There’s always an imaginary line separating the stretch drive of a CFL season from the middle stages. I think it’s fair to say when the ball gets kicked off in Week 15, though, that stretch drive will have begun. As we enter the final quarter of the 2015 campaign, we have next to everything still up for grabs. Let’s count down the top three matchups.
3. Who’s bouncing back?
The Montreal Alouettes and Ottawa REDBLACKS are both coming off disappointing Week 14 losses. Montreal’s setback to Saskatchewan denied the Alouettes an opportunity to add more space behind them on the teams in the crossover playoff race. Ottawa, on the other hand, had a three-game winning streak snapped by Toronto and also fell back to third in the East Division standings. These two teams kick off Week 15 against one another with both squads in need of a win.
The performance we saw from the Alouettes against the Riders just wasn’t acceptable for a team trying to lock down a playoff spot. While I expect a much better effort when they visit the REDBLACKS, I still think the home side has the edge. Ottawa’s offence looks pretty darn scary right now and will thrive if Montreal makes the same mistakes as last week. The REDBLACKS are still a scary squad at home, and I think that pushes them over the top for me.
2. Who’s going to stop them?
I don’t think there’s any coincidence that Edmonton’s three-game winning streak corresponds with the return of quarterback Mike Reilly. The Eskimos have looked like a Grey Cup contender since Reilly’s return in Week 12 and they’re showing no signs of slowing down. What is most scary about this group right now was on display last week against BC. Despite a rather lackluster first half, the Esks stormed back for 22 points in the final two quarters to send BC to another loss. Even when they’re not at their best to start, Edmonton can still get you.
It’s for that reason that Winnipeg is in tough. The Bombers play host to Edmonton on Saturday night and it’s going to be tough sledding. The Eskimos are as complete a team as it gets right now, and it would be a shock to see them get off to another poor start. The one equalizer for me is who’s at quarterback for the Bombers. Matt Nichols will play his former team for the first time and you always wonder how motivation can play a part. Even still, I don’t think it’ll be enough for Winnipeg to pull off the upset.
1. Stay on target
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats don’t look anywhere near as formidable right now as they did a couple weeks ago. With Zach Collaros at the helm, the Ticats looked like the East Division’s Grey Cup front-runner. Well, now Collaros is done for the season and Hamilton is forced to start picking up the pieces. If you’re the Calgary Stampeders, though, I wouldn’t even start to think about looking past them.
The Stamps visit Hamilton a week prior to their all-important showdown with Edmonton. That Week 16 matchup will play a massive role in determining who finishes on top of the West Division at the end of the season. First, though, they have to get by the Ticats, and I don’t think that’s going to be a walk in the park. Hamilton is good on home field and will be rallying around the loss of a key player, and let’s not forget the Ticats are a pretty good all around group to begin with. Calgary needs this game, but the Stampeders better be ready for a really tough test.
