We’re almost at the end of the 2019 season – the Grey Cup beckons! As per usual, next week will be the final CFL Beat of the season before I take my December hiatus. I look forward to recapping this weekend’s title game for you in seven days from now. With virtually no other league news to report on, we’ll jump right into the recaps of last week’s Division Final matchups.

Onto the games!

DIVISION FINAL RECAPS

EAST DIVISION FINAL

(Crossover) Edmonton 16 vs. (1) Hamilton 36: As many expected, the Tiger-Cats will return to the Grey Cup for the first time since 2014 thanks to their victory over the visiting Eskimos. A strong Hamilton defence came up huge, keeping All-Star QB Trevor Harris from doing too much damage; the Eskimos pivot threw one touchdown against two interceptions while also getting sacked three times. For the Ti-Cats, the run game was mostly quiet – backup QB David Watford had two QB sneaks for touchdowns, but it was Dane Evans who did the bulk of the heavy lifting, going 21-36 for 386 yards, a TD and a pick. It was not a perfect game by any stretch of the means for the Ti-Cats, but it was strong enough that they remain the team to beat heading into the Grey Cup.

PICK: Hamilton

RESULT: Hamilton

WEST DIVISION FINAL

(3) Winnipeg 20 vs. (1) Saskatchewan 13: The Bombers’ defence came up huge twice in the dying moments of the game to send the top-seeded Roughriders packing; DB Mercy Maston tackled QB Cody Fajardo at the one-yard line with under three minutes to go, resulting in a turnover on downs. On Saskatchewan’s final possession, Fajardo had a pass attempt on second down swatted away by DB Brandon Alexander, while on his very final pass of the game, the ball went off the crossbar. The Riders threw everything they had at Winnipeg, but at the end of the day, it just wasn’t enough. Cody Fajardo went 27-41 for 366 yards, but failed to score an offensive touchdown of any variety. The Zach Collaros Redemption Tour continues in Winnipeg, with the trade-deadline acquisition once again providing the keys to victory with 267 pass yards and a touchdown.

PICK: Saskatchewan

RESULT: Winnipeg

107th GREY CUP PREVIEW

MCMAHON STADIUM, CALGARY, ALBERTA

(3W) Winnipeg vs. (1E) Hamilton, Sunday, November 24th, 6:00 PM EST: A lot of notable storylines heading into this year’s Grey Cup matchup – these two team have the longest current Grey Cup droughts in the CFL (no titles since 1990 and 1999, respectively). It’s Hamilton’s first Grey Cup appearance since 2014, and Winnipeg’s first since 2011; interestingly enough, the Blue Bombers have been to more Grey Cup games than any other franchise, with this year’s championship marking their 25th appearance. In nine appearances of these two towns squaring off against each other for the CFL’s top prize, Winnipeg has the upper hand; they have six victories (1935, ’58, ’59, ’61, ’62, ’84) to Hamilton’s three (1953, ’57, ’65).

In two games this year, Hamilton has beaten Winnipeg twice (a 23-15 home win in Week 7, and a 33-13 road win in Week 16). Interestingly enough, that Week 7 home tilt was the very game that starting QB Jeremiah Masoli was lost for the season with a torn ACL, and many fans thought the Ti-Cats’ Grey Cup chances were done. Not so – with Dane Evans having been the most productive QB in the back half of the 2019 regular season, Hamilton has continued to improve with every game – and Evans’ chemistry with receivers Brandon Banks and Bralon Addison is undeniable.

One of the other notable details for this coming matchup is the fact that Zach Collaros is facing off for a title against his old team. After tearing his ACL in 2015, Collaros wasn’t the player he was for a long time – the team traded him away to Saskatchewan before the start of the 2018 regular season, where he suffered a number of concussions that limited his effectiveness. In Week 1 of this season, when the Roughriders faced off against the Tiger-Cats, LB Simoni Lawrence laid a vicious, illegal hit on Collaros, leading with his helmet, and gave him a severe concussion, knocking him out of the game. Lawrence was suspended for two games for the hit, which kept Collaros on injured reserve until September; he was traded from Saskatchewan to Toronto, where he didn’t play a down, and then again at the deadline to Winnipeg. Having barely played at all this year, the fact that Collaros was able to come in and beat two very good teams in Saskatchewan and Calgary as a new member of the Blue Bombers says a lot about the calibre of player he is, when given the opportunity.

Lawrence and Collaros were teammates in 2014, and while the illegal hit was vicious and controversial, neither party wants to talk about it much right now, and they’re focused on getting set for the game instead. Your typical PR speak, but it’s pretty logical here.

Hamilton remains the team to beat this year, but if Winnipeg can get another solid game out of Collaros, and figure out a way to re-energize RB Andrew Harris, who’s been fairly quiet thus far in the playoffs, they’re going to make a lot of noise in this one. Winnpeg has done some incredible things with their run game this year, and it wouldn’t make sense to abandon it now, even with the strength of Hamilton’s linebacker corps.

The forecast may well change from now, but the weather looks like it’ll be hovering close to the freezing mark with mostly clear skies; as cold as that may sound, that’s still warmer than what the city of Calgary has seen previously this week, with snow having landed several days already this month. Hard to say how much of a factor the weather will be in this game, but it’s safe to say this: people will be wearing enough layers to be able to hide several flasks on their person. The smart ones, at any rate.

PICK: Hamilton

Enjoy the game, everyone.