CFL Week 8 Recap: All It Takes is One

It seems like yesterday that the Ottawa Redblacks debuted in the CFL, but their first season took place in 2014. Year Two saw them in the Grey Cup, losing to the then-named Edmonton Eskimos, but Year Three would be better for the Redblacks, as they won their first Grey Cup with an overtime victory over the Calgary Stampeders. The Redblacks returned to the Grey Cup in 2018 and came up short, but they would go nowhere else but down since then. Ottawa won a grand total of six games in the two seasons they've played since losing the Grey Cup to the Stampeders, and at the one-third mark of their season, they found themselves winless.

That would change on a Sunday evening in Toronto, as the Ottawa Redblacks ended up winning a tight East Division game over the first place Toronto Argonauts by a score of 23-13. Defense was the key for Ottawa, stifling the Boatmen in the first half and completely shutting them out in the second half. For the Redblacks, it was a win that brought them back in the division race, while the Argos failed to take a commanding lead in the East.

The opportunity for the Argos came because of how Week 8 started; the other East Division game in Ontario. It was the Hamilton Tiger-Cats hosting the Montréal Alouettes, and in that go-around, the Tiger-Cats were able to hold off a late Alouettes rally, and left their home stadium with a 24-17 victory that Thursday evening. The win was Hamilton's 2nd in their last three games, and both have come inside the East Division, which is key for eventual playoff contention.

The games on Friday and Saturday were both inside the West Division, with the Edmonton Elks on a bye. The Saskatchewan Roughriders were looking to get back on the winning track after losing back-to-back games, and it looked like they would end their brief skid, as they were up 17-4 early. Unfortunately, the BC Lions hit them up with 28 unanswered points, and as a result, the Riders lost another home game, this time inside the West Division. The Lions won 32-17 on the road on Friday night, and Saturday night saw the Winnipeg Blue Bombers move one step closer to perfection with a 35-28 win over the Calgary Stampeders. This game wasn't always close; the Bombers dominated the first half, but the Stamps made it interesting in the 2nd half--though they couldn't surpass their opponents in a battle between the last three Grey Cup Champions.

Here's how things look after eight weeks: in the West Division, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers stand tall at 8-0, while the BC Lions moved up to 2nd place at 5-1. The Calgary Stampeders are 4-2, and after three straight losses, the Saskatchewan Roughriders are now 4-4, while the Edmonton Elks remain at 2-5 due to their bye. The Riders will have Week 9 off, which will give the Elks a good chance to move within one game of a potential crossover playoff position.

In the East Division, the Toronto Argonauts still lead, but they drop to 3-3 with the loss. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Montréal Alouettes are tied at 2-5, and it's Hamilton's win during this past week that puts them in the second position. The Ottawa Redblacks are now 1-6 after picking up their first win of the season, and they are just one game out of a playoff position, thanks to how mediocre the East Division is this season. It will be weeks until the Redblacks face either of the 2-5 teams again (Week 13 @ Montréal), but even so, Ottawa's win made the East race even more interesting than it already is.

Week 9 begins with the Montréal Alouettes hosting the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Thursday, August 4, and the Ottawa Redblacks will host the Calgary Stampeders on Friday, August 5. The doubleheader on Saturday, August 6 will kick off with the first edition of the Battle of Ontario between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Toronto Argonauts, and the second half will feature the Edmonton Elks heading to Vancouver to face the BC Lions.

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