4 storylines to watch in Week 20

Kristina Costabile

CFL.ca

@kcostabile1

With two weeks left in the regular season, there’s still much to be decided for the playoffs.

Every game means something. Isn’t it great?

I’m not going to get into the full playoff scenarios in this article. Those will be on CFL.ca soon.

Instead, here’s a storyline to watch in every game this weekend that isn’t tied to a playoff scenario.

RIDERS MISSING SOME STARTERS

Saskatchewan at Winnipeg | Friday, October 17 | 8:00 p.m. ET | TSN/CFL+

With the top of the West Division secured, the Saskatchewan Roughriders have decided to rest their quarterback to keep him fresh for the post-season.

Trevor Harris will not start at quarterback for the Riders this week (despite the pivot not exactly loving the idea). Instead, it will be Jake Maier taking the reins for Saskatchewan as they head to Winnipeg for a meeting with their rival Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Maier has thrown for 340 yards, two touchdowns and an interception this season in limited action.

The game will also be missing a handful of other players fans are used to seeing on a weekly basis. Defensive tackle Micah Johnson and running back AJ Ouellette were listed as out (load management) on the team’s injury report. Other starters who will not play, but are dealing with injuries, include receivers KeeSean Johnson (knee) and Dohnte Meyers (ankle), defensive backs Rolan Millian Jr. (foot/knee) and Marcus Sayles (DB), and defensive lineman Shane Ray (neck).

Some good news for the Riders, however, is the return of defensive back Tevaughn Campbell, who has been listed as available for Friday night’s game. Campbell’s last outing was in Week 14 after he had been dealing with a head injury. The Canadian is tied for the league lead in interceptions with six.

Winnipeg won’t care who is in the starting lineup for the Riders. They just want to win. In the logjam that is the West Division, the Bombers are currently in the crossover spot with 16 points. Edmonton is right on their heels (14 points) and the two teams ahead of them, Calgary and BC (18 points), are looking to keep it that way with a win this week.

MUST-WIN FOR TWO HOT TEAMS

Edmonton at BC | Friday, October 17 | 10:30 p.m. ET | TSN/CFL+

With the BC Lions currently sitting in second place in the West, and the Edmonton Elks in fifth, Friday night’s game is a must-win for both clubs.

Let’s start with Edmonton. A loss and they’re eliminated. A win and their hopes of making the playoffs remain alive. Edmonton has been one of the hottest teams in the CFL recently, going 3-2 since Week 14. The three wins were against Calgary, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg, all above them in the standings, and the two defeats were close, back-to-back losses on walk-off field goals to Toronto and Hamilton, respectively. Last week’s upset over Winnipeg (not an upset for this writer, who picked them to win!) should be something for Cody Fajardo and co. to build on as they look to do it again this weekend against BC.

For the Lions, it’s pretty simple. Win and keep second place. BC has been the hottest team in the CFL over the same stretch, winning their last four contests. The Leos boast the league’s best offence in terms of yards per game (428.5), and offensive points per game (30.1). Plus, Nathan Rourke is playing at an MOP-level.

This will be the game of the week, so don’t miss it on Friday night.

CAN HE MAKE IT 11 IN A ROW?

Montreal at Ottawa | Saturday, October 18 | 3:00 p.m. ET | TSN/RDS/CTV/CFL+

Davis Alexander added yet another win to his total as a starter last week, defeating the same REDBLACKS he and his Alouettes are facing on Saturday afternoon. He’s now 10-0 to start his young CFL career.

Ottawa is out of the playoffs this year, so they’ll once again be playing for pride and potentially jobs as they suit up for their last home game of the 2025 campaign.

Montreal is just two points back from Hamilton for the top spot in the East. With the Ticats off on a bye, the Als have a chance to tie the Ticats in points, setting up for an epic Week 21 to determine who earns the first-round bye and hosts the Eastern Final.

Alexander completed 23 of 30 passes for 240 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions against Ottawa last weekend. What does he have in store this week as he looks to improve his record to 11-0 as a starter?

ONE FINAL DOUBLE BLUE GAME

Toronto at Calgary | Saturday, October 18 | 7:00 p.m. ET | TSN/CFL+

With the Toronto Argonauts heading out on a Week 21 bye, this weekend is the final opportunity for fans to see their team until the 2026 season.

The defending champs missed the playoffs this year, but it wasn’t for lack of talent on their roster. Nick Arbuckle was a standout in 2025, sitting at or near the top of the passing leaderboard for most of the campaign.

Cameron Judge, who had consistently been one of Marshall Ferguson’s top Canadian candidates to win MOC, and Wynton McManis were two playmakers on a defence that wouldn’t quit.

Lirim Hajrullahu was one of the best kickers this season, hitting from distance (he tallied a league-leading 10 kicks from 50+) and in clutch situations (remember the back-to-back, walk-off field goals he booted against Hamilton and Edmonton?).

This group will want to finish their season on a high note, but also play spoiler to a Calgary Stampeders team that is still vying for playoff positioning in the West. The Stampeders are riding high, coming off a win last week against the Tiger-Cats, snapping a four-game losing skid. Vernon Adams Jr. and his Stamps won’t take their foot off the gas, so it’ll be a tough task for the Boatmen in their 2025 finale.

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