CFL Week 12 Recap: Back in the Saddle

When a team hits a rare lull, many wonder how said team will respond. Will they get back on track? Will it serve as just a blip on the radar? Or will the lull continue and turn into a skid? Those were the looming questions that hit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who were coming off their first loss of the season in Week 10, and a bye on Week 11. The first test came on a Thursday evening in Winnipeg, as the Bombers hosted the Calgary Stampeders in a West Division battle. It looked a bit shaky for the Bombers, as they actually trailed at halftime. It was only by one point, but still, it wasn't looking good. However, the Bombers did manage to take the lead late in the fourth, and as a result, they won 31-29 over the Stamps. A shaky return to play, but still, a win is a win.

Another team who needed a bounce back was the Toronto Argonauts, and they needed it worse than the Bombers. It was their third meeting with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and things were not looking good for the Boatmen, as they trailed 13-3 early in the 2nd quarter, but they cut it to 16-10 at the half. The teams traded field goals to start the second half, but it was followed by an Argos explosion. Back-to-back offensive TDs, and a pick six TD by the Argos blew this one out of reach for Hamilton. The Argos won 37-20--a much needed win to stay ahead in the mediocre East Division.

The second half of the Friday night doubleheader was a West Division battle between the BC Lions and the Saskatchewan Roughriders. BC was looking to keep pace with Winnipeg in the West, but they would blow that opportunity. The offense was not there for the Lions early in the game, and the Riders capitalized big time in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. In the end, the Roughriders took the game by a score of 23-16; a surprising road win to increase Saskatchewan's control in the crossover standings. Speaking of blown opportunities, the Edmonton Elks could not keep pace with the Riders, as they fell behind 20-3 at the half against the Ottawa Redblacks in a Saturday night matchup. The Elks clawed back, but it was too little, too late, as the Redblacks won 25-18 for their second win of the season. For the Elks, it was their 13th straight home loss. That's right. The last time the Elks won at home, not only were they known as the Eskimos, there wasn't even a pandemic at that time.

So here's how the standings look entering Labour Day Weekend. In the West Division, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers improved to 10-1 on the season, while the BC Lions' loss dropped them to 8-2. The Calgary Stampeders dropped to 6-4, but the Saskatchewan Roughriders are now 6-5 with their road win, while the Edmonton Elks are now 3-8. We now have a close race for third place between the Stampeders and the Roughriders, with a half game separating the teams. Here's the thing, though: they have not faced each other yet. In fact, these teams will not see each other until the final two weeks of the regular season! These could be pivotal matchups if they remain close in the standings.

In the East Division, the first place Toronto Argonauts improve to 5-5, moving a full game ahead of the idle Montréal Alouettes at 4-6. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats dropped to 3-8, while the Ottawa Redblacks improved to 2-8. The Argos needed this win against Hamilton. The East is awful, but it's been close throughout, and an Argos loss would have caused a huge paradigm shift. If Hamilton had defeated Toronto, then you're looking at the entire division separated by two games. Two games! The Argos and Als would have been tied, the TiCats would have been a half-game out, and the lowly, lowly Redblacks would have had an outside shot at first place in the division. The East is still close anyway, but at least the Boatman received some breathing room with their victory.

Next week is the CFL's Labour Day Weekend, and that's when the rivalries take center stage. It starts on Friday, September 2 with the Montréal Alouettes hosting the Ottawa Redblacks, followed by the Saskatchewan Roughriders hosting the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Sunday, September 4. On Labour Day (Monday, September 5), it's the usual rivalries: the Battle of Ontario (Argonauts/Tiger-Cats) and the Battle of Alberta (Elks/Stampeders).

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