The Division Finals are here, and with a trip to the 112th Grey Cup up for grabs, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
From two elite quarterbacks squaring off in Hamilton, to the new challengers in the West looking to return to the big game, both matchups bring plenty of history, and a few lessons from their earlier meetings this season.
CFL.ca takes a look at what the regular season showdowns between Montreal and Hamilton, and BC and Saskatchewan, can tell us heading into the Division Finals.
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MONTREAL AT HAMILTON
1. FULL STRENGTH AT QUARTERBACK
There’s no question who controlled this matchup during the regular season. The Tiger-Cats won both meetings in Weeks 4 and 14, with the caveat that Davis Alexander was missing from the Alouettes lineup with an injury.
Bo Levi Mitchell, meanwhile, completed 25 of 31 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns in Week 4, but didn’t fare as well in the Week 14 rematch, completing 19 of 28 passes for 191 yards and an interception. McLeod Bethel-Thompson and James Morgan were the starters for Montreal in Alexander’s absence.
That changes everything this weekend. Alexander, now riding a 12-game winning streak (11 in the regular season, one in the post-season) as a CFL starter, will finally meet Mitchell head-to-head with a trip to the 112th Grey Cup on the line.
Mitchell’s playoff experience is unmatched, with multiple Grey Cup appearances and Division Final starts. But Alexander’s composure and confidence have defined Montreal’s run all season. It’s a true quarterback contrast: experience versus momentum, veteran savvy versus undefeated swagger.
Hamilton knows what it looks like to beat the Alouettes without Alexander. Saturday will be the first time they face them at full strength, and that makes this a completely different test.
2. TAKE CARE OF THE FOOTBALL
If there’s one area that tilted the regular season series, it was turnovers. Montreal gave the ball away a combined seven times against Hamilton, including costly fumbles and interceptions that swung field position and momentum.
The Ticats defence thrives on those moments. Jamal Peters, Stavros Katsantonis and Devin Veresuk headline a defensive unit that feasts on mistakes and turns them into points. Peters had a pick in each of the two games against Montreal, including the one in the clip above that flipped field position and led to seven points via a Greg Bell rushing major.
We also saw Winnipeg nearly erase a deficit in the third quarter last week off turnovers, and the Alouettes can’t afford a repeat. Against a Hamilton team that punishes every miscue, ball security will be the difference between a Grey Cup berth and a long off-season.
BC AT SASKATCHEWAN
1. RIDERS AT FULL POWER ARE DANGEROUS
The Roughriders took two of three against the Lions this season, including wins in Week 4 and Week 7 before resting starters in their Week 21 loss. At full strength, Saskatchewan showed they could control both lines of scrimmage and dictate the game’s pace.
A big reason why was AJ Ouellette. The veteran running back rushed for more than 200 yards combined across the two wins and consistently kept BC’s defence on its heels. When Ouellette establishes the ground game early, it opens everything else for Trevor Harris and the Riders’ vertical passing attack.
That’s not all, though. The Riders were also the only team that was able to keep the Lions from scoring at least 20 points all season. However, Saskatchewan’s 37-18 win in Week 4 came without Rourke under centre for the Lions. Now, both teams will have all their available starters go head-to-head in the Western Final.
The Lions bring the firepower, but Saskatchewan brings balance, and when healthy, that balance has proven tough to crack.
2. DON’T COUNT OUT TREVOR HARRIS IN A SHOOTOUT
The Week 7 matchup proved that Saskatchewan doesn’t have to win by grinding games out. In one of the season’s most entertaining duels, Nathan Rourke threw for 337 yards and three touchdowns, and still lost.
That’s because Harris answered with 395 yards and three touchdowns of his own, outdueling Rourke in a back-and-forth affair that showcased his ability to trade punches with any quarterback in the league.
The Riders may want to lean on Ouellette again, but to reach the 112th Grey Cup, Harris will need another elite performance through the air. The Lions can score fast and often, and Saskatchewan’s best chance may be to match them throw for throw, which they have shown they are more than capable of.