The winds have been changing for a few years now. But now, more than midway through the 2024 campaign, the balance of power feels like it has shifted to the East Division. After more than a decade of Western domination, the East currently boasts the league’s only three teams with records above .500.
If Montreal (10-1), Ottawa (7-2-1), and Toronto (6-4) all finish with more wins than losses, the East Division will have three teams above the .500 mark for the first time since 2015. Oh, and even though it isn’t highly likely to happen, you have to go all the way back to 2001 for the last time the West Division didn’t have a team above .500.
So how have things swung to where we are in late August 2024?
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Let’s start with the defending champion Alouettes. It would be easy to point to their epic win streak to finish 2023 that culminated in their 110th Grey Cup triumph over Winnipeg, but the building blocks were put in place a few months prior.
It started in late 2022 with the hiring of Jason Maas as head coach, which wasn’t universally lauded at the time. After being let go in Edmonton in 2019 and after two seasons as offensive coordinator in Saskatchewan, Maas stepped into his second CFL head coach gig with something to prove. It was a personality trait Montreal took on, too, which we saw on display throughout the postseason.
Shortly thereafter, free agent signing Cody Fajardo joined the Als under similar circumstances to his former OC, Maas. About a month later, the team was purchased by Pierre Karl Péladeau, ending a state of unpleasant ownership limbo. With a foundation already consisting of smart draft picks like Marc-Antoine Dequoy and savvy signings like Tyrice Beverette, Montreal was building for liftoff. They’re in full flight now.
In Ottawa, the build to sitting second overall through Week 12 started in December 2021 when Shawn Burke was hired as the team’s second general manager. But Burke’s vision didn’t bear immediate fruit; in fact the REDBLACKS struggled to back-to-back 4-14 seasons in their first two years under Burke.
But during that time pieces were being put in place. Lorenzo Mauldin IV signed as a 2022 free agent before Michael Wakefield and Jovan Santos-Knox did the same a year later. If you add in the discovery of Bryce Carter a couple seasons ago and this year’s acquisition of Dru Brown as the coup de grace, you can really see how Ottawa has gotten to where it is.
Then there’s Toronto’s build back to being one of the CFL’s heavies, which probably started with the hiring of team legend Michael ‘Pinball’ Clemons as general manager in October 2019. About two months later, Clemons went off the board for some by hiring Ryan Dinwiddie as head coach. But with a Grey Cup and a record-tying 16-2 regular season on the resume already, that move has proven to be wildly successful.
Along the way, the Argos have added franchise pieces like Wynton McManis, Dejon Allen, Folarin Orimolade, and Peter Nicastro via free agency and the draft. And with quarterback Chad Kelly back from suspension, Toronto looks poised to make moves, despite sitting third in the East Division.
Pro sports are cyclical and unpredictable, so the balance of power could swing back West as early as next season. But for the first time in a long time, it’s the East Division pacing the CFL in 2024 in what shapes up to be a stellar three-team battle entering the postseason.
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Kevin Brown movin’ and shakin’ for some yardage for the Elks!#CFLGameday: LIVE on TSN, RDS, CBSSN
📲: Stream on CFL+ pic.twitter.com/Pjab92GC5Y— CFL (@CFL) August 26, 2024
Surging Edmonton had its win streak snapped at three to wrap up Week 12, but there was still lots to like in their 21-17 loss in Montreal. Most notably was how the Elks moved the ball on the ground with the returning Kevin Brown racking up 105 rushing yards on 16 carries. Before that it was Justin Rankin and Javon Leake doing solid work in Brown’s absence. It’s a nice development for Edmonton heading into its OK Tire Labour Day Weekend clash and Week 14 rematch with Calgary.
I know the Lions are reeling and in the midst of a five-game skid, but Nathan Rourke took some important steps in Saturday’s 34-27 loss to Ottawa. After getting a full week of practice with the first team offence, Rourke’s reads were quicker and more direct and you could tell he was more comfortable with being a little more dynamic, too. Rourke will be the first one to tell you there’s still lots of work to do, but we saw progression in his second start of 2024.
And it’s not like he ever left, but I’m enjoying watching Brady Oliveira return to being the league’s most prolific runner after a quiet start. Now with 689 yards on 117 carries, Oliveira is back to his 5.9 yards-per-attempt average from last season as Winnipeg has increased his workload in recent weeks. Oh, and after he posted 120 yards in Friday’s 26-23 win over Hamilton, the Bombers are now 4-0 when Oliveira hits triple digits this season.