Canadian Crossing

Montreal makes it 8 in winning the 2023 Grey Cup

The Montréal Alouettes made it 8, as the team won its 8th Grey Cup. The 2023 version of the Alouettes won the last 8 games, with the last 2 against winning teams. Montréal outlasted the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 28-24 to win the 110th Grey Cup at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton.

Cody Fajardo, cast out by Saskatchewan last season, finished 21-26 for 290 yards with 3 TDs and an interception to win the Most Outstanding Player. Fajardo won a Grey Cup with Toronto in 2017 as a backup; this was his first Grey Cup as a starter.

Tyson Philpot was the Most Outstanding Canadian with 6 catches for 63 yards, including the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter with 13 seconds remaining. Philpot, from Delta, B.C., has a twin (Jalen) who was out for the year with Calgary. Their father Cory Philpot was a CFL running back for 8 seasons with BC and Winnipeg, winning the Grey Cup with the Lions in 1994.

Jason Maas earned his first Grey Cup as a head coach to go along with 2 as a quarterback with Edmonton (2003, 2005) and as quarterbacks coach for Toronto in 2012.

The Alouettes were a team in the making over the course of the 2023 season. The team was 6-7 in mid-September and, like Shoresy, just kept on winning. Injuries hit what we knew of the receiving core. Austin Mack was a first-year CFL player who rose to be a top receiver for Montréal. Greg Ellingson was a veteran signing as a receiver yet was out for virtually the entire season.

Shawn Lemon and Darnell Sankey on defence started the season in street clothes before GM Danny Maciocia brought them into the team's roster. Things were so bad for the team last season that Maciocia filled in as interim coach before bringing in Jason Maas in the off-season. The hiring of Maas was seen as bringing in a hotheaded coach who struggled as a head coach in Edmonton. The guy we saw in interviews was thoughtful and appreciative, a significant shift of growth.

Maas and Fajardo went through a 7-game losing streak as the Saskatchewan Roughriders floundered in 2022. Maas and Fajardo finished the 2023 season with a 8-game winning streak to win their first Grey Cup as a head coach and starter.

SANKEY SAID IT pic.twitter.com/GPTPMKsPwW

— Alouettes de Montréal (@MTLAlouettes) November 20, 2023

The Alouettes trailed in most of the Grey Cup. The Blue Bombers had a strong goal-line stance late in the second quarter, keeping Montréal out of the end zone. Winnipeg had a 17-7 halftime lead.

The Philpot catch came after a 3rd-and-5 conversion with a 31-yard completion to Cole Spieker.

Winnipeg win the Grey Cup in 2019 and 2021. The team lost to the Toronto Argonauts 24-23 in 2022.

Winnipeg running back Brady Oliveira seemed to be the odds-on favourite to be the Most Outstanding Canadian, running for 119 yards and a TD. The Blue Bombers took back the lead 24-21 with a Dakota Prukop 4-yard run at 9:32 of the fourth quarter.

Zach Collaros went 19-23 for 236 yards and an interception. As we have noted, Collaros was the first CFL quarterback to start 4 straight Grey Cups.

2023 CFL Grey Cup preview

ONE-HANDED SNAG AUSTIN MACK! WHAT A GRAB! 😱😱#GreyCup pic.twitter.com/hAvL8gdXGT

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 20, 2023

Collaros and Fajardo have a shared history. Both were backups in Toronto early in their careers. Fajardo got his big break in 2019 after Collaros got injured early in the opening game.

Collaros got the best of Fajardo in the West final in 2019 and 2021 with Winnipeg defeating Saskatchewan to go the Grey Cup. Fajardo finally got his first victory in 10 career head-to-head matchups versus Collaros. At first, you don't succeed … .

Anthony Calvillo won 3 Grey Cup titles as the Alouettes quarterback (2002, 2009, 2010) and adds a fourth Grey Cup as the offensive coordinator. Calvillo had his own struggles in the Grey Cup as well.

2023 CFL division finals preview

Winnipeg had some injury woes. Mike O'Shea activated wide receiver Dalton Schoen (ankle) and linebacker Adam Bighill (calf) for the game though neither were 100%. O'Shea said the players had earned the right to be there. We don't have the full quote but after hearing O'Shea say what he said, your humble narrator wanted to go on the field and play.

We don't spend too much time on what might happen in the off-season. Kyle Walters is the general manager of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and doesn’t have a contract for next season. "Why would anyone want to leave this organization willingly?," said Walters during the week. We would agree. Other CFL teams would love to replicate what Walters has done in Winnipeg.

GREY CUP MVP & MOST OUTSTANDING CANADIAN!!! pic.twitter.com/nLogr2xHUL

— Alouettes de Montréal (@MTLAlouettes) November 20, 2023

Green Day had a nice halftime show. The production sounded good and you could follow the lyrics. Wondering how many in the neighbourhood slipped out of their doors to listen to the American band instead of watching on TV.

The game was a sellout of 28,808 at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton. The city got to host another Grey Cup, knowing the 2021 festivities were muted due to the pandemic.

The 2024 Grey Cup is at BC Place in Vancouver with the 2025 Grey Cup in Winnipeg. Montréal hasn't hosted a Grey Cup since 2008: that is more about the status of Olympic Stadium. The Olympic Stadium has hosted 6 of its 8 games with Molson Stadium hosting the 1931 Grey Cup and the Autostade hosting in 1969.

2023 CFL playoffs preview

Elliotte Friedman told a story on Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday about not wanting to cross the line with Kevin Bieska over not winning a title. Friedman's story went back to the days of the CFL on CBC and dealing with Khari Jones. Friedman teased Jones about not winning a title and got "daggers" from the eyes of Jones.

Jones did studio work and game analysis at the end of the CFL's run on CBC leading up to 2007. Friedman was the studio host at that time with Jones, Sean Millington, and Greg Frers. Steve Armitage and Khari Jones were the second broadcast team behind Mark Lee and Chris Walby.

Sportsnet is not a CFL fan and the CBC almost never get mentioned. Friedman could have timed this knowing this was the Grey Cup weekend.

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

TSN CFL analysts @MiltStegallTSN and @MattDuniganTSN join @JayOnrait to discuss the Alouettes rallying to beat the Blue Bombers in the 110th #GreyCup. pic.twitter.com/oVWOrKv9I4

— JayOnSC (@JayOnSC) November 20, 2023

Rod Smith and Glen Suitor called the Grey Cup on television with with Matthew Scianitti handling the Montréal sidelines and Claire Hanna on the Winnipeg sideline. We miss Sara Orlesky because we are human. Claire Hanna has kicked up her game and deserved this assignment. The fact that the Ottawa Senators have been on Hockey Night in Canada and then Sweden freed her up to help with CFL duties.

Dustin Nielson and Duane Forde called the Grey Cup on radio. The CFL on TSN panel were live outside in Hamilton as well as the other panel with James Duthie, Paul LaPolice, Jim Barker, and Bo Levi Mitchell.

They replayed the predictions from the beginning of the season. Matt Dunigan said the Grey Cup would be Winnipeg and Montréal. Some even said Saskatchewan and Hamilton would be in the Grey Cup.

photo credit: @MTLAlouettes
Twitter captures: @MTLAlouettes (x2); @JayOnSC

2023 CFL Grey Cup preview

When you have 9 teams in the CFL, sometimes 8 teams, you think every team has played each other in the Grey Cup. Welcome to 2023 where the Montréal Alouettes and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers play for the CFL title for the very first time.

The teams will meet Sunday at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton to determine the winner of the 110th Grey Cup.

The Alouettes upset the heavily favourited Toronto Argonauts (16-2) 38-17 at BMO Field on Saturday. The Blue Bombers outlasted the BC Lions 24-13 at IG Field in Winnipeg.

The teams haven't played each other in the CFL playoffs since 2007. They met in the East Division semifinal with Winnipeg edging Montréal 24-22 at Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg. That was the year when Toronto coach Ryan Dinwiddie was the surprise starting quarterback for the Blue Bombers.

