This Week in the CFL – Week 15

Hamilton at Toronto will be on TSN, ESPN+, BT Sport 3 and Yare.
Calgary at BC will be on TSN, ESPN+, BT Sport 3 and Yare.
Winnipeg at Montreal will be on TSN, RDS, ESPN+ and Yare.
Edmonton at Saskatchewan will be on TSN, RDS, ESPN+ and Yare.

HOW THE EAST WAS WON

• With a win on Friday, the Argonauts will earn the right to host the Eastern Final. Toronto is a perfect 5-0 at BMO Field this season, including a 17-16 decision over Hamilton in Week 6.
• In their last 21 meetings, the Ticats hold a 14-7 advantage, with four of those games being decided by one point.
• Jeremiah Masoli owns a record of 6-2 as a starter versus Toronto. McLeod Bethel-Thompson is 1-3 as a starter versus Hamilton.
• Bethel-Thompson has a 69.7 QB rating over his last 4 starts (4 TD, 9 INT), but has led the game-winning drive three times.
• The Argonauts are 6-0 in games decided by four points or less and 7-0 in games decided in the final three minutes. Hamilton is 0-3 and 2-3, respectively.
• If Toronto and Hamilton meet again in the playoffs, it will be the first time since 2015 when the Argonauts traveled to Tim Hortons Field for the Eastern Semi-Final and fell 25-22 to the home side.
• Toronto is looking to win six of its last seven games for the first time since 2007.
• The game will feature the leading rushers over the past two weeks: Don Jackson (120 yards in Week 13) and AJ Ouellette (107 yards in Week 14).
• Key Players in the season series:
  • TOR | WR | Kurleigh Gittens Jr. | 18 rec, 211 yards
  • HAM | WR | Tim White | 12 rec, 208 yards, TD
  • HAM | WR | Jaelon Acklin | 16 rec.  200 yards, TD
  • TOR | DL | Shawn Oakman | 9 tackles, 4 sacks
  • TOR | LB | Dexter McCoil | 20 tackles, 1 sack
  • HAM | LB | Simoni Lawrence | 17 tackles, sack, INT
• 11 of the past 12 division winners have made the Grey Cup. Saskatchewan was the lone exception in 2019.

WEST SIDE STORY

• Calgary has won nine of the past 11 meetings against BC.
• Both teams claimed road victories when going head-to-head this season: BC won 15-9 in Calgary in Week 2; Calgary won 39-10 in BC in Week 11. BC Place will be home to Friday’s rubber match.
• A Calgary win will eliminate BC from playoff contention.
• Bo Levi Mitchell is a career 9-5 against Michael Reilly. When facing Reilly as a Lion, he is 2-1.
• The Lions are on a six-game losing streak; Calgary is 4-1 in its last five contests.
• Reggie Begelton is expected to draw in for Calgary. In 2019, he recorded 102 catches (144 targets) for 1,444 yards and 10 touchdowns.
• BC is 1-4 at home this season, while Calgary is 4-2 on the road.
• In his last four games, Ka’Deem Carey has 437 scrimmage yards on 74 touches, including 11 receptions.
• The Stampeders are coming off a bye. They are 14-2 off bye weeks since 2012.
• Key Players in the season series:
  • BC | WR | Bryan Burnham | 11 rec, 214 yards
  • BC | WR | Lucky Whitehead | 6 rec, 108 yards (in one game)
  • CGY | LB | Darnell Sankey | 17 tackles
  • CGY | K | Rene Paredes | 9-for-9 on field goal attempts

LION ON THE HUNT

• BC’s Jordan Williams has 81 defensive tackles in 12 games, breaking the Canadian rookie record of 75 (in 18 games) that Mike O’Shea set in 1993.
• The 2020 first overall selection in the CFL Draft sits two tackles back of Ottawa’s Avery Williams (83) for the league lead.
• Only two true rookies have ever led the league in tackles:
  • Barrin Simpson with 115 in 18 games in 2001 (the CFL rookie record)
  • George White with 105 in 18 games in 2000
  • No Canadian has ever managed the feat.
• Statistics surrounding tackles started being kept in 1987.

QUICK SLANTS

• William Stanback became the first player (rushing or receiving) to go over the 1,000-yard mark this season, managing the feat in 10 games. He leads the league in rushing yards (1,066) and rushes for 20+ yards (seven).
• The league’s two leading receivers – Winnipeg’s Kenny Lawler (914 yards) and Montreal’s Eugene Lewis (913 yards) – will face off on Saturday.
• The REDBLACKS lead the league with four touchdowns when starting a drive from their 1-20 yard line.
• At 17.1 per game, penalties are down five per cent compared to 2019. Last week’s games averaged 13.1.
• Teams this year are 17-for-33 on two-point converts. Edmonton, Hamilton and Toronto lead the way with four each. Montreal has not attempted one this year.
• In terms of balanced offences, Montreal rushes the ball 44 per cent of the time and passes 55 per cent. Winnipeg is second, rushing 41 per cent of the time and passing 54 per cent.
• Cody Fajardo has completed one deep downfield pass over 20+ yards in his last four games.
• Last week, Taylor Cornelius had his most efficient outing, recording a 109.5 quarterback rating, while notching his second 300+ passing yard game, despite the absences of James Wilder Jr., Greg Ellingson and Derel Walker.
• Elks running back Walter Fletcher recorded 140 yards on 19 touches last week against the Roughriders, accounting for 35 per cent of the team’s offence.
• Last week, DeVonte Dedmon recorded his fifth return touchdown in his 15^th game, becoming the fastest player in CFL history to reach the milestone. Gizmo Williams managed the feat in 18 games.