With just six weeks to go in the regular season, we finally have our first playoff berth clinch of the season – the Riders are officially in! There’s plenty of time left for movement from five other playoff teams over the next few weeks. As Lady Maestro and I continue to nest and prepare for the arrival of our little Concertmaster, there’s enough football on the screen this next while to keep oneself awake for days at a time – which I think is sensible sleep deprivation training, if you ask me.

In league news this week:

• Tiger-Cats GM Ted Goveia unfortunately passed away last week after losing his battle with esophageal cancer, which was announced just a few months ago at the start of the season. The longtime CFL exec was 55 years old; he previously worked for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Toronto Argonauts where he won Grey Cups as a key piece of the front office staff for both franchises. The Ti-Cats’ game scheduled for last week was already on the schedule as a chance to honour his lifelong commitment to the game of Canadian football and to the CFL as a whole; he unfortunately passed on the morning which the game was scheduled. He was a good man, and will be thoroughly missed.
• Montreal extended WR Tyler Snead for another two years, keeping him with the team through to the end of the 2027 season. A quintessential slotback-type player at just 5’7″, 175 lbs, Snead has 62 catches for 789 yards and three TDs on the year; his role has grown this season with a number of key offseason departures and injuries to the receiving corps.
• Toronto Argos QB Nick Arbuckle, currently the CFL’s league leader in passing yards, suffered a calf strain last week and is expected to miss the next two to four weeks. While renowned Sex Pest Chad Kelly appears to be close to return after suffering a broken leg in the 2024 East Final game against Montreal, it appears as though third-stringer Jarret Doege will get the nod to start this week in order to not rush back Kelly.
• The Saskatchewan Roughriders announced that they’re currently working on a plan to introduce legal tailgating at Mosaic Stadium for future home games for the team. The Canadian football game experience has historically not had a tailgate culture in the same manner that so many college and pro teams have developed over the decades in the United States; I think it’s a combination of many of the teams’ stadiums historically being located in more urban downtown location stadiums with more limited parking options (think Varsity Stadium in Toronto, Molson Stadium at McGill in Montreal, Lansdowne Park in Ottawa, and BC Place in Vancouver), as well as some rather unfavourable weather in later-season games that can sometimes put a damper on things. At any rate I am curious to see if it catches on if the team and the city of Regina can indeed come to an agreement on how tailgating will work.

Onto the games!

WEEK 15 RECAPS

Winnipeg 21 vs. Hamilton 32: With no Zach Collaros available, the Blue Bombers had a tough time matching the effective Tiger-Cat offence, which continues to look good under the guiding hand of Bo Levi Mitchell. Backup Bomber pivot Chris Streveler did what he could, with a passing score and a rush score, but he still threw for only 173 yards and also had two picks on the night. Thanks to a good night from Brady Oliveira, with 116 rush yards on 15 carries, there’s little doubt in my mind the final score would’ve been even more tilted. The Tabbies had two pass TDs from Mitchell as well as a rush score from RB Greg Bell to cruise comfortably to the win from the second quarter onwards in this one.

PICK: Hamilton

RESULT: Hamilton

Ottawa 27 vs. BC 38: Don’t let that score fool you: this game was not close. While the REDBLACKS did have a rare first-half offensive TD, this was quickly and clearly all BC soon afterwards, and they went into the half with a commanding fifteen-point lead, which they continued to add to in the second half. Dustin Crum had a couple of scores after the game was already out of hand, but, to note about Ottawa’s struggles as of recent, which have largely been due to an inept, impotent offence sans Dru Brown, this game was really decided by the fact that the REDBLACKS’ D really laid an egg this game, particularly with not being able to deal with the Lions’ passing game. Nathan Rourke threw a TD and also added over 300 yards through the air, yet again. The Lions deserve a better defence. Their offence, when it’s on, is truly elite in the CFL.

PICK: BC

RESULT: BC

Edmonton 30 vs. Toronto 31: It was a huge walkoff win for the Argos, who were down 10 in the fourth quarter and managed to scape their way back to get Lirim Hajrullahu to boot the winning goal from 48 yards out as time expired to hand victory to the home side. Make no mistake: this was sloppy, sloppy ball from the Argos, who turned the ball over four times and still managed to walk away with the win, even after Nick Arbuckle left the game late in the fourth quarter with what turned out to be a calf strain. The Elks were sloppy as well; the Argos’ improbable comeback in the final frame came in part off a strip sack of Cody Fajardo which was recovered by Andrew Chatfield, who returned the free ball for a late 28-27 lead. With the Elks then hitting a late field goal of their own to re-take the lead, backup Jarret Doege managed to get just enough going downfield to get the Argos into field goal territory.

