The Red Zone

Pick The Winners: Grey Cup

Bedell: Grey Cup Tale of the Tape

It's All About the Cup Now

Pick The Winners: Division Finals

Bedell: Playoffs?!? You Got That Right!

Pick The Winners: Division Semifinals Edition

Bedell: Statements Due

Gibson's Finest Going Down Pretty Smooth Again This Year

Pick The Winners: Week 19

Pick The Winners: Week 18

Power Rankings: Week 18

Pick The Winners: Week 17

Jockeying for Position

Pick The Winners: Week 16

Big Numbers in Bad Weather: Who To Watch For As Temperature Drops

TheScore.com — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:59:00 GMT

The CFL season culminates Sunday with the playing of the 97th Grey Cup in Calgary.

Here are our selections with a little logic to back each of them:

	Andy Baechler 44-28, 3-1	Jack Bedell 40-32, 2-2	D.J. Bennett 39-33, 1-3	Bob Coatsworth 43-29, 3-1	James Ladd 41-31, 3-1	Jann Shreve 43-29, 2-2
Montreal vs. Sask.

Andy: With the high-powered Montreal offence hogging most of the headlines, I'll be keeping a close eye on the Als defence (specifically the D-line) to make a difference on Sunday. John Bowman is tied for the league lead with 12 sacks, Anwar Stewart is my darkhorse pick for Canadian Player of the Game, and I expect the Als to stuff the Riders running game and run their way to a Grey Cup championship.

Jack: The Alouettes have been driven all season by the disappointment of losing last year's Grey Cup. And, more than anything, the team wants to finish its business this time. When you combine that kind of motivation and desire with the degree of talent the Als sport up and down their roster, you get a wins tally like they've achieved in 2009. Last week's beat down of the Lions showed Montreal won't lose momentum, and they won't lose the urgency they feel to bring the Cup home. The Roughriders are a championship-calibre team, for sure. I just feel it's Montreal's turn to make it happen.

DJ: I'm going with the Riders for two simple reasons. The fans and the homegrown talent. It's a much shorter trip from Saskatchewan than it is from Quebec. I think Rider Nation will be out in full force. Plus the best players on the Als are American. The local products have grown up dreaming of hoisting the Grey Cup and it means more to them.

Bob: Being a big Fantuz guy and considering the throngs of support the Riders have, I'd love to take the Riders. It's not happening though. You can't ignore how consistent this Als team has been end-to-end this season. This is not one of the past Montreal teams that have started fast and fallen short. Marc Trestman will have them ready. They'll be no letdown.

James: Best Record, Best Scoring Offence, Best Scoring Defence, Best Time of Possession, Best Total Offence, Best Pass Offence, Best Total Defence, Best Pass Defence, Best Run Defence, Best Turnover Differential; Better Run Defence, Better Pass Rush, Better Punt Average equals Grey Cup win for Montreal.

Jann: I'm going with Montreal to win the Grey Cup because this team hasn't behaved like the other teams that got to the dance and lost. This year they had a cut-throat mentality which they showed in the 56 points racked up with no remorse over a banged-up Lions squad. I think ultimately it's Montreal's sense of urgency that will put them over the top and get them holding the Cup this year.

DIVISION FINALS RECAP

Andy 2-0

Jack 2-0

DJ 0-2

Bob 2-0

James 1-1

Jann 2-0

Jack Bedell — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:49:00 GMT

With all the talent featured on both sides of the match up, the 97^th Grey Cup in Calgary between the Montreal Alouettes and the Saskatchewan Roughriders has all the makings of a heavyweight championship throwdown.

What can we expect when the Beast of the East meets the Best of the West?

Here’s my tale of the tape.

When the Alouettes Throw the Ball

The Riders bring serious pressure off the edge with John Chick and Stevie Baggs, and their secondary is stocked with ball-hawking vets like Lance Frazier, Tad Kornegay, Omarr Morgan, and Eddie Davis. But even with all that skill, it’ll be almost impossible to short-circuit Anthony Calvillo’s quick-release passing attack. Whether the balls coming out to Kerry Watkins, Jamel Richardson, Ben Cahoon, or Brian Bratton, you can bet the ball is coming out on time and on point.

Advantage: Montreal (but it’s close)

When the Alouettes Run the Ball

Despite the popular perception that Saskatchewan’s defence flows to the ball with speed and aggression, the Riders still fielded the CFL’s second-worst unit against the run this season, giving up nearly 124 yards per game. Avon Cobourne heads into the Grey Cup rested and eager to have a monster game for the Als. Whatever yards Cobourne is able rip off in between Calvillo’s passes will definitely keep the Riders’ D off balance, and just might be the difference between sustaining drives instead of punting for field position.

