Recapping every East team's 2024 season
12/19/2024 10:11 AM
The 2024 CFL season was anything but predictable, especially in the East Division. All four teams had moments where they looked poised to make run, watching the emergence of star players or the return of great veterans.
CFL.ca’s Marshall Ferguson recaps every East team’s 2024 season, including major accomplishments, memorable moments, and more.
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OTTAWA REDBLACKS
2024 RECORD AND MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
9-8-1, lost Eastern Semi-Final to Toronto
MAJOR 2024 STORYLINE: Is Dru 'The One'
Since Trevor Harris left in free agency Ottawa has constantly been searching for the answer at quarterback. Dominique Davis, Caleb Evans, Nick Arbuckle, Dustin Crum, Jeremiah Masoli, and now Dru Brown.
As the prized off-season acquisition there was much made about Brown's ability to lead a franchise on his own for the first time up North. It wasn't a smooth ride, but I think we've all seen enough to know he's got the right stuff.
2024 MEMORABLE MOMENTS
1. Saskatche-tie?!
Ahh yes, the tie that was game over before it wasn't before it was. Watching from a campground RV surrounded by REDBLACKS fans I'll not soon forget Rod Smith's acrobatics to sort through a wild ending at home against the Riders.
2. Pimpleton's Emergence
Justin Hardy continues to prove he's elite, Bralon Addison forever has my respect, Jaelon Acklin has been a perfect fit – at times – in the Ottawa offence and Dominique Rhymes coming 'home' was much needed but watching Kalil Pimpleton explode onto the stage in REDBLACKS colours was so much fun this season.
MEMORABLE 2024 PLAYERS/PLAYS
- Rhymes Time
Dominique couldn't have picked a better time to have his first touchdown back in Ottawa. It came in Victoria with Touchdown Pacific against his old club. Special stuff for a great player. - Caught In A Webb
Damon Webb absolutely had Chad Kelly's number in their rainy mid season matchup at TD Place. Two pick sixes by Webb including 117 return yards and a long of 96 was incredible to see live. - Fans On The Field
Okay, it's not a play but I walk across Ottawa's home turf after most games and a 7-1-1 mark at home this year made the family friendly postgame festivities feel completely different this year. It wasn't about trying to squeeze some fun out of another rough home loss, people were genuinely excited to be down there celebrating.
BEST GAME OF 2024: Week 8 blowout over Calgary
Dru Brown was on point, the defence was buzzing around and Ottawa fans were treated to a 27-point victory while not allowing a touchdown against in what was a sign of how great the REDBLACKS could be, and how in trouble Calgary continued to be on the road.
MONTREAL ALOUETTES
2024 RECORD AND MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
12-5-1, lost Eastern Final to Toronto
MAJOR 2024 STORYLINE: Grey Cup Hangover?
With the 2023 Montreal Alouettes miraculous hot streak straight to the Grey Cup championship stage in Hamilton, the biggest thought on most people's minds going into 2024 was whether that roster was capable off success of the same ilk over a longer stretch.
A 5-0 start suggested the Alouettes were here to stay until a foreshadowing filled home loss to Toronto. As the rest of the East rattled and rolled around into each other the Alouettes just kept chugging, until the Eastern Final when Toronto stole their back-to-back Grey Cup hopes.
2024 MEMORABLE MOMENTS
1. Fajardo's Hamstring
It's unfair to pin a single moment on why Cody Fajardo‘s time with the Alouettes came to an end after being traded to the Edmonton Elks, but in my mind it feels like the hamstring injury he suffered at home against Toronto sent him straight down the tunnel and into another roster as Davis Alexander stepped up and has now been handed the controls. Up to that point Fajardo was playing at a special level and I really believed he was going to keep it all together, but that injury changed the course of Montreal's season and roster moving forward.
2. The Winnipeg Wind
Week 21 against Winnipeg saw Montreal with nothing to fight for while Winnipeg was desperate to win the West. The wind came, the Als lost and It now rests atop my very short list of special, somewhat supernatural moments around the game of Canadian football.
MEMORABLE 2024 PLAYERS/PLAYS
- Dionte Ruffin Plays Closer
Three of Montreal’s first four wins were of the double digit win margin variety, so a heated showdown with the Calgary Stampeders brought the competitive juices out in everyone involved. With 25-seconds left Dionte Ruffin jumped a Jake Maier cross body throw and Percival Molson Memorial Stadium exploded in joy for a hard fought four point win and a 5-0 start. - Check Down Walter
In that same game Walter Fletcher had a 104 yard receiving night on nine targets and nine catches. The dual threat beast out of the Als backfield wasn't born that night, but it was revealed just how great he could be. - Fajardo Home Runs
I mentioned Cody Fajardo was playing elite football to start the season above. The one knock on Cody's game during his final year in Saskatchewan was deep ball accuracy. Cody worked hard on it and it showed to start the season. Against Ottawa in their third game of the year he was 5-of-6 for 179 yards and two touchdowns on throws of 20-yards or more in the air. Oh, and he had six touchdowns and no interceptions when in the score zone through the 5-0 start.