Winnipeg dominated the season series in 2023 over Montréal. The teams met on Canada Day in La Belle Province where the Blue Bombers won 17-3. Winnipeg blew out the Alouettes 47-17 in Winnipeg on August 24.

The Alouettes won the other playoff game between the teams, 35-24 over the Blue Bombers in the 2000 East final at Molson Stadium.

Zach Collaros will be the first CFL quarterback to start 4 straight Grey Cup games. Montréal has the second-longest streak without a Grey Cup win, going back to 2010, the team's last Grey Cup visit. The Hamilton streak goes back to 1999.

Offensive coordinator Anthony Calvillo was the Montréal quarterback when the team was in the Grey Cup in 2010.

Jason Maas and Cody Fajardo was key components for Saskatchewan in the 2022 season but both went to Montréal in the off-season. Fajardo and Collaros are former Saskatchewan quarterbacks.

Mike O'Shea won't take the Alouettes for granted given that Toronto cost them a third straight Grey Cup in 2022. Until the Blue Bombers won in 2019, the team hadn't won the CFL title since 1990.

TSN

Sunday
Montréal vs. Winnipeg @ Hamilton, 6:30p

MARC-ANTOINE DEQUOY PICKS OFF CHAD KELLY FOR THE TD ‼️‼️#GCPlayoffs on TSN, RDS
📲 Stream on CFL+ pic.twitter.com/s56X5wROlV

— CFL (@CFL) November 11, 2023

The turning point of a playoff game often isn't within the first 4 minutes of the game. Marc-Antoine Dequoy is known if you've been paying attention to the Alouettes defence. Dequoy's Pick 6 instincts have been sharp of late. The 101-yard return was the first of Toronto's 9 turnovers. This wasn't even the only Chad Kelly pass returned for a Pick 6 as Kabion Ento recorded a Pick 6.

The Alouettes added a couple of offensive touchdowns to showcase the total team effort. 

How statistics can deceive: Toronto sacked Fajardo 7 times for 40 yards in losses while the Alouettes didn't record a single sack. The Montréal defence line did record some magic as Shawn Lemon knocked the ball out of Chad Kelly’s hands and Darnell Sankey recovered the ball. Later, Sankey had his own interception.

Leom and Sankey didn't start the season with the Alouettes. They have made a difference on the defence in talent and leadership.

Sankey made that quote (above) on September 21. Montréal hasn't lost since. The team won the final 5 games of the season and 2 playoff games, the longest streak for any CFL team in 2023. The win over Toronto was the first time the team beat a team with a winning record yet they are in the 2023 Grey Cup.

🚨 NICK HALLETT HERO MODE 🚨

Punt Block TD + All-Time Crowd Pop 💥

WATCH ON TSN, RDS
📲 Stream on CFL+ #GCPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/WARQ38lpI5

— CFL (@CFL) November 12, 2023

Both Grey Cup finalists had a special teams touchdown: Winnipeg on a blocked punt and recovery by Nick Hallett and Montréal on a James Letcher Jr. 105-yard kickoff return.

Montréal has a good defence as does the BC Lions. You still have to stop Brady Oliveira. Winnipeg ran plays where Oliveira carried the ball 8 times for 59 yards and had a reception for 11 yards. 70 yards of offence: all Oliveira.

William Stanback needs to be that solid back for the Alouettes. Passing may get teams to the Grey Cup; the ability to run can win a Grey Cup.

Saskatchewan would have made the playoffs the last 2 seasons if they remembered to run the ball on occasion. Winnipeg knows this, especially during the playoffs.

2023 CFL division finals preview

The Toronto crowd for the 2023 East final at BMO Field was 26,620, a regular season record for the Argonauts at that stadium. That number likely outdrew most of the Calgary and Edmonton games in 2023, much less all the other teams in the East. Their fans deserved a better fate in that regard.

We get that the Toronto Argonauts situation isn't what it was a decade or 2 ago. Argos crowds at Exhibition Stadium and SkyDome were significant in number and intensity. Despite falling short of the Grey Cup, hope MLSE and the Argos can figure out how to draw larger regular season crowds.

This year, the #GreyCup turns green.

GREEN DAY. 11. 19. 2023.

The @TwistedTea #GreyCup Halftime Show is set! @GreenDay pic.twitter.com/6JiNYh1KXm

— CFL (@CFL) October 1, 2023

Green Day is the halftime band for the 110th Grey Cup in Hamilton. This would be more significant to the U.S. audience if the game were on television.

Singer/songwriter Jamie Fine, who has 4 Juno nominations, handles the pregame concert duties. Simone Soman (Waterdown, ON) sings O Canada.

The Built in the Hammer Grey Cup Music Festival features country modern legend Carrie Underwood and reggae star Shaggy. Though Underwood is American, she married Canadian NHL player Mike Fisher, who played for Ottawa and Nashville.

2023 CFL playoffs preview

The joy of having the CFL playoffs on U.S. television was having the transition between the 2 games also on TV, like Canadians have with TSN. CFL+ isn't about such luxuries. That will be particularly concerning heading into the Grey Cup.

The U.S. audience, even with ESPN+, never had full CFL pregame coverage. The U.S. audience would get the 30 minutes or so leading into the Grey Cup and extensive post-game coverage.

Watching the Grey Cup with a crowd at a bar is no longer a thing outside Canada thanks to CFL+. I know a guy who organised a Grey Cup watching party and had no clue about the whole CFL+ scenario.

Fans would pay for a chance to rewind or pause a CFL playoff game. Your humble narrator was watching live and fell asleep, missing some of the action. That was sad.

TSN will have the game in Canada. The pregame starts at 1 pm Eastern and runs on TSN1, TSN3, and TSN5. TSN4 will have the game following Toronto Raptors coverage. The NHL has smartly taken Canadian teams off the schedule on Grey Cup Sunday with the obvious exception of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are in Sweden at 8 am EST.

Love the jersey Joey B😍

Go Als Go!🏈pic.twitter.com/93FwK90NlE

— Alouettes de Montréal (@MTLAlouettes) November 12, 2023

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

Rod Smith and Duane Forde stuck together with Matthew Scianitti in Toronto for the East final. Dustin Nielson and Glen Suitor matched up with Claire Hanna for the West final in Winnipeg. Hanna normally works out of Ottawa but the Senators were on Hockey Night in Canada. Hanna is one of the better CFL reporters on the TSN roster.

The CFL on TSN panel with Paul LaPolice stayed inside in Toronto instead of hanging outside at BMO Field. James Duthie, Jim Barker, and Bo Levi Mitchell were outside in Winnipeg. We know Mitchell is still an active player but TSN will find room for Mitchell if he is interested.

photo credits: CFL; @CFL; TSN/CFL
logo credit: CFL
Twitter captures: @CFL (x3); @MTLAlouettes

2023 CFL division finals preview

The Western Final returns to IG Field!#CFL | #GCPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/geL7saVcQf

— CFL (@CFL) October 21, 2023

Home teams reigned supreme in the division semifinal games. Those home teams are now the road teams in the 2023 CFL division finals, just as they were in 2022.

Montréal handled Hamilton rather easily 27-12 at Molson Stadium. The Alouettes defence held the Tiger-Cats without a touchdown of any kind. The BC Lions outlasted Calgary 41-30 at BC Place.

Vernon Adams Jr. got his first playoff win as a starting quarterback. Adams had 413 passing yards, 54 rushing yards, and accounted for 5 touchdowns.

Toronto and Winnipeg are the home sites once again, just like in 2021 and 2022. Montréal and BC won playoff games for the second straight year. The Alouettes had a playoff winless streak since 2014 and 2016 for the Lions.

Both of these teams want to win on the road to advance to the 2023 Grey Cup in Hamilton. The 2021 Tiger-Cats were the last team to win a road game in a division final.

