MMQB: 3 storylines for the final week of the regular season

Pat Steinberg

CFL.ca

@Fan960Steinberg

Well friends, here we are. Welcome to Week 21.

There’s still a lot to be figured out as we enter the final week of the regular season, including a crucial playoff determination.

With plenty left on the table, here are some of the most important storylines to track this weekend with four games remaining before the 2024 post-season.

WHERE IS BC GOING?

With a bye in Week 21, the Lions finished their regular season with an important 27-3 win over Montreal on Saturday (more on that shortly). The win sends BC into the playoffs on a positive note but doesn’t change their place in the standings. The Lions were already locked into third place in the West Division, which means they’ll be on the road to open the postseason.

We just don’t know where they’re going yet.

BC’s destination for the Western Semi-Final will be decided Saturday and will come down to Winnipeg or Saskatchewan, with the former controlling the playing field. Entering Week 21, the Blue Bombers sit first in the division and can clinch top spot, and a first-round bye, with a win or a tie on the road in Montreal.

If Winnipeg secures first place, the Lions will travel to Regina to open the playoffs. A Bombers loss opens the door for the Roughriders on Saturday night, however. In that case, Sask could wrap up top spot with a home win over Calgary, sending BC to the Manitoba capital next week instead.

What we do know, though, is the Lions are feeling good entering the post-season. The win over Montreal wasn’t just good for morale, it was also huge for Vernon Adams Jr. Reinstalled as BC’s starting quarterback, Adams wrapped the regular season with 385 passing yards, two passing touchdowns and an additional rushing touchdown.

With him likely to start in the Western Semi-Final, and coming off an outing like that, gives Adams a ton of momentum entering a potentially well-timed bye.

THE RACE FOR MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER

We touched on this a few weeks ago and nothing has changed: the 2024 MOP race still feels completely up for grabs. And honestly, I’m not sure one more four-game slate of games is going to change how unsettled this race is. But it does give us one final weekend to make some determinations.

For many, Winnipeg’s Brady Oliveira has risen to the top of the MOP power rankings and understandably so. Oliveira will almost certainly take home his second straight rushing title and has gone over 1,000 yards for a third straight campaign. During this stretch of eight wins in nine games, Oliveira has been the unquestioned offensive driver for the Bombers.

We’ve got a trio of quarterbacks in the mix, too, and none of them have a perfect case. Hamilton’s Bo Levi Mitchell is the league’s first 5,000-yard passer since 2018 but won’t be playing post-season football. Then there’s Cody Fajardo of the Als and Trevor Harris in Saskatchewan, who own the league’s top two quarterback ratings. Neither have played full seasons, though, which could factor into voting.

On defence, Rolan Milligan Jr.’s breakout season with the Riders continues with his league-leading eight interceptions jumping off the page. And don’t sleep on Montreal’s Tyrice Beverette, who impacts things everywhere. The versatile linebacker has racked up 98 defensive tackles, eight tackles for loss, four sacks, two interceptions and a league-leading four forced fumbles.

WHO ELSE FINISHES STRONG?

We already mentioned BC’s strong finish to the season entering a bye, which provides a blueprint for a few other teams. The Alouettes wrapped up top spot in the East Division weeks ago, which means player management is at the forefront for head coach Jason Maas. For instance, Fajardo only threw nine passes in Saturday’s loss to BC. Still, finishing on a winning note can be a positive for the defending champs.

Wynton McManis’ face says it all…👀

Dejon Brissett finds it in the back of the end zone!#CFLGameDay
📺: @ctv
📲: CFL+ pic.twitter.com/F7gQral52o

— CFL (@CFL) October 19, 2024

Then there’s Toronto, who wrapped up second in the East with Saturday’s 38-31 win over Ottawa. Those two will meet again in the Eastern Semi-Final with the Argos hosting and heating up at the right time. Toronto has won three straight and four of five entering Week 21 and has an eerily similar feel to the group that rolled to a title in 2022.

Then there’s the REDBLACKS. While I’m sure they’d love to snap their losing skid at five at home to Hamilton, the most important thing is seeing Dru Brown back under centre. Brown returned against the Argos and threw for 400 yards and four touchdowns. It’ll be interesting to see how much work he gets in for Ottawa’s regular season finale.

QUICK HITS

“It’s not something where I have a vengeance against those guys, but it’s your old team. I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that I wanted to go out there and just beat the brakes off them, because I did.”

That was 5,000-yard man Mitchell after leading Hamilton to a 42-20 win over the Stampeders on Friday night. And Mitchell got his wish to the tune of 450 passing yards and five touchdowns. We all know football is a business and that’s what fuelled Calgary’s decision to trade Mitchell to the Tiger-Cats in November 2022. In saying that, beating the team that opted to move on is always special.

Speaking of the Stamps, I’m fascinated to see their decision at quarterback for their finale in Saskatchewan. Does Matthew Shiltz get another look? Does Jake Maier get one more start this season before potentially entering free agency? Or does the recently signed P.J. Walker, with nine NFL starts to his name, make his first appearance north of the border? It’s one final intriguing storyline for Calgary in what’s been a frustrating season.

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