CFL.ca Game Notes: Hope remains for all 9 teams

10/03/2024 05:00 PM

TORONTO — It’s Week 17 and every fan base still has reasons to hope.

No team has been eliminated from playoff contention in 2024 as there’s still plenty in play for all nine teams in the CFL.

The East Division has already been awarded to the Montreal Alouettes, but the other two spots are up in the air as the Ottawa REDBLACKS, Toronto Argonauts and Hamilton Tiger-Cats fight for a spot. The REDBLACKS could punch their ticket if the Ticats lose to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday.

Over at the West Division, the Bombers could claim a division title with a win coupled with a loss by the Saskatchewan Roughriders. If they lose but the Riders and Lions also drop their matchups, Winnipeg secures a home playoff date. Saskatchewan can also clinch their spot with a win followed by losses by the Calgary Stampeders and Tiger-Cats. Finally, the Lions can get into the dance by taking down the Stamps and seeing the Tabbies and Edmonton Elks also lose.

Eugene Lewis – who’s coming off five straight games scoring a touchdown – and the Elks need to beat the Riders on Saturday to stay alive in the race, same thing for Jake Maier and the Stampeders against the Lions on Friday.

Who’ll come out on top in Week 18? CFL.ca brings you this week’s Game Notes.

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LIKE SANDS THROUGH THE HOURGLASS
(Team | Remaining schedule | Combined record)

West Division

• Winnipeg | @HAM, TOR, Bye, @MTL | 25-19-1 (.567)
• Saskatchewan | @EDM, BC, Bye, CGY | 16-27-1 (.375)
• BC | CGY, @SSK, MTL, Bye | 22-19-3 (.534)
• Edmonton | SSK, @CGY, Bye, TOR | 19-23-2 (.455)
• Calgary | @BC, EDM, @HAM, @SSK | 25-34-1 (.425)

East Division

• Montreal | Bye, OTT, @BC, WPG | 24-20-1 (.544)
• Ottawa | Bye, @MTL, @TOR, HAM | 25-19-1 (.567)
• Toronto | Bye, @WPG, OTT, @EDM | 22-22-1 (.500)
• Hamilton | WPG, Bye, CGY, @OTT | 21-21-2 (.500)

KICKING IT INTO HIGH GEAR

• From 2010-23, 83 per cent of field goal attempts were successful. This season currently stands at 87 per cent – second only to the league record of 88.3 per cent set in 2018.
• In Week 17, there were 28 made field goals, highlighted by Lirim Hajrullahu's eight to tie the single-game league record and set Toronto's team record.
• This season has seen 5.4 field goals per game – the most in CFL history.

RUSHING TO CONCLUSIONS

• Weeks 1-6 | 181 rushing yards per game
• Weeks 7-12 | 201
• Weeks 13-17 | 227 – a 25.4 per cent increase over the first six weeks

QUICK SLANTS

League-Wide

• There has been an average of four sacks per game – 23 per cent lower than last season.
• Week 17 averaged 64.0 points per game – the fourth week this season to eclipse the 60+ mark.
• 31 per cent of games have featured three or more lead changes.
• No teams have been eliminated from playoff contention.

WPG at HAM

• Since Week 13, both teams are 4-0.
• Winnipeg enters the game on a seven-game winning streak.
• Winnipeg has not swept the season series since 2016.
• Zach Collaros threw a career-high six touchdown passes last week. He needs three more to become the 14th quarterback to reach 200 in his career.
• Collaros is 7-5 in his head-to-head starts against Bo Levi Mitchell.
• Brady Oliveira has 1,516 yards from scrimmage (1,107 rush, 409 receiving).
• Kenny Lawler had a season-high eight receptions and 130 yards last week.
• Hamilton has won four straight at home against Winnipeg with the Blue Bombers' last victory coming in 2017 when Matt Nichols started against Collaros.
• In his last four starts, Bo Levi Mitchell has totaled 1,323 passing yards and seven touchdowns to two interceptions. He is a career 12-7 versus Winnipeg.
• Tim White needs 52 receiving yards for his third straight 1,000-yard season.

CGY at BC

• The winner will claim the season series.
• Calgary is 6-2 in its last eight visits to BC Place.
• The Stampeders are 1-1 this season when coming off a bye.
• Calgary is looking for its first road win. The team has never finished a season without a road victory.
• Jake Maier needs 18 completions to reach 1,000. In two starts against BC this season, he totaled 646 passing yards, five touchdowns and one interception.
• Reggie Begelton is 79 receiving yards away from his third 1,000-yard season.
• BC averaged 80 rushing yards in its first eight games and 130 in its last seven.
• William Stanback has rushed for 85+ yards in six of the last seven games. He needs 115 rushing yards to set a new career high.
• Nathan Rourke is 1-0 as a starter against Calgary.
• Justin McInnis needs seven receiving yards to reach 2,500. He leads the league with 34 second down conversion catches.
• Over the last three games, Ryder Varga leads all players with 30 defensive tackles, including 12 last week.

SSK at EDM

• 13 of the last 14 meetings between the two teams has been decided in the final three minutes. Saskatchewan is 10-4 over that span.
• Saskatchewan leads the league with 24 per cent of their points coming off turnovers.
• As a member of the Roughriders, Trevor Harris is 3-0 versus Edmonton.
• Rolan Milligan Jr. leads the league in interceptions (seven) and special teams tackles (19).
• Kian Schaffer-Baker is two receptions shy of 200 in his career.
• Brett Lauther is slated to play in his 100th game.
• Saskatchewan has allowed the second-fewest rushing yards per game (80).
• Edmonton is second in the league with 125 rushing yards per game.
• The Elks have not won at home against Saskatchewan since 2018.
• Eugene Lewis has a touchdown in each of his past five games.
• In his past two games, Justin Rankin has 266 rushing yards with five rushes for 20+ yards.
• Dillon Mitchell had 223 kick return yards last week.
• Nyles Morgan had 20 defensive tackles in the teams' two previous meetings.