It’s the final weekend of CFL action. I’ll miss Canadian football greatly when it’s done, of course – but I have so much to do between now and May 2025 that I feel like I’m barely going to have time to catch my breath. At least my report cards were done this year before the deadline of this article. I’ll take the small solaces where I can find them.

In league news this week:

• With QB Sex Pest Chad Kelly now done for the season due to a broken leg in the East Final, the Toronto Argonauts have brought back QB Bryan Scott to serve as the team’s third-stringer for the Grey Cup game. Scott has bounced around the NFL and CFL for a while now, but perhaps that veteran presence is enough reassurance to the team in light of a championship coming up soon.
• Calgary has been awarded the 113th Grey Cup game which is scheduled for the end of the 2026 regular season. Despite McMahon Stadium being the second-oldest – and arguably the worst – stadium in the league – the game returns to Cowtown for the first time since 2019. With the stadium crumbling, it’s quite likely this will be the final championship game played at McMahon; owned by the University of Calgary, it was opened in 1960 and lacks key amenities such as suites, seat backs, and accessible entrances in many locations. Talks will begin anew for a new facility; with the NHL Flames now building a new arena to replace the similarly aging Saddledome, the writing is on the wall for the need for an outdoor venue suitable for football, soccer, and other events. The questions, as always, largely hinge on location and taxpayer contribution – two things that have been the bane of Calgary residents for decades now.
• The Ottawa REDBLACKS have parted ways with DC Barron Miles after two seasons with the team. While the REDBLACKS’ D did have to deal with a rash of injuries this year, particularly in the linebacking corps, the secondary looked significantly overmatched as the year went on, and the DBs were routinely getting burned by big plays, especially in the East semifinal. There’s no word yet on who will be his replacement – but despite the fact that Ottawa did takes massive steps forward this year with a 9-8-1 record, their defence is a big reason as to why there’s still a notable gap between them and teams like Montreal and Toronto right now in the East Division.

Onto the games!

DIVISION FINAL RECAPS

EAST DIVISION FINAL

(2) Toronto 30 vs. (1) Montreal 28: This was a wild one. The Argos defence came out swinging and forced four fumbles and two interceptions (including a pick-six) on the favoured Alouettes, upsetting the league’s top-ranked team and earning their second trip to a Grey Cup in three years. Janarion Grant scored a huge 71-yard return TD, and Toronto managed to hang on after starting QB Sex Pest Chad Kelly had his lower leg broken after getting landed on by Als DE Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund, which has ended his 2024 season. Not great signs for their chances to win this week now that their starting QB is done, but perhaps, if karma is actually a thing that exists, that that outcome is a little bit of redistribution in light of his previous offences mentioned often earlier this season.

PICK: Toronto

RESULT: Toronto

WEST DIVISION FINAL

(2) Saskatchewan 22 vs. (1) Winnipeg 38: It was pretty much the perfect game from the Bombers’ offence. Zach Collaros threw four touchdowns (three of them to WR Kenny Lawler) and league-leading rusher Brady Oliveira had 119 yards and a rushing TD on 20 carries, and Winnipeg is now off to their fifth – yes, fifth!! – straight Grey Cup game. Aside from an early rush TD by RB AJ Ouellette, Saskatchewan’s offence was routinely shut down by Winnipeg’s strong D, who forced three turnovers on downs in this game while also keeping Trevor Harris from throwing a pass TDs until very late in the fourth quarter. While it was a significant improvement this year for Saskatchewan, it always stings to lose a key playoff matchup to a hated division rival – and now the conversation about 38-year-old Trevor Harris’ future as Saskatchewan’s QB1 can begin… and last for the next several months on Regina sports talk radio.

PICK: Winnipeg

RESULT: Winnipeg

111th GREY CUP PREVIEW

BC PLACE, VANCOUVER, BC

(2E) Toronto (13-7) ) vs. (1W) Winnipeg (12-7), Sunday, November 17th, 6:00 PM EST (CTV, TSN, CBSSN, CFL+): It’s a rematch of the 109th Grey Cup that happened two years ago in Regina; the Blue Bombers were heavily favoured for that one and were upset by a remarkably persistent Argos team, with LB Henoc Muamba winning the game’s MVP award and QB Sex Pest Chad Kelly coming off the bench to set up the game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter. Two years on and the core of both of these teams is still here. Once again, Winnipeg is heavily favoured; not only because their offence looked absolutely rock-solid last week, but also due to the fact that the Argos will have to start Nick Arbuckle at quarterback now that Sex Pest Chad Kelly is done for the year following surgery on his broken leg from last week. If Toronto’s going to secure another upset victory, they’re going to need to lean on some basic, simple football; feeding RB Ka’Deem Carey is a great way to game plan on offence, while the D will again need to be opportunistic just as they were against Montreal. Winnipeg’s defence is pretty good at stopping the run, while the offence, particularly the pass game, looked the best it’s been all season last week against the Roughriders. Five straight Grey Cup appearances is a very impressive feat – but fans are going to be clamouring for a victory, considering how the Bombers have choked in each of their last two games.

PICK: Winnipeg

Enjoy the game, everyone.