WEEK 21 IN THE CFL

Stats and storylines heading into this week’s action

SACK RACE

Toronto’s Jake Ceresna and Ralph Holley, and Ottawa’s Michael Wakefield lead the league with eight sacks.
14 players sit within two sacks of the leaders. Last season, no player finished within five of the Mathieu Betts (18) atop the leaderboard.
No season in league history has concluded without a double-digit sack leader. Since 1981 (when sacks were first officially recorded) and in seasons with 16-or-more games, the lowest leading total was 11, set by Charleston Hughes in 2017.
Games have averaged 4.05 total sacks – the lowest since 2002 (3.86).

QUICK SLANTS

HAM at OTT

Hamilton has won 11 of the teams’ past 12 meetings and five of the past six at TD Place.
The teams are 1-1 in matchups this season:
- Week 4 | HAM 22 at OTT 24
- Week 15 | OTT 21 at HAM 37
Hamilton’s victory last week was Scott Milanovich’s 50^th as a head coach.
Bo Levi Mitchell has recorded his third season with 5,000 passing yards and 30+ touchdown passes. He sits 359 passing yards shy of his career-high (5,385) and he will finish the season as the league leader for the first time in his career.
Mitchell is one victory shy of becoming the tenth player to reach 100 career victories, which would also tie him with Matt Dunigan for ninth all-time. He will make his 140^th start.
Steven Dunbar Jr. needs 21 receiving yards for 1,000 on the season.
Ottawa has not won a season series against Hamilton since 2018.
Ottawa is one win shy of tying the team record for home victories in a season (7).

TOR at EDM

Toronto has won the teams’ past four meetings, dating back to 2021.
A victory would give Toronto four consecutive .600-or-better seasons – a feat the team has not accomplished since 1947.
Since joining Toronto in 2019, Ryan Dinwiddie is 46-21 (.687) with playoff appearances in each season.
Ka’Deem Carey is 28 rushing yards shy of matching his career-best. He has already set a new high in receiving yards (356). In the teams’ Week 3 matchup, he recorded 121 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown.
Jack Cassar leads the league with 22 special teams tackles.
Rookie Makai Polk needs 98 receiving yards for 1,000 on the season.
Edmonton has allowed the fewest sacks this season (28).
The Elks are the first team in league history to have three running backs with 500+ rushing yards in a season – Justin Rankin (717), Javon Leake (533) and Kevin Brown (522).
League leader Nyles Morgan (102) and Nick Anderson (101) are the first Edmonton duo to reach 100+ defensive tackles in a season. No Edmonton player has led the league in defensive tackles since J.C. Sherritt in 2012.
Eugene Lewis needs 18 receiving yards for his third career 1,000-yard campaign.
Lewis has touchdown receptions in seven straight games and leads the league with nine. The last player to have one in eight straight was Milt Stegall in 1997.
Kurleigh Gittens Jr. has established a career-high with 85 catches. He needs 21 receiving yards for 3,000 in his career.

WPG at MTL

When leading at the half: WPG 9-1; MTL 9-0.
When leading after three quarters: WPG 7-1 and MTL 10-0.
Winnipeg will claim its fourth consecutive West Division title with a win or tie.
Rookie Ontaria Wilson (943) is in the hunt for his first 1,000-receiving yard season, while Nic Demski (940) is in search of his second straight.
Zach Collaros needs two touchdown passes to become the 13^th quarterback to reach 200 in his career.
Willie Jefferson (6) needs one sack to become the 29^th player to reach 75 in his career.
The Alouettes lead the teams’ all-time series 52-51-2.
Montreal won the teams’ Week 1 matchup, 27-12. The Alouettes have not swept a season series between the teams since 2010 (3-0).
Cody Fajardo needs 66 passing yards for his fourth career 3,000-yard season. His league-leading 73.3 completion percentage is a team record and it is among the Top-6 seasons in CFL history.
Tyrice Beverette needs two more defensive tackles for 100 on the year. He leads the league with 132 defensive plays.
Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund leads the league with nine tackles for a loss and he is one-back of the sack leaders with seven.
Walter Fletcher has 711 rushing and 647 receiving yards. Only one player has eclipsed both 700-yard marks in the past 19 seasons: Andrew Harris (2012 and 2017). An Alouette has never accomplished the feat.
Official Rob Hill will work his 300^th CFL game.

CGY at SSK

Calgary has not yet won on the road this season, but the team has won its last four games at Mosaic Stadium.
René Paredes has played in 228 consecutive games – the eighth-longest streak in league history.
Reggie Begelton has 69 straight games with a reception.
In the teams’ Week 16 meeting, Saskatchewan won 37-29 in Calgary. The Roughriders last swept the teams’ season series in 2003.
Saskatchewan has not won five consecutive games in a season since 2019.
At a +25 turnover ratio, the Roughriders are 15-clear of second place; the team has not led the league since a +27 showing in 1994.
Trevor Harris is one 300+ passing yard game shy of becoming the ninth player with 50 in his career.
In their Week 16 matchup, Ryquell Armstead had 207 rushing yards.
Brett Lauther (51) needs three field goals to tie a career high.
Samuel Emilus (1,064) is 33 receiving yards shy of his personal best.

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

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