It's first vs. worst in the East, as Toronto visits Montreal
Football Betting Lines
10/05/2011 - Montreal, QC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two teams at opposite ends of the standings in the Eastern Division mix it up at McGill Stadium on Monday afternoon, as the Montreal Alouettes entertain the Toronto Argonauts.
Toronto, which has dropped six straight road dates, has a total of just three wins to its credit in 2011. The team had a chance for back-to-back wins last week, but came up short in a 27-12 loss to Hamilton at home, which means the Argos have now fallen in four of their last five contests and find themselves a distant fourth in the division standings with a mere six points to their credit.
Over on the other side, the Als are slowly getting back into championship shape with two consecutive wins and triumphs in three of their last four contests which have moved them into a tie for first place in the division with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Last week Montreal took care of the Bombers, on the road no less, with a 32-26 triumph, although it did get a little dicey near the end as the hosts scored 23 second-half points to narrow the gap. Even though he was sacked three times by the Winnipeg defense, Anthony Calvillo was again the catalyst for the Als as he converted 26-of-44 passes for 335 yards and three touchdowns and not a single interception. Jamel Richardson continued to be his favorite target down the field as he reeled in six passes for a game-high 126 yards and a major.
Calvillo, who already holds the CFL career records exclusively for pass completions (5,344) and passing touchdowns (414), needs just 14 more completed passes in order to surpass Warren Moon for second all-time in professional football. Calvillo is also closing in on Dan Marino who is third all-time in career TD passes in pro football with 420, so there are still plenty of milestones to reach.
Barring injury or a huge change in game plan, Calvillo could easily become the all-time CFL leader in passing yards this week as well, trailing Damon Allen (72,381 yards) by just 257 yards.
An 18-year CFL veteran who has spent the last 14 as the face of the Alouettes, Calvillo has thrown for at least 3,600 yards in each of the last 12 campaigns, a testament to his durability and the players around him. The leading passer in the CFL yet again this season, Calvillo needs just four more TD passes to match his total from last season and is on pace to finish with single-digit interceptions for the third straight year, which in itself is an incredible accomplishment given how often he throws the ball and how much opposing defenses try to prepare for him each and every week.
The only quarterback in the league with an efficiency rating over 98, his stands at 105.2 right now, Calvillo has to give credit to his receivers for making it look so easy, particularly Jamel Richardson who is easily the most productive pass catcher in the CFL with his 83 receptions for 1,318 yards and 10 scores. When Calvillo and Richardson can't get together, the signal-caller then turns to his second option, S.J. Green, who is fourth in the league with 893 yards on 64 catches.
While Calvillo is a constant at the quarterback position for the Alouettes, Toronto only wishes it could find an adequate player to fill that role and maintain some balance for the squad in the huddle. The truth is, new starter Steven Jyles is finding it difficult to assume the position, one that was left to him after Toronto cut Cleo Lemon earlier this season. Against Hamilton last week, Jyles converted just 12-of-25 passes for 142 yards and was sacked three times as the team had to rely on single field goals in each quarter just to remain somewhat competitive against the Tiger-Cats at home.
Kicker Noel Prefontaine converted field goals of 18, 28. 40 and 44 yards in the loss to Hamilton which means he now has 99 points on the season overall, but that did little to make Jyles feel comfortable as the new leader in the clubhouse. In the last two games, Jyles has thrown for just 230 yards and has one touchdown against three interceptions, and still the Argonauts say they are working on a contract to keep Jyles beyond this season.
But not all of Toronto's problems can be laid at the feet of Jyles because there were plenty of issues already there before he became available to take over the offense. At this point the team is still last in the league in scoring with just 20.2 ppg and is second from the bottom in points allowed (28.5 ppg). Perhaps the most awkward stats for the Argos is that the pass defense is allowing opponents to convert an incredible 69.6 percent of their pass attempts which is making it that much harder on Jyles and the offense to keep up.
Montreal is in control of the all-time, regular-season series between these two squads, owning a record of 105-82-3 dating back to 1946. The Als won the most recent meeting in early August by a score of 36-23 on the road, which means the squad has taken two in a row and 10 of the last 12 encounters overall.
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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.
Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.
Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.
So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.
In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.
For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.
The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.
The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.
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