: 78% Winnipeg

[WestCoastJoe]

https://www.cfl.ca/2018/07/04/ordinary- ... uo-rarity/

OUT OF THE ORDINARY: TICATS CANADIAN RB DUO A RARITY

KRISTINA COSTABILE

After the Hamilton Tiger-Cats win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers last week, head coach June Jones laughed when he was asked by the media if he had a third Canadian running back buried somewhere on his roster.

While the team likely doesn’t have a third tailback with a Canadian passport, they do have two that are turning heads around the Canadian Football League.

In Week 2, Burlington native Mercer Timmis broke onto the scene against the Edmonton Eskimos, running the ball 17 times for 133 yards and two touchdowns. The very next week, Sean Thomas Erlington, a 25-year-old from Montreal, tallied 11 carries for 92 yards against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Timmis found the end zone twice more.

With his big stature, Timmis is listed at six-foot-two and 220 pounds, Jones has started to utilize the 24-year-old in red zone and short yardage situations. Thomas Erlington is on the smaller side at five-foot-nine, and is listed as a slotback, so his ability to run routes effectively, while also beating defensive backs, is what has made him so effective carrying the rock in tandem with Timmis.

“To me that kind of means between Mercer and between Sean Thomas Erlington, it’s not like they’re a fad,” said CFL.ca’s Marshall Ferguson. “It’s not like they’ve just popped up for a couple games and are going to leave. They’re both developing skill sets that should last them in the CFL. They both have the type of body that can take the kind of beating that a running back takes week in and week out.”

The running back position in the CFL is primarily filled by Americans. Just two Canadians – Saskatchewan’s Jerome Messam and Winnipeg’s Andrew Harris – are established starters at the position.

And that’s what makes the duel Canadians emerging in Hamilton so interesting.

“It’s super, super rare to have one Canadian,” said Ferguson. “Let alone two of them.”

So rare, in fact, that there has only been three times (including the Ticats duo to start this season) in the last 26 years that any team has had more than one Canadian running back rush for more than 90 yards in a game in that particular season.

The last time this occurred was in 2015 with the Calgary Stampeders, where Messam, Jon Cornish and Matt Walter all shared duties out of the back field. Before that was in 2014, again in Calgary, between Cornish and Walter.

Between 1993 and 2014? It never happened.

According to Steve Daniel, the CFL’s resident stats guru, having two Canadian backs taking turns as the number one run option on the same team rarely happens.

One of the best comparisons came with Cornish from 2012 to 2015 and his backup in Calgary, Walter. Walter started twice for Calgary but only when Cornish was injured. While technically Walter started two contests for the Stampeders, he was still considered a backup to the team’s true No. 1 in the backfield.

Harris and Messam were both on the Lions roster in 2010 but they were there together as backups before really getting a chance to play. BC also had Sean Millington as their starter with Mark Nohra as his backup for several years in the early 2000s.

While neither Timmis or Thomas Erlington have been listed as starters on the team’s depth chart – in both Week 2 and 3 it was Nikita Whitlock that was listed ahead of Timmis while Thomas Erlington was listed at slotback – they are both capable of becoming one.

Thomas Erlington had his athletic ability on display at Tim Hortons Field last weekend with his spectacular hurdle over Bombers safety Taylor Loffler and spinning off defenders left and right. He didn’t find the end zone – the ball was handed off to Timmis instead for two short yardage touchdowns – but he showed off just how effective he could be as a part of their offence.

“There was a couple of times that he was spinning in the middle of a hole, which was kind of dangerous,” said Ferguson, explaining what he liked about Thomas Erlington. “There was another time where he does a hurdle down the middle of the field. He kind of ran recklessly but he ran with a purpose everywhere that he went.”

Timmis, on the other hand, has the size to be physical to go along with the ability to get up to speed quickly. That’s a winning combination that Ferguson saw during Timmis’ days as a member of the Calgary Dinos.

“People don’t realize until you stand next to Mercer that he’s at least like six-foot-two, 220 pounds,” said Ferguson. “Which for a Canadian running back is ridiculous in terms of size, speed, quickness. It kind of makes you understand when you watch him (while he was at) the University of Calgary, why he looked like a man playing against a bunch of kids.”

It’s still early in the season, and a lot of things could change in the Tiger-Cats backfield – running back John White is listed third on Hamilton’s depth chart ahead of their contest against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, adding another piece to the puzzle. If Timmis and Thomas Erlington continue their stellar play deep into the season, that’s when they could be considered a duel Canadian threat.

“If they both play 14 games or more, that would be a huge success,” said Ferguson.

“And at that point I would consider them a one-two-punch.”

I would attribute this to June Jones seeing talent where it is, not going by stereotypical thinking. And he finds ways to get production out of individuals. It is good to see Canadians playing at all positions in the CFL, even running back and quarterback.

[TheLionKing]

Hamilton takes an early 3-0 on the opening drive

[TheLionKing]

Missed field goal goes for a single. 4-0

[TheLionKing]

Brandon Bridge played the first quarter and had one first down. David Watford now in as quarterback

[TheLionKing]

Brandon Bridge now back in the game

[TheLionKing]

Bridge fumbles on the goal line, Hamilton recovers

[TheLionKing]

Charleston Hughes knocks the fooball out of Masoli's hands, recovers the football and scores a touchdown. Convert missed 6-4