THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO — It’s almost time to kick off and the picks are in.
The 104th Grey Cup Playoffs begin Sunday with the Eastern and Western Semi-Finals, and you know what that means: it’s time for the writers to make their picks.
Looking for a fresh start? The records have reset and everyone’s 0-0 as Playoff Pick ‘Em returns for another season. Make your picks and you can win a pair of season tickets for the team of your choice.
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Two exciting games and no shortage of storylines usher in this year’s road to the Grey Cup on Sunday, Nov. 13, as the Edmonton Eskimos visit the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Eastern Semi-Final while the Winnipeg Blue Bombers take on the BC Lions in the Western Semi-Final.
The regular season has come and gone and with that a clean slate arrives. We look at who the writers are going with in the lead up to the games.
CFL.ca Pick ‘Em Leaders: Regular Season
| Writer | Record |
| Jim Morris | 53-27 |
| Matthew Cauz | 51-29 |
| Pat Steinberg | 48-32 |
| Don Landry | 47-33 |
| Jamie Nye | 44-36 |
| Marshall Ferguson | 23-18 |
ESF: EDMONTON @ HAMILTON
The action picks up in Hamilton, where the Edmonton Eskimos cross over from West to East to take on the Ticats at Tim Hortons Field.
The Eastern Semi-Final features two of the league’s more established quarterbacks going head to head in Zach Collaros and Mike Reilly, whose performances on Sunday will go a long way in determining a winner.
Edmonton is the defending Grey Cup Champion and may be the CFL’s hottest team entering the playoffs, led by an historic season by the dynamic receiving duo of Derel Walker and Adarius Bowman — but going on the road and playing in the unfriendly confines of Tim Hortons Field won’t be easy.
The Ticat defence under Orlondo Steinauer is prone to making big plays that can change the outcome of a game in a moment’s notice, while No. 4 on offence — the quarterback, Collaros — is a big-game player and led Hamilton to a Grey Cup appearance in his first season as a starting CFL quarterback in 2014.
PICK TREND
WRITER PICKS
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| Cauz | Morris | Steinberg | Landry | Nye |
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| Ferguson |
WSF: WINNIPEG @ BC
Is the third time the charm for the BC Lions?
The Lions came close in two late regular season meetings with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers but fell short both times; on Sunday, Winnipeg can deliver a third and final blow in a matchup of West Division rivals.
Led by the league’s most exciting young quarterback in Jonathon Jennings, the Lions are even better characterized by their balance after having success in all three phases throughout 2016.
A resurgent team led by the return of Wally Buono, the Lions do everything well, from running the football and controlling a game’s tempo on offence to getting after the quarterback on defence.
The Bombers looked lost and then found themselves after a 1-4 start and have been one of the CFL’s best teams since turning to Matt Nichols early in the campaign. Nichols led Winnipeg on an eight-game winning streak and has the Bombers’ offence ticking, led by former BC Lion Andrew Harris.
Even more dangerous is Winnipeg’s secondary, however, which helped the Bombers dominate the league in takeaways and turnover ratio.
PICK TREND
WRITER PICKS
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| Landry | Ferguson | Cauz | Morris | Steinberg |
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| Nye |
