Can the Labour Day Weekend losers strike back in this week's rematches?

Expectations were high for last weekend's CFL rivalry games, particularly the historic Monday battles for first place, but there weren't any close games to be found, with the victors winning by nine, nine, 18 and 30 points. Two of the winning teams (B.C. and Calgary) led wire-to-wire, and only one losing team (Winnipeg) ever led by more than one point. Three of the four teams that lost on Labour Day Weekend now get to face the teams that beat them again in rematches this weekend, though, and they'll all have home-field advantage this time. Will that be enough to make a difference for Toronto, Winnipeg and Edmonton, or are we likely to see repeats of last weekend's thumpings?

First, let's examine the Argonauts' rematch against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (Friday, 7:30 p.m. Eastern, TSN/ESPN3). Their game was the worst blowout of last weekend, as they were shredded 42-12 Monday, and they've had an extremely short week to try and turn things around. That short week could be problematic, as it means we won't likely see drastic schematic changes given how little time there's been to implement them. Instead, the focus will probably be on better execution. Toronto head coach Scott Milanovich also told Dan Ralph of The Canadian Press that his team needs to play with more passion:

There is some reason to believe that the Argos have a chance even without major schematic improvements, as they've been very good overall this year, especially on offence. However, the Ticats are one of the league's hottest teams, and they've scored the CFL's most points (357; no one else is over 271) and allowed the second-fewest points (194). Hamilton has been a complete team in all three phases of the game, getting plenty of touchdowns from their defence and special teams, while Toronto's been more one-dimensional. The Ticats are also on pace to set a CFL record with a second-down conversion rate of 60.3 per cent (the record is Montreal in 2008 at 55.0 per cent). To have any chance at a win here, the Argos' defence will have to turn in a dazzling performance of their own.

Moving to Winnipeg, the Bombers would seem to have a greater likelihood of success in their rematch with the Saskatchewan Roughriders (Saturday, 6:30 p.m. Eastern, TSN/ESPN3) in the "Banjo Bowl." Yes, Saskatchewan beat Winnipeg 37-19 last Sunday, but that was the Roughriders' first win of the season. It was also in Regina; now, the Bombers get to play at home in the friendlier confines of Investor's Group Field. (Yes, there will undoubtedly be a significant presence there from Rider fans, especially with this game being on a Saturday rather than a Sunday, as that allows for an easier trip back to Saskatchewan; however, there will certainly be more Winnipeg fans on hand this week than there were last week.) The Bombers also have some hope at quarterback, as they'll be starting new acquisition Matt Nichols. Will that be enough to turn things around for them? We'll find out, but they'll clearly need more passing production than the 184 yards they got from Brian Brohm last week. If Nichols can provide an aerial boost to their offence, they might have a shot.

In Edmonton, the Eskimos might have the best odds of all the fallen teams to avenge last weekend's loss when they again take on the Stampeders (Saturday, 9:30 p.m. Eastern, TSN/ESPN3). They turned in a phenomenal defensive effort last week against Calgary, falling 16-7 only because their offence wasn't able to get rolling. That might change this week; quarterback Mike Reilly, who had been out since Week One, returned to the field partway through last week's game and threw for 90 yards on just five completions (not much less than the 105 rookie starter James Franklin posted on 13 completions). Reilly is expected to get the start this week, and while he'll have to be more accurate than the five completions on 12 attempts he posted Monday, his return should give Edmonton hope; Franklin has been decent in many of his appearances, but is still learning the CFL and the Eskimos' offence, while Reilly is a proven veteran and one who's shown great upside while healthy. With a home crowd on their side (they're 4-1 at Commonwealth Stadium) and Reilly back in the lineup, Edmonton could very well pull off a win. Of course, the Eskimos will have to get past the dominant Stampeders (8-2 on the season), so victory is far from assured, but they should have a solid chance in this rematch. We'll see if they, and the other teams who fell last week, can make the most of it.