Toronto had a perfect record against the East Division in 2023, including 3 games against Montréal. The Argos had a 35-27 win over the Alouettes in Montréal on July 14; a strong 39-10 win at BMO Field on September 9; and a thriller with a 23-20 victory in Montréal on September 15.

BC had a lone win over Winnipeg at IG Field 30-6 on June 22. The Blue Bombers also had a blow out win at home 50-14 on August 3. Winnipeg outlasted BC 34-26 in Vancouver on October 6.

TSN

Saturday
Montréal @ Toronto, 3p
BC @ Winnipeg, 6:30p

JAKE HARTY LEGACY GAME. HE EXTENDS THE @MTLAlouettes LEAD#GCPlayoffs on TSN, RDS
📲 Stream on CFL+ pic.twitter.com/0Ie9Rtu0FG

— CFL (@CFL) November 4, 2023

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have the longest drought between CFL championships, going back to 1999. The Alouettes are second with the last win in 2010. The BC Lions are third with a win in 2011.

We noted that every CFL team won a Grey Cup in the 2010s except for Hamilton. The gaps in Montréal and Vancouver feel large even if they don't seem that long ago.

Toronto won last year and Winnipeg won 2 years ago.

Mr. 1500: @bradyoliveira 🔥

Oliveira becomes just the SECOND CANADIAN IN #CFL HISTORY to surpass 1500 yards rushing in a single season. @Wpg_BlueBombers 🍁 pic.twitter.com/as1YsfcTM2

— CFL (@CFL) October 28, 2023

The Argos matched the 16-2 mark (with an 18 game schedule) with the 1989 Edmonton squad. That Edmonton team got upset in the playoffs.

2023 CFL playoffs preview

2023 CFL Week 21 preview: Final regular season weekend

The attendance numbers in Vancouver for the last 2 home playoff games in 2022 and 2023: 30,149 (2023) and 30,114 (2022) in Vancouver. Rather impressive.

We hear promising things about Toronto's expected attendance at BMO Field on Saturday, though the numbers won't hit 30,000.

Start time for @DallasStars at @NHLJets game on Nov. 11 changed to 3 p.m. ET.

Details: https://t.co/cPjFtif47b pic.twitter.com/7BjR1MfBGq

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) October 26, 2023

No fancy Jets/Blue Bombers doubleheader in Winnipeg like we saw in 2021. The Winnipeg Jets have a home game on Saturday moved to 3 pm (from 4 pm) to not interfere with the 6:30 pm start for the West final at IG Field. Sara Orlesky, who featured prominently in that 2021 doubleheader, will root for the Blue Bombers but her focus will be on the action at Canada Life Centre.

TSN3 won't carry the East final but will carry the West final. TSN4 has the East final though Raptors instead of the West final. TSN5 isn't carrying any CFL. TSN1 will have both games.

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

Rod Smith and Duane Forde with Matthew Scianitti were in Montréal for the East semifinal. Dustin Nielson and Glen Suitor with Farhan Lalji were in Vancouver for the West semifinal.

logo credit: CFL
Twitter captures: @CFL (x3); @PR_NHL

2023 CFL playoffs preview

Present and accounted for. ✅

PLAYOFF SATURDAYS ARE SET TO GO#GCPlayoffs | #GreyCup pic.twitter.com/FC7RR3irl5

— CFL (@CFL) October 22, 2023

The 2023 CFL playoffs look like the 2022 CFL playoffs. Same 6 teams, same 6 positions.

The 6-12 Calgary Stampeders don't have the worst record in CFL playoff history. Not even close. The BC Lions (12-6) don't have Nathan Rourke yet Vernon Adams Jr. had almost 5,000 passing yards.

The Stampeders have the momentum. BC had an extra week of rest.

Hamilton in Montréal is deja vu as well. The Alouettes (11-7) won the tiebreaker early on against the Tiger-Cats (8-10). The teams had a collective bye followed by a meaningless game at Molson Stadium last week. No magic punts for either team.

The Tiger-Cats would love to get to the Grey Cup at home at Tim Hortons Field. The problem is the team has a 0-7 record against the 2 teams in front of them.

TSN

Saturday
Hamilton @ Montréal, 3p
Calgary @ BC, 6:30p

Montréal defeated Hamilton at Tim Hortons Field 38-12 on June 23 and 27-14 on August 5. The final game was at Molson Stadium with a 22-20 Alouettes win on October 28. The Ticats quarterback situation is very different now so maybe season series isn't as relevant. Though Shawn Lemon came along late as a pass rushing force for the Alouettes.

The BC Lions outlasted Calgary at McMahon Stadium 25-15 on June 8 and handily defeated the Stampeders at home 37-9 on August 12. The Stampeders, fighting for their playoff lives, downed the Lions 41-16 at BC Place.

CFL Playoffs are set! LET'S GOOOO!

Western Final: TBD at Winnipeg
Western Semi-Final: Calgary at BC
Eastern Final: TBD at Toronto
Eastern Semi-Final: Hamilton at Montrealhttps://t.co/QZ7r7dQ4tF

— Kristina Costabile (@kcostabile1) October 23, 2022

This tweet was about the 2022 playoffs. Since the same teams are in the same positions, we thought this was noteworthy. Trevor Harris started in Montréal and was injured most of this season in Saskatchewan. Jake Maier is in the same position for Calgary. Nathan Rourke is in the NFL. Dane Evans is the backup to Vernon Adams Jr. in Vancouver.

Crossover? We don't need no stinking crossover. The 2023 CFL playoffs, for the third year in a row, have 6 teams: 3 in the East and 3 in the West. The crossover dominated the CFL playoff picture in the late 2010s. We have a link to last year's CFL playoffs preview if you want to look at the CFL crossover history.

The Ottawa RedBlacks were last in the playoffs in the 2018 Grey Cup. Ottawa was eliminated in the East but had a slim shot for the West playoffs. No East team has ever crossed over to the West. Ottawa fired assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Khari Jones.

Winnipeg and Toronto have byes and await their opponents for home games in those cities on November 11. Those were the sites of the CFL division finals in 2021 and 2022.

The 2023 Grey Cup is in Hamilton, home of the Tiger-Cats. The dream to play and win at a home Grey Cup is still alive.

The division semifinals and finals are on Saturdays, not Sundays. If you guessed 2008 was the last time this happened, you are smarter than your humble narrator.

2023 CFL Week 21 preview: Final regular season weekend

This is the second straight season with a indoor playoff game. This didn't used to be a big deal when SkyDome/Rogers Centre and Olympic Stadium were in play. The 2022 game at BC Place was the first indoor playoff game since 2016, also at BC Place.

Like last year's West Division semifinal, the upper bowl is open at BC Place.

The BC Lions under new owner Amar Doman get a well-deserved break in hosting the 2024 Grey Cup in Vancouver. The West Coast city has hosted the Grey Cup 16 times, the most recent time was 2014.

2023 CFL Week 20 preview

Montréal snapped the recent bad streak against Hamilton in the CFL playoffs in 2022. The Alouettes won 28-17, snapping a 3-game losing playoff streak against the Ticats dating back to 2011.

Given that a West team crept into the East semifinal 2016-2019, 2014, 2012, and 2009, Hamilton and Montréal couldn't get together too often in the CFL playoffs. This is the third year in a row the teams will play in the East semifinal.

Year	Road	Home	Score
2022	Hamilton	Montréal	28-17
2021	Montréal	Hamilton	12-23
2013	Montréal	Hamilton	16-19*
2011	Hamilton	Montréal	52-44*

*game went into overtime

The 2013 game was the infamous wind game in Guelph, ON.

Team	Total	Home	Road
Saskatchewan	9	6	3
BC	9	4	5
Edmonton	9	4	5
Ottawa	9	3	6
Hamilton	8	5	3
Montréal	8	3	5
Winnipeg	6	2	4
Toronto	5	4	1
Calgary	5	3	2

 

The CBS Sports Network meant more TV appearances. 4 of the 9 teams had half their games on U.S. TV: BC, Edmonton, Ottawa, and Saskatchewan. This included the worst 2 teams in the league in Ottawa and Edmonton.

