Canadian Press photo
Week 18 saw three West Division teams score massively important victories.
Wins for Winnipeg, Edmonton and BC tightened the West Division playoff race even more, setting up an entertaining final three weeks of divisional games.
On the #TotalPickEm leaderboard, user tigercats4ever regained the lead for the first time since August after a 3-1 week pushed their overall record to 50-19. Whichever user ends up on top at the end of the season will be taking home a cool $5,000 prize, courtesy of Total.
Let’s take a look at how the week broke down.
Hamilton 34, Toronto 20
The surging Ticats rewarded the faith of pick’em players with a solid victory over the struggling Argos at BMO Field; Brandon Banks was an absolute force, racking up 178 receiving yards and celebrating with his son in a cool moment.
Hamilton is no doubt the hotter of the two squads entering its home-and-home series with Ottawa in weeks 19 and 20, which will likely decide the winner of the East Division’s regular-season title race; June Jones’s team looked dominant on both sides of the ball — albeit against a very average Toronto team.
If Jeremiah Masoli rounds into form, watch out.
Saskatchewan 0, Winnipeg 31
Put quite simply, Winnipeg put in one of its best performances of the season while Saskatchewan, well, didn’t show up at Investors Group Field.
Riders QB Zach Collaros was yanked after throwing for just 69 yards and two interceptions; replacement Brandon Bridge then struggled just as much in the second half, minus the interceptions.
Credit where credit is due: The Bombers played their best half of the season, racing out to a 31-point halftime lead and then putting it in cruise control. Winnipeg’s Adam Bighill was a one-man wrecking ball, registering eight tackles, a sack trick — as a linebacker — and forcing a fumble in the win.
Keep an eye on Mike O’Shea’s Bombers, as they seem to be trending up at the right time.
Ottawa 16, Edmonton 34
Mike Reilly is back to his MOP-level form, and perhaps even more important for Edmonton, Bryant Mitchell exploded for 190 receiving yards.
The Esks can use all the receiving options possible, especially with Derel Walker still on the six-game injured list; the re-emergence of Mitchell, combined with established receivers like Vidal Hazelton and Duke Williams, is only a good thing for Jason Maas’s squad.
Edmonton’s defence also shut out a pretty decent Ottawa offence for the entirety of the second half; coordinator Mike Benevides’s unit needed to make a statement, and they did.
BC 26, Calgary 21
The BC Lions scored a statement win in Week 18, becoming the first team to win at Calgary in 2018.
Travis Lulay looked decent in his return, while new Lion Tyrell Sutton broke the century mark and ran in a pair of touchdown in his orange debut.
Mark Washington’s BC defence also put in a monstrous shift, shutting down the Stamps almost completely outside of a 55-second, two-touchdown blip late in the second quarter.
BC is now in a position to clinch a playoff spot as early as Week 19; anybody else wanting to get onboard the Wally Buono going out on top train?
Week 18: 4-0
Season: 45-24 (.652)