Advantage: Montreal

When the Roughriders Throw the Ball

The Als boast the stingiest pass defence in the league, giving up the fewest passing yards per game, allowing the fewest first downs through the air, and forcing the lowest percentage of completed passes. Combine those stats with the CFL’s second-highest interception total and most interception return yards, plus one of the fastest, most-atletic front fours in the league, and you’ve got the makings of a rough day for any QB. The Riders’ receivers have more than proven their ability to make clutch grabs, though. And Darian Durant is real baller who finds a way to push the ball up the field. Don’t let the stats fool you, Saskatchewan will find a way to throw the ball effectively.

Advantage: Montreal (close again, nearly a wash)

When the Roughriders Run the Ball

The prospects for moving the ball on the ground against the Als don’t get any prettier for Gang Green. Montreal’s D finished the year atop every meaningful statistical category against the run the league keeps, giving up the fewest rushing yards per game, for the fewest first downs, and for the lowest average gain per rush. Wes Cates is a game-breaker, and Durant is more than capable of biting off chunks of yardage out of the pocket. Grinding the ball against this Als defence is a tough proposition, however, any way you cut it.

Advantage: Montreal

Special Teams

In a game this evenly matched, special teams often play an integral role in providing a field position advantage through the kicking and return games. And it’s the case more often than not that those kinds of hidden yards tilt the field enough to determine the outcome in tight games. I just don’t see any real separation between the level of teams play between these two clubs, however. Damon Duval and Luca Congi are two of the CFL’s most consistent performers. Larry Taylor and Jason Armstead are two of the league’s most exciting return men. And both squads have excellent team speed to cover kicks.

Advantage: None

Coaching

As little separation as there is between these two franchises in terms of special teams, there’s even less in terms of the quality of coaching. Both Marc Trestman and Ken Miller have established themselves as two of the best head coaches the CFL has seen in years. Trestman and Miller are wonderful decision-makers and stable, logical game managers. Those talents are also evident up and down each team’s staffs of assistant coaches, particularly in the coordinator positions.

Advantage: Both

Intangibles

A lot of noise has been made about the Roughriders’ ubiquitous fan base taking over Calgary this week, giving Gang Green a home-field atmosphere. An equal amount of ink has been spilled detailing the Alouettes’ sense of urgency and their drive to finish business this year by bringing the Cup home. These are certainly two ball clubs playing the best team-oriented ball in the CFL this season, and both rosters are stocked with experienced, high-character players. One thing is for sure—both of these teams will show up to play.

Advantage: Too close to call

Final Scoreboard: 27-24, Alouettes take the Cup in a slugfest

Jack Bedell — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:11:00 GMT

A Hollywood screenwriter couldn’t have scripted a more characteristic set of divisional final victories than we saw last weekend.

First-place teams showing why they’re champions, players rising (and falling) to the occasion, maniac crowds willing their teams to victory, even a Hall-of-fame QB coming up as big as he’s ever been, exactly the way he was expected to perform.

They’ll be hard acts to follow for this weekend’s Grey Cup, for sure. But I’ve got more than a feeling Saskatchewan and Montreal are up for the task.

Probably the most shocking part of last weekend’s games for me was the play of the two visiting teams. Both B.C. and Calgary jumped out to early leads in their respective finals, but then the wheels really came off both squads. And old deficiencies reared up to sink the Lions and Stamps.

In B.C.’s case, the game really came down to the Lions’ inability to deal with the speed and disciplined aggression of the Alouettes’ defence. Aside from a quick score on a short field after Montreal muffed a punt, B.C. simply could not move the ball with any regularity against the Als’ D, neither through the air or on the ground. Casey Printers looked skittish facing the Als’ front seven, and the Lions’ run game was worse than non-existent. Couple all that with turnovers and a performance for the ages by sure-HOF QB Anthony Calvillo, and you get the 56-18 beat down we all witnessed.

For their part, the Calgary Stampeders got off to an excellent start in Saskatchewan behind tough running by Joffrey Reynolds. In fact, it looked for a bit like the Stamps had the field tilted their way after the first frame. But then the Riders’ super-sharp Canadian receiving corps and special team ace Jason Armstead took over. In front of as raucous a home crowd as I’ve ever seen, Darian Durant and the Riders’ offence applied serious pressure on Calgary’s D with clutch strikes into the Stamps’ man coverage. Once the points were evened at half-time, Gang Green unleashed its D on Henry Burris, forcing him into all-too-familiar turnovers, and all-too-characteristic bad decisions. And against this year’s scrappy Riders, in front of their 13^th man, those mistakes were lethal.

