Als, REDBLACKS set for Thanksgiving Weekend rematch in ’24

TORONTO — It might feel a little weird to talk about Thanksgiving in December, but it’s never too late to talk about how grateful we are for all the amazing football we get to enjoy every year.

Last year’s Thanksgiving offered plenty of that with the BC Lions and Winnipeg Blue Bombers battling for the top of the West Division, the Toronto Argonauts and Hamilton Tiger-Cats making statements on their way to the post-season and the Montreal Alouettes giving the world a preview of what would eventually become a dominant Grey-Cup winning team.

CFL.ca takes you through what to expect for 2024 on Thanksgiving Weekend presented by Purolator.

RELATED
» Then and Now: Best Sunday Night games of ’23 and ’24
» Rivalries Old and New: Labour Day Weekend games of ’23 and ’24
» CFL.ca’s top 30 pending free agents
» More 2024 Free Agency news, notes, and analysis

Toronto at Winnipeg
Friday, October 11, 2024

Is there anything better than enjoying a Thanksgiving meal while watching two of the best teams in the CFL go toe to toe? The Argonauts won 35-12 on Thanksgiving Weekend in 2023 against the Edmonton Elks, while the Blue Bombers beat the Lions 34-26 to all but claim first place in the West Division. This time only one of them will get to celebrate the weekend with a win with this battle of first-place finishers opening the slate of games.

The Argos are coming off a disappointing loss in the Eastern Final to the Alouettes whereas Winnipeg is dealing with disappointment themselves after losing their second straight Grey Cup. Both teams will be returning their All-Star quarterbacks in Chad Kelly and Zach Collaros, setting up the stage for an explosive back and forth matchup.

The only (potentially massive) thing standing in the way of a shootout are two defences that finished first and third in yards allowed in 2023. With names like Willie Jefferson returning to Winnipeg, expect the Bombers to continue showing up on that side of the ball. For Toronto, it remains to be seen what impact the departure of defensive coordinator Corey Mace will have on that side of the ball.

Edmonton at Calgary
Saturday, October 12, 2024

The second game of the weekend will be a rematch of the OK Tire Labour Day Classic between Elks and Stamps in Calgary. With the Elks losing to the Argos in 2023 and the Stampeders having a bye, both teams are going to be looking to create new Thanksgiving memories.

If you’re looking for entertainment, look no further than to a game between two team that split their season series in 2023 by the slimmest of margins, with the Stamps winning 35-31 in Week 13 before the Elks won the rematch 25-23 the following week.

Edmonton’s Tre Ford rushed for a combined 217 yards over two games against Calgary and could have more than a year under his belt as the starter for the Green and Gold. Jake Maier, meanwhile, threw for 545 passing yards over the two games, showcasing a drastic different offensive approach that could provide another exciting matchup.

BC at Saskatchewan
Saturday, October 12, 2024

This is a game between two teams that are hungry to make the most of this Thanksgiving meal in 2024 after losing their matchups in 2023. The Lions are returning their entire coaching staff for next season and will be faced with newly-hired Mace in his first season with the Roughriders.

Last time Lions and Riders met in Regina it was the home team that came away with a 34-29 win. The Green and White opened a 24-13 first-half lead before keeping a BC comeback attempt at bay in the second half. It was a wild shootout with both quarterbacks throwing three passing majors, as Dolegala went 18 of 29 for 239 yards and Vernon Adams Jr. finished 26 of 41 for 455 yards.

Like mentioned in the Labour Day Weekend preview, Mace’s staff will be tasked with getting the Riders back to the post-season and it starts with beating the teams that finished ahead of them in West Division standings in 2023.

Ottawa at Montreal
Monday, October 14, 2024

The only rematch from last year’s Thanksgiving Weekend features the current champions going against the REDBLACKS in Montreal. The Als faced Ottawa three games into their eight-game winning streak that carried all the way to the Grey Cup. The defence kept a duo of Dustin Crum and Nick Arbuckle under 200 yards passing while allowing only 27.8 per cent of second downs to be converted and registering five sacks.

Cody Fajardo and the offence played what eventually became their trademark efficient game with the pivot completing 28 of 32 passes for 272 yards, a major and an interception.

It won’t get any easier for the REDBLACKS in 2024 with the Alouettes returning most of their core pieces from the championship run.