CFL East: Blue Bombers dominant with Jyles at the helm

Football Betting Lines

07/28/2010 - Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The East division took full advantage of home cooking last week, as Montreal, Toronto, and Winnipeg all won within their friendly confines. Hamilton was the lone East team to fall, as touchdowns in their matchup against Montreal were few and far between. Steven Jyles showed the league that Winnipeg would not roll over without Buck Pierce as their starting quarterback, while the Argonauts still refuse to give up in a stunning come-from-behind finish over the BC Lions.

WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS

In the CFL, you can be sure of three things: lots of passing, exciting kick returns, and most of all, a Buck Pierce injury.

Winnipeg knew it had a talented, yet brittle quarterback on its hands going into the season. The gamble started off in the right direction, but Pierce is sidelined for 2-4 weeks with a right knee injury.

Heading into the Edmonton game, that left Steven Jyles and his one-game experience as a CFL starter to carry the team on offense.

Jyles was up to the task and then some, throwing a touchdown and running in two more to lead his team to a 47-21 thrashing of the Eskimos.

While Edmonton isn't exactly a powerhouse this season, Jyles and the Bombers did what they had to do to bounce back from an ugly week three, when they scored just seven points.

The Bombers better hope they continue to put up points when they travel to Calgary for the first western division matchup.

Offensive key to the next game: It's easy to say Jyles will need to shine again for Winnipeg to have a chance, but that is indeed the scenario. If he can combine the running game with the balanced passing last week, the Bombers will be tough to beat.

Defensive key to the game: Burris loves to pass, perhaps a little too much. The Bombers should force Burris to make poor throwing decisions, and interceptions have plagued the Stampeders all season.

Look ahead: A peek at the upcoming schedule includes some deja vu for Winnipeg, as it takes on Hamilton two weeks in a row. This is a crucial set of games for both teams in determining the playoff picture, as both teams have already split their first two matchups this season.

HAMILTON TIGER-CATS

Just when it looked like Hamilton had straightened themselves out, the Tiger- Cats come out with a dud against division rival Montreal Alouettes.

The defense did well to allow just two touchdowns in the game, but that doesn't help when you allow a kicker to get close enough to the uprights for seven field goals.

Offense was the bigger concern as Kevin Glenn took a step backwards, completing just 16-of-32 passes for 201 yards. Even worse, Deandra Cobb still can't find his legs as he rushed for a measly 25 yards.

With Cobb struggling so much on the ground, the Ti-Cats will face extra pressure each and every night to find adequate offense elsewhere.

Offensive key to next game: Pressure will just increase next week when Hamilton travels to Regina to take on the Saskatchewan Roughriders. As Cobb has been unable to have that big game so far this season, the receiving combination of Marquay McDaniel and David Stala will be looked on again to provide all the offense against a very defensively sound team.

Defensive key to the next game: Calgary forced Durant to throw three interceptions last week. Hamilton better hope for the same luck if they want to limit Saskatchewan's scoring opportunities. Durant still had 354 yards passing, but the Ti-Cats can live with that as long as the deep receiving corps is tightly covered. Force Wes Cates or even Durant to run and earn their yards the hard way.

Look ahead: If Hamilton loses against Saskatchewan in week five, its record falls to 1-4. While it is too early to hit the panic button in such young a season, losing back-to-back against Winnipeg in weeks six and seven would certainly leave fingers within millimeters of pressing it. A split is the bare minimum during this important stretch.

MONTREAL ALOUETTES

The Als are looking better and better with every passing game, and last week they can thank kicker Damon Duval for that. The veteran booted in seven field goals in eight attempts, scoring 23 of the 37 points scored in their win against Hamilton last week.

Quarterback Anthony Calvillo admitted after the game that his team should have scored more touchdowns, but it's a little difficult to complain when allowing just 14 points against a fellow eastern side.

With the exception of the ridiculous 54-51 loss to Saskatchewan in week one, the Als defense has carried Montreal all season.

Offensive key to next game: While the wins the Argos have been piling up are a surprise, the strength of their defense is not. The Argos field a better defensive squad than Hamilton and so the Als will have to work even harder to get the touchdowns that were lacking last week. Keeping drives alive, and limiting some of the dropped passes that have crept up amongst the receiving corps, will be key for Montreal this week.

Defensive key to the game: Stopping Cory Boyd is of the utmost importance. The rookie running back has been huge for the Argos and has become an integral part of the offense.

Look ahead: CFL fans already lie in wait for the rematch of the thrilling season opener between Montreal and Saskatchewan. Better defense will prevail this time around, though a clash between the league's two best teams will still probably be offense-first.

TORONTO ARGONAUTS

The Argonauts found another way to win last week when Byron Parker returned a 41-yard interception in the dying minutes of the comeback win.

Parker now needs just one more TD return to match the CFL record of eight.

