The Canadian Press
Injuries are an accepted part of life in football, but I can’t remember them having quite as profound an effect as what we’ve seen this season. For two teams in particular, though, they’ve really taken their toll. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Calgary Stampeders have been absolutely ravaged by injuries they’ve wreaked havoc on their designs on the Grey Cup.
The most recent catastrophe comes from Hamilton and the news of Brandon Banks broken clavicle. The Ticats will be without a true Most Outstanding Player candidate for the rest of the season, which leaves them in a difficult situation. Banks has solidified himself as the league’s most dangerous and consistent receiver in 2018 and he’s been vital in Hamilton’s attack.
This isn’t the first season-ending injury to a game-breaking receiver the Tiger-Cats have suffered this season, either. In the midst of another outstanding campaign, Hamilton lost Jalen Saunders with a knee injury in Week 12. Without both Saunders and Banks, the Ticats are without two of the speediest deep threats in the league.
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So now it’s really on quarterback Jeremiah Masoli and how he can lift his team. Masoli has been one of the league’s best statistical quarterbacks all season and has a realistic shot of winning the 2018 passing title. Without his most dangerous weapon, Masoli’s job has gotten a little more difficult going into another crucial game with Ottawa.
Hamilton isn’t completely without weapons, though. The Tiger-Cats still have the always-reliable Luke Tasker in the fold, and he’s been on fire of late. Tasker has reeled in six touchdown receptions in his last three games, but you can credit at least some of that to all the attention Banks has been receiving.
Newly acquired Terrell Sinkfield Jr. will likely move into Banks’s position in the slot as the Ticats cross their fingers he can mimic the form they saw from him in 2015. And you can also expect a steady dose of Alex Green in the final two games for the Ticats; he’s averaging one rushing touchdown and just under 100 all-purpose yards per game this season.
Then there are the Stamps, who look more vulnerable than they have in a long, long time, and there’s really only reason for that. Calgary has suffered more injuries at one position this season than I can ever remember. That position just happens to be receiver, and it’s really starting to have a detrimental effect.
After Saturday’s 29-24 loss to Saskatchewan, the Stamps have lost consecutive games for the first time this season and, significantly, they’ve lost them both at McMahon Stadium. If you factor in the team’s 12-6 win in Montreal, the Stampeders have played rather unimpressive football for three straight weeks.
In recent weeks, Calgary has lost Kamar Jorden, DaVaris Daniels, Reggie Begelton, and Marken Michel with long-term injuries. Eric Rogers, who missed a ton of time earlier this season, has crucially returned, but we’re still talking about an absolutely decimated core of receivers. As of right now, the Stamps struggling to move the ball through the air, at least by their standards.
During the aforementioned stretch of three games, quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell hasn’t gone over 250 yards passing and he looks more frustrated on the field than I’ve seen from him. Players like Chris Matthews and Markeith Ambles are intriguing options but are still getting acclimated to their elevated roles in Calgary’s offence.
The good news for the Stamps is they still have a couple games before the playoffs begin. They still possess talented playmakers and Calgary can use their final two games to help build more chemistry with Mitchell. In saying that, things are a little more urgent for the Stamps, because they need a win in one of their final two games to guarantee top spot in the West Division.
Down to the wire…again
Last week we were lauding the CFL schedule makers for their work in the East Division. After all, Hamilton and Ottawa are going head-to-head in a pair of games in the final few weeks to decide top spot. Well, the matrix gurus have done it again, because Week 20 has another outstanding matchup poised to decide a crucial position.
Saturday night sees Saskatchewan host BC in a showdown that will go a long way in deciding which team hosts the Western Semi-Final. While the Riders hold a four point edge on the Lions as it stands right now, the former has just one game left on their schedule. BC, on the other hand, has two more games before the post-season begins.
This breaks down in a somewhat complicated manner. If Sask takes care of business at home, they’ll guarantee at least second in the West Division with an outside shot at first. Because they own the tiebreak, the Riders can still lock up top spot overall with a win this weekend and a pair of Calgary losses to finish the season.
Things get far more interesting if BC takes a road win at Mosaic. A Lions win on Saturday could, and I stress could, put them in a position to finish second in the West. Because BC and Saskatchewan only play twice this season, and because the latter won the first head-to-head meeting, a tiebreak between the teams would come down to aggregate points in their two meetings.
The Riders prevailed 24-21 in their week 11 meeting with the Lions, which sets up a pair of conditions for the latter to meet for a shot at second place. First, BC would have to beat the Riders by more than four points to avoid going to the next tiebreak layer (quotient points = ridiculously complicated).
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» Friday, 8:30 p.m. ET: Calgary at Winnipeg
» Saturday, 4:00 p.m. ET: Ottawa at Hamilton
» Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET: BC at Saskatchewan
» Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET: Toronto at Montreal
Then, to ensure the two teams finished with identical 11-7 records, the Lions would have to finish their season with a home win over Calgary. In this circumstance, the Stamps would already have clinched top spot in the West Division, which could mean a few players rested and a potentially easier road for BC.
And, of course, the East Division is far from decided. As Hamilton and Ottawa’s home-and-home set moves to Tim Hortons Field, there’s still a decent chance this comes right down to the final week. It all depends on how things play out on home field for the Ticats.
Give the REDBLACKS a ton of credit, because thy looked like they were on the ropes heading into halftime on Friday. But, thanks to a great final two quarters from Trevor Harris, Ottawa stormed back with 21 points en route to a 35-31 win. As a result, the REDBLACKS are unquestionably in the East Division driver’s seat.
It’s pretty simple for Ottawa; because Friday’s win clinched them the tiebreak, one more win and they’ve got the bye to the East Division Final. So, even if they lose in Hamilton on Saturday afternoon, the REDBLACKS can still clinch top spot with a home win over Toronto in Week 21.
On the other hand, the Tiger-Cats have a straight forward, but more difficult, road to top spot in the East. For that to occur, Hamilton would need to win its final two games against Ottawa and Montreal. The Ticats also need to see the REDBLACKS lose their final game against the Argos, which would be a stunner.
Who’s going to win the West Division? Who’s finishing on top in the East? Which team is crossing over? And what group will host the Western Semi-Final? All of these questions don’t have definitive answers right now. I’m absolutely stoked we all get to sit back and watch that change in the final eight games of the regular season.