RED ZONE’S DIVISIONAL FINAL HEROES

1) Anthony Calvillo—CFL-record tying five majors in a playoff, 68% passing, 312 yards, that’s clutch

2) Jamel Richardson—five catches with two majors, and another TD off a blocked punt, he set the tone physically for the Als’ O

3) The Als’ Front Seven—four sacks, three forced fumbles, just plain mean

4) Chip Cox—10 tackles, a sack, chased everything that needed chasing, MONSTER

5) The Riders’ Receiving Corps—13 catches and three majors in the stat line doesn’t do justice to the day they had

6) Jason Armstead—gave his team a chance to take over the game with field position off his 75-yard return, not to mention that perfect option pass

7) Darian Durant—18 of 25 for 204 yards and three TDs without a single mistake, did all he could to win it for the Riders

8) Rey Williams—10 tackles and three sacks, are you kidding me?!? What a beast!

RED ZONE’S DIVISIONAL FINAL GOATS

1) Casey Printers—50% passing with 0 yards rushing, looked scared and confused much of the game, that’s the definition of coming up small in the big one

2) Lions’ Run Game—14 yards rushing with two fumbles won’t earn a championship bid, ever

3) B.C.’s Secondary—two words: “OVER MATCHED”

4) Calgary’s Secondary—you have to man up if you’re going to play man coverage, too loose and clueless covering Andy Fantuz, Chris Getzlaf, Rob Bagg, and co.

5) Henry Burris—three picks on forced balls, the game was in his hands in the second half, and he couldn’t make it happen, made it not happen, actually

6) Stamps’ Offensive Game Plan—the decision to take the ball out of Reynolds’ hands was fatal

HOW THE GREY CUP WILL GO DOWN

At first glance, this might just be the best combination of talent versus talent we’ve seen in years.

Montreal boasts the league’s best offence, Saskatchewan one of the league’s fastest, most aggressive Ds. The Als’ defence is the league’s stingiest, and the Riders’ offence is as clutch as you’ll find. Special teams are also equally excellent, especially considering the quality of both squads’ kickers and return men.

The fact of the matter is simple really—these two teams are about as loaded with talent as two rosters could be. The best against the best. East champs against West champs. What more could we ask for in a championship game?

My bet is the sour taste of last year’s Grey Cup loss tilts the field in the Alouettes’ favour. With the luxury of been-there-done-that veteran stars, the Alouettes’ offence should hit its rhythm quicker. And that advantage might just be all they’ll need to stay out in front of an ultra-dangerous Saskatchewan Roughriders club.

GREY CUP PREDICTION DOOMED TO GO WRONG

My gut’s done pretty well down the stretch, so I’m going to let it handle the last pick of the season, too. Gut says: it’s the Alouettes’ time to shine.

UP NEXT

It’s the first time in years that I won’t be travelling to the Cup, so I’ll have plenty of time to weigh in with a little mid-week match up analysis. And I’ll also give my picks for all the league awards.

I’ve got a feeling this one will be one of the best-played Grey Cups in recent memory. Let’s kick this week off!

TheScore.com — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:16:00 GMT

An ugly first week of the playoffs for everyone but James. Since when did we start believing in the Ticats? Should have known better.

Here are our division final selections:

	Andy Baechler 44-28, 1-1	Jack Bedell 40-32, 0-2	D.J. Bennett 39-33, 1-1	Bob Coatsworth 43-29, 1-1	James Ladd 41-31, 2-0	Jann Shreve 43-29, 0-2
B.C. vs. Montreal
Calgary vs. Sask.

DIVISIONAL SEMIFINALS RECAP:

Andy 1-1

Jack 0-2

DJ 1-1

Bob 1-1

James 2-0

Jann 0-2

Jack Bedell — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:55:00 GMT

Okay, I’ll admit it. I enjoy every bit of the CFL season. But nothing compares to the energy and intensity of the playoffs for me.

As big a leap as the intensity meter makes from pre-season to regular season, it goes up to quantum proportions once the playoffs arrive. Some teams respond well to the pressure, some don’t. So it’s always interesting to watch the games play out.

