THIS WEEK IN THE CFL - WEEK 18

Week 18 kicks off with some Friday Night football rivalry action as Hamilton visits Toronto. The Ticats have clinched a playoff berth, but are eying a division title and a playoff bye. The Argonauts hand the ball over to quarterback James Franklin to see if they can end their six-game slide. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.

The race to the playoffs continues on Saturday with a big triple-header. First is a prairie showdown as the Roughriders visit the Blue Bombers at Investors Group Field. Saskatchewan, fresh off a win over Edmonton, will be looking for a victory to push for a home playoff date. Winnipeg, meanwhile, will try to use home field advantage to ride the high off their overtime win against Ottawa. The game gets underway at 2:00 p.m. ET.

Saturday’s action continues as Edmonton fights for their playoff lives against the leaders in the East Division, Ottawa REDBLACKS. Both teams will be hungry for a win as they suffered close losses in Week 17; Edmonton has the advantage at Commonwealth Field, where their record is 5-2. But coming out on top in Edmonton will keep the REDBLACKS atop the East. Kickoff is at 5:00 p.m. ET.

Closing out the weekend is another crucial divisional matchup, this time in Calgary when the BC Lions come to town. The Stampeders are searching for the chance to host their third straight West Division Final, while BC hopes to play spoiler after winning four of their last five games. The showdown begins at 8:00 p.m. ET.

**Hamilton Tiger-Cats vs. Toronto Argonauts will be the live mic game this week**

PLAYOFF SCENARIOS FOR WEEK 18

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY….

Western Semi-Final: Winnipeg at Saskatchewan

Western Final: TBD at Calgary

Eastern Semi-Final: BC at Hamilton

Eastern Final: TBD at Ottawa

SCHEDULE FROM HERE ON OUT

SECOND DOWN CONVERSION RECEPTIONS

• Ottawa as a team has the most second down conversion catches this season. Leading the way for the REDBLACKS are Brad Sinopoli with 28 and Greg Ellingson with 30.
• Brandon Banks of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats leads the entire league despite missing two games with 31 second down conversion receptions.
• Here’s a look at the league leaders since 2015 when it comes to second down conversion receptions:

TACKLING MACHINES

• Alex Singleton, Henoc Muamba, Adam Bighill and J.C. Sherritt are each on pace for 100+ tackles this season.
• If Bighill were to reach the 100+ tackle mark it would be his fourth season with 100+ tackles. Only two players have registered 100+ tackles in a season four or more times: Willie Pless (7) and Barrin Simpson (4).
• If he keeps his pace, Singleton will have 309 tackles in his first three seasons which would be the most tackles by any player in their first three seasons in the CFL. Barrin Simpson holds the record for most defensive tackles in his first three seasons with 299. Singleton currently has 282 in three years.
• If Singleton reaches his pace of 121, he would tie Solomon Elimimian’s as the only player with back-to-back seasons with 120+ tackles.
• For Muamba and Sherritt, if they reached 100 tackles it will be their second time in their career doing so.
• The race for Special Teams Tackle (STT) leader is wide open. There are eight players within two tackles for the CFL lead which is currently held by Nigel Romick with 18.
• Mike Miller, who has 17 STT this season, now has 155 for his career which is good enough for 12^th all-time.

QUICK SLANTS

• Calgary has clinched a 12-win season for a seventh straight year, setting a CFL record. No other team has won 12+ games more than five times in a row. Calgary’s record in those seven years is 95-25-2 (.787). Winnipeg is the only other team with five in a row, from 1957-1961.
• Winnipeg is on a season-high three-game win streak. In those games they have led by at least 15 points each time, with two wire-to-wire victories. They have scored at least three offensive touchdowns in three of their last four games. By contrast, Edmonton has not scored an offensive touchdown in their last two games, a first for them in the last seven years.
• Last week Saskatchewan increased their return touchdowns to 13 following Willie Jefferson’s 49-yard interception return. The team record for most return TDs in a season is 15, set by the BC Lions in 1987.
• BC started the season 3-6; in the second half of the season they are 4-1 and at home are 6-1 compared 1-6 on the road. They have won five more home games than road games, one off the season record.
• The Argonauts became the first team since the 2005 Edmonton Eskimos to win the Grey Cup and miss the playoffs the following year. Since 1958 it has occurred nine times.
• Since Armanti Edwards joined the league, he has a catch in every game (35).