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Grey Cup Contenders 2017

Grey Cup Contenders 2017 3,4/5 6929 reviews

Speechless. That was my reaction when Matt Black intercepted the Bo Levi Mitchell throw in the end zone to win the 2017 Grey Cup.

The 2017 Grey Cup was the fourth championship match-up between the two teams, with Calgary winning in 1971 and Toronto victorious in 1991 and 2012. The Argos' 2017 Grey Cup. Grey Cup, Edmonton, Alberta. The 105th Grey Cup Festival kicks off on November 21, 2017 and runs through November 26, 2017 at Lansdowne.

The Toronto Argonauts just won their league leading 17th Grey Cup and I was left with my jaw dropped.

Last week the Argos had their day in the sun and took full advantage. This week it would be in the snow and they were just as advantageous.

The game and outcome changed so quickly on Sunday I almost didn’t believe what I just saw.

For some strange reason I instantly started replaying the entire season in my head. I’m not sure why I just didn’t spend more time enjoying the moment.

I remembered predicting a 9 and 9 season for the Double Blue but that the finals would be a rematch of the 2016 Grey Cup. Who would win? I picked Calgary over Ottawa.

It just made sense. I mean Toronto went into free agency without a GM or Coach. When Jim Popp and Marc Trestman finally did come aboard it was March and they still needed to assemble a coaching staff and a playbook.

In reality they did more than that. They developed a culture. With insurmountable odds that were constantly thrown in their face Jim Popp and Marc Trestman stressed the often over used but extremely relevant cliché of one day at a time.

All they could is take what was given and work with it. And oh did they ever. This year could easily have been labelled a rebuild and nobody would have complained. But this is the CFL where anything and everything can not only happen but often does.

So once Popp and Trestman got the keys to their office in came names like James Wilder Jr., Cleyon Laing, Marcus Ball, Bear Wood, Cassius Vaughan and SJ Green.

Of course there were others and we can’t forget the players who committed to the team when it looked like the organization was in disarray. Players like Tyler Homes, Anthony Coombs and Chris Van Zyle decided to see this through when nobody would have blamed them if they took their talents elsewhere.

Having Marcus Brady return as the offensive coordinator was a huge factor in getting the offense, and most importantly Ricky Ray ready for 2017. Ray already knew the offense and knew it was designed almost specifically for his skill set particularly at age 38.

Cory Chamblin revamped the defensive side of the ball. And with guys like Marcus Ball and Bear Woods joining the team Chamblin knew he had an all business group of leaders willing and eager to pass on his message.

The season wasn’t sexy at all. As I predicted the team would finish 9-9. They were workman like. Sometimes they won ugly, other times they looked impressive. Sometimes they lost having left it all on the field and sometimes they were completely over matched.

But the temperament of the team and as a result the players never changed. It was always just getting back to work and taking it 1 day at a time.

That mind set was on full display Sunday. Underdogs all week Toronto never listened to any of the critics or so called experts. All they did was go to work.

I think they knew themselves that a CFL game is different and the Grey Cup only highlights that.

There would be 2 individual plays resulting in over 100 yards. That’s a record. Both were huge and timely. The Vaughan fumble recovery changed the game. But so many plays did.

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I honestly thought Toronto didn’t do all that well in the trenches. The O-line was struggling and as a result James Wilder Jr couldn’t get off. If you told me that he would gain 13 yards on 9 carries and that Toronto would win I’d say you were nuts.

2017 contenders football

Calgary looked good for most of the game and maybe was the better team for 57 minutes.

Grey

Their ability to execute on 2nd down drove me nuts.

Their ability to answer an Argonaut touchdown drive with one of their own had me thinking that maybe this wasn’t going to be our day.

But just like Trestman said all season long, one day at a time, one play at a time and the Argos just kept chugging along.

They didn’t turn the ball over and Calgary did so twice. Win the turn over battle and you win the game.

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Like last week Ray marched his team down the field with precise execution for a game leading field goal. Just like last week there was just enough strength in that 38 year old arm to execute sideline throws to SJ Green and Devier Posey.

Of course up by 3 I wondered if Toronto left too much time on the clock. But Matt Black put that question to bed. The Canadian half back who was released earlier in the season only to return shortly after made the biggest play of his life.

