3 X-factors that could impact the Eastern Final

By Patrick Steinberg

There was no debate during the regular season: the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Montreal Alouettes were the two best teams in the East Division. In fact, the battle for top spot in the division went right down to Week 21 before it was wrapped up by the former.

And as it should be, the Als and Ticats will go head-to-head this weekend in the Eastern Final with a trip to the 112th Grey Cup on the line.

2025 GREY CUP PLAYOFFS
» Who has the edge in the Eastern Final?
» 6 stats that may loom large in the Division Finals
» 3 storylines to watch in the Eastern Final

Hamilton won both regular season meetings, with one major caveat: quarterback Davis Alexander (more on him shortly) didn’t play in either for Montreal. With McLeod Bethel-Thompson at the helm in Week 4, the Als fell 35-17 to the Tiger-Cats. And then in Week 14, it was James Morgan at quarterback for Montreal in a 26-9 win for Hamilton.

There’s no doubt Alexander’s presence this weekend changes things. And that’s just one of three x-factors to keep an eye on Saturday afternoon at Hamilton Stadium.

DAVIS ALEXANDER’S PULSE

With 12 wins without a loss as a CFL starter, it’s sometimes hard to believe Alexander was only handed that role full-time for this season. And one of those wins came in last weekend’s Eastern Semi-Final to the tune of 42-33 over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Ice cold in his efficiency and demeanor, Alexander showed absolutely no nerves in his first playoff start. In fact, against one of the league’s best defensive units, Alexander completed 24 of 34 passes for 384 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, plus another 32 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

So it’s no surprise Alexander wasn’t fazed one bit going up against future Hall of Famer Zach Collaros. This weekend it’s another quarterback destined for the Canadian Football Hall of Fame on the other side in Bo Levi Mitchell, with five Division Final starts under his belt.

If Alexander is as steely and dialed in as he was last weekend, and why wouldn’t he be, the Alouettes have a great chance to punch their second Grey Cup ticket in the last three years.

WHO CAN ESTABLISH THE RUN GAME?

Hamilton and Montreal were seventh and eighth, respectively, in rushing yards per game during the regular season. Interestingly, both teams also finished in the bottom half in defending the run with the Als sixth and the Ticats at ninth overall. It sets up an interesting matchup, and the team that gets their run game going more effectively could have a real edge.

Individually, Hamilton’s Greg Bell was this matchup’s most prolific tailback during the regular season. Bell finished fifth overall with 1,038 rushing yards to go along with five touchdowns and started to meaningfully establish himself in the second half of 2025.

But don’t sleep on Stevie Scott III in Montreal’s backfield. Popping onto the radar down the stretch, Scott led all Als’ running backs with 418 rushing yards during the regular season and seems to be heating up at the right time. In his CFL playoff debut last weekend, Scott recorded a season-high 133 yards and two touchdowns. When you add in three receptions, Scott finished with 21 touches, also his highest total of the season.

HAMILTON’S SPECIAL WEAPONS

The Tiger-Cats may have their biggest edge this weekend on special teams, at least on paper. While Montreal’s José Maltos Diaz led the league with 58 field goals during the regular season, it was Hamilton’s Marc Liegghio who finished as the league’s second-most accurate kicker. At 92.9 per cent, Liegghio was behind only BC’s Sean Whyte in that category and could be a serious difference-maker in what should be a tight battle.

And then there’s Isaiah Wooden who cemented himself as one of the league’s most explosive returners during the regular season. In 14 appearances, Wooden finished third with 1,105 yards returning kicks to go along with a pair of touchdowns. He added another touchdown and 570 yards on punt returns, and can take one to the house anytime the ball is booted his way.