WEEK 17 IN THE CFL

Stats and storylines heading into this week’s action

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LOOK INTO MY CRYSTAL BALL

2027 features a revamped playoff format
Round One
- Division Showdowns: Top-2 teams in each division face off; winners earn a bye to Grey Cup Semi-Finals; losers host Elimination Games
- Play-In Games: Nos. 5-8 and Nos. 6-7 match up; winners advance
Round Two
- Elimination Games: Division Showdown losers host Play-In Game winners; winners advance to Grey Cup Semi-Finals
Round Three
- Grey Cup Semi-Finals: Division Showdown winners host Elimination Game winners; winners advance to Grey Cup
Current 2026 records projected into the 2027 standings:
- 1. Montreal (11-3) | E1
- 2. Edmonton (10-4) | W1
- 3. Saskatchewan (8-5) | W2
- 4. Toronto (8-6) | E2
- 5. BC (7-6) | W3
- 6. Winnipeg (7-6) | W4
- 7. Calgary (6-8) | W5
- 8. Hamilton (4-10) | E3
- 9. Ottawa (0-13) | E4

2027 projected Round One matchups:
- WDS: SSK at EDM
- EDS: TOR at MTL
- 5/8PG: HAM at BC
- 6/7PG: CGY at WPG
Several teams would still be competing for:
- Season series victories outside their division
- Playoff positioning
- Home playoff dates
- Spots in the Division Showdowns and the potential for a bye to Round Three

LEAGUE-WIDE

Potential milestone games:
- 100^th | Royce Metchie (EDM), Marc Liegghio (HAM), Tanner Cadwallader (WPG)

TOR (8-6) at WPG (7-6)

Week 6: TOR 21 – WPG 30
Passing yards per game | TOR: 359.1 (1^st) vs. Passing yards allowed per game | WPG: 272.2 (1^st)
Last week, Toronto won despite having 21:15 of possession time, running 37 fewer offensive plays, converting six second downs and rushing for -1 yard.
The Argonauts joined the Birmingham Barracudas (-2 in 1995) as they only teams to register negative rushing yards and win in the past 60 years.
Toronto has won three straight. The team is 4-0 at home and 4-6 on the road.
Chad Kelly is a career 1-1 against Winnipeg. He has passed for 1,135 yards and seven TDs in his past three games and he is on pace for 6,142 and 40.
David Ungerer III and Tyler Kahmann need 82 and 85 yards, respectively, for their first 1,000-yard seasons.
Last week, Bubba Bolden and Adarius Pickett became the first teammates in league history to register 13+ defensive tackles in the same game.
Winnipeg has won seven of the teams’ past eight matchups.
The Blue Bombers have held opponents to a league-low 64.7 per cent pass completion rate.
Dru Brown is 3-1 against Toronto, while Zach Collaros is 10-8.
Brady Oliveira has recorded 100-rushing yards+ in three of the past four games. Winnipeg is 22-5 when he has hit the mark. He needs three more overtake Andrew Harris (29) for the Canadian record.
Tim White has 449 career receptions; Nic Demski has 549.

SSK (8-5) at BC (7-6)

Week 2: BC 27 – SSK 31
Week 12: SSK 16 – BC 30
Winner claims the season series and the tie-breaker
In their last game in Week 15, Saskatchewan was held to a season-low six points.
Trevor Harris is 11-5 against BC. In the teams’ first two matchups, he passed for 773 yards and four TDs.
KeeSean Johnson (86) needs one reception to set a new career-high.
In their first two matchups, Samuel Emilus had 13 catches for 157 yards and three TDs.
Dhel Duncan-Busby has 17 catches for 228 yards in his past two games.
BC has won six of its past seven games.
Nathan Rourke is 4-4 against Saskatchewan. He has passed for 300-yards+ in his past six games.
With 19 touchdowns, Zander Horvath (16 rush and three pass) is on pace for a CFL-record 26.
Keon Hatcher Sr. needs 51 receiving yards for his fourth 1,000-yard+ season.
Justin McInnis is 118 receiving yards from 5,000 in his career.
With his next sack, Mathieu Betts will tie Ted Laurent (53) for the most sacks by a Quebec-born player.
T.J. Lee (664) needs four defensive tackles to pass Don Wilson and move into 12^th all-time.

CGY (6-8) at OTT (0-13)

Week 16: OTT 38 – CGY 40
Last week’s matchup included 78 points, including 33 in the fourth quarter, with six lead changes and nine offensive TDs.
Vernon Adams Jr. is 7-2 against Ottawa. He passed for 357 yards against them last week – his third 300-yard+ game of the season.
Last week in his Stampeders debut, Deonta McMahon rushed for 102 yards on 15 carries.
Jalen Philpot is 85 receiving yards shy of his first 1,000-yard season.
Tevin Jones is 14 receiving yards from 3,000 in his career.
Clarence Hicks’s leads the league with 11 sacks; his next will match a career-high.
René Paredes’s career-long 62-yard FG last week was the third longest in league history and the longest walk-off FG, while also setting a franchise record.
Ottawa has won the teams’ past two meetings at TD Place Stadium.
McLeod Bethel-Thompson is 4-6 against Calgary. He set a new career-high with five passing TDs last week.
Ryan Dinwiddie (51-48) will coach in his 100^th game.
A.J. Allen has 149 career defensive tackles.
Keelan White set a career-best with three receiving touchdowns last week.
Ayden Eberhardt (850) needs 14 receiving yards to set a new career-high.

HAM (4-10) at EDM (10-4)

Hamilton swept the season series in 2025.
The Ticats have won the teams’ last six games in Edmonton.
30-yard+ completions allowed | HAM: 13 (1^st)
Harrison Frost is 1-2 as a starter. Last week, He set career-highs in passing yards (330) and passing TDs (three).
Kurleigh Gittens Jr. has 16 receptions for 166 yards and three TDs in his last two games
Jamal Peters has 24 career interceptions.
Edmonton is 2-0 this season when coming off a bye-week.
Big plays for | EDM: 45 (2^nd)
Turnover ratio | EDM: +18 (1^st)
Last week, the Elks had 38:45 of possession time – the highest mark since 1994.
Cody Fajardo is 6-3 against Hamilton. He is on pace for his first 5,000-passing yard+ season.
Justin Rankin is 58 rushing yards shy of his second consecutive 1,000-yard+ season. He also has 581 receiving yards.

Associate Vice-President, Communications & Public Affairs, Canadian Football League

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