Last week's win marked the fourth time in as many games that the Argos have been forced to rally in the final quarter, and follows on the heels of a 27-24 come-from-behind win against Calgary two weeks ago.

These are the kinds of games Toronto lost each of the last two seasons, but the new swagger it has developed this year is all thanks to the newcomers who have transformed this team into a viable playoff contender.

The Argos better hope that swagger carries forward this week when they face a strong fourth quarter team in the Montreal Alouettes.

Offensive key to the game: Montreal's defense has been getting better as the season's gone along, which spells trouble for a Toronto side that has trouble scoring points. Cory Boyd will need to be the focal point again for the Argos to have a chance against the East's best team.

Defensive key to the game: He is one of the best quarterbacks to play the game, and though his offense has struggled this season, quarterback Anthony Calvillo must be the first name discussed when planning defensive strategies against Montreal. The Toronto defensive line is one of the best in the league and so will be charged with the task of pressuring the inexperienced o-line of the Alouettes.

Look ahead: Having two of the next three games against the defending champs may not be a pleasant experience, but sandwiched in between is a date with the punchless Edmonton Eskimos. Suffering two losses at the hands of the Alouettes is entirely possible, but so is a win in Edmonton for the resurgent Argos.

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Pacific-10 Conference odds

Teams that should be in: Stanford

Oregon and USC get their tickets punched after taking care of business this weekend. Yes, the Trojans' computer numbers aren't great, but there's no way the third-place team in this league is getting nixed. Grudgingly, I added Arizona after consultation with our Bracketologist. I don't know that Arizona will lose its last three (including a Pac-10 quarterfinal game), and even if the Cats do, I still can't see how they'd be left out, given the overall profile. That said, it bears watching, as three more L's would leave them at 18-12 (9-9) and on a 6-11 skid entering the Dance. It would be nice to see the Wildcats get at least one W in the Bay Area next week, as Cincinnati (albeit without Armein Kirkland and with a worse profile) was axed after a similar slide last season. I just couldn't rationalize having some of the other teams as locks and not having Arizona in that category -- there just aren't enough good teams behind the Cats to threaten their spot, it seems. Stanford has its fate in its own hands with the Arizona schools coming to the Farm to close out the regular season next weekend.

Should be in:

Stanford [17-10 (9-7), RPI: 40, SOS: 21] No shame in not getting a win in L.A., but that makes the home game against Arizona State a must-win ahead of what could be an intriguing meeting with Arizona should the Cats lose at Cal. Getting to 11 Pac-10 wins would make Selection Sunday much more comfortable, but 10's probably more than enough this season. The Cardinal have nonconference wins over Texas Tech and at Virginia to lean on, although they also lost badly to Air Force and Santa Clara at home.

Southeastern Conference odds
Work left to do: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Mississippi State

It looks more and more possible that no one from the SEC West will make the NCAAs. How weird is that? Tennessee and Vandy move into the locks category after more good work this weekend. Kentucky stays there, although it would be smart for the Cats to handle Georgia at home Wednesday ahead of a trip to the Swamp. Could a disaster scenario (two more L's and a first-round SEC tourney exit) somehow dislodge the Cats despite their incredible computer numbers? Still unlikely, but not worth chancing it.

Work left to do:

Alabama [19-9 (6-8), RPI: 43, SOS: 47] The tough L at Tennessee was understandable, and even created some hope. Unfortunately, that hope was dashed by a home loss to Auburn, which leaves the Tide in some real trouble. There's still no signature win on the profile (no, Kentucky doesn't count), and the computer profile is weakening rapidly. The Tide conceivably could beat Ole Miss and win at Miss. State to get to 8-8 and clinch at least a share of the West crown, but that's probably not enough right now. The Tide will need to do some work in the SEC tourney.

Georgia [16-10 (8-6), RPI: 52, SOS: 23] This is the team with the best chance to make it from this section right now. The Bulldogs rebounded from a terrible performance at Ole Miss to beat down Miss. State. Now they are at Kentucky (king of the RPI 51-100 win) and home to Tennessee. That would be worth a lot of computer points to get both (which is doable), as both teams are in the top 11 in RPI. Finishing at least 9-7 is an absolute must, and I would feel much better about the Dawgs' chances if they got both to get to 10 SEC wins. They also beat Gonzaga, but lost to ACC bubblers Georgia Tech and Clemson.

Mississippi [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 63, SOS: 79] Like everyone else in this division, Ole Miss gacked up a chance to stake a claim, losing by double figures at South Carolina. Even 9-7 likely is not nearly enough with a nonconference profile devoid of anything notable.

Mississippi State [16-11 (7-7), RPI: 66, SOS: 37] With a chance to get in the mix, these Bulldogs were leashed by their Georgia counterparts. Could they get to 9-7? I guess -- although winning at Arkansas, then beating Alabama is no lock -- but would that mean all that much for a team with this overall profile? Probably not. There's nothing of note (on the good side) in the nonconference profile.

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