Samwise CFL Newsletter
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Als Rally from 14 Down to Beat Tiger-Cats 30-27 in OT
The Montreal Alouettes won their season opener 30-27 in overtime at Hamilton, rallying from a 24-10 deficit. Defensive back Robert Kennedy III delivered the momentum shift with a 54-yard pick-six — his first career touchdown — cutting the Tiger-Cats’ lead to 24-17. Receiver Tyson Philpot made a spectacular one-handed catch in the fourth quarter to help Montreal complete the comeback. Kicker Maltos Diaz sent it to overtime with a 29-yard field goal on the final play of regulation, then delivered the winner with a 17-yarder. Quarterback Davis Alexander went 26-of-38 for 336 yards and two touchdowns while receiver Austin Snead posted career highs with 9 catches for 163 yards.
Sources: TSN
CFL Names Week 1 Top Performers: Rankin, Kennedy III, Ceresna
The CFL named Edmonton running back Justin Rankin, Montreal defensive back Robert Kennedy III, and Winnipeg defensive lineman Jake Ceresna the league’s top players for Week 1. Rankin rushed 13 times for 102 yards and a touchdown and caught five passes for 94 yards — including a 63-yard reception — in Edmonton’s 29-21 victory at Ottawa. Kennedy scored his first career touchdown with a 54-yard interception return, then added a forced fumble in the Alouettes’ 30-27 overtime win in Hamilton. Ceresna set a single-game career high with three sacks and five defensive tackles in Winnipeg’s 30-28 victory over the Calgary Stampeders.
Sources: TSN
Rankin’s 196 All-Purpose Yards Power Elks Past Redblacks 29-21
Running back Justin Rankin carried the Edmonton Elks to a 29-21 season-opening win at Ottawa, putting up 196 total yards against the Redblacks. The 28-year-old rushed 13 times for 102 yards and a touchdown and hauled in five catches for 94 yards, including a 63-yard reception in the third quarter. Rankin accounted for more than half of Edmonton’s offensive output in a game marred by 24 total penalties and a monsoon-like downpour. It was the Elks’ first 1-0 start since 2019, and Edmonton’s offensive line — billed as the CFL’s highest-paid — opened rushing lanes and allowed just one sack.
Sources: TSN, 3DownNation
McManis Ruled Out Again as Tiger-Cats Head to Winnipeg
Hamilton linebacker Wynton McManis has been ruled out for Thursday’s Week 2 game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, missing a second straight game with a knee bone bruise. The 31-year-old sat out the Tiger-Cats’ Week 1 overtime loss to Montreal and did not practice this week. Head coach Scott Milanovich said the injury is “certainly not gonna be long term,” with kickoff in Winnipeg on June 11. Ryan Baker started at middle linebacker in Week 1 in McManis’s place, while rookie Jordan Crook — a first-year linebacker out of Arizona State — also filled in and made five defensive tackles in his first CFL game.
Sources: 3DownNation
McManis Reveals Free Agency Talks: Roughriders Were in the Mix
Linebacker Wynton McManis revealed he fielded interest from Saskatchewan, Ottawa, Calgary, and Montreal during CFL free agency before signing with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The deciding factor was his relationship with Tiger-Cats defensive coordinator Brent Monson, built during their time with the Calgary Stampeders. “Me and coach Monson go way back to our Calgary days,” McManis said. On Saskatchewan — whose head coach Corey Mace also has Calgary roots — McManis said he didn’t think both sides were what each other needed at the time. McManis is now sidelined for Hamilton’s Week 2 game against Winnipeg with a knee bone bruise.
Sources: 3DownNation
Bombers Shuffle D-Line: Dixon to IR, Fletcher Promoted
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers shuffled their defensive line, placing De’Shaan Dixon on the six-game injured list after the 27-year-old from Chesapeake, Virginia suffered a hamstring injury in Week 1 — his first regular-season NFL or CFL action since October 30, 2022. The Bombers promoted Michael Fletcher, a 24-year-old, six-foot-six pass rusher from Flint, Michigan, who played college football at Michigan State and Appalachian State before attending New York Jets training camp in 2025. The move follows Jake Ceresna’s three-sack debut as Winnipeg tries to overhaul what ranked as the league’s worst pass-rush unit in 2025.
Sources: 3DownNation
Road Underdogs Swept Week 1; Week 2 Odds Shift to Home Favourites
CFL road teams swept all three Week 1 games straight up and against the spread, setting up an intriguing scenario heading into Week 2. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers open at home against Hamilton as 3.5-point favourites on Thursday night, while the Montreal Alouettes host Toronto as 6.5-point favourites on Friday. The marquee matchup has Saskatchewan — defending Grey Cup champions — hosting the B.C. Lions as 1.5-point favourites in what TSN called “a highly anticipated showdown between the top choices to win the West Division.” A parlay on all three road teams winning outright pays +1644, implying just 5.4 per cent odds of another sweep.
Sources: TSN
Eastern Conference
Eastern Division
1. Montreal Alouettes — 2 pts (1-0-0)
2. Hamilton Tiger-Cats — 0 pts (0-1-0)
3. Ottawa Redblacks — 0 pts (0-1-0)
4. Toronto Argonauts — 0 pts (0-0-0)
Western Conference
Western Division
1. Winnipeg Blue Bombers — 2 pts (1-0-0)
1. Edmonton Elks — 2 pts (1-0-0)
3. Calgary Stampeders — 0 pts (0-1-0)
4. Saskatchewan Roughriders — 0 pts (0-0-0)
4. B.C. Lions — 0 pts (0-0-0)
Curated by JD · samwise.agency