Adam Gagnon/CFL
It sure can be boring when the final week of a football season has nothing to decide. Luckily that’s not the case for the 2015 CFL campaign, because there’s a still lot up for grabs as we head into Week 20. Let’s look at this week’s three biggest matchups.
3. Finish strong
The Toronto Argonauts know they’ll be playing somewhere other than the Rogers Centre next Sunday. The Argos are cemented as the East Division’s third seed and will visit either Hamilton or Ottawa in the Eastern Semi-Final on Nov. 15. But just because their Friday showdown with Winnipeg means nothing in the standings, it doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot to be gained for Toronto.
More than anything else, the Argos have a chance to gain some confidence in their game when they play host to the Bombers. It’ll be just the second start of the season for Ricky Ray at quarterback and Toronto needs to use its final game to get its offence into a groove. On top of all that, the Argos really don’t want to enter the post-season on a four-game losing skid. They have to approach their season finale as no less than a playoff tune-up.
2. Calm before the storm
It’ll be an odd situation when the BC Lions host the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday night. These two teams are locked in as playoff opponents in the Western Semi-Final, so in a lot of ways, their Week 20 showdown is rather meaningless. That being said, I wonder if the Lions have something to gain from their final home game before heading on the road in the postseason.
As I touched on in this week’s Monday Morning Quarterback, there’s part of me that wonders if BC can use this as a building block. There’s no question the Lions will be the underdogs come the Western Semi-Final, so anything they can gain from Week 20 will be important. Calgary is resting players and will likely be very conservative with its playbook, but if the Lions can come away with a win, I think there’s a decent chance it’ll give them a slight boost heading into next weekend.
1. The no brainer
The most important game of the CFL’s final week will be played in our nation’s capital and it’s giving us lots to sink our teeth into. It’s going to be a raucous atmosphere at TD Place when the Ottawa REDBLACKS host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday afternoon, and for good reason. In just their second year in the league, the REDBLACKS have already clinched a home playoff date, but they’ve got an opportunity to clinch an Eastern Final on home field. That’s pretty impressive.
The REDBLACKS remain the most complete team in the East for my money, and I believe this is their game to win. Hamilton’s situation is much more up in the air right now. We’re still not sure who is going to start at quarterback, but we know it’s not going to be Jeff Mathews, who would be the desired choice. The Ticats could very much benefit from an extra week off, so there’s lots of motivation for an Eastern Final berth.
