Costabile: 3 storylines to watch in Week 18

10/02/2024 05:00 PM

There are only four weeks left in the regular season and every game means something as we head down the stretch.

Teams are playing for positioning in their respective divisions with only the Montreal Alouettes having locked up a permanent spot (the Eastern Final will be played at Percival Molson Stadium).

Week 18 has just three games, but all three have exciting storylines to follow other than playoff positioning.

Winnipeg hasn’t won in Hamilton since 2017. Can Calgary stop the BC rush attack as they return from their bye week? And who wins the turnover battle between Edmonton and Saskatchewan?

Here’s one storyline to follow in each game this weekend.

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CAN WINNIPEG WIN IN HAMILTON?

Winnipeg at Hamilton | Friday, October 4 | 7:00 p.m. ET

There’s something about Tim Hortons Field that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers just can’t seem to win in recent years.

The last time that the Bombers won at Tim Hortons Field was all the way back in 2017, when Winnipeg defeated Hamilton 39-12. The last four meetings between these two clubs in Hamilton saw the Tabbies walking away with the victory.

In 2023, a Week 15 contest saw the Ticats win 29-30. They met in Week 15 in 2022 as well, with the Tiger-Cats winning 48-31 and Winnipeg did not visit Hamilton in the 2021 shortened season. 2019 saw the pair matchup in Week 7 with the Black and Gold walking away with a 23-15 win and in 2018, they met in Week 3 where Hamilton beat Winnipeg 31-17.

Can Winnipeg snap their losing skid at the Donut Box?

Both Hamilton and Winnipeg are on winning streaks currently, with the Ticats winners of their last four and the Bombers winners of their last seven. Who gets the best of the other this week? Find out as Week 18 kicks off at Tim Hortons Field.

CAN CALGARY STOP THE RUN?

Calgary at BC | Friday, October 4 | 10:00 p.m. ET

The BC Lions and Calgary Stampeders meet on Friday night with both teams riding losing skids. The Stamps, who are returning from a bye, are winless in their last six contents. BC, on the other hand, have lost their last two.

In his last two games, Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke has thrown no interceptions and no passing touchdowns but has ran in three major scores. In his previous three starts, Rourke threw seven interceptions and four touchdowns to go along with two scores on the ground.

The Stampeders will need to keep an eye on Rourke and William Stanback, who is coming off a 103-yard game against Hamilton, on the ground this weekend as they look to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Calgary has given up a CFL-high 125.9 yards per game on the ground and has allowed 17 rushing touchdowns, which is tied with two other teams for most in the CFL. BC is averaging 103.5 yards per game on the ground and has scored 16 rushing majors, third-most in the CFL.

WIN THE TURNOVER BATTLE

Saskatchewan at Edmonton | Saturday, October 5 | 7:00 p.m. ET

Trevor Harris and the Saskatchewan Roughriders won their second-straight game last weekend and will look to make it three in a row against the Elks at Commonwealth Stadium.

With their win in Week 17, the Riders took over second place in the West Division and with BC hot on their heels, one point behind, every point is crucial between now and the end of the season. That statement rings true for Edmonton as well, as back-to-back losses to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have pushed the Green and Gold to four points back of BC for the third and final playoff spot in the West.

Though Edmonton has one of only four positive turnover ratios in the CFL right now (+8), Saskatchewan is the best of the best with a +18.

After back-to-back-games against Calgary in Weeks 13 and 14 where they forced 12 total turnovers, Edmonton’s fortunes in that department changed in their next two games.

Last week against Winnipeg, the Elks turned the ball over three times and had no turnovers forced. The week before in their first contest against Winnipeg, they gave up six total turnovers and forced just one. Against a Riders team that loves to take the ball away, McLeod Bethel-Thompson and co. will need to play with extra caution.

Will the winner of the turnover battle win the game? Find out Saturday night!