Who doesn\u2019t love the element of surprise when it comes to their sports?<\/p>\n
Going into Week 8, Edmonton and Saskatchewan had the top two defences in yards allowed. Naturally, these teams would combine for nearly 900 yards through the air and 42 second half points.<\/p>\n
The final play of the first quarter between Calgary and Winnipeg was Willie Jefferson<\/a> sacking Vernon Adams Jr. with the score being just 8-0. There would be 74 points in the next three quarters!<\/p>\n The lesson, as always, is to expect the unexpected. Here are five other things we learned from this past week of football.<\/p>\n RELATED THE \u2018MAD BOMBER\u2019 GENE EXISTS IN CODY FAJARDO AND IT WAS GLORIOUS!<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n To be honest, I could have devoted this entire column to the masterclass of a game that saw Edmonton come away with a 36-34 victory.<\/p>\n Cody Fajardo set the tone in the second quarter with a 68-yard deep shot to Kaion Julien-Grant<\/a>, who had gotten a step on DaMarcus Fields.<\/p>\n So much of the focus, rightfully so, has been on the Fajardo to Austin Mack connection, but for me Cody\u2019s best throw was his third-and-10 completion to T.J. Luther with under a minute left and his team trailing 34-33. The Elks quarterback didn\u2019t play it safe; he gunned it to Luther downfield.<\/p>\n That was as high a pressure play as we saw this past week and it set up the ridiculous 57-yard, game-winning field goal by Vincent Blanchard.<\/p>\n DEVODRIC BYNUM STRIKES FOR ALL DEFENSIVE BACKS<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n All good things must come to an end, including Davis Alexander<\/a>\u2019s impressive streak of consecutive pass attempts without an interception that concluded at 356 near the end of the second quarter of Sunday night\u2019s game between the Alouettes and the Tiger-Cats.<\/p>\n The turnover was less about a mistake by Alexander and more about a great play by the third-year defensive back. Devodric and Kaseem Ferdinand both went up for Alexander\u2019s pass, and it was the Tiger-Cat defender who came down with the jump ball. Bynum\u2019s first interception since 2024 could not have come at a better time.<\/p>\n THE ALOUETTES DON\u2019T NEED DAVIS ALEXANDER TO BE SUPERMAN TO GET HEROIC WINS<\/p>\n As mentioned, this was the first time all year the Alouettes star quarterback threw an interception. It also marked the first time Alexander has been held to under 300 passing yards. We were also not treated to any Tyson Philpot<\/a> rip the top off of the defence moments. So naturally, Montreal would suffer their first loss in regulation, right?<\/p>\n Quite the contrary.<\/p>\n For the first time all year, the Alouettes outscored their opponent by more than a touchdown, coming away with a 31-18 win. That is credit to a running game that saw Travis Theis put up 156 yards and a touchdown. The real star was their defence that sacked Tre Ford three times and held the Tiger-Cats to 228 total yards, with Robert Kennedy coming away with a game-sealing interception on Ford.<\/p>\n TYREIK MCALLISTER PROVES BACKUP RUNNING BACKS CAN BE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS BACKUP QUARTERBACKS<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n The star of the Calgary Stampeders ground game is Dedrick Mills<\/a>, who could lead the league in rushing. On Friday night, it was the \u201cunderstudy\u201d who was the star of the team\u2019s 52-30 victory over Winnipeg. He was someone who certainly made the most of his opportunities.<\/p>\n Tyreik McAllister only got one carry and turned it into a 17-yard touchdown run as he made one decisive cut up the middle, fooling the initial defender and then his speed led to the first touchdown of the game.<\/p>\n The backup running back only had two targets, but he turned them both into receptions, including a 56-yard, got-behind-the-defence, how-did-he-get-so-open touchdown for the second Calgary major.<\/p>\n Finally, Sergio Castillo missed only one kick, but that was all McAllister would need to race through the Bombers special teams for a 118-yard missed field goal return touchdown. Tyreik put up a trio of touchdowns each coming in a different way and the second quarter wasn\u2019t even halfway done.<\/p>\n NOT ALL INTERCEPTIONS ARE BUILT THE SAME<\/p>\n ANOTHER INT FOR LABROSSE \u203c\ufe0f<\/p>\n Ben Labrosse hauls in his third interception of the night!<\/p>\n \ud83d\uddd3\ufe0f: Stampeders vs. Blue Bombers LIVE NOW! \u2014 CFL (@CFL) July 25, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Benjamin Labrosse\u2019s third pick was the most important play.<\/p>\n
\u00bb Overreaction Monday: 5 hot takes from Week 8<\/a>
\u00bb Alouettes fend off Tiger-Cats, extend winning streak to four<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0Makai Polk<\/a> scores twice as Argonauts defeat Lions<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0Stamps defeat Bombers in record-setting Friday night<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0Blanchard\u2019s 57-yard walk-off field goal lifts Elks over Riders<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0Sign up and watch CFL games on CFL+ in the U.S. and internationally<\/a><\/p>\n
\ud83d\udcfa: TSN, RDS and CFL+#CFLGameDay<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/nXVOLRRWzr<\/a><\/p>\n