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Grey Cup rematch headlines Week 8 CFL action on TSN
Week 8 of the CFL season has arrived with four days of action coming up on TSN. The week begins with a bang on Thursday as the Montreal Alouettes travel to Calgary to take on the Stampeders.
Week 8 of the CFL season has arrived with four days of action coming up on TSN.
The week begins with a bang on Thursday as the Montreal Alouettes travel to Calgary to take on the Stampeders.
Then, Friday Night Football features the Saskatchewan Roughriders playing host to the West’s worst in the Edmonton Elks.
The weekend will see a rematch of last year’s Grey Cup with the Toronto Argonauts travelling to take on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, all before two high-powered passing attacks close out the week as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and BC Lions clash at BC Place.
Watch every CFL game LIVE on TSN, with Data Enhanced feeds available on TSN+.
Alouettes vs. Stampeders
Kicking off Week 8, the Stampeders will look to keep the good times rolling as they play host to the Alouettes.
This game is going to be won or lost along the ground, as the CFL’s best in the running game Stampeders tussle with the league’s best at defending the run in the Alouettes.
Calgary has been running all over teams this season, and it’s thanks to the dynamic back field of running back Dedrick Mills and quarterback Vernon Adams Jr.
The 28-year-old Mills has emerged as a top back north of the border, leading the league in yards per game (77.7), touchdowns (five) and rushes of 10 or more yards (14). Adams has also been a threat along the ground, sitting in the top 15 in rushing yards with 132, while sitting second in yards per carry with 8.3 (minimum 15 carries).
They’ll go up against their hardest challenge yet as Montreal’s defensive line is loaded, with Shawn Oakman, Lwal Uguak, and last year’s Most Outstanding Canadian runner-up Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund, just to name a few. They have been dominant at the line of scrimmage, allowing a league-low 69.8 rushing yards per game while leading the CFL in sacks with 16.
What Montreal does offensively is the question, as starter Davis Alexander has hit the six-game injured list thanks to a hamstring injury that has been nagging the gunslinger all season.
Instead, it will be McLeod Bethel-Thompson making his third start of the year. The veteran is 0-2 as a starter this season as he will try to lead the Alouettes to victory over a Stampeders team that has won three in a row and is off to their best start since their Grey Cup0winning season in 2014.
Elks vs. Roughriders
Friday Night Football features the Elks looking to get back on track against one of the CFL’s best in the Roughriders.
It’s a Christmas in July-themed game at Mosaic Stadium and Elks fans will be hoping for a Christmas miracle after a 1-4 start.
Who starts at quarterback for Edmonton in this one is the biggest question. Per TSN’s Farhan Lalji, both Tre Ford and Cody Fajardo have been splitting first team reps throughout practice this week and appear to be competing for the starting quarterback spot.
Ford, who among starters has recorded the least amount of passing yards per game and touchdowns, could potentially lose his spot to former Rider Fajardo.
Whomever is at the helm, it will be interesting to see how they do against a Saskatchewan pass defence that has been suspect.
The Roughriders sit second last in passing yards and passing touchdowns allowed, only better than the team they are playing, the Elks, who sit dead last in both categories.
This could potentially be an air duel as Roughriders quarterback Trevor Harris is coming off a second straight PFF offensive player of the week honour after completing 23 of 30 passes for 395 yards in Saskatchewan's 33-27 win over the BC Lions.
Blue Bombers vs. Argonauts
The Blue Bombers will look to get revenge for last year's Grey Cup loss as they travel to take on the struggling Argonauts.
Winnipeg and Toronto both enter the game with quarterback concerns.
Bombers starter Zach Collaros was forced out of last week’s 41-20 loss to the Stampeders after he took a big hit on a throw that was intercepted. The 36-year-old veteran stayed down on the field for a minute before walking off with team trainers.
There has been good news for Winnipeg fans this week however, as Collaros took part in practice on Tuesday, though it remains unclear whether or not the former Most Outstanding Player will suit up.
For Toronto, their star slinger Chad Kelly also practised with the team on Tuesday, but it was Nick Arbuckle who took first-team reps, according to Lalji.
Kelly, 31, has yet to appear with the Argonauts this season after sustaining a serious leg injury during last season's East Division final against the Alouettes.
Arbuckle has led Toronto to a 1-5 record in place of Kelly, putting up just 308 net offensive yards per game.
Both teams are on losing streaks and will look to get back on track.
Tiger-Cats vs Lions
Wrapping up week 8 is two high-powered passing attacks as The Tiger-Cats travel to take on the Lions.
While there are quarterback questions in every other matchup, rounding out the week is a pair of teams looking to air it out in the Tiger-Cats and Lions.
Hamilton is the hottest team in the CFL riding a four-game winning streak, mostly thanks to the dynamic duo of Bo Levi Mitchell and Kenny Lawler.
The Tiger-Cats have put up the most total offensive points (162) while Mitchell has been dicing, leading the CFL in passing yards and touchdowns while only having thrown two interceptions (the fewest among qualified quarterbacks).
The 35-year-old veteran pivot is in search of his fifth nomination for the MOP award and will be looking to join an exclusive list of three-time MOP winners (Doug Flutie, Anthony Calvillo, Jackie Parker, Russ Jackson), after winning in 2016 and 2018.
One of Mitchell’s biggest competitors for the award is his own teammate Lawler, who is on pace for record-breaking numbers.
The 31-year-old leads the three-down league in yards (644) and touchdowns (eight) and is on pace to set the record for most receiving touchdowns in a year (23) set by Milt Stegall in 2002.
The Lions will have to try and stop this duo that has taken over the CFL, but they might be the best equipped, allowing the least amount of passing yards per game (212.3) so far this season.
BC packs an offensive punch themselves, with Nathan Rourke back after missing two games to an oblique injury. Rourke has completed 70.1 per cent of his passes for 1,034 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions since his return, and has settled in very nicely over the last three games.
The Lions also feature five receivers in the top 18 in the CFL in receiving yards, with Keon Hatcher, Justin McInnis, and end zone magnet Stanley Berryhill III headlining the group.
It should be a very fun matchup to close out Week 8.