CFL 'Quick Kicks': Week 3

By Chris Lawton

Welcome to week 3 of our weekly review of each CFL game week for the 2024 season. ‘Quick Kicks’ will bring you week to week news of how the games went, scores, surprises, and a general feel of ‘what we learned’ from the games.

Let’s dive right in. The opening game of the weekend saw the defending champions, the Montreal Alouettes host their first home game of the season and get to raise their 2023 Grey Cup banner. They celebrated in style too going to 3-0 with a dominant 47-21 win against the Ottawa Redblacks.

With this win the Als recorded their eighth consecutive regular season win. As well as now having won the past six games against Ottawa giving them a 17-14 series lead. Cody Fajardo who went 28 of 35 for 393 yards with 3 touchdowns, as well as having 5 carries for 39 yards and another TD, is now 7-1 against the Redblacks in his career. Meanwhile Tyson Philpot had his second 100-yard game, catching 7 of 9 targets for 127 yards and a touchdown.

Montreal started strong and never looked back in this one. They scored 17 first quarter points and were up 30-9 at the half. A lot of Montreal’s success in the latter end of last year, and now, has been built out of great defensive play – and they recorded 4 turnovers in this game, that gave the O opportunities they took to add 17 points to the score.

The second game of week three saw the BC Lions travel to Winnipeg and defeat the Blue Bombers in a tight game 26-24. This is the second season in a row that BC have won in Winnipeg, although last year they ended up splitting the season series. This in now the worst start since 2012 for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, as before this year that was the last time, they got out of the blocks at 0-3.

This was the third game in a row that Vernon Adams Jr has thrown for 275+ yards and 2 touchdowns. This time going 21 of 33 for 298 yards and 2 touchdowns with zero picks. His favourite target on the day was Alexander Hollins who tallied 215 yards and 2 touchdowns including a 71 yarder.

Although BC built a 20-7 lead, Winnipeg did fight back and take the lead themselves, thanks to three 1-yard TD plunges from short yardage specialist QB Chris Streveler. Sean Whyte going 4 for 4 on Field Goals and 6 for 6 on all kicks was key in such a narrow victory.  

Perhaps the most fun play of the game was 6’ 3” O-lineman Andrew Pierson catching a pass for a first down. Who doesn’t love to see the O line get a play like that?

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Game three saw the Toronto Argonauts host the Edmonton Elks who brought 7 ex Boatmen with them. This was the game of the weekend for me with end-to-end action, lead changes and a walk off Field Goal win for the hosts as the Argos won out 39-36.

Both QBs played well but put in very different performances in this one. Stepping into his old stomping ground at BMO Field, Elks QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson tore it up going 28 of 38 for 342 yards and 4 touchdowns with no picks. While Toronto QB Cameron Dukes was all about efficiency going 18 0f 21 for 214 yards with 2 touchdowns and no picks.

The big difference was that Toronto were more balanced, gaining 186 yards on the ground, while Edmonton had just 35 yards rushing. This one could have gone either way mind you, and the Elks certainly look like the strongest of the three 0-3 teams right now.

With this win Toronto have now won 11 consecutive regular-season games at home.

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The final game of the week saw the Saskatchewan Roughriders not need a comeback for the first time this season as they handled the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 36-20 in their home opener.

Rookie Roughriders Head Coach Corey Mace is only the 4th man to go 3-0 to open a coaching account with the Roughriders since the 1940s. Although only one of those coaches (Corey Chamblin), went on to win the Grey Cup in Saskatchewan.

In their first two games the Roughriders found comeback wins, but this time around they were in control leading 17-0 after the first quarter and building up a 25-7 lead at one point.

Trevor Harris went 16 of 21 for 177 yards, 2 TDs and 1 pick before getting up limping and not playing the second half. Big off-season signing A.J. Ouellette got on track in this one with 20 carries for 98 yards and 4 receptions for 47 yards.

For Hamilton, Bo Levi Mitchell is still airing it out, but looking prone to interceptions. In this game he went 29 of 45 for 295 yards, 2 touchdowns, (giving him 200 career TDs), and three picks. Saskatchewan got 52 yards back on those interceptions, and former Ticat Jameer Thurman took one in for a score.

Next week the 3-0 Montreal Alouettes will take their eight consecutive regular season wins to BMO Field to face the Argos with their 11 consecutive regular season home wins. Montreal will want a repeat of last years’ East Final when they were dominant in a 38-17 win in Toronto. While the Argos will want revenge for that and to replicate their last home win over Montreal when they beat the Als 39-10 last year.

MoP's: Week 3

O – Alexander Hollins WR, (BC Lions), 7 catches on 8 targets for 215 yards, (30.7 yards per catch), and 2 touchdowns.

D – Tyrece Beverette LB, (Montreal), 6 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception and 1 forced fumble & Jameer Thurman, LB, (Saskatchewan), 5 tackles, 1 special teams tackle, 1 interception (TD).  

ST – Devonte Dedmon WR/KR, (Ottawa), 4 KR 171 yards, including 101-yard TD return, 3 punt returns for 32 yards.

Interdivisional Standings Week Three: East Division 1 West Division 1

Interdivisional Standings 2024 season: East Division 5 West Division 3

CHRIS LAWTON

CFL ANALYST

Chris originally started following the NFL with the ‘first wave’ of fans when it was shown on Channel 4 in the 1980’s. He has been a keen supporter of the Miami Dolphins since 1983. Chris first encountered the CFL in 2016 and instantly fell in love with the Canadian game. He has been writing about the CFL 2017. Chris has a degree in history, postgraduate degree in librarianship and can be found on twitter as @CFLfanUK

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