Division winners Toronto and Winnipeg had 11 appearances combined.

Tim Hortons Field, home of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Grey Cup, couldn't get on any ESPN channel in the previous 2 seasons. CBS Sports Network showed the stadium 5 times in 2023 and 8 overall appearances for the Ticats. Calgary was only shown at home in 2022 yet got 2 road appearances in 2023.

CBS Sports Network 2023 CFL schedule

Thursday June 8 BC @ Calgary, 9p
Saturday June 10 Ottawa @ Montréal, 7p
Friday June 16 Winnipeg @ Saskatchewan, 9p
Saturday June 17 Edmonton @ BC, 7p
Sunday June 18 Hamilton @ Toronto, 7p
Friday June 23 Montréal @ Hamilton, 7:30p

Saturday July 1 Winnipeg @ Montréal, 7p
Monday July 3 BC @ Toronto, 7p
Thursday July 6 Edmonton @ Saskatchewan, 9p
Saturday July 8 Ottawa @ Hamilton, 7p
Sunday July 9 Montréal @ BC, 7p
Thursday July 13 Hamilton @ Edmonton, 9p
Saturday July 15 Calgary @ Saskatchewan, 7p
Saturday July 22 Saskatchewan @ BC, 7p
Sunday July 23 Ottawa @ Calgary, 7p
Saturday July 29 Saskatchewan @ Toronto, 4p // Saturday July 29 BC @ Edmonton, 7p

Thursday August 3 BC @ Winnipeg, 8:30p
Saturday August 5 Montréal @ Hamilton, 7p
Sunday August 6 Ottawa @ Saskatchewan, 7p
Thursday August 10 Winnipeg @ Edmonton, 9p
Saturday August 12 Calgary @ BC, 7p
Thursday August 17 Edmonton @ Hamilton, 7:30p
Saturday August 19 Montréal @ Ottawa, 7p
Sunday August 20 BC @ Saskatchewan, 7p
Thursday August 24 Montréal @ Winnipeg, 8:30p
Sunday August 27 Ottawa @ Edmonton, 7p

Sunday September 3 Winnipeg @ Saskatchewan, 7p
Monday September 4 Toronto @ Hamilton, 3:30p // Monday September 4 Edmonton @ Calgary, 7p
Friday September 8 Hamilton @ Ottawa, 7:30p
Friday September 22 Saskatchewan @ Ottawa, 7p

Friday October 6 Edmonton @ Toronto, 7p
Monday October 9 Ottawa @ Montréal, 1p

As for the elephant on the U.S. side of the ledger (as well as anywhere that isn't Canada), for the first time in a long time, the CFL playoffs are not on U.S. television. You can watch the games live on CFL+. 6 hours each Saturday for the next 2 weeks plus Grey Cup Sunday.

You might be at an event on Canadian soil where seeing the first round of the playoffs isn't viable. You can watch the video recaps of the playoff games. Finding whole games online are possible long after the games are over. Use your magic skills to find them. You'll likely know the score.

Years ago, the CFL playoffs would be on tape delay in the middle of the night. Things aren't that uncivilised, just a different wavelength.

Your humble narrator will not be able to watch the first round live. As diehard as I am, a full game video once I know the score won't do a lot to lift my spirits. The timing of the division finals (and the semifinals) means not going out on a Saturday night.

We have had Grey Cup viewing parties in recent years, a nice way to gather ex-pats. Can't do that in the new TV deal.

Canadians can record the games, go out and have a real life, and come back to watch the CFL playoff games. No one else in the world has this luxury.

2023 CFL Week 19 preview

JAMES LETCHER JR.'s TURN 🤯#CFLGameday on TSN & RDS
📲 Stream on CFL+ pic.twitter.com/DaqZN4RNp3

— CFL (@CFL) October 28, 2023

There also was another mini punt from the Alouettes. Cole Spieker pulled off the trick on Saturday. We said there would be no new tricks, just the same trick. The rematch ought to be intriguing since if the Ticats have a way to stop that play, we might see the solution this Saturday.

Edmonton and Ottawa had terrible home woes. The Elks got the North American record in all sports. Edmonton finished 2-7 at home in 2023, a strong improvement and half of the team's 4 wins.

Ottawa had 3 home wins in 2023, a considerable improvement. The RedBlacks finished 1-8 on the road.

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

Dustin Nielson and Glen Suitor with Brit Dort finished up their regular season on a chilly night in Calgary on Friday.

Marshall Ferguson and Paul LaPolice were with Kenzie Lalonde in Montréal on that final Saturday. Rod Smith and Duane Forde with Claire Hanna did the late game in Ottawa.

Twitter captures: @CFL; @kcostabile1; @CFL
logo credit: CFL
photo credit: CBS Sports Network/CFL

2023 CFL Week 21 preview: Final regular season weekend

Winnipeg wants the last game to be boring and injury-free. Calgary would like a 7th win and gets the Blue Bombers at home. McMahon Stadium used to be a tough place for visiting teams, but not lately. Calgary is 3-5 at home so far in 2023.

This is the lone Friday game.

The East Division dominates the Saturday doubleheader. Hamilton finishes up at Molson Stadium in Montréal in the late afternoon. They know their fate, meeting next Saturday for the playoffs in the same stadium. Shouldn't see too many new moves.

The Toronto Argos travel to the nation's capital to finish up with Ottawa opposite Hockey Night in Canada. The Argos are undefeated within the division and the RedBlacks are winless in the division.

BC get an extra week of rest before the playoffs. Saskatchewan has a lot of questions to ask and a search for a new head coach. Edmonton watches its home field turned into a place for the NHL.

TSN

Friday
Winnipeg @ Calgary, 9p
Saturday
Hamilton @ Montréal, 4p
Toronto @ Ottawa, 7p

Bye week: BC, Edmonton, Saskatchewan

The BC Lions have only recently mustered decent playoff momentum since snapping a 20-season streak of making the CFL playoffs. That streak was snapped in 2017.

The current Calgary streak will be at least 18 thanks to a Stampeders win and Saskatchewan loss. Calgary got running back Kadeem Carey going against the Lions. Compelling moment: A 12-play, 109 yard drive after stopping BC on the 1-yard-line at the end of the first half.

Toronto backup quarterback Cameron Dukes launched a comeback drive to give the Argos yet another win. The Roughriders comeback ended in a turnover.

Saskatchewan finished 6-12 for the second year in a row: 6-5 as of Labour Day, 0-7 afterward in both seasons. Jason Maas and Cody Fajardo wore the goat's horns, deserved or not, last season, While some Roughriders fans wanted all 3 to go — Craig Dickenson (head coach), Jeremy O'Day (general manager), and Craig Reynolds (president/CEO) — only Dickenson won't come back. Dickenson was at the end of his contract; O'Day got a new contract. Offensive linemen, a game plan using running backs a lot more often: this would help.

The 2019 and 2021 Saskatchewan squads reached the West final, losing to Winnipeg both times. Paradise compared to the last 2 years.

The announcers have pointed out that the Stampeders have played well but haven't caught too many breaks. The July 15 win over Saskatchewan in Regina by a 33-31 score came after they gave up a late TD pass to Tevin Jones because some Calgary defenders made a play for an interception. Imagine where this playoff race would be if the Roughriders held on to that lead.

Saskatchewan caught a break with Edmonton's CJ Sims didn't run out the kickoff after the Roughriders tied the game at 11-11 very late in the game. Dustin Nielson and Glen Suitor never pointed out Sims unsportsmanlike penalty in that moment.

2023 CFL Week 20 preview

AJ Ouellette made it to 1,000 yards rushing for Toronto. Nic Demski made it to 1,000 yards receiving, making Demski and Brady Oliveira (Winnipeg) the first Canadian combo on a team to do 1,000 in each category. Demski, Oliveira, and some guy named Andrew Harris all came from Oak Park High School in Winnipeg.

