CFL Quarterly Update: Can’t Take The ‘Win’ Out of Winnipeg

Blue Bombers Remain Unbeatable

With this CFL quarterly update, there isn’t much change at the top. The two-time defending Grey Cup Champions, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are still the cream of the crop as the only team at 5-0. Winnipeg ousted the upstart BC Lions as an underdog if you can believe that. The Lions were on a tear and looked unbeatable. And then Winnipeg humbled them.

Winnipeg’s 43-22 romp over BC in their own stadium was more than just a statement. It was the Bombers finally getting in sync on offense. Quarterback Zach Collaros threw for three touchdowns to no picks while the Bombers’ defense picked off Nathan Rourke twice and forced four turnovers in total.

Maybe Winnipeg just needed time to gel on offense. Or maybe, Winnipeg just needed a bit more motivation to get things going. The CFL betting odds still have Winnipeg as the favorite to win the Grey Cup. A “three-peat” is highly unlikely as no team has done it in 40 years. But given how Winnipeg is playing, can anyone doubt them?

West is Best: Fine Line Separates Contenders From ‘Pretenders’

The Lions are still a formidable team despite getting schooled by the Bombers. BC still has the most points in the CFL and is averaging nearly 40 a game. Rourke has emerged as a Most Outstanding Player (MOP) contender and the team has improved significantly on both sides of the ball. The team gets a bye week to regroup and then it has a solid shot to restart its electric offense against the struggling Tiger-Cats on Week 7.

The jury is still out on whether BC is a legitimate contender or a pretender that has just been exposed. But one team that is a resurgent contender is Calgary. The Stampeders annihilated their provincial rivals 49-6. Of course, Edmonton remains a doormat of a team but Calgary is the only other unbeaten team in the CFL. They test their mettle when they meet the Bombers in what should be a heavyweight matchup.

Not to be forgotten, are the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Craig Dickenson’s crew avenged their loss in Montreal by blowing them out in return. Their running game was dominant and they forced the Alouettes to five turnovers. If you bet on Canadian football, don’t ignore the Roughriders as they could be the greatest threat to Winnipeg’s title.

With Edmonton, there aren’t too many positive things to say. They won a game! While that was short-lived, the Elks look to Taylor Cornelius to lead the offense. If he’s the answer, Edmonton may just come away from this CFL quarterly update as a slightly better team.

The “LEast” Division: Eastern Teams Struggling

Moving East, things are not looking quite as stellar. There is no winning team among the four East Division squads. Nada. The good news for all of them is that at least one gets to go to the playoffs by way of winning the division. Yes, even the winless Tiger-Cats and Redblacks can still emerge as the division winner if they start notching some ‘W’s.

Hamilton and Ottawa are both struggling to put points on the board. They are last and second-last in points scored in the league. With Tiger-Cats, the turnover differential is a real issue. Quarterback Dane Evans is turning the ball over a lot while their defense is struggling to get sacks or takeaways.

In Ottawa, things got a bit bleaker as QB Jeremiah Masoli was hurt. It forced the team to trade for Nick Arbuckle. It may be time to fade the Redblacks after this CFL quarterly update.

The division could be decided between the Argonauts and Alouettes. Toronto was this close to ending Winnipeg’s undefeated streak. But if that game is a sign of where things are, the Argonauts are trending. The team will need to put together a complete performance and they need it quick as they face Saskatchewan in consecutive weeks.

For Montreal, the team fired both head coach Khari Jones and defensive coordinator Barron Miles citing “lack of discipline” as the cause. If Montreal’s new coaching staff can get this team to be more focused, Montreal may well just own the division.