CFL Week 14 Recap: Seven Weeks Left

In the CFL season, the Labour Day Weekend batch of games is often followed by a few rematches on the following week. Week 14 is also a pivotal week, as the season becomes two-thirds done, with only seven weeks left to go. While we did get a pair of rematches, Week 14 actually began with the Montréal Alouettes hosting the BC Lions, the latter being the one team who did not participate in the Labour Day Weekend festivities. This was a battle between second place teams in their respective divisions, but despite this, the teams were leagues apart in the overall standings. Even though the Lions were on the road, I (and probably many other fans) expected a lopsided win in favor of the road team.

I got the lopsided part right.

Only five points separated the clubs after the first quarter, but it would be all Als the rest of the way. Montréal ended up defeating BC by a score of 31-10, and that was a key win for the Als, as they increased their hold on second place in the East Division, which earns a home game in the East Semifinal. The rest of the action took place on Saturday, and it began with an early game between the Toronto Argonauts and the Ottawa Redblacks. Fresh off their big Labour Day win, the Argos' momentum continued with a 24-6 lead, but the Redblacks chipped at it and actually brought themselves to within five. Ottawa had two chances at a potential game winning drive, but it was not to be, and the Boatmen held on and won 24-19, winning three straight games for the first time this season.

The nail-biter in the Canadian capital was where all of the drama of Week 14 ended. What followed was the two Labour Day rematches and they weren't even close. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers barely survived the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Labour Day Weekend. Different story in Winnipeg, as the Bombers flat out blasted the Riders by a score of 54-20. When the Calgary Stampeders saw that the Bombers put up 54, they said, "Hold our beer," as they would put up 56 points over their anemic provincial rivals, the Edmonton Elks. 56-28 was the final score in Edmonton, who is basically begging for October so they can watch their beloved Oilers play.

Again, the CFL season is two-thirds done; 14 weeks down, seven to go. Here's how things stand entering the final one-third of the season. In the West Division, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers improve to 12-1, picking up a game on the BC Lions, who dropped to 8-3 with their loss. The Calgary Stampeders improve to 8-4, while the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Edmonton Elks drop to 6-7 and 3-10, respectively. The race for 2nd place in the West has become nail-biting, and it gets better: the Lions and Stamps face each other in back-to-back weeks. BC already has a win over Calgary this season, and one more win will take care of the first tiebreaker and increase the chances of the West Semifinal emanating from Vancouver.

In the East Division, the Toronto Argonauts' third straight win improved them to 7-5; the first time this season that the Boatmen have been multiple games over .500. The Montréal Alouettes improved to 5-7, while the Ottawa Redblacks dropped to 3-9--the same record that the Hamilton Tiger-Cats maintained with their bye. It definitely looks like it's a foregone conclusion that the Argonauts and Alouettes will be the East's playoff teams this year, with the latter improving in position from 2021. The Als lead by two games in the race for 2nd place, and regarding their remaining schedule, five of their final six games are in the division. The two teams face each other in the final two weeks of the season, and if the East isn't settled by then, those two games will definitely decide who finishes first.

Week 15 will only feature three games, as will Week 16. Regarding Week 15, it will kick off on Friday, September 16 with the Saskatchewan Roughriders hosting the Edmonton Elks. On Saturday, September 17, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will face off against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the latter's home stadium, where the two teams faced off in the 108th Grey Cup, and it will be followed by a pivotal West Division battle between the Calgary Stampeders and the BC Lions.

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