Heading into the 19th week of the CFL season, the Calgary Stampeders finally lost, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats continue to improve under June Jones and the Montreal Alouettes continue to get worse.
Here’s how the league’s nine teams stack up based on recent form.
1. Calgary (13-2-1)
More troubling than their blowout loss at home to Saskatchewan is that Bo Levi Mitchell and Marken Mitchell were hurt in the game. Both men are contenders for individual awards. How much coach Dave Dickenson risks his starters down the stretch is worth watching.
2. Winnipeg (11-5)
Winnipeg has the second-best record in the league but is just 2-2 in the last month. It missed a great chance to make a late push at first in the West with a late Calgary loss.
3. Edmonton (10-6)
The Eskimos scored 22 unanswered points to win their third straight game. After losing 217 man games thus far to injury they are finally getting healthy and peaking heading towards the post-season.
4. Saskatchewan (9-7)
I guess Duron Carter should play both ways every week. Saskatchewan earned its first victory in Calgary since 2009, it ended the Lions’ post-season hopes and its best player on both sides of the ball was its leading receiver, Carter. Its playoff drought is over and with two games remaining it can still catch Edmonton in the standings.
5. Toronto (8-9)
The Argonauts finally won a close game against a West opponent after three-point losses to Edmonton and Saskatchewan. Toronto’s late home win versus Winnipeg catapults it back to first place in the East with just a game left to play.
6. Ottawa (7-9-1)
Ottawa didn’t get any help while scoreboard watching as Winnipeg couldn’t hold on versus Toronto. The Redblacks can still have home field all the way to the Grey Cup if they beat Hamilton at home this week and Toronto loses on the road against B.C.
7. Hamilton (5-11)
June Jones is 5-3 as head coach of the Ti-Cats. They won’t qualify for the playoffs but the team playing the best in the East to end the year is Hamilton.
8. British Columbia (6-10)
B.C. has now lost five straight and eight of their last nine. Key free agent acquisition Chris Williams was scratched for the game as he’s never looked right recovering from a knee injury that kept him out the first six weeks. The Lions have struggled with personnel decisions and health all year.
9. Montreal (3-13)
The Alouettes have lost nine straight as the year mercifully comes to an end. The oldest team in the CFL needs to get a lot younger this off-season.
[relatedlinks]