The 2025 Canadian Football League season has become a showcase of electrifying returns and record-breaking precision, with 30 non-offensive touchdowns through 11 weeks—a staggering 76.5% increase over 2024—headlined by Derek Slywka’s league-record 120-yard missed field goal return and Kalil Pimpleton’s 117-yard sprint.
Meanwhile, quarterbacks are rewriting history books, combining for a 69.2% completion rate and 99.8 passer rating, both all-time highs, while kickoff returns (23.3 yards per attempt) have soared to levels unseen since 1974. Yet, as offenses thrive in the red zone (60% TD rate), rushing production has plummeted to a 37-year low (4.9 yards per carry), underscoring a league-wide shift toward aerial dominance.
This week’s marquee matchups include the Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-1) clashing with the Calgary Stampeders (6-3) in a West Division showdown, while the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (5-4) and Montreal Alouettes (5-5) battle for playoff positioning in a duel defined by razor-thin margins.
- Through 11 weeks, there have been 30 return touchdowns:
- 11 interception returns
- Seven fumble returns
- Five punt returns
- Five kickoff returns
- Two missed field-goal returns
- At this point last season, there were 17 – an increase of 76.5 per cent
- In 2024, there was a total of 31 non-offensive TDs; this season is on pace for 57 – a 20-year high
- There have been four 100+ yard return TDs this season:
- 120 | MFG | Derek Slywka
- 117 | MFG | Kalil Pimpleton
- 105 | KO | Isaiah Wooden
- 105 | Fumble | Derek Slywka
QUICK SLANTS
LEAGUE-WIDE
- Current completion percentage (69.2) and passer rating (99.8) are the highest in CFL history
- Kickoff returns are averaging 23.3 yards – highest since 1974 – with 20 going for 40+ yards
- Games are averaging 186 rushing yards (4.9 per carry) – lowest since 1988
- Red zone TD rate: 60 per cent – highest since the league began tracking the statistic
WPG (5-4) at MTL (5-5)
- The two teams are tied for the second fewest penalties (6.6 per game).
- The Blue Bombers are 14-6 in the teams’ matchups since 2014, including victories in the past three meetings in Montreal.
- Winnipeg sits last in turnover ratio (-11).
- The Blue Bombers have averaged 32.3 points in their last three games with 11 TD drives; they averaged 17.7 in the three games prior.
- Zach Collaros is a career 9-8 against Montreal.
- Trey Vaval is second in the league, averaging 13.8 yards on punt returns.
- Tony Jones recorded a career-high 11 defensive tackles last week, to move into second in the CFL with 59.
- Montreal has not lost four straight, nor gone below .500, since September 2023.
- The Alouettes are 14-for-14 at third and short.
- James Morgan will make his first career CFL start, becoming the 19th QB make a start this season. He was 20-of-33 passing for 211 yards and a touchdown off the bench last week.
- José Maltos Díaz (8-for-8) is one 50+ yard field goal shy of tying Ty Long and Sergio Castillo for most to begin a career.
- Tyler Snead (689) needs 100 yards to set a new career-high in receiving yards.
- Alexandre Gagné and Tyrell Richards are tied for the league-lead in special teams tackles (15). Gagné’s next will move him into fourth on the Alouettes’ all-time list, passing Henry Charles.
EDM (3-6) at OTT (3-7)
- Week 5: EDM 39 – OTT 33
- Edmonton has won its past two games via fourth-quarter comebacks.
- Cody Fajardo is a career 8-1 vs. Ottawa, including wins in his past eight meetings.
- Fajardo’s last four starts have been decided by an average of four points. He has a 70+ completion percentage in those games.
- Justin Rankin recorded 179 scrimmage yards last week on 18 touches; he has 400 rushing yards and 427 receiving yards this season.
- Joel Dublanko has 22 defensive tackles in his last three games.
- Jake Ceresa needs two defensive tackles for 200 in his career and four sacks for 50.
- The REDBLACKS have won the teams’ past two matchups in Ottawa.
- Dustin Crum is 0-1 against Edmonton, while Dru Brown is 2-1.
- Justin Hardy (3,345) trails Jock Climie (3,403) by 59 receiving yards for ninth on Ottawa’s all-time list. He has at least one touchdown in each of his past three games, totaling five over that span.
- Eugene Lewis needs 71 receiving yards for 7,000 in his career.
- Kalil Pimpleton leads the league with 1,327 combined yards.
BC (5-5) at TOR (2-8)
- BC (242.3) and Toronto (265.6) are first and second in fewest passing yards allowed per game.
- BC has allowed a league-low of 10 sacks; Toronto has allowed the second most (25).
- The Lions leads the league in net offence per game (427.1).
- BC has averaged 36.7 points in their past three games with 11 total TD drives.
- Nathan Rourke needs two TD passes for 50. He is a career 1-1 against Toronto.
- James Butler leads the league with 785 rushing yards; he needs 20 to reach 4,000 in his career.
- Keon Hatcher recorded 156 receiving yards on 11 catches last week. He leads the league with 878 receiving yards and needs 31 more for 4,000 in his career.
- Toronto has won four in a row against BC.
- The Argonauts are currently averaging 48.2 rushing yards per game – the lowest mark in league history.
- Nick Arbuckle has four straight 300+ yard games, totaling 1,342 passing yards and eight TDs in that span. He has established a new career-high with 17 passing TDs and he is 259 yards shy of a personal best (3,292) in passing yards. He is a career 0-2 against BC.
- Damonte Coxie is tied for the league lead with 10 offensive big plays.
SSK (8-1) at CGY (6-3)
- Week 6: CGY 24 – SSK 10
- Both teams are undefeated when leading at the half (Calgary 5-0; Saskatchewan 7-0).
- Saskatchewan leads the league in time of possession, averaging 32:11.
- The Roughriders are 5-0 in games decided in the final three minutes.
- Trevor Harris is four TD passes shy of becoming the 15th player to reach 200 in his career.
- A.J. Ouellette needs 12 rushing yards for 3,000 in his career.
- Vernon Adams Jr. is a career 5-2 against Saskatchewan in the teams’ Week 6 matchup, he threw for 428 yards and three touchdowns.
- Dedrick Mills recorded a season-high 105 rushing yards against Winnipeg last week; he leads the league with 19 rushes of 10+ yards.
- Dominique Rhymes’s next TD will be the 30th of his career.