Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca
TORONTO — There are just two weeks left in the CFL’s regular season and there’s still plenty of meaningful football to be played across the country as the chase for playoff spots continues.
Things start in Hamilton on Friday night as the Ottawa REDBLACKS take on the Tiger-Cats at Tim Hortons Field. With a Ticats win, the REDBLACKS will be eliminated from playoff contention. A Hamilton win combined with a Saskatchewan loss means the Tabbies will clinch third place and will play in the Eastern Semi-Final. Hamilton’s been hot as of late, coming off a big win in Calgary last week and has won three of their last four contests. Ottawa, on the other hand, is fresh off a loss to the Alouettes and will hope to keep their playoff hopes alive with a win this weekend.
We then move to Edmonton as the BC Lions visit Commonwealth Stadium to take on the Elks. All the Lions need to do is win and they will lock up second place in the West Division and will host the Western Semi-Final. The Elks are already eliminated from the playoffs and will be without their starting quarterback Taylor Cornelius, who suffered a spleen injury last week, in their season finale (they’re on a bye in Week 21).
Saturday’s doubleheader starts in Montreal as the Toronto Argonauts visit the Alouettes. A win means the Argos clinch first place in the East Division and will host the Eastern Final. To keep their hopes alive at hosting the Final, Montreal has to win this week at home. Toronto has won four of their last five contests and will be anxiously looking to add another win to that list to clinch the top of the division. Montreal is hoping to take the momentum from their Week 19 win over Ottawa back to Percival Molson Stadium.
And finally, the week ends in Saskatchewan as the Roughriders host the Calgary Stampeders. The Riders are back from a bye week and are looking to keep their playoff hopes alive with a win. The Stamps, too, are hoping to keep their playoff hopes alive and will be keeping a close eye on the Lions on Friday night. A Lions win or a Stampeders loss means Calgary can’t catch the Leos for second in the West.
Buy Tickets
» Friday, 7:00 p.m. ET: Ottawa at Hamilton
» Friday, 9:45 p.m. ET: BC at Edmonton
» Saturday, 4:00 p.m. ET: Toronto at Montreal
» Saturday, 7:00 p.m. ET: Calgary at Saskatchewan
OH, WHAT A WEEK
- The four games in Week 19 averaged 64 points – the highest scoring week of the year.
- Each game was decided in the final three minutes.
- Each victor won by eight points or less.
- 25 majors were scored, including five return touchdowns (four defensive, one kick return).
- Friday’s two games totalled nine lead changes.
NOW TRENDING
- Games this season are averaging 4.5 offensive touchdowns, up 25 per cent from 3.6 in 2021.
- 62 per cent of games this year (45-of-73) have been decided in the final three minutes – the highest on record.
- East teams are 8-2 in the last 10 interdivision matchups, including a current 4-win stretch
- When a sack is not allowed, teams average one touchdown drive in every five possessions (20 per cent). In the 326 drives when teams have allowed a sack, only 10 majors have been scored – a success rate of 1-in-33 drives (3 per cent).
- When teams take a defensive penalty, the opposition scores 39 per cent of the time.
- TD percentage jumps from 11 percent to 50 when teams create an explosive play/long-gainer.
- The league-wide passer rating through Week 11 was 92.7 – just above the average in recent years. It has risen to 97.9 since – the second highest on record.
- The touchdown to interception ratio since Week 12 is 1.65 to 1 – far above normal.
JUST HOW THEY DRU IT UP
- Last week, Dru Brown (325) became the 38th player to pass for 300+ yards in his first-career start.
- Brown became the fourth Blue Bomber to achieve the feat:
- Keithen McCant (1994) | 26-of-47 passing | 326 yards | 2 TDs
- Khari Jones (2000) | 27-of-48 passing | 448 yards | 3 TDs
- Ryan Dinwiddie (2008) | 24-of-39 passing | 450 yards | 1 TD
- Brown (2022) | 28-of-39 passing | 325 yards | 3 TDs
- Brown became the 13th player to do so, while recording three TD passes. McLeod Bethel-Thompson was the last to meet that mark in 2018.
QUICK SLANTS
- Ottawa needs to sweep their home-and-home set against Hamilton to maintain their playoff hopes. Since Ottawa rejoined the league in 2014, the two teams have played in back-to-backs three times. The REDBLACKS have two sweeps and a split.
- Receiver Justin Hardy has 24 catches on 32 targets over his past three games.
- Hamilton’s Simoni Lawrence (651) recorded seven tackles in Week 19, passing Larry Wruck (646) and Kyries Hebert (650) to move to 13th all-time. He is 11 behind Calvin Tiggle (662).
- Lawrence is slated to play in his 150th CFL game and teammate David Beard is set for his 100th.
- Steven Dunbar (923) is looking to reach his first 1,000-yard season this week.
- Seth Small is four-for-four from 50+ yards this season, including a league-high 58-yard effort to match the team record. He tops the league in field goal percentage (91.2).
- Tim White has 274 yards on 15 catches (18.3 yards per reception) in his last three games.
- BC’s Lucky Whitehead (966) and Keon Hatcher (935) are in search of their first 1,000-yard seasons this week.
- Terry Williams notched 341 kick return yards last week – a team record and the fifth highest in CFL history.
- James Butler (913) is nearing his first 1,000-rushing yard season.
- Edmonton’s Manny Arceneaux is 100 receiving yards from 9,000 in his career. He recorded his 615th catch last week, passing Tony Gabriel (614) for 24th all-time.
- Tre Ford will make his third career start this week.
- Toronto is 10-2 when scoring 20+ points this season.
- Kurleigh Gittens Jr. is 16 yards shy of his first 1,000-yard season. The Ottawa native would be the first Canadian since Brad Sinopoli to reach the mark since 2018. The CFL’s top Canadian receiver has not been an Argonaut since Bobby Taylor in 1969.
- Henoc Muamba recorded his 601st tackle last week.
- Chris Edwards is the only player to return multiple interceptions for touchdowns this year.
- John Haggerty leads the league in punting average (48.6 yards). If he can maintain the mark, he will set a club record and finish sixth best in CFL history. Jon Ryan holds the all-time mark of 50.6 set in 2005.
- Montreal is 6-2 after a 2-6 start.
- The Alouettes will need to sweep Toronto in their home-and-home series to claim the East Division. They have not managed the feat since 2007.
- Trevor Harris not thrown an interception in his last 118 passing attempts.
- The Philpot twins both had career showings in Week 19 (* indicates personal-best)
- Tyson (MTL) | 10 targets* | 7 REC* | 76 yards*
- Jalen (CGY)| 7 targets* | 5 REC* | 56 yards
- Calgary’s Shawn Lemon has reached 13 sacks for the third time in his career, and he sits one shy of his personal-best set in 2016. He has 91 in his career.
- Ka’Deem Carey (1,013) rushed for 64 yards to surpass the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career.
- René Paredes is 15 points shy of his third-career 200-point season.
- Saskatchewan is 2-9 this season when allowing 20+ points
