Steinberg: Who would the Stamps, REDBLACKS rather face in the Finals?

The Calgary Stampeders and Ottawa REDBLACKS will find themselves spectators as the 2016 CFL post-season kicks off this weekend. Both teams earned themselves automatic berths in their respective Division Finals and both teams wait to see who their opponent is going to be come Nov. 20. If I’m either the Stamps or REDBLACKS, I think there’s a preferred matchup in the Division Finals, so who would that be?

CALGARY STAMPEDERS

According to Steinberg, Bo Levi Mitchell and his Stamps may not want to face the tough Lions defence in the Western Final. (Johany Jutras/CFLca)

Of the two teams with first round playoff byes, the Stampeders have dealt with the more unique challenges. Clinching the West Division in Week 20 will do that and, as such, Calgary hasn’t played a truly meaningful game in quite some time. While I’m fully confident the Stamps will be good to go and ready to play come the Western Division Final, I do think there is one opponent they’d rather not see.

If I’m the Stamps, I’m hoping to avoid the BC Lions for fairly simple reasons. First off, the Lions will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sunday and I think they’re the better of the two teams. BC is a very well rounded group with more opportunity to hurt Calgary in a one game showdown, at least the way I see it.

When compared with the Bombers, I’ll take the explosive nature of their offence in a showdown with the Stamps. While Jonathon Jennings had some struggles with consistency at times during the regular season, he’s also turned into one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the league. On top of that, Emmanuel Arceneaux lead the league in receiving touchdowns while Jeremiah Johnson turned into a solid option on the ground. This Lions offence can put up points with the best of them.

Defensively, BC deserves some props too. Yes, compared to Winnipeg, the Lions’ turnover numbers aren’t quite as impressive, but they finished near the top of virtually every defensive category during the regular season. This is a very formidable group and I think they pose the biggest potential challenge for Calgary.

Finally, let’s not forget how well the Lions played the Stampeders during the regular season. Yes, BC lost two of three regular season head-to-head meetings, but will definitely feel its Week 6 loss should have been a win. Overall, no team played Calgary closer than the Lions did during the season and they should gain some confidence from that.

Please don’t interpret this as me saying Winnipeg has no chance of beating BC come Sunday afternoon. After all, the Bombers swept a late season home-and-home between the two teams. Instead, I’m just making the point I think the Lions pose a more difficult challenge for the idle Stamps. If I’m Calgary, I’m definitely a big Bombers fan this weekend.

OTTAWA REDBLACKS

The best way for Henry Burris and the REDBLACKS to win the East? Avoid the Eskimos. (Patrick Doyle/CFL.ca)

Much like the Stamps, Ottawa should have a more desired opponent come the Eastern Division Final. If I’m the REDBLACKS, I’m hoping to avoid the red hot Eskimos in a playoff matchup, especially if they win again in their crossover matchup.

No team is hotter than Edmonton heading into the post-season, which is why I’m choosing the Eskimos to take out the Tiger-Cats this weekend. The Esks enter the playoffs with wins in five of six and seem to be peaking very much at the right time. A playoff win would just add to that roll and that’s the type of momentum I just wouldn’t want to go up against if I’m Ottawa.

We all know Hamilton has the potential to be very good on any given weekend. The problem this year has been seemingly random timing. We never know which Ticats team is going to show up and it just so happens the bad version of the team can be really, really bad. If they were to beat Edmonton, how much confidence do we have Hamilton can put back-to-back solid efforts together?

The Eskimos, on the other hand, pose a rather terrifying threat if they get past the Tiger-Cats. Not only would they be on a roll, but let’s not forget what title Edmonton carries into the 2016 post-season. The Eskimos are the defending Grey Cup Champs after all, and that experience from one year ago counts for something in my books.

I absolutely think the Tiger-Cats could take out Ottawa if they met in the Eastern Final. Hamilton won one and lost against the REDBLACKS this season, and both of those games came late in the season. However, if it were to come down to a simple choice for Ottawa, I’d rather not play Edmonton, because the Eskimos look rather scary right now.