4 storylines to watch in Week 11

Kristina Costabile

CFL.ca

@kcostabile1

We’ve officially made it to the halfway point of the 2026 season.

This has been one of the most exciting CFL seasons in recent memory and I’ll be honest, it’s a little bit sad that we only have half of it left.

But if the first half is any indication of what’s to come, we are in for a real treat as we head into the final weeks of summer and inch closer to playoffs and the 113th Grey Cup.

This week, like every week, is full of intrigue and things to keep an eye on, including the potential return of Zach Collaros to the Blue Bombers huddle and a meeting between two teams looking for positioning in the West.

Here’s a storyline to watch in each of the games in Week 11.

BATTLE FOR POSITIONING IN THE WEST

BC at Calgary | Thursday, August 13 | 9:00 p.m. ET | TSN/RDS2/CBSSN/CFL+

Nathan Rourke returned to action last week after missing three contests and immediately reminded everyone why he’s the heartbeat of the Lions offence. He threw for 370 yards, two touchdowns and an interception as he helped his Lions to their second straight victory. Building off that momentum will be key for Buck Pierce’s club that had a slow start to the season.

The Stampeders may have forced five turnovers against the Argonauts last week, including an Adrian Greene pick-six, but they weren’t able to walk away from BMO Field with the victory. Dave Dickenson’s group likely feels like they should have won that game and will want to get back into the win column sooner rather than later.

If BC (3-5) wins this weekend, they will move ahead of the Stamps into fourth in the West because they would have a better winning percentage. If Calgary (4-5) wins, they will put some space between the pair of teams.

All of that is setting the table for a must-watch game on Thursday night, as each team tries to avoid falling behind in the ever-competitive West Division.

THE RETURN OF ZACH COLLAROS?

Ottawa at Winnipeg | Friday, August 14 | 8:30 p.m. ET | TSN/RDS2/CFL+

It appears that the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will be getting their starting quarterback back in action this week.

After missing the last four games with a neck injury sustained in Week 5, Collaros was taking first-team reps with the team this week at practice, a great indication he’ll likely be the starter on Friday. In four starts this season, the Bombers are 2-2 with Collaros at the controls. He’s thrown for 985 yards, connecting on 71.8 per cent of his passes, five touchdowns and three interceptions.

The Bombers are returning from a bye on a two-game losing streak as they welcome the 0-8 Ottawa REDBLACKS to Princess Auto Stadium. The REDBLACKS have made even more changes this week, releasing veteran defensive backs Demerio Houston and Amari Henderson and also adding defensive back Kenzel Lawler. Will that be enough to start a turn around in the nation’s capital?

Winnipeg will hope that’s not the case and that they can get a victory with their starting quarterback back in the fold.

WILL EDMONTON BOUNCE BACK?

Toronto at Edmonton | Saturday, August 15 | 3:00 p.m. ET | TSN/CTV/CRAVE/CFL+

The Edmonton Elks have lost their last two games, both to two of the hottest teams in the CFL, the Montreal Alouettes and Saskatchewan Roughriders, in Week 9 and Week 10, respectively. It’s worth noting that the Elks did beat the Riders in Week 8.

Sitting tied in points with the Riders, but in second place in the West, a win this weekend against Toronto will not only go along way for morale, but will also keep them hot on Saskatchewan’s heels for the top spot in the division.

With teams seemingly figuring out how to slow down the ever-dangerous Justin Rankin, the Elks have been turning to their aerial attack. Austin Mack has been the top pass-catcher for Cody Fajardo, with the receiver hauling in 360 yards and three touchdowns in his last three games. Will they continue to rely on the pass game against the Argos defence that gives up 317.0 yards per game through the air, the third most in the league, this weekend?

INJURIES? NO PROBLEM FOR THE RIDERS

Saskatchewan at Hamilton | Saturday, August 15 | 7:00 p.m. ET | TSN/CBSSN/CFL+

The reigning Grey Cup champions didn’t look like they were missing key pieces on both sides of the ball last week in their win over the Ottawa REDBLACKS.

Corey Mace was missing two thirds of his three-headed receiving monster, Kian Schaffer-Baker and Samuel Emilus, his bruising running back AJ Ouellette and two of the best defensive backs in the CFL in Rolan Milligan Jr. and Tevaughn Campbell (just ask Nathan Rourke about how good both of them are). All five are currently on the six-game injured list.

But the team didn’t miss a beat.

With the 42-20 win, Trevor Harris and co. improved to 6-2 and moved up a spot in the AMSOIL Power Rankings, only sitting behind the 8-1 Montreal Alouettes. KeeSean Johnson and Johnny Johnson III stepped up last week, each passing 100 yards receiving, and Quali Conley has filled in admirably at running back.

Saskatchewan, who are 3-0 on the road so far this season, now heads to Hamilton to take on the Tiger-Cats. Can they continue to win even without their biggest stars? Or will the Ticats take advantage and play spoiler to the Riders’ perfect road record?

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