Last weekend, I was sure home field, travel, and weather would all play huge roles in the outcomes of the games. Sure enough, there were rabid fans and gusty winds in Hamilton and Calgary. And B.C. had to make a complicated cross-country trip to get in and out of the Hammer.

In both games, though, the outcomes were settled on the field without much impact from those external forces.

In Hamilton, Casey Printer’s ability to escape pressure consistently just long enough to push the ball deep to Geroy Simon and Emmanuel Arceneaux really swung the game B.C.’s way. Even with Kevin Glenn piling up over 400-plus yards through the air himself, the Ticats just couldn’t corral Printers long enough to come out on top in the overtime thriller.

Out west in Calgary, the Stamps rode a huge game by MOP candidate Joffrey Reynolds and one of the most consistent performances in recent memory by Henry Burris all the way to a birth in the West Final this Sunday in Regina

The most impressive aspect of the Stamps’ victory for me had to be how effectively Calgary shut down Arkee Whitlock and managed to keep the Eskimos’ veteran receivers to minimal games. As hard as Calgary’s D forced Ricky Ray to work for yardage, every missed opportunity, every dropped pass or untimely penalty, was simply lethal to the Esks’ production.

Not even a huge kick return TD by new-comer Skylar Green was enough to swing momentum away from the Stamps in their own house.

Two great games, two hard-fought wins. I couldn’t be more excited to see how it all translates into momentum for this weekend’s divisional finals.

RED ZONE’s SEMI-FINAL HEROES

1) Casey Printers — 360 yards passing in a hostile environment, just clutch

2) Geroy Simon and Emmanuel Arcenaux — 231 yards between the two, a monster day

3) Ricky Foley — six tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble, simply beastly

4) Kevin Glenn — 437 yards and two TDs without a turnover, nearly pulled off an impressive second-half comeback by getting his club into overtime

5) Joffrey Reynolds — 127 yards on 18 carries, the straw that stirred Calgary’s drink in this one

6) Henry Burris — over 300 yards of combined yardage for Hank in an error-free performance, that’s big-game

7) Skylar Green — 253 return yards, single-handedly kept Edmonton in decent field position

RED ZONE’s SEMI-FINAL GOATS

1) DeAndra’ Cobb — 39 yards on eight touches, came up small in the biggest game of his season

2) Esks’ Receivers — on a day when the ground game wasn’t working, they picked a bad day to catch a case of the dropsies

3) Hamilton’s O-line — abused by Ricky Foley and Brent Johnson off the edge and stymied up the middle on run plays all day

4) Arkee Whitlock — 50 yards on 11 carries just won’t get it when the Esks’ passing game is out of sorts

5) Edmonton’s Run Defence — Whether it was getting Reynolds on the ground before he got to the second level or sealing off escape lanes for Burris, the Esks’ run D allowed drives to extend much too often

6) Hamilton’s Secondary — too many big plays allowed over the top of the defence after Printers broke contain, needed a life boat more than that bass boat in Winnipeg by the end of the day

7) Me — that 0-fer on my picks was U-G-L-Y

HOW THE FINALS WILL GO DOWN

East

It seems very strange to be breaking down a post-season game between the B.C. Lions and the Montreal Alouettes that’s not a Grey Cup match, but that’s exactly what we’re staring down this weekend. Each team pulled off tight home wins against the other this season. Neither of those games is an accurate barometer for this week’s tilt, though. Not with a resurgent Casey Printers in charge of B.C.’s attack these days. Look for the Als to move the ball well on B.C.’s D, especially on gashing runs by Avon Cobourne. And the Als’ front seven will get more disciplined pressure on Printers than Hamilton got last week, enough more on both fronts to make the difference.

West

Calgary pulled off an efficient, error-free win at home last weekend. For their efforts, they’ll get a trip to Mosaic Stadium to face a hungry Roughriders club. Saskatchewan should be rested and ready to shake off the ghosts of Henry Burris past. The Riders’ aggressive defence should keep Henry Burris and company off balance enough to give the Riders a real shot in front of a sold-out, rabid fan base.

FINAL PREDICTIONS DOOMED TO GO WRONG

Logic’s gotten me nowhere this season, so I’m going with my gut again in the finals. The belly says it’s a Saskatchewan/Montreal Grey Cup.

UP NEXT

Check back early in the week to catch my take on what went down in the Divisional Finals. I’ll also be looking ahead to the Cup with some preliminary thoughts on the eventual matchup. Until then, take care.

