CFL Week 19 Recap: All of the Pieces Fit
The Toronto Argonauts locked up the last playoff spot on Canadian Thanksgiving Weekend
Well, it wasn't easy, but the Toronto Argonauts are playoff bound.
It's been a rough season full of inconsistent play and drama from one of our QBs, but Week 19, Canadian Thanksgiving Weekend, started with the Boatmen sailing our way to this year's Grey Cup Playoffs. We needed a win or tie to get it done, and the Argos won a close and ugly thriller against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 14-11. It's crazy. We couldn't beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats this season, yet we have four total wins against last year's Grey Cup finalists.
The Blue Bombers were looking to lock up the West Division, and while they were not victorious, they could still get first place if the Saskatchewan Roughriders lost. However, the Riders had their own aspirations: they wanted to start the playoffs at home, and they were facing the third place BC Lions. All they had to do was defeat BC. They didn't. They blasted the Lions. 39-8 was the final score, and as a result, the Lions are locked in at third place and will head on the road in the Western Semifinal. Also, the win not only gave the Riders a home game, they were still alive for the top spot in the West Division.
Riders/Lions served as the second half of a Saturday doubleheader; the battle of Alberta was the first half, and it saw the Edmonton Elks victorious over the Calgary Stampeders. I know it's another early end for the Elks, but it does seem like the Elks could make noise next season if everything goes well for them during the offseason. The week ended on Canadian Thanksgiving Monday, the yearly game between the Ottawa Redblacks and the Montréal Alouettes. The home Als had nothing left to play for, but Ottawa was looking to move back into second place in the East. Unfortunately, the Als decided to spoil the Redblacks' chances with a 19-12 win, keeping the Redblacks behind the Argonauts.
With two weeks left, here's how things look:
So it's official, the six playoff teams are all locked in. In the West, it's the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and the BC Lions. In the East, it's the Montréal Alouettes, the Toronto Argonauts, and the Ottawa Redblacks. The only thing left is positioning. We know the Als will host the Eastern Final. We know the Argos and Redblacks will face each other in the Eastern Semifinal. We do not know where the game will take place. Regarding the West, we know the BC Lions will be on the road in the Western Semifinal. We don't know where they'll be on that first Saturday in November.
Also, I bring some good news to any and all American CFL fans. It was announced a week prior that the 111th Grey Cup will air on CBS Sports Network on Sunday, November 16. This is the CFL's second year of their relationship with the CBS Sports Network, and it also included a new streaming service for CFL fans outside of Canada: CFL+. CFL+ aired the games that CBSSN didn't air here in the States. Last year, strangely, none of the playoff games aired on CBSSN, and yes, that included the 110th Grey Cup. When the CFL and ESPN were working together, all five playoff games aired on the ESPN TV channels. Hopefully, this year's Grey Cup airin gon CBSSN will lead to the channel airing all of the playoff games starting next year.
Week 20 is an abbreviated week with three games, beginning with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats hosting the Calgary Stampeders on Friday, October 18. A doubleheader will take place on Saturday, October 19, beginning with the Toronto Argonauts hosting the Ottawa Redblacks in a preview of the Eastern Semifinal. If the Boatmen win, then the playoff rematch will take place in Toronto. The conclusion of Week 19 will see the BC Lions play their regular season finale against the Montréal Alouettes, with a win giving BC a .500 season.
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About the Creator
Clyde E. Dawkins
I'm a big sports fan, especially hockey, and I've been a fan of villainesses since I was eight! My favorite shows are The Simpsons and Family Guy, etc.
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This story was pretty amazing all around!