CFL 'Quick Kicks': Week 21

By Chris Lawton

Welcome to week twenty-one of our weekly review of each CFL game week for the 2024 season. ‘Quick Kicks’ brings you week to week news of how the games went, scores, surprises, and a general feel of ‘what we learned’ from the games.

That’s it, the regular season is done, the final games are in the book and the 2024 Grey Cup Playoffs begin next week with the East and West Semi-Final games. The regular season finished with some spectacular stuff too. The first game was won by one score, the second ended in an only in the CFL manner and the third even led the announcers to say the gods were favouring one of the teams!

Let’s dive right in. The first game of the weekend saw the Hamilton Tiger-Cats visit the Ottawa RedBlacks and it was Ottawa that recorded a much needed 37-31 win before their playoff campaign begins. This result combined with a 25-point fourth quarter comeback that fell short against Toronto last week mean that RedBlacks fans will be thinking their team is hitting form at just the right time.

QB Dru Brown, who went 31 of 43 for 400 yards with 4 touchdowns and 1 pick against the Argos last week, picked up where he left off here hitting on 26 of 38 passes for 445 yards with 3 touchdowns and a single interception. His presence changes the offensive feel for Ottawa as he really stretches the field as can be seen by his six 300+ yard passing outings this year. He has thrown for 845 yards and 7 majors in his last two games and that will have R-Nation hoping for more.

It will be good for Ottawa fans to feel such positivity after seeing their team fall from 8-3-1 to 8-8-1 before winning their last game of the season. This is their first winning season since 2018 when they lost in the Grey Cup. They will feel like they are going into the semi-final against Toronto with a real jump in performance and a higher chance of success.

On the other side of the field MOP candidate Bo Levi Mitchell completed 25 of 36 passes for 425 yards, 1 score and 1 interception. Which meant that he set a new Hamilton franchise single season passing yardage record, with 5451 yards, surpassing Henry Burris passing for 5367 yards back in 2012.

Of course, this could have ended differently, and Ottawa could be sliding into the playoffs having lost six games in a row. How close was it? It all hinged on a goal-line stand at the end of the game. The RedBlacks D made their third and final stop as the clock hit zeros to seal the win. Leaving Hamilton to fall to 7-11 and dream of what might have been if they hadn’t started the season with disheartening 0-5 and 0-4 runs sandwiched around two wins to stand at 2-9. Tabbies’ fans will already be thinking about next year.

The second game of the weekend was in Edmonton where the hometown Edmonton Elks defeated the Toronto Argonauts in the most CFL way possible 31-30 with an overtime walkoff rouge! For those of you not of a CFL disposition you can find out more about the wonders of the single or rouge here. There was something glorious about seeing a Jake Julien punt sail through the end zone to decide this one as he has had a tremendous season setting a new single season record for average yards per punt (54) on 107 punts.

Tre Ford looked good leading the Elks here as he completed 23 of 32 passes for 378 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception, whilst also having 6 carries for 81 yards. Ford’s contract expires at the end of this season so it will be interesting to see if he and the Edmonton management want to continue on after they had been swapping between him and McLeod Bethel-Thompson throughout the season.

Edmonton have had most of their successes this year stemming from dominating the running game. Here too they recorded 260 yards on the ground with Javon Leake leading the way amassing 128 yards on just 8 carries. The Elks have had three 500+ yards rushers on the season in Justin Rankin (765), Javon Leake (661), and Kevin Brown (522). Kudos to the Elks O line for creating lanes for three different backs.

The Elks won this one off of a comeback, putting up 21 fourth quarter points as the Argos led 20-9 going into the final frame. Is this a worrying trend for Toronto having led big in the last two weeks then giving up a lot of points in the final quarter? The Boatmen will hope not and will point to the fact that they were resting a few starters before next week’s playoff contest with Ottawa.

The third game of the weekend was between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Montreal Alouettes with the Blue Bombers recording a 28-27 win thanks to a game winning walk-off Field Goal. It’s not often you hear commentators invoking the football gods, but the way this one went they were actually questioning whether the weather gods were Blue Bombers fans! That was because with Montreal leading 27-25 and looking to punt away and hold decent field position a swirling wind arrived from nowhere and shortened the kick effectively putting Winnipeg in position to win it. Sergio Castillo obliged hitting his 5th field goal of the game as time wound down.

The result of this game means that both of last year’s Grey Cup participants will host their respective Divisional Finals. Winnipeg, who finish the season 11-7 will be in their sixth consecutive West Final, whilst Montreal who finished their season 12-5-1 will be in their third straight East Final. They also recorded their most wins in a season since 2010 when they won back to back Grey Cups, a feat they will look to emulate this postseason.

MOP candidates Tyrice Beverette, (Montreal), surpassed a 100 tackles on the season here, and Brady Oliveira, (Winnipeg), finished the season as the league’s leading rusher.

Montreal clinched their division a little while ago and have been walking the fine balance between resting players, getting through injuries, and not losing momentum. However, they have fallen from 10-1 to 12-5-1 and lost three of the last four games they have played. They will be hoping that an extra week’s rest has them in fine fettle for the East Final.

Because Winnipeg clinched the West with their win and guaranteed hosting the West Final, that put a different complexion on the final game of the weekend, which saw the Saskatchewan Roughriders hosting the Calgary Stampeders. The Riders rested people, and Calgary took advantage to score a win by a 27-12 margin.

Big names for the Riders like Trevor Harris, AJ Ouellette, Samuel Ellis, and Rolan Milligan Jr were missing from the lineup for this one and Calgary benefitted accordingly.
For the Stamps, who finished their campaign 5-12-1, Jake Maier was 19 of 26 for 293 yards with 43 touchdowns and Derick Mills had 20 carries for 128 yards. Understandably the Stamps are already looking to the future.

The 9-8-1 Roughriders may look to the gust of wind that changed the game before them as symbolic, but the fact they fell from a West leading 5-1 to 5-7-1 at one point in the season is what really opened the door for a Winnipeg team that went from 0-4 & 2-5 themselves to taking the division thanks to winning eight of their final nine games of the regular season.

Now it’s a clean slate. Everyone is 0-0 in the 2024 playoffs, and it’s win or go home from here on in. It will be fascinating to see how that all plays out, starting with next week’s Semi-Final games.

MOP's of Week 21:

O – Dru Brown QB, Ottawa RedBlacks: 26 of 38 for 445 yards, 3 touchdowns & 1 interception.

D – Nick Anderson LB, Edmonton Elks: 10 tackles. Finished the season as the CFL leader in tackles made.

ST – Jake Julien P, Edmonton Elks: 6 punts for 311 yards gross/241 nett yads. (51.8-yard average). Set a CFL single season record for average punting distance, scored the winning point on a rouge.

Interdivisional Standings 2024 This Week: East Division 0 West Division 1

Interdivisional Standings 2024 season: East Division 22 West Division 15 Ties 2

Grey Cup Playoffs:

West Division Champions: Winnipeg Blue Bombers

West Semi Final: BC Lions at Saskatchewan Roughriders

East Division Champions: Montreal Alouettes

East Semi Final Ottawa RedBlacks at Toronto Argonauts.

CHRIS LAWTON

CFL ANALYST

Chris originally started following the NFL with the ‘first wave’ of fans when it was shown on Channel 4 in the 1980’s. He has been a keen supporter of the Miami Dolphins since 1983. Chris first encountered the CFL in 2016 and instantly fell in love with the Canadian game. He has been writing about the CFL 2017. Chris has a degree in history, postgraduate degree in librarianship and can be found on twitter as @CFLfanUK

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