TheScore.com — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:26:00 GMT

It came down to the final week until a regular-season champion could be crowned, but we have a winner in The Red Zone's season-long picks contest. Andy Baechler, despite heavy pressure from Jann's big 4-0 finish, had just enough with a 2-2 week 19 to hold on for the title. Congrats to Andy.

With the division semifinals just two days away, there's no reason to stop now. Here are our selections:

	Andy Baechler (44-28)	Jack Bedell (40-32)	D.J. Bennett (39-33)	Bob Coatsworth (43-29)	James Ladd (41-31)	Jann Shreve (43-29)
B.C. vs. Hamilton
Edmonton vs. Calgary

WEEK 19 RECAP:

Andy 2-2

Jack 3-1

DJ 2-2

Bob 2-2

James 1-3

Jann 4-0

Jack Bedell — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:38:00 GMT

I’ve never been a proponent of the”statement” game. That point of view has always been a little myopic for my tastes. As Montreal Alouettes head man Marc Trestman has said in the past, “No one game defines a team. Win or lose.”

I prefer to wait until all the games are in the book before making any pronouncements about what statements have been made.

Well, as of Sunday afternoon when the gun sounded on the Ticats and Bombers, all 72 games in the 2009 CFL season were racked. And it’s definitely fair to take some stock in what went down.

Here are the statements I’ve heard from each team over the course of the season, with the teams listed in the order I’d rank them heading into the playoffs:

1) Montreal Alouettes (15-3)—In a word: Consistent. Minus a couple of subpar performances, the Als have simply been relentlessly consistent all season long. Anthony Calvillo and the ALouettes offence have attacked CFL defences with efficiency and tempo at every opportunity, the team’s front seven has played fast and mean racking up sacks and shutting down the run, and special teams have manufactured field position through Larry Taylor’s returns, fine coverage, and Damon Duval’s leg. Maybe the Als kicked too many field goals this year, but when your kicker scores more points than anyone in league history, it doesn’t matter. Points are points.

2) Saskatchewan Roughriders (10-7-1)—Scrappy. Regardless of their injury situation, personnel, weather, flu status, whatever, the Riders have flat-out balled this season. Darian Durant has emerged as a winner, whether or not his stats are pretty. Gang Green’s defence has rushed the passer with aggression behind Stevie Baggs and John Chick, and they’ve ball-hawked in the secondary. And with Jason Armstead catching fire of late, Saskatchewan has really rounded into a fine team in all phases of the game just in time for a run at the Cup.

3) Calgary Stampeders (10-7-1)—Leisurely. There’s been a shocking lack of urgency in the defending champs all season long. But with the talent the Stamps possess on offence, defence, and teams, they’ve managed to stay near the top in almost every meaningful statistical category the CFL keeps. And that has translated to enough wins to host a home playoff game next week. League rushing leader Joffrey Reynolds has been consistent as the sun rising for the Stamps. Maybe it’s time to put the ball in his hands to see if he can lend some up to an up and down year for Calgary’s offence.

4) Hamilton Ticats (9-9)—Resilient. When Hamilton’s season hit a low point in week 13’s 42-8 beat-down from the Alouettes, the Ticats turned to veteran pivot Kevin Glenn, and he’s rewarded them with four solid performances to close out the year. After that loss to the Als, it would have been easy to pencil in losses for the Ticats in all their games down the stretch (except the game against the Argos, of course), but Glenn engineered a surprise victory over the Riders in week 18 and slammed the door on his old team in Winnipeg this past Sunday to give Hamilton fans their first home playoff game since 2001. Couple Glenn’s resurgence with a very opportunistic defence, and you’ve got a dangerous team hitting on all cylinders heading into the post-season.

5) Edmonton Eskimos (9-9)—Sluggish. Since canning offensive coordinator Rick Worman mid-season, the Eskimos’ offence has been curiously ineffective. Particularly Ricky Ray. Ray’s numbers would suggest he’s had a dominant year, but at points, he’s had difficulty pushing the ball downfield with any consistency. Ray’s receivers have had their troubles with drops, to be sure, and the running game has been hit-or-miss from time to time. Luckily, both Ray and the running game have shown up the last two weeks to secure second place in the West. Injuries on defence have definitely thrown a wrench in the Esks’ season, too. With an all-star secondary beginning to gel, Edmonton might just be peaking at the right time.

