The penultimate CFL regular season weekend only has 3 games. The pressures of Canadian Thanksgiving are long gone but playoff positioning has its own pressures.
Perhaps the 2 worst CFL teams meet at Tim Hortons Field Friday night. Bo Levi Mitchell meets up with the few players Calgary has left from his days in southern Alberta. CBS Sports Network airs its final game of the 2024 regular season and unfortunately, this is that game.
CTV has the battle of Ontario that is not Hamilton as Ottawa travels to BMO Field in Toronto. The wind is whipping off of Lake Ontario for the Saturday afternoon tilt. Ottawa has a +14 point differential for the tiebreaker and East Division semifinal positioning is at stake. An Argos win means a home playoff game in Toronto.
Montréal had its sights to play in Vancouver on November 17 (2024 Grey Cup) and wants to explore the place. The host BC Lions also want to play on that day. Vernon Adams Jr., back as the Lions quarterback, gets to see players wearing his old Alouettes uniform on Saturday night.
The same teams that had a bye in Week 15 — Edmonton, Saskatchewan, Winnipeg — get to enjoy another vacation together. The Blue Bombers and Roughriders have their own seeding to consider for the CFL playoffs.
CBS Sports Network
Friday
Calgary @ Hamilton, 7p
CTV
Saturday
Ottawa @ Toronto, 3p
TSN
Friday
Calgary @ Hamilton, 7p
Saturday
Montréal @ BC, 7p
Bye week: Edmonton, Saskatchewan, Winnipeg
THE INT WENT OFF HIS FOOT 👀
— CFL (@CFL) October 12, 2024
Thanksgiving Weekend Presented by @PurolatorInc #CFLGameday on TSN
📲: Stream on CFL+ pic.twitter.com/oAKr8YrTWF
The Nathan Rourke pass was destined for William Stanback. The Lions running back dropped the ball, had it deflect off his heel and then his posterior. The ball was touched by Rolan Milligan Jr. followed by Deontai Williams before A.J. Allen caught the ball and ran 48 yards for a Pick-6. This was BC's second play from scrimmage. The game went downhill from that point for the Lions.
Trevor Harris had 271 passing yards with 2 touchdowns. Running back AJ Ouellette was finally back after missing 6 games with an injury with 84 rushing yards on 16 carries.
Nathan Rourke went 15-for-23 for 200 yards and 2 interceptions, including the fluke-like Pick-6. Rick Campbell chose to finally sideline Rourke yet went with Chase Brice (92 yards passing) instead of Vernon Adams, Jr., who stood on the sidelines.
This game featured Justin McInnes (referee) and Justin McInnis (Lions WR).
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We talked about Montréal winning 8 in a row to finish the 2023 season with a Grey Cup win. Well, Montréal has won 8 straight over the Ottawa RedBlacks. The rainy Thanksgiving game was 4 field goals for each team and a major for the Alouettes, making the difference.
Davis Alexander, filling in for Cody Fajardo, is now 4-0 as a starter in a storyline we didn't expect at the start of the season. Alexander went 14-for-24 for 208 yards and an interception, not stellar but strong leadership when needed. Fajardo was away while his second child was being born.
Ottawa took 12 penalties for 122 yards. The RedBlacks were undisciplined at crucial points in the game.
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The Edmonton Elks (6-11) have won 6 games this season: 3 of them over Calgary and 3 of them with Tre Ford as the starter. This was Edmonton's first season sweep over Calgary since 2002. We know Elks fans are restless to get back in the playoffs but sweeping Calgary should count somewhat.
The Stampeders (4-11-1) are 0-7-1 in their last 8 contests, a trend that hasn't been this bad since a 7-game losing streak in 1977. Calgary's last win was on August 4, a 27-23 win over Toronto. Matthew Shiltz started his first game in the red and white. We know little about P.J. Walker, who might be part of the future for the Stampeders at quarterback.
The contest came down to the final play of the game where Calgary came up short of the major it needed to win the game. Ford threw for 208 yards, a touchdown, and 2 interceptions. Eugene Lewis scored majors in both rushing (1) and receiving (1). Justin Rankin gave the Elks some needed running game with 140 yards.
Shiltz had 215 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the loss for Calgary. Reggie Begelton led all Calgary receivers with 79 yards. Begelton is now over 1,000 yards for the season.
