Calgary @ Toronto preview
BMO Field
Last Meeting ( Jul 18, 2019 ) Toronto 16, Calgary 26
The Calgary Stampeders can grab a share of the West Division lead when they visit the Toronto Argonauts on Friday. The Stampeders have won three consecutive games, including a 19-18 victory over the East Division-leading Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Week 14, to pull within two points of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and hope to continue their charge toward their fourth straight division title by knocking off the Argonauts for the 12th consecutive time in the regular season.
"We're kind of on fumes at this point of the year so can we find enough energy and execute well enough to beat a team coming off a bye?" Calgary coach Dave Dickenson told reporters. "They're going to be fresh and have plays that are schemed against us so we'll have to do our best." Toronto went into its bye week on a winning note following an impressive 46-17 rout of the Ottawa Redblacks. The Argonauts racked up 487 yards of offence en route to setting a season-high point total while ending a 14-game road losing streak, and hope to go on their first winning streak of the year by taking down the Stampeders for the first time since Sept. 21, 2013. "We're far behind obviously and we have to win out," Toronto running back James Wilder Jr.," told reporters. "Every guy in our locker room believes we have a shot so that's what matters the most."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN, RDS2
ABOUT THE STAMPEDERS (8-4): Bo Levi Mitchell completed 24-of-40 passes for 342 yards and a touchdown as Calgary rallied from a 17-6 halftime deficit to beat Hamilton at McMahon Stadium for the 15th consecutive time. Linebackers Cory Greenwood (upper body), who leads the CFL in tackles with 79, and Dwayne Norman (undisclosed) are questionable after suffering injuries against the Tiger-Cats. Cornerback Tre Roberson was named one of the CFL's Top Performers of the Week after he recorded his seventh interception of the season and blocked the potential game-winning field goal attempt with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter to preserve the win for Calgary.
ABOUT THE ARGONAUTS (2-9): McLeod Bethel-Thompson threw for 411 yards and three touchdowns against Ottawa to help Toronto win its first road game since Nov. 4, 2017. Wilder accounted for 87 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns while S.J. Green hauled eight passes for 130 yards to move past Tony Gabriel (9,832) in 19th place on the CFL's all-time receiving yards list (9.839). Linebacker Micah Awe, who has 44 tackles and a sack this season, is likely to miss his second straight game with an undisclosed injury while linebacker Justin Herdman-Reed (shoulder) and defensive back Alden Darby are questionable for Friday's clash.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Calgary WR Reggie Begelton leads the CFL in receiving yards (1,036) while Eric Rogers tops the league in receiving touchdowns (eight).
2. Bethel-Thompson has thrown 12 TD passes over his last five games.
3. Three of the Stampeders' four losses in 2019 have come against East Division teams.
PREDICTION: Stampeders 35, Argonauts 27