6) B.C. Lions (8-10)—Hurt. Five QBs have taken snaps for the Lions this season. Starter Buck Pierce has been in and out all year with concussion and shoulder issues, Jarious Jackson filled in admirably but was lost for the year to a rotator cuff injury, and just when returning star Casey Printers looked like he and his A-game were back in B.C., he went down with a hurt thumb on his throwing hand early in week 19’s pivotal match-up against the Eskimos. To make matters even worse for the Lions, reserves Travis Lulay and Zac Champion have pulled up lame as well and most likely won’t be able ready for the playoffs. Beyond all the injuries to pivots, though, the most painful aspect of this Lions team is its run defence.

7) Winnipeg Blue Bombers (7-11)—Unprofessional. Take your pick: Blow-ups with fans and media, poor offensive design, inadequate play-calling, lack of QB development, inability to turn RB Fred Reid loose with consistency. It all rests at the feet of first-year coach Mike Kelly. Despite a better-than-average defence, the Blue Bombers hitched their wagon to a career sub-.500 passer with a penchant for throwing picks at the worst times in Michael Bishop. While his shiny, big-play potential managed a few wins for Big Blue down the stretch, Bishop’s inevitable downside sunk the team in the end. Makes me want to revisit a question Kelly asked the media after week 2’s stunning 42-30 defeat of the Calgary Stampeders, “How’s the offence look now?” Not good, Mike. Not good.

8) Toronto Argonauts (3-15)—No single word can do this team justice. Turnovers, penalties, poor coaching decisions, putrid offence, ugly clock management, curious personnel decisions, lack of discipline. The 2009 Argonauts lost games in almost every way possible. The fact that Toronto went months, MONTHS, without a TD pass, casts serious doubt whether this coaching staff, and these players, can “continue moving in the right direction,” as the organization is fond of saying. With the pall of new ownership looming over the club, an absolute fresh start might just be what the doctor ordered to cure the Argos.

Jack Bedell — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:08:00 GMT

The list of CFL team nominees for the Gibson’s Finest Players Awards was released this week, and I have to admit there’s not much to argue about with the names on the list.

Normally, I can quibble top-to-bottom when players are chosen for the divisional lists in each category, but it’s an extraordinarily strong field this go around full of deserving names (though I might have gone Damon Duval over Larry Taylor for the Alouettes Special Teams Player of the Year, just because of the year Duval’s had across the board).

Jamal Robertson, Jovon Johnson, Arland Bruce III, and Anthony Calvillo have all enjoyed MOP-quality seasons in the East. Arguments all ways are sure to be strong and meritorious when voters get to narrowing down the lists to the divisional nominees next week. I’d have to lean toward Calvillo, and not only because of his stats. AC has exceeded all expectations this year (and those were high coming off season!). He’s managed to lift his own game and lead his team to an even better year. Not sure you can say that about any of the other guys.

In the West, it looks like a two man race between Joffrey Reynolds and Fred Stamps to me. Geroy Simon and Darian Durant have had fine years, to be sure, but have battled consistency issues at points during the season. Reynolds and Stamps have been productive week in and week out. I’ve got a feeling it’s Reynold’s year to get the nod, though.

For Outstanding Canadian, you couldn’t have a finer foursome in the mix than Marwan Hage and Ben Cahoon in the East and Rickey Foley and Robb Bagg out West. In fact, I can’t even imagine a conversation on the topic devoid of those names. Cahoon’s had an exceptional year leading the league in receptions and racking an eighth-straight 1000-yard season. Foley’s been at or near the league lead in sacks. Honestly, I’d be happy with any of these guys coming away with the trophy.

Defensive POY? It’s been a Slam Dunk the past couple of seasons with Cam Wake bringing home the hardware. This year, it’s no lock in either division, however. My money’s on John Chick and Anwar Stewart to come away with nominations for the final round of voting. Both guys have been absolute beasts off the edge all year.

Offensive Lineman of the Year is another tough category, with Gene Makowsky leading out West and Scott Flory and Hage vying for the East nod. All three are superb players who’ve had excellent years. They also play on exemplary o-lines. Coin toss goes to Flory in the East, and not because I’m a homer, but because the Als have kept their QB a little cleaner this season. Hard to argue against Makowsky as the West nominee.

I’m already on record as saying Martell Mallett deserves Top Rookie distinction. There’s no overlooking the performances of Arkee Whitlock in the West, and Jonathan Hefney and Jerald Brown in the East, though. With Mallett slowed by injuries of late, his nomination is no lock, but probable. Hefney might just have Brown by a nose for the East nod.