There haven't been all that many Canadians who have rushed for 1,000 yards in a season. We don't have an exact number but 2-3 hands worth.

BC Lions defensive end Mathieu Betts got 18 sacks, setting a new record for a single season among Canadian players. Brent Johnson had 17 in 2005 for BC.

Vernon Adams Jr. didn't make it to 5,000 yards passing. A very impressive season for the BC Lions quarterback.

Edmonton wide receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux has at least a reception in 146 consecutive games, dating back to July 4, 2010.

2023 CFL Week 19 preview

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

Classic Doug 😆👊 @DougFlutie pic.twitter.com/tPfvwKqpuq

— CFL (@CFL) October 21, 2023

I knew the quote from somewhere. Matt Dunigan drags it out every so often.

Farhan Lalji and Duane Forde with Blake Price got to work in Vancouver Friday night for the BC Lions final home regular season game.

Rod Smith and Glen Suitor could have uttered that phrase in Regina on Saturday afternoon with Brit Dort saying the phrase to herself instead of into a microphone. They should have had a recording of Dunigan saying that phrase played at opportune moments for Saskatchewan.

Dustin Nielson and Matt Dunigan with John Lu got to spend their final 2023 regular season date in Winnipeg.

Jim Barker and Paul LaPolice hung on both days on the CFL on TSN panel. Dave Naylor filled in for Davis Sanchez on Saturday. Kate Beirness was the one constant.

logo credit: CFL
photo credit: TSN/CFL
Twitter capture: @CFL

2023 Toronto Raptors NBA preview

Raptors’ full 2023-24 schedule: pic.twitter.com/qmpARnUigs

— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) August 17, 2023

The 2023-2024 Toronto Raptors goals are rather basic. Do well enough to avoid the play-in tournament. Maybe win a playoff round.

The Raptors worked hard to get Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland ended up dealing Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Pascal Siakam, O.G. Anunoby, and Scottie Barnes are the most recognizable names on the Toronto Raptors squad with rookie head coach Darko Rajakovic. Gradey Dick is the 1st round pick for the Raptors.

The Raptors finished with a 4-0 preseason record.

Toronto opens its 2023-2024 schedule tonight at Scotiabank Arena against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The season ends on April 14 with back-to-back away games at Miami.

The NBA has a new in-season tournament group play setup. The Raptors play Boston, Chicago, Brooklyn, and Orlando. The Raptors play 2 games the week of December 4 based from those games.

If you want to circle the return of former head coach Nick Nurse to Toronto, the Philadelphia 76ers visit Canada on October 28 and March 31. Former Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet comes to Toronto with his Houston Rockets on February 9.

Rogers Sportsnet and TSN will split the TV and radio schedules with each outlet carrying 41 games.

Matt Devlin, who spent part of his off-season calling Toronto Blue Jays games on Rogers Sportsnet, is back to his day job as the play-by-play voice for all 82 Raptors games. NBA TV Canada produces all 82 Raptors telecasts. 

TSN: Jack “The Coach” Armstrong on colour analysis with Kayla Grey as the sideline reporter
Rogers Sportsnet: Former Raptor Alvin Williams provides colour analysis and Savanna Hamilton is the sideline reporter.

Eric Smith handles play-by-play duties on Sportsnet 590 The FAN and TSN 1050 Toronto. Paul Jones is the colour analyst for Sportsnet 590 and Jevohn Shepherd is the colour analyst on TSN 1050.

The Raptors will have little U.S. national exposure. Toronto has 3 road games on NBA TV: at Philadelphia on November 2, at Washington on December 27, and at Indiana on February 26. The lone TNT game is in Toronto as Chicago comes to visit on January 18. ESPN has no scheduled Toronto Raptors games, mimicking their "love" for Canada in the NHL.

2023 Toronto Raptors preseason schedule

Canadian film review: The Grizzlie Truth

2023 NBA Toronto Raptors play-in tournament preview

Jully Black opens the door for O Canada lyrics change

2022 Toronto Raptors NBA preview

CanadianCrossing.com NBA coverage

We are counting last year's play-in tournament as the "playoffs" even if that happened in the blink of an eye.

Toronto Raptors playoffs history

2023	Chicago	0-1
2022	Philadelphia	2-4
2020	Boston	3-4
2020	Brooklyn	4-0
2019	Golden State	4-2
2019	Milwaukee	4-2
2019	Philadelphia	4-3
2019	Orlando	4-1
2018	Cleveland	0-4
2018	Washington	4-2
2017	Cleveland	0-4
2017	Milwaukee	4-2
2016	Cleveland	2-4
2016	Miami	4-3
2016	Indiana	4-3
2015	Washington	0-4
2014	Brooklyn	3-4
2008	Orlando	1-4
2007	New Jersey	2-4
2002	Detroit	2-3
2001	Philadelphia	3-4
2001	New York	3-2
2000	New York	0-3

Twitter capture: @JLew1050
logo credit: Toronto Raptors/NBA

2023 CFL Week 20 preview

If the East Division is your CFL jam, you might want to look elsewhere this weekend. Every game is out west and the only East team playing is the Toronto Argonauts.

Calgary needs a win, even with a tough road destination in Vancouver. The lone Friday night game starts at 10 pm Eastern, 11:30 pm in most of Newfoundland.

Toronto and Saskatchewan meet for the first time since Touchdown Atlantic in Halifax. There will be some daylight in Regina with the 2 pm local kickoff time on Saturday.

The Roughriders need a win just to put the pressure on Calgary for the last playoff spot.

Both BC and Saskatchewan will play their final game at home this week.

The Edmonton Elks travel to Winnipeg in the timeslot opposite Hockey Night in Canada. The Blue Bombers need a singular win to officially capture the West Division title. This is the last game of the year for the Elks.

The cities are opposite in the HNIC late slot with the Jets in Edmonton to face the Oilers. A different kind of doubleheader.

Hamilton, Montréal, and Ottawa: Every East team that isn't Toronto gets to reflect and maybe watch a little hockey on Saturday night.

TSN

Friday
Calgary @ BC, 10p
Saturday
Toronto @ Saskatchewan, 4p
Edmonton @ Winnipeg, 7p

Bye week: Hamilton, Montréal, Ottawa

Having Dane Evans come off the bench in Hamilton to win the game for the BC Lions was straight out of CFL centre casting. The Lions have a limited chance to get the top seed in the West but have to play for that opportunity.

Evans might be a factor even if Vernon Adams Jr. starts after the knee injury. The playoffs is the priority.

⚖️ OVERRULED BY THE JUDGE ⚖️

PICK SIX @calstampeders from @CameronJudge! #CFLGameday on TSN
📲 Stream on CFL+ pic.twitter.com/oSFU9LnJwu

— CFL (@CFL) October 14, 2023

Saskatchewan has lost 7 games in a row and the Roughriders still have a chance at a playoff spot despite losing to Calgary. The Stampeders have the tiebreaker and control their own destiny. Calgary launched a nice comeback after trailing 13-0. The Cameron Judge Pick 6 helped.

There is a path for Saskatchewan to lose 8 games in a row to finish the season and still make the playoffs. That requires Calgary to lose its last 2 games, a viable possibility.

Roughriders fans might be wondering about deja vu. Saskatchewan has been 0-13 after September 4 over the last 2 seasons. Jason Maas and Cody Fajardo got the bulk of the blame after last season; they will have a home playoff game in 2023 with the Alouettes. 

The battle over mediocre teams is not as good as the battle of top teams, as we saw in Calgary. The CFL has a history of below .500 teams in the playoffs. Every East third-place team was under .500 from 1974-1985. The 2000 BC Lions were the first team to be under .500 (8-10) and win the Grey Cup. Hamilton (8-10) was under .500 in the 2022 CFL playoffs.

