The Weekly Say: Who will win the 111th Gray Cup?

VANCOUVER – A player here in Vancouver this week with a non-participating team was talking about how long a Gray Cup week can be for the players in it.

The teams arrive on Monday and can start practicing on Tuesday, with their work week officially starting on Wednesday. Their regular patterns of training, practice, team meetings and maybe some media are blown up these few days. Time slows down, they said. The five days it takes to get to Sunday can feel like fifteen days.

The wait is almost over for the players ready to get started, for the thousands of fans heading to BC Place on Sunday and for millions of people across the country and beyond. The 111th Gray Cup is just two days away. The writers at CFL.ca have been thinking about many of the same things you are. How will Nick Arbuckle to intervene and intervene for the injured Chad Kelly? Can the Bombers end their two-year Gray Cup drought (we know; they’ve been through worse)? Can the Argos do this? Who will take the individual hardware home on Sunday evening? We try to answer these questions in this 111th Gray Cup edition of The Weekly Say.

111th GRAY CUP
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» 5 things you need to know about the Argos ahead of the 111th Gray Cup

WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM NICK ARBUCKLE ON SUNDAY?

Matt Cauz: I expect a better game than many people think. Nick has already faced Winnipeg’s defense once this year, made three game-winning passes against Montreal and has so much support around him. I don’t expect him to light it, but I think he will give us a good game.

Kristina Costabile: Nick is going to play a lot better than many people think. As long as he doesn’t try to do too much, which the Argos have been talking about all week, and limits the number of mistakes against Winnipeg’s tough defense, I think he’ll be fine.

Marshall Ferguson: Smart, flexible, risk-averse and high return.

Jose Ferraz: Solid execution of the game plan. The Argos have been preaching all week that Arbuckle doesn’t have to be the hero and I expect the veteran quarterback to live by those words on Sunday.

Vicki room: I’m not sure Nick Arbuckle can write the fairytale here, but I expect him to play a disciplined, smart game. He’ll put the ball in the hands of his offensive weapons – and if all goes according to Toronto’s game plan, the defense and special teams will take over from there.

Chris O’Leary: Many of us instinctively jump to how Ryan Dinwiddie was thrown into the 2007 Gray Cup game and how he fared. This is not the same situation for Arbuckle. I think if he follows Dinwiddie’s advice and doesn’t try to do too much, something will happen Chad Kelly of which he was guilty in the early stages of the eastern final last week – the Argos have a chance.

Patrick Steinberg: We’re talking about a man entering the biggest game of his career with more perspective than he’s ever had, after all the adversity he’s faced over the past five years. I honestly think we’re going to have a solid night with limited mistakes from Arbuckle, allowing his strong play and defense to play a big role in Sunday’s game plan as well.

WHO WILL BE THE BEST RECEIVER IN THE GAME?

Cauz: Nic Demski, Zach Collaros‘ security blanket. Kenny Lawler was the big star in the Western Finals, but I’m going with the receiver who saw 10 targets against the Roughriders. Toronto’s bend-don’t-break pass defense will mean a lot of receptions for Demski.

Costabile: How can it not? Kenny Lawler? Lawler was the best pass catcher last week (which I predicted correctly, by the way!) They need a veteran who has been there and done that to be the guy in the biggest moment of the year. He can answer the bell.

Ferguson: Nic Demski. Dude is so smooth and always seems to meet the moment. He is hungry and knows that opportunities like this won’t last forever.

Ferraz: Kenny Lawler. Despite how talented Toronto’s receiver group is, it’s hard to bet against Lawler (and Zach Collaros).

Hall: I have to go with the hot hand(s) in Kenny Lawler.

O’Leary: Kenny Lawler feels like a safe bet here given what we saw in the Western Final last week. These are games where your vets go the extra mile and I think Lawler will do that on Sunday.

Steinberg: I’m coming along Ontario Wilsonjust knowing how much attention Kenny Lawler will receive after his torrid past weeks. Lawler will happily play offense if it means a Gray Cup title.

WILL THE ARGOS SCENE A NON-OFFENSIVE TOUCHDOWN?

Cauz: The odds say no, but the staff says yes. Between those Argonauts pass haste, the instincts of Wynton McManis and all things Janarion Grant I’m going with a resounding yes.

Costabile: Yes. However, I think this will be a defensive score. The Bombers cover team has just been too good, they haven’t allowed a punt or kick return touchdown this season, and I don’t know if Janarion Granteven with how talented he is, he’ll be able to break free.

Ferguson: If they want to win the game, they have to, there’s no way around that.

Ferraz: I’m going with No. The Bombers haven’t allowed a single punt or kick return touchdown in 2024, so it’s tough for Janarion Grant – despite how good he has been – to break one, and defensive touchdowns are too unpredictable.

Hall: Yes. Absolute. My pick is Wynton McManis and/or Janarion Grant, for obvious reasons.

O’Leary: If you were to ask me this at the start of the play-offs I would say: probably not, but that defense has been used especially in the last two games and Janarion Grantas we saw last week, loves a big stage. TLDR? Yes. The answer is yes.

Steinberg: As strong as Toronto’s defense has been all season, I’m going to say no.

WHO WILL BE THE GAME MVP? MOST VALUABLE CANADIAN?

Cauz: Let’s run with Ka’Deem Carey behind an elite offensive line on a night where it will be all hands on deck for every Toronto skill position player. As for the Most Valuable Canadian, let’s go with St. Catharines, Ont.’s own Lirim Hajrullahu. I expect an exciting match between the two best teams in the competition. The margin of victory could easily be limited to one field goal.

Costabile: Brady Oliveira. Double dips during CFL Awards night and during the game.

Ferguson: Zach Collaros finally gets over the three-year hump and adds another diamond-worthy performance to his already big, shiny career Nic Demski plays leading man on the receiving end and barley gets the MVC vote over teammate Brady Oliveira.

Ferraz: Brady Oliveiraboth.

Hall: Zach Collaros MVP. Brady Oliveira will add another trophy to his collection with MVC.

O’Leary: I might have a recency bias, having seen him posing with some distinguished awards less than twelve hours ago, but Brady Oliveira seems like a safe bet here. Maybe for both, Henoc Muamba style?

Steinberg: Zach CollarosKevens Clercius.

WHO WINS THE GAME?

Cauz: Toronto with the upset, 24-22 over Winnipeg.

Costabile: For the W. I’ll go with Winnipeg.

Ferguson: Bombers start fast, Argos reel them back in and Winnipeg hits the gas to pull away in the third quarter.

Ferraz: Winnipeg. It will be a close, hard-fought match, but the Bombers’ experience will give them the final edge.

Hall: Winnipeg. Adversity gives way to victory, pain leads to joy – the Blue Bombers have learned from the last two Gray Cup defeats. It’s their time.

O’Leary: Have you seen my takes record this year? I’ll spare both teams the kiss of death and abstinence.

Steinberg: Winnipeg.