The Canadian Press
First, there was the Bombers decimation of the Riders. Then Edmonton began its ultimate come-from-behind attempt with a win over Ottawa. Then BC stunned the league, handing Calgary its first loss at McMahon Stadium this season.
We have three weeks left of regular-season football, with the Bombers and Esks each playing twice and BC playing three times before the playoffs start. This has been the tightest West Division race that I can remember, with the playoff order possibly not sorted out until the very last week of the regular-season. As we rolled through each game on Saturday, though, I kept thinking about the dark side of this race.
One of BC, Edmonton or Winnipeg will not be in the playoffs this year.
Did anyone have this scenario in their preseason picks?
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A win by the Eskimos, along with wins by the Lions and Blue Bombers only makes the West Division playoff scenario that much more of a headache in trying to predict. (The Canadian Press)
Heading into the season, the Lions were counted out by many. The Esks spent much of this year viewed as a Grey Cup contender and a top-three team in the league. The Bombers went into the season with high expectations, hit a slump and were written off. They’ve responded with their best football of the season. That was highlighted by their convincing thumping of the Roughriders; their fourth in a row.
Winnipeg’s run over the last four games is the kind of thing that a coach and GM hope for from their team. After beating Montreal to end a four-game slide, they’ve dominated Edmonton and Saskatchewan and eked out a tough overtime win over Ottawa. Anyone of those last three wins is the type of rocket fuel that a team uses to take off into the playoffs. That the Bombers have three of them — all in a row — is very impressive. They’ve taken their lumps this year but they’re playing their best football at the right time.
You can put the Lions in that boat too. They’ve had their troubles on the road (they’re 2-6) but after handing Calgary its first home loss and third loss overall this year, the Lions should have plenty of confidence when they board their next flight to play the Riders on Oct. 27. BC has Travis Lulay back under centre and found a new spark at running back in Tyrell Sutton’s debut (22 carries, 106 yards, two touchdowns). Calgary’s 18-point second quarter explosion aside — and that’s a mighty big aside — the Lions defence continued its strong play, holding Calgary to a single field goal the rest of the way.
With the Bombers and Lions, you see a team that for the most part, is doing just about everything right when it needs to. Then you get to Edmonton.
The Esks looked good in their win over Ottawa, finally putting together the type of effort they’re capable of. But at 8-8 and last in the West, the host team of the Grey Cup with the reigning MOP quarterback will likely need to win out the rest of the way, facing BC and Winnipeg in its final two games. Given the way all three teams have played over the last month or so, the odds seem stacked against Edmonton, but their entire body of work suggests they could manage to dig themselves out of this deep late-season hole.
Despite the Esks’ offence drying up after they beat Calgary in the Labour Day rematch, Mike Reilly is still the league’s leading passer and Duke Williams is still the league’s leading receiver. C.J. Gable is third in rushing, coming off of his best game since Week 3. The much-maligned Edmonton offensive line kept Reilly clean(er) on Saturday and didn’t allow a sack. Will that provide the same sort of spark that BC’s and Winnipeg’s recent big wins brought? We’ll find out this week when the Esks head to Vancouver.
Of course, none of this takes into account the other two teams in the West. The only thing that’s guaranteed for Calgary and Saskatchewan is that they’re in the playoffs. These last three weeks will have a playoff intensity, even with one of BC, Edmonton or Winnipeg out in the cold (not in the good way) when it’s done.
