After their impressive 38-24 win over Winnipeg on Mark’s Labour Day Weekend, the Saskatchewan Roughriders have won four of their last five and look like a genuine threat in the West Division.

While there’s plenty to like with Saskatchewan right now, two things jump off the page most as they’ve moved into a playoff spot for the first time this season.

Prairie cooking

First off, the Riders deserve some kudos for their current run because they’re not picking up wins over also-ran opponents. In fact, of their four most recent wins, only one (Toronto) comes against a team below .500. Impressively, the other three wins come against West Division teams playing some good ball.

Go take a look at who Saskatchewan has beat in its last three games and how good things were going at the time. The BC Lions were 5-2 when the Riders took an impressive 41-8 victory in Week 8 before heading into their bye. After a week off, Saskatchewan looked good in knocking off 7-1 Edmonton, setting things up for Labour Day weekend.

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In the first half of their annual back-to-back with the Blue Bombers, the Riders opened up an early 24-3 lead and never looked back in what has to be their signature win thus far. Winnipeg had won five straight heading into Sunday’s affair and was making a case amongst the West’s elite teams.

Instead we saw the Riders take Winnipeg’s impressive ground attack out of the game and put on a tackling clinic while continuing an explosive run offensively. Through one half of the season, Kevin Glenn has been one of the league’s top quarterbacks with Naaman Roosevelt leading a solid group of receivers.

With the win, Saskatchewan picked up its fourth straight at home and that’s the second thing that jumps out about the Riders right now. They currently enjoy one of the most dominant home field advantages in the CFL and that was evident on Sunday. It doesn’t come as a surprise, of course, but it doesn’t change how impressive they’ve looked at Mosaic Stadium.

Of Saskatchewan’s 289 points, 194 have been scored at home, a number that sees them averaging just a shade under 39 points per game. In comparison, the Riders are averaging 23.7 points in their four road games, and that includes their 54-point outburst in Edmonton. Aside from that one game, things have been pretty night and day for the Riders, depending on the venue.

As much as the atmosphere is off-the-charts good, I don’t think any visiting team wants to play at Mosaic right now. There isn’t a stadium in the league that impacts what happens on the field more and Saskatchewan is feeding off of it in a big way.

Now, all of this positivity is fine and well-earned, but it doesn’t mean the Riders are home and cooled. In fact, the next month is going to be a massive test of whether they have the chops to truly be in the conversation with the top teams in their division.

Four of Saskatchewan’s next five games are on the road and their one home game is against the red hot Stampeders. If the Riders are going to prove their big road win in Edmonton is a sign of things to come away from home, now is their chance.

We know Saskatchewan is one of the league’s most dangerous and dominant teams at home, but can they be looked at in a similar light regardless of where they play? We’re going to find out very soon, starting with a much-anticipated rematch in Winnipeg on Saturday afternoon.

Not so classic

Alberta’s version of the Labour Day Classic was one of the most hyped in years heading into Monday afternoon. With five straight wins, host Calgary was one of the CFL’s hottest teams while the visiting Eskimos were keen to erase a pair of losses after a 7-0 start. Unfortunately, what could have been really wasn’t in a convincing 39-18 triumph for the Stampeders.

This game was essentially over at half, as Calgary opened up a 26-6 lead and looked more dominant than that score would suggest. While the Stamps seemed able to move the ball at will for much of the first two quarters, Edmonton ventured into the red zone just once in what was likely its worst half all season. Because of a bad start for the Esks, and with no letdown from Calgary, the final 30 minutes were rendered rather unimportant.

It really is a shame things weren’t more competitive at McMahon. Being there in person, the atmosphere was electric and both teams looked ready to play. From a fan’s perspective, Monday had all the makings of a true classic. The Stampeders didn’t feel like cooperating, though, because they really weren’t in a giving mood.

Now on a six-game win streak, Calgary looks better every week and seems every bit as good as last season. Now 8-1-1, the Stamps are simultaneously the league’s highest-scoring and stingiest team, and they’re doing it with balance. Are they number one with a bullet in any particular area? Maybe not, but they’re one of the best in every single area and that was on display against the Eskimos.

