4 storylines to watch on Thanksgiving Weekend presented by Purolator

It’s Thanksgiving Weekend presented by Purolator and I hope you’re hungry for some juicy CFL games.

Playoffs are just around the corner and while we know where one of the four playoff games will be (Montreal will host the Eastern Final) the final three locations are still up for grabs.

This week is sure to be an exciting one as Winnipeg looks for their ninth-straight win, two teams battle for second place in the West, a receiver in Edmonton has gotten into the end zone in six-straight games, and we’re about to feast on an East Division rivalry game on Thanksgiving Monday.

Here is one storyline to watch in each game in Week 19.

THANKSGIVING WEEKEND PRESENTED BY PUROLATOR
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WILL THEY CONTINUE TO GO FOR THE W?

Toronto at Winnipeg | Friday, October 11 | 8:30 p.m. ET

Eight-straight wins has moved Zach Collaros and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers into the drivers seat of the West, after starting their season 0-4. It’s an incredible turnaround this season for the team that has been the creme of the crop in the CFL after making four-straight Grey Cup appearances.

Now the Bombers face the Argonauts looking for their 11th win of the season while Toronto returns from their bye week winning two of their last three outings. A win or a tie this week for Winnipeg (or a Saskatchewan loss or tie) clinches the West Division and the Bombers will host the Western Final on November 9. On the other side, a Toronto win or tie this week will secure a playoff berth for the Argos.

Chad Kelly and co. go head-to-head against the league’s most stingy defence as the Bombers have allowed a league-low 20.3 points per game and net offence per game (327.4). Quarterbacks have their worst nights completion percentage wise when facing the Bombers, with opposing offences completing a CFL-low 59.4 per cent of their passes against Winnipeg.

Will Winnipeg get the W in front of their home crowd or will fans at Princess Auto Stadium leave disappointed with an Argos win? Find out when the week kicks off on Friday night.

FIND HIM IN THE END ZONE

Edmonton at Calgary | Saturday, October 12 | 3:00 p.m. ET

If you ask Eugene Lewis where he’s been lately he’ll answer with, ‘in the end zone.”

The Elks receiver is riding a six-game touchdown streak, scoring a major in every game since Week 12. He now leads the CFL in receiving touchdowns (eight) and is just 64 yards away from his third career 1,000-yard season. Two more touchdowns and he’ll tie his career-high of 10 that he scored while in Montreal in 2022.

Style points don’t technically matter in the CFL, but if they did, Lewis would have collected a ton of them. Just look at his toe-tap on the sideline catch last week where he kept both feet in bounds for the first down. It was a work of art, really.

This week Lewis and his Elks are playing for pride against the Stampeders after being eliminated from post-season contention in Week 18. Don’t expect them to let their foot off the gas though, they’re all still competitors who want to win.

It’s also worth noting that Tre Ford will start at quarterback for Edmonton and Matthew Shiltz is likely to get the nod for Calgary.

THE BATTLE FOR SECOND IN THE WEST

BC at Saskatchewan | Saturday, October 12 | 7:00 p.m. ET

Saturday night’s contest between the BC Lions and Saskatchewan Roughriders is must-see TV as they battle for second place in the West.

The Roughriders are currently one point ahead of the Lions in second place. A Saskatchewan win would lock in a home playoff date for the Riders. A Lions win would mean BC moves back ahead of Saskatchewan to second and the battle for second continues into next week.

Trevor Harris and co. won their third-straight contest last week as they start getting hot with just a few weeks left in the regular season. Saskatchewan still leads the CFL in turnover ratio by a large margin at +19. Last week a few Riders added to that total with Rolan Milligan Jr. nabbing his league-leading eighth interception, C.J. Reavis picking up a fumble forced by Amari Henderson, and Adam Auclair also picking off a McLeod Bethel-Thompson pass.

BC’s defence was impressive last week, too. Mathieu Betts had a pick-six in the game, showing off his incredible speed to run into the end zone for the score. Veteran T.J. Lee knocked down a Jake Maier lateral pass, scooped it up and ran in for a score.

Something tells me this game will come down to who wins the turnover battle.

THANKSGIVING AND FOOTBALL, YES PLEASE

Ottawa at Montreal | Monday, October 14 | 1:00 p.m. ET

What’s better than turkey, pumpkin pie, and a CFL game? If you answered anything other than “nothing” then..well, I’m sorry to say it but you’re wrong. I’m saying that in the nicest way possible, of course.

Monday will see the Ottawa REDBLACKS and Montreal Alouettes meet for the fourth-straight year on the Canadian holiday. The Alouettes are leading the Thanksgiving matchup series 2-1, winning in 2023 and 2021, 29-3 and 20-16, respectively. Ottawa earned the 24-18 victory in 2022.

Both teams return from their bye weeks and both are coming off Week 17 losses (Ottawa lost to Saskatchewan while Montreal fell to Toronto). Week 16 saw the Als and REDBLACKS meet in Ottawa with the visiting team handing the home team their first loss at TD Place (24-12).

Montreal has locked up the Eastern Final already, but Ottawa is still battling for home field in the post-season with Toronto hot on their tails, sitting just one point behind in the standings.