CFL.ca Game Notes: A look at Week 19

TORONTO — The Esks and Lions are putting their playoff hopes on the line, while the East is up for grabs as fall football hits full swing in Week 19 of the Canadian Football League season.

With only three weeks left in the 2018 CFL regular season, Friday Night Football offers a double-header with plenty on the line. The Ottawa REDBLACKS and Hamilton Tiger-Cats begin their crucial home-and-home series beginning at 7 p.m. ET in Ottawa. Both teams are tied for first place in East Division. Ottawa won the first game between the two teams back in Week 7 (21-15) and with a victory would win the season series and own the tie-breaker.

At 10 p.m. ET the Edmonton Eskimos travel west to take on the BC Lions, another game with playoff implications for both teams. BC continues to surge, winning five of their last six games including a road victory against the league-leading Calgary Stampeders at McMahon Stadium. Edmonton snapped a recent slump by defeating the Ottawa REDBLACKS at home, while a win for BC would clinch the Lions a playoff spot.

Buy Week 19 Tickets
» Friday, 7:00 p.m. ET: Hamilton at Ottawa
» Friday, 10:00 p.m. ET: Edmonton at BC
» Saturday, 4:00 p.m. ET: Montreal at Toronto
» Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET: Saskatchewan at Calgary

Saturday, like Friday, has a double-header. First up, the Montreal Alouettes take on the Toronto Argonauts at BMO Field beginning at 4 p.m. ET. Toronto is looking to snap a seven-game losing streak and improve a 3-5 home record. Montreal won the first meeting between the two teams as Johnny Manziel makes his first start in Toronto and his sixth career CFL start.

To complete the week, the top two teams in the West square off at Mosaic Stadium, where the West-leading Calgary Stampeders play the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Calgary can clinch first place with a victory, earning a bye to host the Western Final. A win for the Riders will keep their first-place aspirations alive. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

**The TSN live mic game will be the Hamilton/Ottawa game**

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY…

Western Semi-Final: Winnipeg at Saskatchewan

Western Final: Winnipeg/Saskatchewan at Calgary

Eastern Semi-Final: BC at Hamilton

Eastern Final: BC/Hamilton at Ottawa

WEEK 19 PLAYOFF SCENARIOS

• 10 of the remaining 12 games have playoff implications including all six West Division games.

PITCHING A SHUTOUT

• On Saturday afternoon, Winnipeg shut out the Saskatchewan Roughriders 31-0 at Investors Group Field.
• It was the first shutout since 2017, when the Hamilton Tiger-Cats shut out the Montreal Alouettes 33-0.
• Since 1945 there have been 119 shutouts in the CFL. Calgary leads with 22 shutouts in that span just behind Edmonton and Winnipeg with 21.
• Winnipeg now has 33 shutouts.
• The last time Saskatchewan was shut out was in 2014 against the Edmonton Eskimos, 24-0.
• No team has been shut out in back-to-back games.

SINOPOLI – 100 CATCHES

• Last week Brad Sinopoli recorded six receptions to give him 101 on the season.
• With three games remaining, Sinopoli is on pace for 121 receptions this season, which would be the fifth most all-time only trailing; 160 Derrell Mitchell 1998, 126 Allen Pitts 1994, 123 Don Narcisse 1995 and 122 Michael Clemons 1997.
• Sinopoli is 12 catches away from surpassing Ben Cahoon (112) for the most receptions by a Canadian.
• Other Canadians to reach the 100-catch mark in a season include:

Ben Cahoon | 112 | 2003

Gerald Wilcox | 111 | 1994

Dave Sapunjis | 111 | 1995

Ben Cahoon | 107 | 2008

Andrew Harris | 105 | 2017

Dave Sapunjis | 103 | 1993

Kamau Peterson | 101 | 2008

Andy Fantuz | 101 | 2016

QUICK SLANTS:

• Toronto Argonauts have played in four games decided by a single point, just one off the record held by Ottawa (1991) and Edmonton (1993). In those games they are 2-2 in. They have also been a part of seven games decided by four or less points. They are 3-4 in those games.
• 1,500 Rushing Yards: Ottawa’s William Powell (1,275) is 225 yards away from reaching the 1,500 mark on the season with three games to go. The last player to reach 1,500 yards in a season was Calgary’s Jon Cornish during the 2013 season when he rushed for 1,813. After that was Joffrey Reynolds in 2009 with 1,504. The last time an Ottawa player won the rushing title was in 1988 when Orville Lee did so (1,075).
• Edmonton’s CJ Gable is 60 yards away from reaching 1,000 on the season, joining Powell and Andrew Harris.
• 1K Pass Catchers: Duke Williams (1,454), Brandon Banks (1,290) and Brad Sinopoli (1,207) are the only players to surpass the 1,000-receiving yard mark so far. Next players looking to join the trio: Luke Tasker (979), Darvin Adams (902), Greg Ellingson (956) and S.J. Green (918).
• If Duke Williams were to record the most receiving yards this season, it would be the fifth time in six seasons that an Edmonton Eskimo has accomplished this: 2017 Brandon Zylstra, 2016 Adarius Bowman, 2015 Eric Rogers (Calgary), 2014 Adarius Bowman and 2013 Fred Stamps. It would be the first time a team has had a receiver lead the league five years in six since Calgary did so in 1991-1995.
• Following his eight-tackle game, Adam Bighill reached the 100-plus tackles mark for the fourth time in his career, joining Barrin Simpson and Willie Pless as the only players in CFL history to record four or more seasons with 100-plus tackles.
• Alex Singleton also cracked the 100-tackle club for the second time in his career. He needs 23 more tackles to set a new career-high.
• Bo Levi Mitchell has 31 passing touchdowns this season and is two short of setting a career high.
• With three games left in the season, Wally Buono has a record of 281-163-3 (.605)
• Travis Lulay returned to the lineup last week and recorded his 47th career win in 78 starts.
• Tyrell Sutton rushed for 106 yards in his Lions debut, only the second time a rusher for the Lions has rushed for 100-plus yards this season.
• Montreal’s Henoc Muamba needs 12 more tackles for 100 on the season. It would be the second time reaching this benchmark in his career.
• In Johnny Manziel’s last start he passed for a career-high 250 yards and recorded his longest pass completion of 52 yards.