125 yards to the 🏡 for @JJ_Letcher!!!👀

Go Als Go!🏈pic.twitter.com/QkvesPXovr

— Alouettes de Montréal (@MTLAlouettes) October 14, 2023

Montréal clinched the home playoff game against Hamilton. The Tiger-Cats lost and the Alouettes had a comeback win in Edmonton. Both teams get a week off and while they play each other, the teams will likely not show off too many new tricks, knowing that will play on November 4 at Molson Stadium.

James Letcher Jr. proved to be another weapon for Les Alouettes.

A Saskatchewan win over Toronto means Calgary needs to sweep the last 2 games. If the BC Lions beat the Stampeders on Friday night, a Roughriders win give Saskatchewan a playoff spot. Calgary has the tiebreaker but has to beat BC and Winnipeg to guarantee that playoff spot.

Toronto finished its home season undefeated. Ottawa still hasn't won against the East. The teams will play in Ottawa next week with noting at stake, except honour and pride.

2023 CFL Week 19 preview

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

Marshall Ferguson started out with Duane Forde with Matthew Scianitti Friday night in Hamilton. Rod Smith got a game in this weekend with Forde with Scianitti on Saturday night in Toronto.

Dustin Nielson and Glen Suitor never left Alberta all weekend with Brit Dort on Friday in Calgary and Ryan Rishaug on Saturday in Edmonton.

Farhan Lalji came east to sit in the Toronto studio for Kate Beirness.

logo credit: CFL
Twitter captures: @CFL; @MTLAlouettes

2023 CFL Week 19 preview

BC wants to be in the Grey Cup in Hamilton so the Lions gets to check out the Grey Cup field at Tim Hortons Field.

Saskatchewan and Calgary play for the tiebreaker. The game in Regina is still a great memory for the twists and turns. Calgary is coming off the holiday bye week. Don't leave the game near the end because there should be a good finish. You might even take a nap and stay up for this game on Friday night.

Montréal would like some breathing room in its chase to host a East playoff game. Edmonton at home is as hot as the team can get these days. This is as close to a day game as we may see for awhile. They start the Saturday doubleheader.

The Maple Leafs are at home on the first Hockey Night in Canada for the season. So don't expect a huge crowd at BMO Field for the Ottawa RedBlacks in Toronto.

This is also the last week of the CFL season with 4 games on the weekend.

The U.S. audience has CFL+ and no more TV options. Sayonara to the CBS Sports Network for 2023.

Winnipeg had a bye 3 weeks ago and gets another bye. Rest up for the playoffs.

TSN

Friday
BC @ Hamilton, 7p
Saskatchewan @ Calgary, 9:30p
Saturday
Montréal @ Edmonton, 4p
Ottawa @ Toronto, 7p

Bye week: Winnipeg

Butterfly effect? 👀

You can’t deny that our Friday night finish was all-world! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/z8eBCa7QbH

— CFL (@CFL) October 8, 2023

We often say the CFL comes down to the final 3 minutes. Friday night in Vancouver, the game nearly ended on the last play. BC receiver Dominique Rhymes running toward the end zone. Winnipeg defensive back Jamal Parker caught Rhymes from behind at the 5-yard line. A 65-yard completion is impressive; 70-yard completion would have given the BC Lions the tiebreaker.

The magic number to host the West final is 1 thanks to that tiebreaker. The Winnipeg second half comeback continued into overtime. The BC Lions dominated the first half.

The game dubbed the Gravy Bowl was worth a fresh hot roll sopping up the leftover gravy.

Winnipeg will likely host the West final while BC will likely host the West semifinal.

Mr. 💯!

Shawn Lemon records his 100th career sack, becoming only the 13th player in CFL history to reach the milestone.#MontreALS #AlsIn #Redblacks #CFLpic.twitter.com/uEuCy12x7f

— 3DownNation (@3DownNation) October 9, 2023

Speaking of gravy and turkey, the Ottawa RedBlacks looked like they have a dose of turkey, as in tryptophan. A bit sleepy in the Thanksgiving game.

Montréal is 5-7 against teams not based in the Canadian capital; 4-0 against Ottawa. The American viewers on the CBS Sports Network might have wondered why the Habs were up 1-0 over the Senators after the first period, er, quarter.

As a selective eater, was fun to hear Duane Forde say he doesn't like to eat roasted meats cold. Hot is better than cold but your humble narrator is not picky.

Tre Ford.

ARE YOU KIDDING.#Elks #Edmonton #Argos #Toronto #CFLpic.twitter.com/cUPdo64QnO

— 3DownNation (@3DownNation) October 7, 2023

The Elks lasted as long as they could in terms of playoff elimination. You might have wondered if Labour Day meant Edmonton couldn't make the playoffs. Toronto remains undefeated at home, including the win in Halifax.

Tre Ford threw for 220 yards, a touchdown, and 2 interceptions in the loss. Ford grew up in nearby Niagara Falls.

Ford will finish with 10 straight starts if he starts every game through the end of the 2023 season. This matches Nathan Rourke's streak, tops in the modern era for a Canadian quarterback.

CFL 2023 playoff scenarios: Toronto, Montréal, and Hamilton -- same 3 teams as last season -- are in the playoffs in the East. Winnipeg and BC will host playoff games. Saskatchewan or Calgary will advance, but not both teams. Edmonton and Ottawa are out.

Toronto hosts the East final; the other hosting scenarios are not clinched. A Winnipeg win or a BC loss sets the final at IG Field and the semifinal at BC Placc. A Montréal win or a Hamilton loss sets that semifinal at Percival Molson Stadium.

Saskatchewan has lost 5 in a row since the Labour Day Classic in Regina. Yet the Roughriders are in the driver's seat for a trip to the West semifinal, up 1½ games ahead of Calgary. Beat Calgary and the Stampeders are out of the playoffs. A Calgary win gives the Stampeders the tiebreaker. Saskatchewan gets the tiebreaker if there is a tie with a 1-point differential in the first 2 games.

The Roughriders host Toronto next week while Calgary goes to Vancouver. The Stampeders host Winnipeg in the final week.

Either way, the 3rd place team in the West will likely have a worse record than Hamilton.

"I came. I played. I stayed."

And so he will stay—Saskatchewan Forever.

💚 34 pic.twitter.com/0k8GtoESUr

— Saskatchewan Roughriders (@sskroughriders) October 9, 2023

George Reed. The 2013 champions. Plenty of mojo at Mosaic Stadium and the Roughriders fumbled away that mojo. Hamilton got out to a 22-2 lead and won their first game in the relatively new Roughriders stadium.

Hamilton has won 5 of 7 games with the only losses being to Toronto.

Bo Levi Mitchell looked like the quarterback of old at Mosaic Stadium. He only played in the first quarter. Matthew Shiltz and Mitchell both will have receiver Derel Walker this week.

2023 CFL Week 18 preview: Thanksgiving weekend

The CFL (1958-present) has never had a playoffs without a team from Alberta in the mix. The Calgary Stampeders have had 17 seasons in a row making the playoffs. The Edmonton team has had a few years being the only Alberta franchise in the playoffs.

The Elks are out. The Stampeders are out with a loss to Saskatchewan. A Calgary win means more work needs to be done.

Craig Dickenson (Saskatchewan) and Dave Dickinson (Calgary) desperately need a win on Friday.

2023 CFL Week 17 preview

TSN runs multiple hours of NHL coverage on Trade Deadline Day. The CFL trade deadline does not warrant such coverage though an hour might be fun to watch.

The folks at 3 Down Nation point out there have been no deadline day trades in the 2020s. The last trade of note was back in 2019 where Toronto traded a quarterback, some guy named Zach Collaros, in 2019 to Winnipeg. The Argonauts received a 3rd-round pick and a conditional 1st-round pick in the 2020 CFL Draft. The Winnipeg got Collaros and a 5th-round pick.

