CFL Beat: Playoffs – Division Finals

We’re down to the final three games of the 2025 CFL season – I certainly hope we have some entertainment left here. I With just over a week until baby’s expected due date, I would just like a final chance to get my report cards done and final CFL Beats completed before kiddo’s arrival. Also

In league news this week:

• The league announced its 2025 Awards nominees late last week:
  • Most Outstanding Player: QB Nathan Rourke, BC; QB Bo Levi Mitchell, HAM
  • Most Outstanding Defensive Player: DE Mathieu Betts, BC; DE Julian Howsare, HAM
  • Most Outstanding Canadian: QB Nathan Rourke, BC; DL Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund, MTL
  • Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman: Jermarcus Hardrick, SSK; Brandon Revenberg, HAM
  • Most Outstanding Special Teams Player: KR Trey Vaval, WPG; K Lirim Hajrullahu, TOR
  • Most Outstanding Rookie: KR Trey Vaval, WPG; LB Devin Veresuk, HAM
  • Coach Of The Year: Corey Mace, SSK; Jason Maas, MTL
• The league also announced its 2025 All-CFL team, featuring many of the same award nominees in key places:
  • QB: Nathan Rourke, BC
  • RB: Dedrick Mills, CGY
  • WR: Kenny Lawler, HAM; Keon Hatcher, Justin McInnis, BC; KeeSean Johnson, SSK; Tyler Snead, MTL
  • C: Logan Ferland, SSK
  • G: Brandon Revenberg, HAM, Jacob Brammer, SSK
  • T: Jermarcus Hardrick, SSK; Jarell Broxton, BC
  • DE: Mathieu Betts, BC; Julian Howsare, HAM
  • DT: Jaylon Hutchings, CGY; Micah Johnson, SSK
  • LB: Tyrice Beverette, MTL; Jameer Thurman, CJ Reavis, SSK
  • CB: Tevaughn Campbell, SSK; Jamal Peters, HAM
  • HB: Rolan Milligan Jr, SSK; Evan Holm, WPG
  • S: Stavros Katsantonis, HAM
  • K: Lirim Hajrullahu, TOR
  • P: Mark Vassett, CGY
  • KR: Trey Vaval, WPG
• The Ottawa REDBLACKS made huge waves out of the blue yesterday by hiring Ryan Dinwiddie away from the Toronto Argonauts, where he’d won two Grey Cups in five seasons as head coach, and hiring him as the team’s new head coach and general manager. To make way, current GM Shaun Burke received a promotion to VP of football operations – and also got a two-year contract extension himself to keep him with the team through the end of 2028. Let me be the first to say that this is an absolute home run hire for the REDBLACKS; not only did he win multiple championships in his time in Toronto, but he knows how to get the most out of his quarterbacks – whoever they may be. I am extremely excited for the REDBLACKS significantly overhauling things for 2026 now that this guy’s in place. It’s a huge loss for the Argos, who are probably kicking themselves that they couldn’t find a way to offer him a football ops role in addition to coaching in order to keep him around the organization.
• The CFL suspended Montreal Alouettes DL Shawn Oakman for violating the league’s policy on gender-biased violence and harassment; in an especially egregious incident, Oakman is accused of threatening to send sexually explicit material to an underage child of a domestic partner. Hopefully we some clarity soon, because right now that’s an awful look for Oakman.
• The Edmonton Elks signed WR Kaion Julien-Grant to a contract extension through to the end of the 2026 season; they also extended DB Tyrell Ford through to the end of 2027. Both Canadian, these players are going to form some very nice pieces for the Elks’ roster in the near future, and this national talent will help significantly in meeting Canadian starter roster ratios while maintaining solid depth on the field.

Onto the games!

