(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Week one of the CFL season has come and gone, and with it, we have begun to learn a bit more about each team.
In the pre-season, we only see a mere glimpse of what each team has to offer. This often leads to a few surprises in the first week. I also found it made some games a bit harder to predict because we hadn’t seen any team in action yet.
Some teams are happy with the first impressive they’ve made so far.
Others are hoping they just had opening day jitters.
Take the Hamilton Tiger Cats, for example. They opened the season with yet another disappointing loss, this one at the hands of the Toronto Argonauts. Hamilton needs to win this week to show fans that they aren’t the same Tiger Cats of old.
On the flip side, there are teams like the Toronto Argonauts and Saskatchewan Roughriders, out to prove that their week one wins weren’t flukes. A win in week two would make a strong case for either of these teams.
When week two comes to a close, we may get a better idea about how each team will fare in the upcoming season. Games this early in the season are crucial for teams looking to build a strong identity.
Some teams will fall in a hole early at 0-2, some will strike even at 1-1, and others will sit on their throne at 2-0.
Last week, I went 3-1 with my predictions, and this week I feel more confident. In fact, I would go so far as to guarantee I will be flawless this week.
Prediction Time
Every week I will predict the winners of each game. Disagree with my picks? Comment down below with your picks and see if you can do better.
Thursday July 9th
Game One: Montreal Alouettes vs. Edmonton Eskimos
In a battle of two 1-0 clubs, the winner of this game may sit alone atop the standings in their division.
Moreso, this game will feature two of the most dangerous quarterbacks in the league.
The veteran gunslinger Anthony Calvillo will look to continue his early season success. On the other side, Ricky Ray will look to play a little better than in week one, where he was by no means flawless.
Montreal ran over the Calgary Stampeders in their first game, using both the running and passing game effectively. The Als scored 17 unanswered points to start off the game. So how can Edmonton hope to stop Montreal on offense?
Luckily for Edmonton, they did look very impressive on defense in week one, especially their front seven. They generated a lot of sacks and tackles in the backfield against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Usually, a defense tries to focus on one area of the opposing offense, but this would be a mistake against the Als. Edmonton needs to focus on playing smart all-around defense. They need to flow to Avon Cobourne whenever he runs the ball and gang tackle him. When Anthony Calvillo drops back to throw, Edmonton needs to generate pressure to throw the veteran pivot off of his game.
Unfortunately, this is easier said than done.
Without Jesse Lumsden carrying the ball, the Eskimos will need to look to new means on the ground, whether it be Arkee Whitlock or Calvin McCarty. If the Eskimos are one-dimensional on offense they will struggle.
In the passing game, Ricky Ray needs to test Montreal deep. Edmonton was too complacent against the Bombers and they only scored 19 points.
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