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

Rod Smith and Duane Forde drew double and holiday duties in Toronto for the big 150th celebration for the Argos and Thanksgiving in Montréal. Matthew Scianitti (Toronto) and Kenzie Lalonde (Montréal) helped out from the sidelines.

Farhan Lalji and Matt Dunigan with Blake Price covered the top of the West battle in Vancouver on Friday night. Dustin Nielson and Glen Suitor with Brit Dort saw green in Regina on Saturday.

Dave Naylor and Jim Barker did some studio work, maybe just for the turkey on Monday.

logo credit: CFL
Twitter captures: @3DownNation (x2); @sskroughriders
photo credit: TSN/CFL

2023 CFL Week 18 preview: Thanksgiving weekend

Edmonton at Toronto may not sound like an exciting matchup. When the 2021 Elks were forced to finish with 3 games in 7 days (thanks to COVID-19), Edmonton did win in Toronto on a Tuesday night. The 2023 Argos aren't likely to lose to Edmonton but you never know.

An Elks loss means no playoffs in Edmonton. CBS Sports Network has this game on tap.

Winnipeg and BC play for the tiebreaker late on Friday in Vancouver. This is by far the best game of the holiday weekend. Worth watching on CFL+.

Hamilton fans travel well though the Roughriders are traditionally tough at home. Each team is fighting for playoff position. The game featuring the 2 non-NHL markets is on the final Saturday of the CFL season before Hockey Night in Canada dominates the Canadian sports schedule.

Ottawa and Montréal complete the Hwy 417 rivalry for the year on Thanksgiving Monday in La Belle Province. The CFL used to have a Thanksgiving doubleheader but we should be thankful (pun intended) that the CFL even plays on the actual holiday.

CBS Sports Network has this game as promised: its final telecast of the season.

Calgary gets extra turkey for the holiday and doesn't have to run around too much.

CBS Sports Network

Friday
Edmonton @ Toronto, 7p
Monday
Ottawa @ Montréal, 1p

TSN

Friday
Edmonton @ Toronto, 7p
Winnipeg @ BC, 10p
Saturday
Hamilton @ Saskatchewan, 7p
Monday
Ottawa @ Montréal, 1p

Bye week: Calgary

One of those "Only in the CFL" kind of moments 👀

📺 #CFLGameday on @TSN_Sports, RDS
📲 Stream on CFL+ pic.twitter.com/pjErv8jnDt

— CFL (@CFL) September 30, 2023

2nd-and-18. A short pass to the running back. Wait. What!! A short dribble kick and then falls on the ball. 1st down!!!

Some may wonder if I cover the CFL for plays such as these. There is a bit of truth to this. Montréal running back Jeshrun Antwi performed a bit of CFL magic to secure a first down. All the Ottawa defenders were more than 5 yards away so there wouldn't be a no yards penalty. Recovering one's own onside kick is a thing in the league up north.

The key to the play was that Antwi was behind the line of scrimmage when punting the ball and recovering the ball past the line of scrimmage.

A punter can always recover a punt as long as the punt is behind the line of scrimmage and the punter recovers the ball across the line of scrimmage. Doesn’t matter how far the punt goes. If the player recovers the ball like Antwi did, the team gets a fresh set of downs.

The Alouettes could have saved this for a Hamilton playoff game or at BMO Field in mid-November. To be fair, Antwi attempted the same play in July in Vancouver, but missed the kick.

Joseph Zema came in second for unusual plays by an Alouettes player. Zema "inadvertently" kicked the ball out of the arms of Redblacks returner Brandon Dandridge. David Cote tried a 46-yard field goal with Dandridge was returning the miss. Alouettes tight end Regis Cibasu recovered the fumble.

In most CFL games, a Pick 6 for a touchdown would be the highlight. Montréal safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy went 108 yards for a Pick 6. Dequoy now has a career-high 5 interceptions in 2023.

Ottawa had 6 turnovers, going from +8 before the game to +2 as a team. The RedBlacks still haven't beaten an East team in 2023.

2023 CFL Week 17 preview

Oh my gosh, Toronto lost for only the second time this season but no one really cared about that. Winnipeg needed the game more to keep up with the BC Lions. The Blue Bombers and Lions will be 1-2 in the West. BC has a domed stadium in BC Place and would love to have home field for the West final (and a week off). Winnipeg wants cold and snow at IG Field since their running game is much better than what BC has.

Saskatchewan now has a 4-game losing streak with losses to Edmonton and Ottawa in that streak. Yet the Roughriders (6-9) still have a 2-game edge on Calgary (4-11) and Edmonton (4-11). There will not be a crossover to the East so the teams are fighting to be the road team in the West semifinal, either in Winnipeg or Vancouver.

Saskatchewan has the tiebreaker with Edmonton and will play for the tiebreaker with Calgary next week. A Roughriders win over Hamilton this week eliminates Edmonton and a potential Ottawa crossover. The RedBlacks can't gain an East playoff spot but have a very slim chance of a crossover to the West, something no East team has ever done.

Montréal and Hamilton clinched playoff spots. The Alouettes have a 1-game lead on the Tiger-Cats and the tiebreaker with Hamilton: the teams play in the final game of the season.

The Hamilton victory shows the potential impact of quarterbacks recovering from injury. The return of Matthew Shiltz made an impact after replacing Taylor Powell as the Ticats quarterback. Mason Fine is back for Saskatchewan. The return of Trevor Harris could make an impact in the playoffs for the Roughriders.

Meanwhile, Calgary's Jake Maier, the Stampeders starter, couldn't get a touchdown in Hamilton. Even the threat of a deep ball would have helped Calgary.

Edmonton is technically alive for the playoffs with 3 games to go. Ottawa is alive but only as a crossover. The RedBlacks lost the 2018 Grey Cup and haven't been to the playoffs since that time.

2023 CFL Week 16 preview

Even if the Saskatchewan Roughriders don't make it to the 110th Grey Cup in Hamilton, there will be green as part of the celebration. Green as in Green Day, the halftime band for the Grey Cup.

This would be more impressive in the United States if the game was on TV. Hamilton is the furthest team south in the CFL (a bit south of Toronto) so that might be encouraging to draw a well-known band for the Grey Cup.

2023 CFL Week 15 preview

The CFL traditionally had a Thanksgiving Monday doubleheader. The league even blew off the day in 2019. The CFL has a story on recent exciting Thanksgiving weekend games. Your humble narrator recalls the 2011 game mentioned involving Anthony Calvillo.

A titan of the game, and a #CFL legend.

It is with tremendous sadness that the Canadian Football League mourns the loss of George Reed.https://t.co/abzVNYZCtI pic.twitter.com/maT0aYdpiM

— CFL (@CFL) October 2, 2023

George Reed was before my time in knowing about the CFL. I certainly heard people talk about how great Reed was for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. I have a friend in Saskatchewan who named his son Reed after George Reed. Sorry to hear of his passing.

Wab Kinew becomes first First Nations premier with NDP win in Manitoba

We didn't mention a battle of former Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Tuesday's Manitoba election. Obby Khan (PC) defeated Willard Reaves (Liberal) in the Fort Whyte riding in southwestern Winnipeg. Khan beat Reaves in the 2022 byelection to replace former premier Brian Pallister, albeit by a close margin. Khan became the first Muslim elected to the Manitoba legislature.

We have noted a number of Canadian politicians with football backgrounds. Yes, Reaves' son Ryan is a new member of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL.

CanadianCrossing.com CFL coverage

Rod Smith and Duane Forde had another busy weekend, starting out in Winnipeg on Friday night with John Lu and on Saturday in Hamilton with Matthew Scianitti.

Dustin Nielson and Glen Suitor were in the sunny weather in Vancouver with Farhan Lalji on Friday night. Marshall Ferguson and Matt Dunigan got a more interesting game in Ottawa on Saturday afternoon with Kenzie Lalonde.

logo credit and Twitter captures: @CFL

2023 CFL Week 17 preview

Troy Aikman on Monday Night Football mentioning the CFL and a CFL style offence when watching the Miami Dolphins creative style of play. pic.twitter.com/pfWiIh35fk

— Dennis Baluyot (@dennisbaluyot) September 25, 2023

Some good games in store this weekend if, like Troy Aikman, you want to watch some CFL style offence.