DIVISION SEMIFINAL RECAPS

EAST DIVISION SEMIFINAL

(C) Winnipeg 33 vs. (2) Montreal 42: The Blue Bombers will not, in fact, be headed to their sixth straight Grey Cup final, as their season came to an end on the road at the hands of the Alouettes. Despite their era as championship contenders seeming to finally draw to a close, they didn’t go down without a fight in this one. Montreal took a 19-point lead into halftime, but the Bombers struck extremely quickly in the third quarter to score three unanswered TDs and take their first lead of the game. However, the Als got the lead back shortly thereafter with a rushing score by RB Stevie Scott III, and never relinquished it again. It was yet another solid performance from Als pivot Davis Alexander, who continues to have never lost a game as a starter in his professional career, extending it to 12-0; he finished with 384 pass yards, a TD, a pick, and a rushing TD. Zach Collaros did his best under center for Winnipeg, but it was too little, too late for the Bombers; he finished the day with 304 pass yards, a TD, and a pick; he’s under contract for 2026 with Winnipeg, but one feels the sun setting on his successful CFL career at this stage.

PICK: Montreal

RESULT: Montreal

WEST DIVISION SEMIFINAL

(3) Calgary 30 vs. (2) BC 33: This was an absolutely electric semifinal game, and the Stampeders threw absolutely everything they had at the Lions to try and steal this one from them. After a relatively quiet first half, with the Lions sporting a 13-7 lead after the first 30 minutes, both teams woke up and got their A games in action. BC scored thanks to Rourke running in the ball himself on a 4-play, 64-yard drive to make it 20-7, but Calgary responded shortly thereafter to cut the home side’s lead to six points thanks to Canadian receiver Jalen Philpot snagging a TD catch from Vernon Adams, Jr. The Lions’ Robert Carter, Jr. then immediately snuffed the visitors’ momentum with an impressive kickoff return TD to make it 27-14. The Stamps then battled back with two straight TD scores to knot the game at 27, and with time ticking down, both teams successfully kicked a field goal; BC had a brief lead, but the Stamps battled back to get Rene Paredes the game-tying kick with 29 seconds to go. It was just enough time for the Lions to march down the field to set up Sean Whyte for the walk-off game winner, and he connected from 43 yards out to send the Lions to the West Final.

PICK: BC

RESULT: BC

BYE: (1) Hamilton (11-7), (1) Saskatchewan (12-6)

DIVISION FINAL PREVIEWS

EAST DIVISION FINAL

(2) Montreal (11-8) vs. (1) Hamilton (11-7), Saturday, November 8th, 3:00 PM EST (CTV, TSN, CFL+): The Tiger-Cats may be the home team, may have the East nominee for Most Outstanding Player on their roster in QB Bo Levi Mitchell, but they’re not the Alouettes. Whatever’s going on with Davis Alexander is something truly remarkable, and it’s pretty impressive to see how he’s managing to make his entire team rally around him on and off the field. Surely that streak is going to end at some point, but the Als surely hope it won’t be in the next two games. No doubt that Hamilton’s passing game is extremely impressive, but Montreal also has the kind of defence needed to match up effectively with the Ti-Cats’ receiving corps. I really like the Als’ chances here; we could similarly re-litigate the “rest vs. rust” debate for division winners for approximately the ten billionth time, but Hamilton hasn’t been the most impressive division winner we’ve seen in recent years.

PICK: Montreal

WEST DIVISION FINAL

(2) BC (12-7) vs. (1) Saskatchewan (12-6), Saturday, November 8th, 6:30 PM EST (TSN, CFL+): The Lions have now won seven games in a row, and I truly don’t know what it’s going to take for anyone to stop them. The Stamps did come close last week, to be fair, but that took a level of desperation that I’m not sure any other team has the ability to manufacture right now. The Riders may have two key receivers back healthy this week in Dohnte Meyers and KeeSean Johnson, which would definitely help the pass game; they also probably have the edge in the run game with AJ Ouellette able to run so punishingly between the numbers. But the Lions have the best pass attack in the league, and Nathan Rourke has been every bit as good as he has been hyped to be in his young career. Saskatchewan has a 2-1 lead in the season series this year, but their two wins were quite early in the year while the Lions’s victory was just a few weeks ago, on October 25th; I’m going to have to hand it to the underdogs on this one.

PICK: BC

Enjoy the games, everyone.