BEST GAME OF 2024: Week 3 blowout vs. Ottawa
A 26-point win, at one point that stretched to 29 points as the Grey Cup momentum somehow continued eight months later? It was incredible to see in person and just brutal for the start of the Dru Brown Ottawa era.
TORONTO ARGONAUTS
2024 RECORD AND MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
10-8, won 111th Grey Cup
MAJOR 2024 STORYLINE
Once the nine game suspension of Chad Kelly was confirmed the question became what's next for the Argos? Nick Arbuckle was brought in as insurance that would pay out in incredible ways six months later to the tune of Grey Cup MVP, Bryan Scott was on the roster and Cam Dukes stepped up to lead the Double Blue charge.
As Kelly returned the deck was shuffled, and again after his Eastern Final injury. The Argos quarterback room was THE positional group story of the 2024 CFL season from start to finish.
2024 MEMORABLE MOMENTS
1. Janarion Grant's Trio
To start the season in Toronto Janarion Grant took a few games to warm up then went punt return touchdown, kick return touchdown, punt return touchdown in three straight games. The last came against Hamilton in a loss, but 96-yards of glory sent Grant towards his eventual Most Outstanding Special Teams Player award.
2. Lirim Hajrullahu's Record Night
On another Toronto win over Montreal the Argos kicker set a new mark of excellence with a 37-yard make that put Toronto up 37-31. It tied the CFL record set in 1984 by Dave Ridgway and later tied by Mark McLoughlin and Paul Osbaldiston (both in 1996). Lirim has long been one of the best around, fitting he should have his name up there in a record like this!
MEMORABLE 2024 PLAYERS/PLAYS
- Arbuckle’s ascendance
When Kelly went down in the Eastern Final, a lot of people thought so did the hopes of a Grey Cup championship for the Argonauts. In comes Nick Arbuckle to the rescue, leading the team throughout the week and into the game for their second title in three years. - McManis Montreal Pick Six
There are plenty of wonderful and memorable plays from Wynton McManis this season. The most impactful came in the playoffs, but my favourite was his interception returned for touchdown against Caleb Evans‘s Alouettes this season. Wynton diagnosed a screen so quickly he actually laid low for as long as possible before pouncing for a game changing play. An awesome player from one of the games most cerebral backers. - Benjie Playoff Pick Six
In the playoffs it seemed as though Benjie Franklin was a magnet for the football. In the Eastern Final specifically he was in the right spot at the right time and opened the scoring in Montreal, Toronto never looked back.
BEST GAME OF 2024: 111th Grey Cup
I mean, they dominated the Bombers and won their second Grey Cup in three seasons. There is no other option.
HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
2024 RECORD AND MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
7-11, missed playoffs
MAJOR 2024 STORYLINE: Bo's return to form, and function
After an inaugural year filled with injury frustration for Hamilton's new quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, the biggest question I had going into the and throughout the season was can the Tiger-Cats keep Bo healthy, and if so what level could he play at? Check and CHECK.
2024 MEMORABLE MOMENTS
1. Week 21 loss in Ottawa
The Tiger-Cats season was defined by a perpetual feeling of "close, but not good enough". Win streaks negated by a super slow start, close loses, a deserving MOP who fell short in the eyes of voters. Nothing wrapped this feeling up more than the final game loss in Ottawa which came down to a goal line situation with Hamilton unable to capitalize as time expired on the game, and their season officially.
2. Fan appreciation night
A week before the loss in Ottawa Hamilton closed out their home schedule with giveaways, commemorations and all around good vibes thanks to a 22-point victory over Calgary as Bo Levi Mitchell beat his old team for the first time and secured the Ticats largest margin of victory on the season.
MEMORABLE 2024 PLAYERS/PLAYS
- Labour Day Tim
While Tim White and Mitchell struggled at times to get on the same page, the first quarter of Labour Day was magical between the two All-CFL players with White's route and Bo's perfect ball placement the exclamation point on a second touchdown in the opening quarter. - Oh No, Bo's Throw
The exact game and situation escapes me, but a week before being benched, Bo rolled to his right, threw cross body and as the incompletion hit the turf head coach, leading to Taylor Powell eventually taking over momentarily at pivot. Quite the moment in a year Bo broke the franchise passing yardage mark. - Reality Check
To start October Hamilton had a four game win streak fuelled by their Labour Day Monday victory over Toronto. Winnipeg was coming to town with their own win streak and the Tiger-Cats quickly discovered they were not going to lead a miraculous playoff comeback thanks to Brady Oliviera rushing 24 times for 147 yards, the biggest being a memorable bowling ball effort for 17-yards.
BEST GAME OF 2024: OK Tire Labour Day Weekend win over Toronto
Hamilton's first win of the season came all the way on July 20 against Toronto. They would beat the eventual Grey Cup champions exactly two months later to complete the season sweep. In between those two matchups was Labour Day where Bo Levi Mitchell went absolutely mad earning nearly universal praise from a sold out crowd as he wound back the clock.