CFL Week 13 Recap: The Fruits of Labour

Labour Day Weekend is treated as the biggest week of the CFL season, and for good reason. It's the weekend where all of the rivalries take place--where the biggest statements are made, and where the most surprising moments become etched in the memories of many fans. In the shortened 2021 season, Labour Day Weekend took place early in the season, but with the season back to fully normal, the holiday weekend's batch of games are back in their annual scheduled position: often taking place prior to the season's home stretch.

The weekend's first bit of action took place in Montréal, with the Alouettes hosting the Ottawa Redblacks, with the Als looking to keep pace with the Toronto Argonauts in the East Division. Unfortunately, that would not happen; after trading field goals in the first quarter, the Redblacks took over the 2nd quarter and never looked back. The Redblacks won, 38-24--winning back-to-back games for the first time this season. All three wins this season have been on the road, with two of them taking place inside the division.

Sunday, September 4 was the final Sunday without NFL action, but the CFL was busy with the rivalry meeting between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Regina. The Bombers got off to a very bad start; they were actually down 14-0, and it already looked like they would receive their second loss in three games. They would bounce back in the second quarter, resulting in a 17-17 halftime score, which remained entering the fourth quarter, where the Bombers took their first lead with a FG that came after a Riders single. The Bombers won, 20-18, and as a result of their victory, they became the first team to clinch a spot in the 2022 Grey Cup Playoffs.

Labour Day featured the usual matchups: the Battle of Ontario (Argonauts @ Tiger-Cats) and the Battle of Alberta (Elks @ Stampeders). In the former, the Boatmen scored first, but halftime saw the score tied at 8 after a Pick 6 TD scored by Hamilton. The TiCats would be off the scoreboard for the rest of the game, as the Argonauts outscored their foes, 20-0. The centerpiece of their 2nd half offense, ironically, was a longtime former TiCat: Brandon Banks. Banks (in his first season with the Argos) found the endzone twice in the fourth quarter, and the Argos went on to win 28-8, winning the season series over Hamilton. This was the Argonauts' first Labour Day win since 2012.

As for the Battle of Alberta, this ended up being closer than I expected. The Elks have been horrible in the last few seasons, but surprisingly, they stifled the Stamps in the first half, and actually led 8-7 at the half. Calgary put up 15 third quarter points, and while the Elks put up a late touchdown to cut it to seven points, they would not have a chance to even the score. The Stamps took the Labour Day meeting by a score of 25-18, continuing to keep pace in the West Division.

So after a very amazing Labour Day Weekend, here's how things look. In the West Division, the playoff-bound Winnipeg Blue Bombers are 11-1 with their close victory, moving further ahead of the idle BC Lions, who remain 8-2. The Calgary Stampeders improve to 7-4, while the Saskatchewan Roughriders fall to 6-6. The Edmonton Elks drop to 3-9 with their loss in Calgary. The Bombers' next objective, of course, is to lock up first place in the West. They are a good bit ahead of the Lions in the division, and they won't face BC until the end of the season. Despite this, Winnipeg should wrap things up before their final two encounters with the Lions.

In the East Division, the Toronto Argonauts improve to 6-5 with their massive Labour Day win, while the Montréal Alouettes drop to 4-7. The Ottawa Redblacks are now 3-8, dropping the Hamilton Tiger-Cats to last place at 3-9. As an Argos fan, I am deliriously happy! The Argos actually won in Hamilton on Labour Day. I've been watching the CFL since 2013, and every year, Labour Day left me disappointed--until this year. The Boatmen are now in the driver's seat. Yes, the East is terrible. But regardless of that fact, the Argos are in the lead by quite a bit, and that's very important down the line. First place means hosting the Division Final, and while it didn't work out for the Argos in 2021, we could see a different story for 2022.

Week 14 will kick off on Friday, September 9 with the Montréal Alouettes hosting the BC Lions, and it's followed by a CFL tripleheader on Saturday, September 10. First off, the Ottawa Redblacks host the Toronto Argonauts, and then it's the West Division's Labour Day rematches, this time taking place in Winnipeg and Edmonton.

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