The East final is a rematch of last year's Grey Cup. Edmonton should have stayed in Ontario to get ready to take on the Ottawa RedBlacks. Jason Maas returns to the place where he was the offence coordinator in last year's Grey Cup team. This is the second straight year that Ottawa has hosted the East final. The TSN telecast will be simulcast on ESPNews in the United States.
The West final, like the West semifinal, is available on TSN and ESPN3.
Ottawa swept the season series with Edmonton. On June 25, the RedBlacks outlasted the Esks 45-37 at Edmonton. Ottawa pulled out a 23-20 win in the nation's capital on August 6.
The B.C. Lions handed Calgary its first (and for a long time, only) loss on June 25 by a score of 20-18 in Vancouver. The Stampeders made up for that with a 44-41 win in Calgary on July 29 and 37-9 on August 19 in Vancouver.
ESPNews
Sunday
Edmonton @ Ottawa, 1p
TSN
Sunday
Edmonton @ Ottawa, 1p
BC @ Calgary, 4:30p
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Jonathan Jennings and Matt Nichols each had 5 game-winning 4th quarter drives in the regular season. Jennings overcame 2 early turnovers and a 19-point deficit for the Lions comeback. Matt Nichols had plenty of time for his own comeback but came upon a 3rd-and-4. Mike O'Shea's decision to have Justin Medlock try a 61-yard field goal would have invented SMH if the acronym didn't already exist. A rare playoff game where both teams deserved a win.
The B.C. Lions went 0-for-3 in 2-point conversions. We thought the 2-point conversions were good to practice for inclement weather, not for the indoor climes in Vancouver. This was the first CFL playoff game that was indoors since the 2013 East final at Rogers Centre. Back when Montréal played postseason games at Olympic Stadium and B.C. had home playoff games, playing indoors in the postseason used to be a thing.
Paul McCallum likely became the oldest player ever to score a point in a CFL playoff game. McCallum went 2-for-2 on extra points. If he scores next week, he will break his own record of likely being the oldest player ever to score a point in a CFL playoff game.
As for Medlock's try, McCallum holds the CFL record for longest field goal made at 62 yards. Then again, that field goal was at Taylor Field in Regina known for its windy conditions.
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The B.C. Lions beat the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 34-23 in the 2011 Grey Cup. Since then, neither team had won a playoff game before Sunday. The difference is that the Lions lost 4 straight playoff games in that time and the Blue Bombers didn't make the playoffs.
The B.C. Lions lost to Calgary 35-9 (2015); Montréal 50-17 (2014); Saskatchewan 29-25 (2013); and Calgary 34-29 in Vancouver in the West final (2012).
The last Winnipeg playoff win was over Hamilton 19-3 in the 2011 East final at Winnipeg.
CFL crossover games
| Year | Team | Result |
| 2016 | Edmonton (10-8) | beat Hamilton (7-11), playing Ottawa (8-9-1) |
| 2014 | B.C. (9-9) | lost to Montréal (9-9) |
| 2012 | Edmonton (7-11) | lost to Toronto (9-9) |
| 2009 | B.C. (8-10) | beat Hamilton (9-9), then lost to Montréal (15-3) |
| 2008 | Edmonton (10-8) | beat Winnipeg (8-10), then lost to Montréal (11-7) |
| 2005 | Saskatchewan (9-9) | lost to Montréal (10-8) |
| 2003 | B.C. (11-7) | lost to Toronto (9-9) |
| 2002 | Saskatchewan (8-10) | lost to Toronto (8-10) |
| 1997 | B.C. (8-10) | lost to Montréal (13-5) |
The whispers are there like when the pitcher hasn't given up a hit. Can Edmonton be the first team to crossover to the Grey Cup? And if so, wouldn't it be amazing if the game was the ultimate Battle of Alberta?
The scenario is highly plausible: the teams with the better record going into the games end up winners. The 2007 Grey Cup had the prairie rivals in fierce battle. The 1927 Grey Cup had Toronto Balmy Beach against the Hamilton Tigers. So intense rivals isn't a trademark of the Grey Cup. An all-Alberta Grey Cup does has its drawbacks but let's see how this plays out.
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Edmonton had a significant running game going into the playoffs whereas Hamilton did not. John White was a force on the ground with 165 yards on 19 carries.
The Tiger-Cats were better on the ground in the second half. Hamilton should have brought in Jeremiah Masoli sooner especially in the quarters where the team was moving against the wind.
The Esks used the clock better especially in the 1st quarter against the wind.
Hamilton's comeback was amazing. The Tiger-Cats were aided by a play unique to Canadian football. Being onside usually refers to a kickoff but players can be onside for a punt if they line up behind the punter.
The Tiger-Cats had 3 players line up behind the punter, making those players eligible to capture the ball without a no-yards call being in play. Being able to recover your own punt is something NFL fans never get to see.
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Plenty of overhead cameras were used in Hamilton, but we missed some context on challenges. In the first challenge, we had an overview shot but had no way of knowing whether the challenge was valid. Other challenges had shots so wide that we didn't know what had happened.
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Last year, the CFL made a big deal about having the playoffs on YouTube. This year, the CFL wants $ in over 150 countries to watch the CFL playoffs.
The 3-game deal, complete in HD, is $22.95 or just the Grey Cup for $9.95. Click here for the details.
The deal applies primarily to Europe, Asia, Africa, and most of South America. "The Grey Cup Service is unavailable in the following areas: Canada, the United States and its territories, possessions and commonwealths, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Latin America, Brazil, the Caribbean and the Pacific Rim (includes Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, New Zealand, Palau, Western Samoa and Tahiti)."
Then again, if you are using euros, $9.95 Canadian isn't all that much in your currency.
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Chris Cuthbert, Glen Suitor: Winnipeg @ BC
Rod Black, Duane Forde: Edmonton @ Hamilton
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photo credit: CFL/TSN/ESPN2
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