Buy Week 12 Tickets

» Friday, 10:00 p.m. ET: Montreal at BC

» Saturday, 3:00 p.m. ET: Saskatchewan at Winnipeg

» Saturday, 6:00 p.m. ET: Hamilton at Ottawa

» Saturday, 9:00 p.m. ET: Calgary at Edmonton



Oh, and let’s not forget Calgary’s home field advantage, because it truly is the league’s most significant. No disrespect to the aforementioned Riders, but 17 straight home wins, including playoffs, is tough to argue with in this conversation.

Things are a little less clear for Edmonton, though. Heading into the annual rematch at Commonwealth, the Eskimos have lost three straight games and now sit third in the division as a result. And, the way things have looked of late, I’m really wondering if all the injuries Edmonton has suffered are starting to catch up.

Just think of the Eskimos’ players we’ve seen go down with serious injuries this season. We’re not talking bit players here, either; instead, Edmonton has lost crucial defensive pieces in Marcus Howard, Euclid Cummings, Phillip Hunt, Corey Greenwood, and J.C. Sherritt for long periods of time. They’ve got impressive depth, sure, but any team would feel the effects of injuries like that.

In their biggest test of the season, the Eskimos looked flat. This team enjoyed the league’s most dominant front four defensively for so much of its seven straight wins, but Bo Levi Mitchell went virtually untouched on Monday. With such a ravaged group, I understand how it would happen, but it doesn’t make it any less alarming.

I think the Eskimos are better than what they showed against their provincial rivals, and I think they’ll be more competitive in Saturday night’s rematch. However, there’s no doubting how much adversity this group is facing right now; seeing if they can overcome and keep their spot near the top of the West will be be one of the most intriguing stories in the second half of 2017.

Opportunity knocks

It was a commonly-held belief the Ottawa REDBLACKS were off to the league’s most disappointing start this season. Yes, Hamilton started 0-8 (and congrats on a fun first win of the season on Monday night), but the REDBLACKS started 1-6-1 as defending champs and that takes the cake. But this group looks like it’s finally rounding into form.

Thursday’s 32-4 road win in Montreal was good for Ottawa’s third straight, helping it move into top spot in the East Division. The REDBLACKS have averaged more than 33 points during this three game run, outscoring their opponents 100-46 in the process. And, looking at their schedule the rest of the way, the opportunity is there for them to gain some separation at the top of their division.

With two remaining games against Hamilton and one more with Montreal, Ottawa has some winnable games against its own division. What will be really interesting, though, is what the REDBLACKS can do against their remaining West Division opponents.

The REDBLACKS have two games still to come with Saskatchewan and one each with BC and Winnipeg. Yes, Ottawa plays in the inferior East, and yes, all those matchups are tough, but I think they’ve got a chance to have some success down the stretch.

Remember, Ottawa’s average margin of defeat in six losses is less than three points. The REDBLACKS have been in a position to win every single one of those games, but haven’t been able to close things out for various reasons. That’s not an excuse, but instead used to illustrate how their record through eight games wasn’t necessarily indicative of what they were.

Furthermore, Trevor Harris is the real deal, no questions asked. He leads the league with 3,531 passing yards and 22 touchdowns, while he sits top-three in completion percentage (71.0%) and efficiency rating (105.3). We talked about him a few weeks ago and the point still remains: he may not be thought of as one of the league’s elite, but he is, and he should be getting serious MOP consideration.

The REDBLACKS needed to work out some early-season defensive kinks, but that area has really improved, too. Ottawa actually sits top-three in offensive points allowed and is one of the league’s best teams against the run. That defence gave up too many points early, but coordinator Mark Nelson has gotten things on track nicely.

More often than not, unsustainable things tend to balance out. To lose six games by an average of fewer than three points is truly not sustainable. The law of averages would suggest Ottawa is in line to win a few close games down the stretch, to go along with a few wins they don’t need to scrape out.

Knowing the way this team is trending, the REDBLACKS might be one of the CFL’s hottest teams entering the playoffs for a third straight season. That seems to have worked well for them the last two seasons.