At the end of weekend play, both the Bombers and the Als had chosen to punt the fight for first place in the East to one more week, that as both Montreal and Winnipeg found themselves on the wrong end of the score sheet after week 18.
British Columbia made its play for a first place finish and the Stampeders also served notice that the Western Division standings weren't quite finalized yet, setting the stage for a number of key matches in the final week of the regular season.
Only Hamilton and Saskatchewan offered nothing but practice reps to the week eighteen review, a mean nothing game for both, the TiCats resting it seems for their semi final date in two weeks, while the Riders go through the motions of a disappointing season.
The week in review is as follows:
Calgary at Montreal
The thank you notes have been delivered and for the Calgary Stampeders, the love will be short lived.
Calgary did the Winnipeg Blue Bombers a huge favour on Sunday, handing the Alouettes a defeat at Molson Stadium and setting the stage for their own personal showdown with the Bombers in the final week of the CFL season.
Calgary looked quite efficient on their way to a 32-27 victory, Drew Tate clearly becoming more and more comfortable as the Stampeder starter. Tate and receiver Johnny Forzani seem to be particularly in sync these days, Sunday the two combined for 108 passing yards and two touchdowns, as potent a tandem as there is these days in the CFL.
When he wasn't tossing the ball for distance and points, Tate was handing it off to the Stamps running threats, who galloped the yardage up against the Alouettes.
Montreal's inconsistencies reared up once again, a frequent visitor this season, with the Als finding that their momentum comes to a sudden halt, at the most inopportune times, in this case when the opportunity to drive a stake through the heart of the Blue Bombers at hand.
The loss to Calgary, denied Montreal the chance to claim first place as their own and to make plans for the eastern final, now the final week will be required to sort all of that out in the East, with playoff dates still to be set as to whether it's a semi-final or the Eastern final that will be pencilled in for Montreal.
The Stampeders also offered up their own bit of theatre for the final week, with the victory Calgary has managed to climb their way back into a three way tie for first place in the West with the Lions and Eskimos, making for a most interesting finish to the CFL season.
While they will need a little bit of help, they can control part of their destiny with a victory over Winnipeg, a most interesting twist, last week the Stamps kept the Bombers hopes for first in the east alive with their victory over the Als, this week they could very well quash those same hopes, all the while keeping their own chase alive.
Tis to make for some riveting football.
Calgary Sun-- Stamps' Forzani enjoys another great performance against Alouettes
Calgary Herald-- Stampeders show true grit in winning slugfest against Alouettes
Globe and Mail-- Stamps defeat Als as plot thickens in CFL West
Canada.com-- Trestman terribly disappointed after loss to Stampeders
Edmonton at British Columbia
It was the battle for first place that perhaps seem improbable four weeks into the season, at that point of the CFL Schedule the Edmonton Eskimos were on a major roll, confounding the critics who had suggested this would be a long, hard rebuilding year for the Green and Gold.
The Lions in the meantime were heading in the other direction, listless and almost winless, the Leos looked very much to be a spent force in the CFL West, destined to slide down the standings to give Saskatchewan a run for its money on who would miss the CFL playoffs.
Some fourteen weeks later and all that is out the window, the Lions and Eskimos met at a raucous BC Place Stadium, setting the table for a wild finish to the CFL season, with their 29 to 20 victory over the Eskimos, the Lions once again clawed their way to the top of the CFL West, making for a three way tie for the top spot heading into the final week of the 2011 campaign.
Saturday night's showdown once again highlighted the coming of his CFL age for Travis Lulay, the Leos signal caller, who passed for 322 yards and three touchdowns to secure the Lions victory, a showcase Saturday that proved to be the right stuff to send him to the Gibson's Player of the week awards podium.
The Lions appear to have complete confidence in their QB, who seems to be able to calm down the hectic moments of a CFL drive and for the most part makes the right decision at the right time.
The Eskimos can take some good from their play as well, Ricky Ray looked confident and the game always seemed to be within the realm of an Eskimo surge to victory, it was another moment on the learning curve for the Eskimos, who clearly have bought into the plan as outlined by head coach Kavis Reed.
