Matt Smith/CFL.ca
TORONTO — Week 18 is upon us and it is full of playoff scenarios for a number of teams. That’s in spite of a three-game offering this week that sees Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa all on bye weeks.
We open the week in Hamilton, where two hot teams in the Tiger-Cats and Winnipeg Blue Bombers put their respective winning streaks on the line, as the Ticats fight for their playoff lives and the Bombers look to clinch the West Division. Out West, the Stamps look to end their six-game winless streak in BC, while the Edmonton Elks host the surging Saskatchewan Roughriders.
Don’t forget to head to the CFL Game Zone to take part in the All-CFL fan vote, where you can win a $4,000 cash prize while making your picks for this year’s top players.
CFL.ca is checking down for Week 18.
Jump to team:
| BC | Edmonton | Calgary | Saskatchewan | Winnipeg | Hamilton | Toronto | Ottawa | Montreal |
BC LIONS
The Lions were in on the only deal of the day for the CFL trade deadline, picking up RB Jeshrun Antwi (Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca)
– Jeshrun Antwi is the newest member of the Lions. The team acquired him in a trade deadline deal on Wednesday with Montreal (CFL.ca)
– The Lions can clinch a playoff spot this week with a win against the visiting Calgary Stampeders, paired with a Hamilton loss and an Edmonton loss (CFL.ca)
– PFF listed William Stanback as their top-graded running back for Week 17 (CFL.ca).
EDMONTON ELKS
Shawn Oakman was a bright spot in the Elks’ loss to the Bombers, as he was named a top performer by PFF (Arthur Ward/CFL.ca)
– The Elks are taking a look at Javon Leake this week, as he works his way through a thigh injury. Interim head coach Jarious Jackson told reporters he’d want to ease Leake back into things if he’s able to go this week, which would likely mean not using him in a return capacity. (GoElks.com).
– Elks’ d-lineman Shawn Oakman was a bright spot in the team’s Week 17 loss to the Bombers. At 86.5, he graded out as the league’s top d-lineman last week, via PFF (CFL.ca).
CALGARY STAMPEDERS
– The Stamps emerge from their bye week with their 18-season playoff streak on the line. They head to BC on Friday, in need of some wins to try to extend the league’s longest post-season appearance run. One thing working in the Stamps favour? They have a game in hand on their West Division rivals (Todd Saelhof, Calgary Herald).
– Stamps’ receiver Clark Barnes is questionable for this week’s game, as he’s been limited in practice by a knee injury (CFL.ca)
– The odds may be against the Stamps this week, but one of CFL.ca’s writers thinks they will come out of BC Place with a win, ending their six-game winless run (CFL.ca).
SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS
AJ Ouellette is practising with his teammates this week, but Riders head coach Corey Mace wants to ease him back into action (Bailey McLean/CFL.ca)
– The Riders are inching closer to a playoff berth. A win over Edmonton this week, paired with a Calgary loss and a Hamilton loss would send the Riders back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2021 season (CFL.ca).
– For what it’s worth, CFL.ca’s writers think that the Riders will do their part in their bid for a playoff spot. The writers unanimously picked them to top the Elks on Saturday
– The Riders stand to be missing a couple of key players on Saturday. Running back Ryquell Armstead and Shawn Bane Jr. have sat out of practice thus far, while head coach Corey Mace wants to be patient with AJ Ouellette, who is back on the field this week. Expect to see Frankie Hickson taking handoffs on Saturday (Taylor Shire, Postmedia)
WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
Kenny Lawler is coming off of a huge performance in Week 17, where the Bombers’ offence showed what it’s capable of (Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca)
– The CFL Simulation lists the Blue Bombers as 111th Grey Cup favourites, giving them an almost 70 per cent chance of lifting the trophy at the end of the year (CFL.ca)
– The Bombers are in position to lock up the West Division this week, provided they can win in Hamilton on Friday and pair that with a Saskatchewan loss to Edmonton on Saturday. With a Saskatchewan or BC loss, the Bombers would at minimum clinch a home playoff date (CFL.ca)
– Coming off of an eight-catch, 130-yard, two-touchdown game, Kenny Lawler rolls with the highs and the lows that the game throws at him (Ed Tait, Bluebombers.com)
HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
– Win streaks collide on Friday at Tim Hortons Field, with the Ticats (winners of four straight) hosting the Bombers (winners of seven straight). The Ticats will hope that the Bombers’ trouble at the Donut Box continues. The Bombers haven’t won a regular-season game in Hamilton since 2017 (CFL.ca).
– On the injury front, the Ticats will be without standout rookie receiver Shemar Bridges or defensive lineman Nick Usher this week, while running back Greg Bell is listed as doubtful (CFL.ca).
– Brendan O’Leary-Orange shook off an early drop last week against the Lions and made up for it with a pair of big plays in the Ticats’ comeback win (Steve Milton, Ticats.ca)
– The Ticats’ strong play of late has them up to second place in the CFL.ca Power Rankings presented by AMSOIL (CFL.ca).
TORONTO ARGONAUTS
Ka’Deem Carey powered his way to a big ground game against the Als, with the help of an o-line adjusting to injuries (Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca)
– The Argos’ offensive line remains the top-ranked unit in PFF’s weekly o-line rankings (PFF.com)
– When offensive tackle Isiah Cage went down with an injury, Ryan Hunter seamlessly made the move from guard into the demanding tackle roll. The result? A big ground game from the Argos and a huge win over the Alouettes (Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press via Postmedia)
– The Argos are trailing the REDBLACKS in the standings, but the CFL Simulation still likes the Double Blue’s chances of hosting a playoff game (CFL.ca).
OTTAWA REDBLACKS
Lorenzo Mauldin IV is focused on getting the REDBLACKS back to the playoffs in 2024 (OttawaREDBLACKS.com)
– Lorenzo Mauldin IV is plugging away on the REDBLACKS’ d-line, working against offences that are getting the ball out quicker (Frankie Benvenuti, OttawaREDBLACKS.com).
– Despite being on a bye, the REDBLACKS can clinch their first playoff berth since 2018 with a Hamilton loss on Friday (CFL.ca).
– REDBLACKS’ receiver Justin Hardy leads the league in receiving yards and according to Don Landry, is one of five can’t-miss All-CFL receiver selections (CFL.ca)
MONTREAL ALOUETTES
– The Aloeuttes have extended receiver Cole Spieker through the 2026 season (CFL.ca).
– The CFL Simulation has the Als as the second-most likely team to win the 111th Grey Cup (CFL.ca).
– Als’ GM Danny Maciocia thanked Jeshrun Antwi for his services through his four seasons with the team. The Als received the Lions’ third-round pick in the 2026 CFL Draft in exchange for the running back (CFL.ca).
