Third in West up for grabs

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This article was published 18/10/2023 (726 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Only in the CFL can you lose twice as much as you win and still be fighting for a playoff spot.

With two weeks remaining in the 2023 CFL regular season, that’s where we find ourselves, with two woeful clubs in the Saskatchewan Roughriders (6-11) and Calgary Stampeders (5-11) battling it out for the third and final post-season berth in the West Division.

The East Division has already been decided, with the Toronto Argonauts (14-2) leading the pack, followed by the Montreal Alouettes (10-7) and Hamilton Tiger-Cats (8-9). While top spot in the West is still undecided, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (12-4) have the inside track, needing just one victory in their last two games, or to have the B.C. Lions lose in their final game, to claim the division.

Figuring out third place isn’t as straightforward.

As it currently stands, the Stamps control their own destiny. If they can win both of their remaining games — a big IF when you consider they play Winnipeg and B.C. — then Calgary will earn the final spot.

The Stamps will have to win both games if Saskatchewan can find a way to beat the Argonauts in their final game of the year. If the Riders lose, then Calgary needs just one game to clinch, meaning the only way Saskatchewan makes the playoffs is if it beats the Argos and the Stamps lose out.

Confused yet? Well, hopefully this week will provide some clearer answers, although judging by how things have gone this year, it’s feeling like we could be in for a photo finish.

Before we look too far ahead, let’s take a look back at the top stories from Week 19 in the latest edition of CFL Rundown.

1) Let’s start off the field. The Elks have decided to close the upper bowl at Commonwealth Stadium for the 2024 season. The move was made to improve the game-day experience, according to the Elks, cutting the building’s capacity from 56,400 to 31,517. Edmonton has been averaging 24,774 fans per game this year, which was actually up from last year’s 23,786, but still well short of the 31,107 it drew in 2018. It clearly didn’t help that the club was mired in a 22-game losing streak until snapping it this season. I think it’s a good idea, at least while the Elks figure out a way back to respectability. It’s also important to note if demand warrants it, the Elks will re-open the upper bowl.

2) Staying on attendance numbers, the Argos have seen a 20 per cent increase in butts in the seats this season compared to last. There were some people on X (formally Twitter) trying to take media to task for not jumping to do a story, especially given how much ink has been spilled in recent years about how few people show up to BMO Field. Any reluctance probably has to do with the fact that while a 20 per cent increase is good news, it’s still just a jump from an average of 11,875 to 14,310. Or, in other words, fewer than half of the 30,207 the CFL-leading Bombers draw.

3) The Winnipeg Jets attracted a season-low 11,226 to their game against the L.A. Kings on Tuesday, marking the lowest total since the NHL returned in 2011-12. Meanwhile, the Bombers are trending towards a fourth straight sellout. Never thought I’d see that.

4) It was interesting to hear Lions QB Vernon Adams say last week it’s only been the last month where he’s felt like he’s been out of Nathan Rourke’s shadow and B.C. is his team. Not sure how to take that seeing we’re 19 weeks into the season, and whether it speaks more about Adams or his team. The QB is always the leader of the room, or at least should be.

5) That wasn’t even the weirdest soundbite by a Lion this week. That recognition goes to receiver Alexander Hollins for his ridiculous outburst during B.C.’s game against the Ticats. Hollins, who has garnered a reputation this season as an immature man-child, had just finished scoring a touchdown and, as is customary, had a TSN camera follow him on the sideline. While players will often take the opportunity to share some encouraging words to family and friends, Hollins instead looked directly into the camera and spewed insulting comments that required an apology from the broadcast team. Hollins was miffed about a missed defensive pass-interference penalty on the play before and still hadn’t calmed, even after scoring a TD. For a league trying to grow the game, especially with younger audiences, the CFL needs to send a message to prevent something like that from ever happening again.

6) I don’t have enough space here to complain about CFL officiating, nor do I enjoy throwing shade on the men and women in stripes since they’re not full-time employees and, as pro sports officials, constantly have a target on their backs. It drives me nuts when a call is made, then a timeout is called and by the end of the ensuing commercial break the original call is then overturned by the command centre. That happened again in the Calgary and Saskatchewan tilt. It’s bad enough that calls are seemingly always being corrected, we shouldn’t have a process in place that provides a loophole for when a coach doesn’t have a challenge flag.

7) At this point, I just feel bad for Craig Dickenson. We all know wholesale changes are coming to the Riders, but the man already looks defeated. He challenged a pass interference call late in the game on a play that never had a pass attempt and then afterwards admitted to reporters that it was going to be tough to get his team motivated for their final regular-season game. A game that is being played at home, on fan appreciation day, and is crucial to their playoff hopes. If that’s the case, I’m not sure who in the locker room is worth keeping.

8) The Argos are the best team in the CFL, with the most wins, including a perfect 9-0 record at home for the first time since 1997. Despite all the winning head coach Ryan Dinwiddie has done, it’s kind of funny that he still hasn’t won a coach’s challenge, going 0-for-6.

9) The Bombers returned from the bye this week and through two practices there’s been no sign of receiver Dalton Schoen. Schoen suffered an ankle injury in the Week 18 win over the Lions and the Bombers are staying quiet when it comes to information. Not a good sign, but we should find out more later this week.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jeffkhamilton

Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer

Jeff Hamilton is a sports and investigative reporter. Jeff joined the Free Press newsroom in April 2015, and has been covering the local sports scene since graduating from Carleton University’s journalism program in 2012. Read more about Jeff.

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