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Zach Collaros needed 17 yards to get a first down and keep a potential game-winning drive alive. The TSN announcers figure Collaros was 5 inches (12.5 cm) short. Toronto had a rare CFL game where the team didn't score in the second half and still won the game. The Winnipeg 8-game losing streak was sandwiched in between losses to the Argos. This was the first year Toronto swept this 2-game series since 2015.
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Winnipeg (10-7) snapped an 8-game winning streak yet still has a home playoff game. The Saskatchewan win means there is a slim chance of a Roughriders division title. A Blue Bombers win or tie in Montréal or a Saskatchewan loss to Calgary gives Winnipeg the West crown. Winnipeg has the tiebreaker with Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan (9-7-1) has a 4-game winning streak and a home playoff game. The Roughriders trail the Blue Bombers by a ½ game. Saskatchewan hasn't hosted a playoff game since 2021. Both Winnipeg and Saskatchewan get to rest this week.
The BC Lions (8-9) clinch third place. The Lions get a week of rest and reflection in the final week of the regular season.
Montréal (12-3-1) got a win the team didn't need. Toronto (9-7) is now in second place, a ½ game lead over Ottawa (8-7-1). The RedBlacks have lost 4 in a row and a 2-6 record on the road won't be helpful with a must-win in Toronto.
The Argos clinch a home playoff game with Ottawa with a win on CTV. A RedBlacks win means a magic number of 1 for Ottawa to host a playoff game.
Hamilton (6-10) has been eliminated from playoff contention with the Argos win, even with the tiebreaker.
SHE’S BACK 🤩@saraorlesky is in the host’s chair for all #NHLJets home games on @TSN_Sports this season! pic.twitter.com/l2kcNpH9TJ
— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) October 11, 2024
We are at the time of year where the 3 CFL reporters on TSN who also cover hockey can have conflicts: John Lu (Winnipeg), Claire Hanna (Ottawa), and Kenzie Lalonde (Montréal).
Lu had a bad conflict — on the surface — with the Blue Bombers at home Friday night at the same time as the Winnipeg Jets NHL home opener. Lu was at Princess Auto Stadium and former TSN reporter (and current Winnipeg Jets employee) Sara Orlesky was in the host chair.
Turns out Orlesky is back in the host chair for Jets home games this season on TSN3. This is an obvious conflict of interest.
Lalonde had the potential for a busy day on Thanksgiving but the Canadiens game that night was on Amazon Prime Video Canada.
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Toronto @ Winnipeg: Marshall Ferguson/Matt Dunigan/John Lu
Edmonton @ Calgary: Dustin Nielson/Duane Forde/Farhan Lalji
BC @ Saskatchewan: Rod Smith/Glen Suitor/Brit Dort
Ottawa @ Montréal: Rod Smith/Duane Forde/Kenzie Lalonde
Laura Daikun (Friday) filled in for Kate Beirness on the CFL on TSN panel. Henoc Muamba (Friday) were in the studio in for Matt Dunigan and Jim Barker (Saturday) in for Davis Sanchez. Sanchez and Milt Stegall sat out on Thanskgiving Monday.
Was watching the TSN3 feed of the Chicago-Winnipeg NHL game Friday night via NHL Center Ice. The signal went out after the game but came back quickly. Since TSN3 had switched to the Blue Bombers game, the NHL feed carried a few minutes of the CFL game. Winnipeg was about to score the team's only major of the night before they switched away from the CFL feed.
This is also the time of year where some TSN channels will carry hockey instead of football: Winnipeg (TSN3) and Ottawa (TSN5). Montréal is on TSN2, which isn't used for live CFL action.
The RedBlacks weren't on TSN5 on Thanksgiving because the Senators matinee was on that channel.
CTV picked a bad year to spotlight the Battle of Alberta on the CFL gridiron. The final game of the rivalry in 2024 drew 327.000 as compared to the nighttime games Friday in Winnipeg (652,400) and Saturday in Regina (543,100). 2 teams out of the playoffs from the same province wouldn't turn too many heads.
The Thanksgiving game drew fewer fans to TSN with 287,500 for the game in Montréal. Then again, RDS outdrew TSN with 319,900 for a holiday total of 607,400, in between the nighttime games. Though as we mentioned, the Ottawa Senators played a holiday matinee game.
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Twitter capture: @CFL; @NHLJets
photo credit: TSN/CFL
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