Week 19 saw the Edmonton Elks and B.C. Lions strengthen their positions in the West Division, while Zach Collaros and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers made a statement at home by defeating the Calgary Stampeders 33–28 in what was essentially a playoff game. The weekend concluded on Thanksgiving Monday, where the Alouettes faced the Roughriders for the first time since last year’s Grey Cup, securing a 44–24 victory to avenge their title game loss.
Week 20 of the CFL season features four games:
- Game 1: Toronto Argonauts at Ottawa RedBlacks: Friday, Oct. 16: It is the Battle of Ontario in a matchup that has no impact on the standings or the playoff picture. The RedBlacks are looking for their first win of the season, while the Argos are focused on preparing for the playoffs.
- Game 2: Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Edmonton Elks: Friday, Oct. 16: The stakes are high for this matchup, as the Elks look to clinch home-field advantage for the West Final, while the Bombers fight to secure a playoff spot. Expect a high-intensity atmosphere at Commonwealth Stadium for this critical game.
- Game 3: Montreal Alouettes at Saskatchewan Roughriders: Saturday, Oct. 17: This is the second game of a back-to-back series occurring on a short week. The Roughriders are currently part of a three-way tie for third place in the West Division and are fighting to secure a playoff spot.
- Game 4: BC Lions at Calgary Stampeders: Saturday Oct. 17: It is the final regular season game for the Calgary Stampeders; a win keeps them firmly in the playoff hunt, while the Lions remain in contention to host the West Division Final should the Elks suffer a loss.
The Lead: The Elks’ magic number currently stands at one; a single victory for the Elks or one loss by the BC Lions will secure hosting rights for the West Division Final at Commonwealth Stadium on Nov. 7. Having struggled against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in recent seasons—conceding season sweeps from 2019 through 2024—the Elks now have the opportunity to reciprocate by sweeping the Bombers for the first time since 2015.
CFL Leaders Takeaways: Elks category leaders through Week 18 in the CFL:
- Field goal (52 fg)
- Red zone opportunities (65)
- Points allowed (24.6/game)
- Opponent net offence (341.1 yds/game)
- Opponent yds/play (6.32)
- Opponent 1st downs (305)
- Opponent pass efficiency (85.7)
- Turnovers forced (49)
- Points off turnovers (161)
- Turnover ratio (+23)
- Kickoff average (70.1 yds)
- #1 Ranked Defence
- #7 Ranked Special Teams
The Fajardo File: Cody Fajardo is looking for his 13th win of the season, which would set a new career high for him as a starter in the CFL. Additionally, he is currently 332 passing yards away from reaching the 5,000-yard mark for the season. Achieving this milestone would vault him into the top eight in Edmonton quarterback history for single-season passing performance.
The Strategic Matchup: The key to this game will be field position. Given that the previous two meetings between these teams were decided by only five and three points respectively, the side that wins the battle for field position and effectively utilizes their rushing attack will likely come out on top.
ElksNation Game Notes:
