Friday night gave us two great CFL games, and both had some big implications on the playoff race. The Argos found another way to win a close game, Winnipeg let one slip away, Saskatchewan still has some things to figure out, and the BC Lions might be the best team in the CFL right now.
Argos Find a Way Again
It wasn’t always pretty for Toronto, but the Argos found a way to get it done again, beating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 30-28 and extending their winning streak to four games.
There were definitely mistakes. Chad Kelly threw two interceptions, and the Argos defence struggled in the first half. But the big plays helped cover up a lot of those mistakes. Kelly bounced back and made some huge throws, Toronto got some strong runs, and then we got the crazy trick play involving Janarion Grant in the fourth quarter.
The biggest difference for me was what the Argos defence did after halftime. After struggling in the first half, they came out and shut Winnipeg out in the third quarter. That gave the offence a chance to get Toronto back into the game, and eventually they found a way to finish it off.
That’s something we’re seeing more and more from this Argos team. They’re not playing perfect football, but they’re finding ways to win games they probably would’ve lost earlier in the season. They’ve now won four straight and continue to build momentum at exactly the right time.
Winnipeg Leaves With More Questions
With Zach Collaros injured, Winnipeg turned to Dru Brown, and we really saw both sides of what he can bring.
Brown threw for 175 yards in the first hitting some great passes early on. For stretches, he looked really good filling in for Winnipeg’s QB1.
But then the offence disappeared.
Brown finished with only 198 passing yards for the entire game, meaning he had just 23 through the air in the second half. Add in a missed field goal and this feels like a game Winnipeg absolutely could’ve won.
Instead, the Bombers walk away with a loss and probably more questions than answers. If Collaros isn’t ready to go, can this offence consistently do enough without him? And with another loss on the board, getting a home playoff game just became that much tougher.
Riders Still Need More, While BC Keeps Rolling
Saskatchewan had opportunities against BC, but once again they couldn’t make enough plays when it mattered. The defence struggled to get key stops in the second half, and the kicking game hurt them again.
The onside kick was a clear miscue for me. The ball went way too deep and Saskatchewan really never gave themselves much of a chance to recover it. I also wasn’t a fan of the decision on third-and-one-and-a-half in the second half. I would’ve kicked the field goal, taken the points and made it a one-score game sooner.
There were some positives. AJ Ouellette looked much more like himself, and getting him going again would be huge for this team moving forward. But Saskatchewan has to find ways to get stops in those key moments. With another loss, catching Edmonton becomes very, very difficult.
On the other side, we seriously need to start talking about the BC Lions as potentially the hottest team in the CFL.
BC has now won seven of its last eight, and Nathan Rourke is playing some incredible football. When Rourke is playing like this, I really believe this team can beat anyone.
Carter Jr. might have had the knockdown of the season, and then late in the fourth quarter Rourke came up with another back-breaking big play when Saskatchewan desperately needed a stop. Chad Kelly had a couple huge plays last week, but Rourke gave him a run for play of the year with that one.
Seven wins in eight games, Rourke rolling and a defence making huge plays when it needs to. The BC Lions look dangerous right now.
Now We Turn to Saturday
Friday was only the beginning of the weekend, with Calgary taking on Ottawa and Hamilton facing Edmonton on Saturday.
Calgary has a huge opportunity after watching Winnipeg and Saskatchewan both lose Friday night. Ottawa might be out of the playoff race, but we’ve seen some more life from the REDBLACKS lately. At this point they really have nothing to lose, and that can make a team dangerous.
Then we get Hamilton and Edmonton. The Elks have already punched their ticket to the playoffs, while Hamilton is fighting to keep its season alive.
For the Ticats, there isn’t much room left for mistakes. Turnovers and inconsistent quarterback play have hurt this team, and now they have to find a way to go into Edmonton and beat one of the CFL’s top teams.
For Edmonton, it’s another opportunity to strengthen its position in the West after Saskatchewan’s loss. But after what we saw Friday night, they might want to start looking over their shoulder too.
The BC Lions are coming.
