TORONTO — Friday Night Football offers two enticing matchups with plenty of playoff implications.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Winnipeg Blue Bombers kick things off from Tim Hortons Field in a battle between two of the hottest team in the CFL. The Tabbies have won four in a row to keep their post-season hopes alive, but are going to have to take down a Bombers team coming off seven straight wins, including a Week 12 win over Hamilton. Winnipeg meanwhile could clinch the West Division with a win coupled by a Saskatchewan loss.
That game will be followed by a West Division bout between the BC Lions and Calgary Stampeders in Vancouver. The Stamps cannot lose anymore if they want to keep their playoff streak alive, while the Lions could punch their ticket with a combination of results.
Who will come out on top in Week 18? CFL.ca brings you three matchups to watch on Friday Night Football.
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Mitchell has been excellent in his second season in Hamilton, leading the league in passing yards and touchdowns while commanding a second-half turnaround that has given the Ticats a chance to make the post-season.
The veteran quarterback is also second in big-time throws (24) while sporting an adjusted completion percentage of 73.4 according to Pro Football Focus.
His Week 18 challenge is a whole different beast though. The Bombers lead the league in passing yards allowed (233.6) with one of the best secondaries in the game. Last time these two teams met, Mitchell completed 14 of 28 passes for 220 yards, no touchdowns or interceptions in a 26-23 loss.
If the ‘Cats want to stay alive in the race for a spot, they’ll have to find a way to beat Tyrell Ford and co. at least once or twice on Friday.
The Stampeders have struggled to stop the run in 2024, allowing a league-high 125.9 yards per game on a 6.6 yards per carry average. In comes Stanback and his 1,062 rushing yards, good for second among all players in 2024.
The veteran is having one of his best seasons in the CFL in his first year in BC, gaining 45 first downs and forcing 48 missed tackles, second best mark behind only Toronto’s Ka’Deem Carey.
A good chunk of Stanback’s yardage came after the contact (680), showcasing his ability to be productive even when the defence closes the holes. If Calgary wants to come out of BC Place with a win, they’ll have to find a way to stop Stanback from going off and forcing the Leos into being one dimensional.
Lions pass rush vs. Calgary offensive line
A point of strength for the Stamps has been their offensive line that ranks first in fewest sacks allowed with 22. Joshua Coker (77.8) and D’Antne Demery (73.5) both rank in the top 10 in pass protection grade among lineman with at least 100 snaps, giving quarterback Jake Maier time to operate the offence.
They’ll have to continue that high level of play when they face a Lions team that ranks second in sacks with 35. Sione Teuhema leads the group with seven but this is very much a strength in numbers approach with Christian Covington (six), Joshua Archibald (four) and Bo Lokombo (three) also adding multiple quarterback takedowns. That’s not to mention 2023 sack leader Mathieu Betts.