And finally, with dominant kick returners like Johnson and Taylor competing in the East and Tristan Jackson in the West, it looks like the game-changers might run away with the Special Teams POY this go around. Don’t sleep on tackling machine Jason Arakgi to steal the West nomination, though. In fact, my vote goes to Taylor and Arakgi emerging as the candidates for the final round of voting.

Can’t wait to see how the vote turns out next week. And you know I’ll be weighing in with some thoughts on the final selections.

TheScore.com — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:30:00 GMT

Here are our picks for Week 19:

WEEK 18 RECAP:

Andy 2-2

Jack 3-1

DJ 3-1

Bob 2-2

James 3-1

Jann 2-2

Bob Coatsworth — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:04:00 GMT

Here are our picks for Week 18:

WEEK 17 RECAP:

Andy 2-2

Jack 3-1

DJ 2-2

Bob 3-1

James 2-2

Jann 3-1

TheScore.com — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:32:00 GMT

Our power rankings return for Week 18:


Andy Baechler	Jack Bedell	D.J. Bennett	Bob Coatsworth	James Ladd	Jann Shreve	Consensus
Montreal	Montreal	Montreal	Montreal	Montreal	Montreal	Montreal (48)
Sask.	Sask.	Calgary	Sask.	Calgary	Sask.	Sask. (40)
Calgary	Calgary	Sask.	Calgary	Sask.	Calgary	Calgary (38)
B.C.	Winnipeg	B.C.	Winnipeg	B.C.	B.C.	B.C. (28)
Winnipeg	B.C.	Hamilton	B.C.	Winnipeg	Winnipeg	Winnipeg (25)
Hamilton	Hamilton	Winnipeg	Hamilton	Edmonton	Hamilton	Hamilton (17)
Edmonton	Edmonton	Edmonton	Edmonton	Hamilton	Edmonton	Edmonton (13)
Toronto	Toronto	Toronto	Toronto	Toronto	Toronto	Toronto (6)

*Consensus Ranking - Votes from all six are added together to determine overall ranking in the poll. Eight points are awarded for a first-place vote, seven for a second-place vote, etc. Total points are displayed in parentheses in the Consensus column.

Bob Coatsworth — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:05:00 GMT

Here are our picks for Week 17:

WEEK 16 RECAP:

Andy 3-1

Jack 3-1

DJ 2-2

Bob 1-3

James 2-2

Jann 3-1

Jack Bedell — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:47:00 GMT

If I didn’t know better, I’d think the CFL schedule makers rigged the whole season so that nothing would be settled until the final whistle blows on the Ticats and Bombers November 8.

There’s just no ignoring the fact that all four games in week 17 have playoff implications written all over them. Friday and Saturday’s tilts will set up the initial pecking order in both divisions, and just might go a long way towards determining who’s in and who’s got some serious uphill to climb among the five teams still vying for a spot in the post-season.

Week 17 clearly marks the beginning of what amounts to a round robin tournament in both divisions where the teams with playoff aspirations all have shots at each other over the next month, and the pressure falls squarely on the teams in playoff contention to stack wins if they want to keep playing.

Out West, Saskatchewan and Calgary battled to an exciting 44-44 tie last week, and are now neck and neck atop the division. B.C. and Edmonton also posted tough Ws over the weekend and are just points of the leading pace themselves.

Friday night, Henry Burris and Co. host the playoff-hungry Eskimos. Coming off the team’s first decent offensive game in a month, the Stamps will have to keep the pedal down against Edmonton to keep the club sniffing the top spot in the division.

Saturday, the B.C. Lions and Saskatchewan Roughriders face off with first place possibility on the line (depending on how Friday night goes down). The ‘Riders head into the match feeling really good about the play of Darian Durant and their D, while the Lions managed to ding two of their remaining pivots en route to a tough win over the Argos.

The winners of these tilts take some slight control over their own destinies. The losers drop back to fight it out in the middle of the pack.

In the East Division this week, Winnipeg has a chance to tighten its grip on the two spot hosting the Alouettes. Hamilton heads into Toronto with a chance to stay right in the playoff race against an Argos team that’s already eliminated from the chase.

For the Blue Bombers and Ticats, each remaining game is an opportunity to seal a home play-off game. Whichever team loses more than it wins over the next three weeks has to face the spectre of the crossover as they head down the stretch.

Five teams, three weeks. Let’s tee it up!

HOW I THINK THINGS WILL SHAKE OUT

In the West, I think the Riders will ride a favourable schedule (two home games, the first of which is against a nicked-up Lions team) and an increasingly healthy roster to the top spot. B.C. and Calgary will race to the wire with the Stamps winning the second spot by a nose. The question marks surrounding the health of B.C.’s QBs are just too prominent for the team to take advantage of their season-closing home games.