Toronto at Winnipeg will be a strong matchup. Outside of BC, these are the best teams and a 2023 Grey Cup rematch. Unfortunately, this is the only meeting between the clubs, unless they are back in the Grey Cup.

The Argos are not taking chances, starting Cameron Dukes and resting Chad Kelly at quarterback. That won't be as much fun. Sure the Lions aren't happy about that move.

Saskatchewan and BC play for the tiebreaker late on Friday in Vancouver. The 10:30 pm Eastern time may not be too loose. Put on an extra pot of coffee for a Midnight kickoff in Newfoundland.

The Alouettes and RedBlacks gather in Ottawa to start the Saturday doubleheader. This is the third meeting between the clubs with the final game on Thanksgiving.

Calgary travels to Hamilton to finish the schedule. The Stampeders will say hi to Bo Levi Mitchell, even as he won't play in the game. Both teams desperately need a win.

CFL+ is the only option on the U.S. side this week, even for Troy Aikman.

Edmonton gets to enjoy early autumn up north.

TSN

Friday
Toronto @ Winnipeg, 8p
Saskatchewan @ BC, 10:30p
Saturday
Montréal @ Ottawa, 4p
Calgary @ Hamilton, 7p

Bye week: Edmonton

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats will unveil an Indigenous logo for Canada's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Saturday.

Indigenous artist Kyle Joedicke designed the logo (above). Joedicke is Cayuga from Six Nations of the Grand River, Turtle Clan.

Calgary, Hamilton's opponent on Saturday, also has a new Indigenous logo. Jacob Alexis, Richard Running Rabbit and Siksika Health Services CEO Dr. Tyler White conceived the logo. The logo is designed to emulate Contemporary Plains Style Traditional Art.

Calgary, Hamilton, and Ottawa join the BC Lions, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and Edmonton Elks in CFL teams with an Indigenous logo.

Indigenous artist Mike Ivall of the Chippewas of Georgina Island designed the Ottawa Redblacks new Indigenous logo. Ivall is known as @ArgoFluffy on social media.

“It represents direction, unity, elements of the culture, and all of the races,” Ivall told the team's Web site. “It’s everything that we hold value for.”

Playoff update: The BC Lions (10-4) clinched a playoff spot by beating the Elks on Friday. Winnipeg (10-4) clinched a home playoff date since the Lions won and the Roughriders lost.

Saskatchewan (6-8) has a 2-game lead on Calgary (4-10) with 4 games to play. The teams meet on October 13 to determine the tiebreaker, which might not be relevant by that time. If the Stampeders make it to 8-10, Hamilton only needs to go 2-2 to prevent a crossover. A Hamilton win over Calgary prevents a crossover from the West Division.

Montréal (7-7) has a 1-game lead over Hamilton (6-8) for the right to host a home playoff game. The Alouettes have the tiebreaker over the Tiger-Cats. The teams do meet on the final Saturday at Molson Stadium.

Ottawa can finish 8-10 with a sweep of the final 4 games. Hamilton has the tiebreaker with Ottawa so a 2-2 finish would take care of the RedBlacks.

Montréal can clinch a playoff spot with a win over Ottawa on Saturday. The Alouettes broke a 4-game losing streak in the win in Calgary on Saturday.

Alford's not done 😳#CFLGameday on TSN, RDS, & CBS SN
📲 Stream on CFL+ pic.twitter.com/j88Ts9SXzB

— CFL (@CFL) September 23, 2023

The Ottawa RedBlacks finally snapped a 7-game losing streak. The oddity to the 2023 squad is that the RedBlacks have 4 wins, all against West teams. Factor that could have been 5 had Ottawa not blown a 19-point lead against BC.

The RedBlacks are winless in their own division. They finish up with home-and-home with Montréal and the same with Toronto.

For a team that struggled to win at TD Place, Ottawa has 3 home wins so far in 2023.

Saskatchewan left their offence for most of the second half in Ottawa. The Calgary loss meant the Roughriders didn't lose ground in the West playoff battle.

2023 CFL Week 16 preview

The Elks finally scored on BC in 2023. First on defence and later on offence. The Elks are playing well but the Lions were on a mission Friday night in Edmonton.

2023 CFL Week 15 preview

Of the CFL's 3 big rivalries, the battle of the QEW (Queen Elizabeth Way) is ridiculously one-sided. Toronto has won 10 of the last 11 games against Hamilton. The Tiger-Cats are 6-4 when the opponent is not Toronto.

The Argos were not at full strength and still handled Hamilton rather easily. The team rested running back A.J. Ouellette as a healthy scratch and placed Andrew Harris on the 6-game injured list with a knee issue.

HERSTORY!

Maya Turner of the @umbisons is the first woman to ever play and score points in a @USPORTSca regular season football game, including the eventual game-winning field goal! 👏

🎥 @USPORTSca / @umbisons pic.twitter.com/YUw6ItxNKJ

— CFL (@CFL) September 24, 2023

University of Manitoba kicker Maya Turner made a lot of history in her team's 27-24 victory over the Regina Rams. Turner was the first woman to dress in a U Sports regular season game. She hit a 21-yard field goal early in the second quarter, becoming the first female player to score in a regular-season U Sports football game. Then Turner hit a game-winning field goal from 21 yards out in overtime

Turner scored 9 points in her debut, going 5-for 5 on kicks with 2 field goals and 3 extra points.

2023 CFL Week 14 preview: Banjo Bowl and Battle of Alberta, part II

2023 CFL Week 13 preview: Labour Day rivalries

Toronto, Winnipeg, and the BC Lions are the cream of the 2023 CFL crop. Toronto is in Winnipeg this weekend for the team's only matchup all year. A wonderful matchup would be the Argos in Vancouver.

Unfortunately, the CFL schedule isn't balanced in that respect. There is no Toronto game in Vancouver in 2023. The teams met in Toronto earlier this year. That was the worst Lions game of the season. A rematch would have been fun but apparently Toronto and Hamilton have to play 4 times in a season.

For all we poked at the length of the Elks losing home streak, the streak was much longer since Saskatchewan played in Ottawa, dating back to June 20, 2019. Ottawa won that game 44-41. The reasonably balanced schedule makes for better football.

2023 CFL preview

The CFL is stuck with overlapping start times on Friday night doubleheaders. As we saw Friday night, TSN1 started the late game in Edmonton while the Roughriders were coming back late in Ottawa.

That works for most Canadians since they can tape the late game and start in after the first game. This doesn't work too well for CFL+ viewers where you can't watch the game tape delayed. Asking your American fans to watch 2 games live at the same time is a bit much, even for football. Try being a BC Lions fan in London, England.

CFL+ fans often miss segments such as the halftime promo coming out of the 3-minute warning, such as Hamilton-Toronto on Saturday.

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Rod Smith and Duane Forde pulled double duty with Claire Hanna in Ottawa and Brit Dort in Toronto.

Dustin Nielson didn't have to step on a plane or rent a hotel room, working in Edmonton Friday night with Glen Suitor with Ryan Rishaug in Edmonton. Marshall Ferguson went as far west as he has ever been on TSN with Suitor with Farhan Lalji on Saturday afternoon in Calgary.

Matthew Scianitti filled in for Kate Beirness on Saturday on the CFL on TSN panel. Paul LaPolice was in for Milt Stegall on Friday and Jim Barker and Dave Naylor in for Stegall and Davis Sanchez on Saturday. This was a weekend where Matt Dunigan didn't go game analysis and was the one who stayed on the panel both days.

Twitter capture: @dennisbaluyot via ESPN; @CFL; @CFL
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photo credits: Hamilton Tiger-Cats; Calgary Stampeders; CFL