PICK: Toronto

RESULT: Toronto

Montreal 48 vs. Saskatchewan 31: No doubt the Alouettes have been absurdly banged up these last few weeks; it’s clear to most that when they’re healthier, they’re a better football. While #1 QB Davis Alexander still isn’t back to playing yet, #2 McLeod Bethel-Thompson teamed with receiver Tyson to absolutely shred a respected Saskatchewan defence for a key road win. Philpot, a Canadian, had a career day with 238 receiving yards and two TDs to help snap Montreal’s five-game losing streak. While the loss was disappointing for Saskatchewan, the news of the weekend wasn’t all bad – Trevor Harris threw his 200th CFL passing TD, and the Roughriders became the first team in the league to officially clinch a playoff thanks to Edmonton’s loss to Toronto. Losses come and go, but the Riders still retain top spot in the West for now – and they’re set on a division crown.

PICK: Saskatchewan

RESULT: Montreal

BYE: Calgary (8-4)

WEEK 16 PREVIEWS

Montreal (6-7) vs. Toronto (5-8), Friday, September 19th, 7:00 PM EDT (TSN, CFL+): The league awaits word on the return of two significant quarterbacks in Montreal’s Davis Alexander and Toronto’s Sex Pest Chad Kelly – if this matchup this week turns out to be the East Semifinal this year, things are going to look extremely different for both teams in six weeks from now. Unfortunately McLeod Bethel-Thompson vs. Jarret Doege just doesn’t have the same social cache to it. Both these teams have been held back by injuries this year – if there’s a significant difference right now in their records, it’s largely due to the fact that Toronto’s special teams started off the season pretty putrid and have come to stabilize a little bit more recently.

PICK: Montreal

BC (6-7) vs. Calgary (8-4), Friday, September 19th, 9:30 PM EDT (TSN, CFL+): This is the first meeting for Vernon Adams, Jr. against his old team, the BC Lions, and it’s a game I’ve been looking forward to seeing for a while. He’s done very well for himself this year in Calgary – the team as a whole has been a huge surprise success story this season. As such, the question of whether or not the Lions elected to keep the right quarterback, by retaining Nathan Rourke, is probably going to get re-litigated many times over the next several season. The Lions’ Achilles heel continues to be their defence, and I think it’s going to prove to be a difference-maker in a bad way for them this week.

PICK: Calgary

Winnipeg (6-7) vs. Ottawa (4-9), Saturday, September 20th, 3:00 PM EDT (TSN, CTV, CFL+): Looks like Dru Brown is back for the REDBLACKS this week, which is great, as they desperately need him. When healthy, he’s been overall good this year – but that’s been more an exception rather than the rule. With a 2-5 record as the team’s starter, they’ve also been let down by a series of poorly-timed drops and defensive miscues as well; the playcalling has similarly been sub-par. The season may be out of reach, but I’d at least like the team to go down swinging; against a Bombers team that appears as though they’ll have to start Chris Streveler again under centre, being able to place more focus on run defence against star rusher Brady Oliveira might be the key for a big home win led by the REDBLACKS’ D.

PICK: Ottawa

Edmonton (5-8) vs. Hamilton (8-5), Saturday, September 20th, 7:00 PM EDT (TSN, CFL+): The Tiger-Cats missed the playoffs last year despite a great offensive year; this season they appear poised for a return. The East is still not a settled matter just yet – with six weeks to play in the regular season there’s still a possibility that Montreal and/or Toronto could get hot and pass the Ti-Cats in the standings. If they keep their offense healthy as they’ve been fortunate to experience for much of the year, they remain the favourites for the division title and that coveted first-round bye. The Elks once again find themselves on the outside looking in – the D has been a disappointment again despite going through a very targeted rebuild process; I think that there’s a good foundation on offence now, but we’ll likely see a roster exodus of players rather than coaching or front office personnel considering the full-fledged turnover Edmonton experienced last year. Still, never say never -the Bombers and Lions are ahead in the standings right now, but not by a lot.

PICK: Hamilton

BYE: BC (6-7)

STANDINGS AND STATS

East Division Standings

West Division Standings

x – clinched playoff spot
y – clinched division
e – eliminated from playoff contention

Passing Yards

1. Arbuckle, TOR – 4089
2. Mitchell, HAM – 3883
3. Rourke, BC – 3604

Passing TDs

1. Mitchell, HAM – 26
2. Arbuckle, TOR – 25
3. Rourke, BC – 20

Rushing Yards

1. Butler, BC – 989
2. Ouellette, SSK – 942
3. Mills, CGY – 882

Receiving Yards

1. Hatcher, BC – 1170
2. Lawler, HAM – 1144
3. Johnson, SSK – 969

Defensive Tackles

1. Awe, BC – 96
2. Jones, WPG – 83
3. Roberts, CGY – 74

Sacks

1. Betts, BC – 8
2. Adeyemi-Berglund, MTL  – 8
3. Hutchings, CGY – 7

Interceptions

1. Campbell, SSK  – 6
2. Peters, HAM – 5
3. Greene, CGY – 4

Field Goals

1. Maltos, MTL – 41
2. Hajrullahu, TOR – 37
3. Liegghio, HAM – 34

PICK POOL

The pool unanimously picked Saskatchewan last week. And just like that, we were all wiped out. A shame.

Remember to submit your picks here! https://www.pooltracker.com/join.asp?poolid=243178

Enjoy the games, everyone.