In the East, Winnipeg will split its series with the Als and beat Hamilton in the last game to get a death grip on a home playoff game in the semis (hard to believe that one, huh?). I’ll give the Ticats a win in Toronto this week, but that one W won’t be enough to keep a spot in the tournament. Edmonton with its own win over Toronto next week crosses over to claim the third spot.

WEEK 13 PREDICTIONS DOOMED TO GO WRONG

Last week’s 3-0-1 record finally pushed me over .500 for the season.

This week I’m counting on Hamilton, Calgary, Montreal, and Saskatchewan to help me stack up a few wins of my own to stay over the Mendoza line down the stretch.

UP NEXT

Check back next week to get my take on all the league awards. I may also have to start backtracking on some of those playoff predictions!

Until then, take care.

TheScore.com — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:30:00 GMT

Here are our picks for Week 16:

WEEK 15 RECAP:

Andy 1-3

Jack 2-2

DJ 3-1

Bob 2-2

James 3-1

Jann 2-2

Andy
Baechler
(42-26)

Jack
Bedell
(37-31)

D.J.
Bennett
(37-31)

Bob
Coatsworth
(41-27)

James
Ladd
(40-28)

Jann
Shreve
(39-29)

Edmonton
vs.
B.C.

Montreal
vs.
Toronto

Calgary
vs.
Sask.

Hamilton
vs.
Winnipeg

Andy Baechler — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:32:00 GMT

It's that time of the year again, where the first thing you see on a CFL broadcast is not the players or the coaches, or even team owners for that matter. Instead, you see ice-covered fields, snow-filled parking lots, stadium flags being blown in all directions by freezing winds, and on occasion, bare-chested fans braving the conditions with a little help from something simply known as a "beer blanket."

With the cooler conditions starting to set in across the country, it's time to take a look at some of the best bad-weather players in the league. Those who turn the heat up on their game when the mercury drops, saving their best performances for the worst conditions.

Geroy Simon, B.C. Lions

Since 2001 Simon has had the luxury of playing his home games in the controlled environment of B.C. Place. As a skilled position player who is used to life in a dome, you'd think that going on the road in winter conditions would be an adjustment that even the most skilled of receivers would have trouble making. Apparently not. Look no further than the Lions win last Friday night over the Eskimos. Despite having to deal with a temperature of -4 at kickoff (which felt a lot worse thanks to a bitter wind chill), Geroy still managed to catch fire in Commonwealth, racking up 170 yards, a pair of touchdowns, and oh yes...a 62-yard Hail Mary reception in double coverage to win it for the Leos with just 12 seconds remaining.

Still not impressed? Take into consideration the fact he was able to do all of this without the help of Paris Jackson, B.C.'s second best threat in the passing game. Even an Eskimos fan would have to admit that the 11-year vet out of Maryland can still get it done no matter the setting.

Luca Congi, Saskatchewan Roughriders

Conditions in mid-November in Regina can be pretty cold. Okay, brutally cold. Certainly not the type of weather you'd want to kick in. But don't tell that to Congi.

The Riders kicker looked like he was playing in sunny conditions with the wind at his back when he booted his team past the Stampeders in the 2007 West Semi-Finals. Rest assured, the sun was not out at Taylor Field that day, but under the lights in the cold, Congi came through when it mattered the most, kicking six field goals and accounting for 20 total points in the Riders 26-24 victory over Calgary. Who says that kickers don't like the cold?

Henry Burris, Calgary Stampeders

In 2008, Henry Burris must have been dying to make it to Montreal for the Grey Cup. Not just because of the obvious reasons (i.e. play on the biggest stage with a chance to lead a team to a championship for the first time in his career), but also because the game was being played indoors.

Late last season, it seemed like every time I tuned in to a Stampeders game, Burris was picking apart opposing secondaries with frost-bitten fingers. Of course everybody remembers the Grey Cup victory over the Als, but it's how the Stamps got to the big game that's truly impressive. In Calgary's final four games of the regular season, Henry led his team to a perfect 4-0 record (three games in Calgary, one in Hamilton) while posting 11 TD passes to just two interceptions. After taking care of business versus B.C. in the semis, Burris finally had his first Grey Cup ring as a starting QB.

If the Stamps are going to repeat, they will need old man Burris to heat up as old man Winter arrives.