The setback on Saturday for Edmonton, came uncharacteristically from its defence which surrendered two quick touchdowns to Lulay and the Lions, a pace that seemed to knock the Eskimos back on their heels a bit, only regaining their momentum in the second half.
The fact that the Eskimos didn't wilt under the fast paced Lions attack offers hope that the message will be understood that it takes a full sixty minutes of football to secure a victory.
The Lions victory sets the table for a fascinating finish to the CFL season, with each of the three games featuring BC, Calgary and Edmonton having an impact on the final standings an whether a team hosts a playoff game either semi-final or final, or whether they spend their playoff run on the road.
Vancouver Province-- Lulay best of class
Vancouver Sun-- Lions in first - but could finish third
Edmonton Journal-- Three's a crowd in CFL West Division
Edmonton Sun-- Esks refocus after loss
Canada.com-- Slow start unusual for Eskimos defence
Hamilton at Sasktachewan
The proof that this was a going through the motions affair could be seen in the stands at Mosaic Field, for the first time in the 2011 season, a few of the normally faithful Rider Nation found better things to do on a Saturday afternoon.
In a day of statistics that meant little other than personal padding, the Riders attracted less than 30,000 for the first time this season, granted 29,073 is still a pretty impressive turnout (ask the Argos what that would feel like), but for the most part even the fans in the football mad province realized that the season is over, time to think of next year on the prairies.
Hamilton of course still has some football left to play, though on Saturday that wasn't readily evident as the Riders pretty well ran the practice drill that the game seemed to be. A full contact exhibition of a number of the Ti Cats supporting cast, Hamilton just killing time until the CFL Eastern Semi Final in two weeks.
Still, the game a 19-3 Rider victory for those keeping score at home, at least provided both coaches with the chance to observe their players, looking for trends and looking for those willing to put in a full days work, on a day that essentially meant nothing.
Hamilton has one more session before they get back to "real football", though one has to wonder if the string of mean nothing games may not carry over into that upcoming semi final game, though one imagines that's a problem that those in Saskatchewan only wish they had.
Hamilton Spectator-- Ticats look anything but playoff-ready in 19-3 loss to Riders
Regina Leader Post-- Victory a rare tonic for Roughriders
Globe and Mail-- Roughriders shut down Tiger Cats
Toronto Sun-- Roughriders dominate Ticats
National Post-- Roughriders snap five game skid with win over Ticats
Toronto at Winnipeg
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers had the giant crowd and a giant opportunity to send them home happy with an Eastern Division title, with the Argonauts in town few would have been held to account if they suspected that the two points were already in the bank and a home final date assured.
But then they had to go and play the game and as it seems is always the case, the team with the least to lose rises to the occasion and knocks down the favourites, such was the case Friday night in River City.
Winnipeg just never seemed to get their offensive squad in motion, a least in the first half where the Blue surrendered 21 points to the Double Blue, before gathering their thoughts (and perhaps hearing a few from head coach Paul LaPolice) and launching a comeback that came up just a bit short, handing the Argos a 27-22 victory, continuing the Argos string of spoiler victories as they run out the clock on their season.
Turnovers and the Bombers ongoing inconsistency issues made for the blue print for Friday night's misfire by the Bombers, who have picked the wrong time to have a bad game a number of times this year.
The Bomber comeback was led by Alex Brink who took over for the injured Buck Pierce in the latter stages of the second quarter and brought the Bombers back into contention heading down the stretch of the fourth quarter.
If nothing else, it provided Brink with valuable reps heading into the playoffs, something that may come in handy should starter Buck Pierce fall over the course of the run to the Grey Cup.
Still, it was an opportunity missed for the Bombers, something that has popped up from time to time this year and no doubt will be addressed by the Bomber coaching staff, fortunately for the Bombers as things worked out the Alouettes also stumbled in week eighteen, making the final week of the season a most interesting set of games that will settle the seeding for the CFL playoffs this year.
Winnipeg Sun-- That was so Bombers
Winnipeg Free Press-- Argonauts put dent in Winnipeg's CFL East title hopes with win over Bombers
Toronto Sun-- Argos shell Bombers
Toronto Star-- Headfirst hit jolts Jyles, sparks Argos
Globe and Mail-- Argos dent Bombers' title hopes
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