Nobody deserved it more except for the fact that everybody deserved it. The team bought in from day 1 and never doubted their ability.

After the game there was talk of love, and family and respect. These so called gladiators playing a tough game showed just what emotion can mean to a team. An emotion that derived from the culture that both Popp and Trestman stressed on their first day on the job.

The biggest question in the champagne filled locker room quickly turned to Ricky Ray and his future. His contract is up and he now has the opportunity to walk away a champion. Is there a better way to go?

Whatever he decides he’s earned the time to do so. I’m sure he’ll reflect on this season and just take the off season one day at time.

As the Argos proved this season, that’s the way to do it.

Grey Cup Contenders 2017

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Grey Cup 2017 Score

Football ‘north of the border' gets underway later in June with the start of the CFL regular season. To get you ready for all the betting action at 5Dimes sportsbook, the following is a closer look at the recently updated betting odds to win this year's Grey Cup title.

For the third-straight season, the Calgary Stampeders out of the West Division of the CFL have been opened as favorites to win a Grey Cup title. They have come up just short on their bid the last two years, and a few teams are in good position to keep the Stamps from getting it done this season. Here is a brief look at the best value in the CFL futures betting odds at 5Dimes Sportsbook

2018 CFL Favorite to Win the Grey Cup

Calgary posted the best record in the CFL last season at 13-4-1 straight-up a year after it won 15 of its 18 games the year before. Both of those seasons ended in bitter disappointment with losses to Ottawa in 2016 and Toronto in 2017 in the Grey Cup Championship Game. While the Stampeders have clearly been the top team in the CFL over this same span, there has to be some concern with their chances to put those two bitter setbacks in the rearview mirror to win it all this year. See <a href='https://www.sportsbettingstats.com/cfl/grey-cup-odds'>2017 Grey Cup Odds</a>

The Stampeders’ betting odds to win the 2018 CFL title are set at +225 as the clear favorite on the board. Bo Levi Mitchell is back at quarterback as the third leading passer in the league in total yards. However, the Stampeders’ running game took a hit with Jerome Messam signing with Saskatchewan in the offseason as a free agent. He was the CFL's third-leading rusher with 1,016 yards and nine touchdowns on 215 carries.

2017 Grey Cup Tickets

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Overall, the Stamps are still loaded on both sides of the ball as the team to beat in the West this season. Making the playoffs is probably a given. Winning the 2018 Grey Cup could be a whole other story.

2018 Top Contenders to Win the Grey Cup

Grey Cup Contenders 2017 Football

Next on the list at 5Dimes is the Edmonton Eskimos at +675. They went from winning ten games in 2016 to a 12-6 record in 2017 to earn the third seed in the West behind Calgary and Winnipeg. The Eskimos knocked off the Blue Bombers 39-32 in the playoffs as three-point favorites before losing to the Stampeders 32-28 as five-point road underdogs in the West Division title game. Behind Matt Nichols at quarterback and Andrew Harris as the CFL’s leading rusher in 2017, Edmonton was able to average 28.3 points per game. With some better depth on the other side of the ball, there is quite a bit of value in the Eskimos’ betting odds to win it all this year.

Canada Grey Cup 2017

A trio of teams made up of Saskatchewan, Hamilton and Toronto are listed at +800 odds to win this season’s CFL title. The Argonauts are defending champs, but I think the Tiger-Cats have the best value of the three. Ottawa made an unexpected run to the 2016 title, and Toronto pulled off the upset last season, so it could be Hamilton's turn to emerge as champs out of the easier path in the East. Jeremiah Masoli should be Hamilton’s starting quarterback, and Alex Green should lead the ground game after gaining 447 yards on just 79 rushes in 2017. Hamilton will have to tighten things up on defense, but overall it should be much better than its six-win campaign last year.

2018 Top Longshot to Win the Grey Cup

Panini Contenders 2017

Worst to first runs in the CFL are not all that uncommon to add some substantial value to the British Columbia Lions’ +1200 betting odds to win the 2018 Grey Cup. Working against them is the division they play in as the fifth team in the West last year at 7-11. However, there are some pieces in place that could make them a bit more competitive in 2018. Wide receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux is back as a big target for Travis Lulay and Jeremiah Johnson should anchor the running game after gaining 913 yards and scoring nine touchdowns on 158 carries last season.