Playoff seeding the focus in Week 19 matchups

Eighteen weeks into the regular season and still very little has been settled in the CFL playoff picture. Aside from the Calgary Stampeders making history and running away with the West Division title this year, the playoff spots are still to be determined, with five teams jostling for the remaining five seeds.

The Ottawa Redblacks, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, BC Lions, and Edmonton Eskimos will join the Stampeders in postseason action, but where and when is still very much up in the air with only two regular season games still to play.

With three of the four Week 19 matchups carrying significant importance for the playoff picture, this weekend figures to provide some clarity on the situation, starting Friday in Hamilton.

Last week’s overtime win over the Redblacks kept the Ticats in the race for the East Division title. While Hamilton is guaranteed at least one home playoff date, they sit just one point behind Ottawa, by virtue of the Redblacks’ rare 7-8-1 record, with a bye to the East Final on the line. But a win for the Eskimos would be significant as well. The Eskimos are currently pegged for the crossover, two games behind both the Bombers and Lions in the West, but could still conceivably catch the Bombers – and even host the Western semi-final, should they win out and their division rivals lose out. At the very least, a win over the Ticats would go a long way to ensuring the same matchup in Eastern semi-final two weeks from now.

Saturday’s action kicks off in the afternoon in Winnipeg, with the Bombers hosting the Redblacks. Each team will be desperate for a win in this one as well, as two points will go a long way in securing second place for Winnipeg while simultaneously guaranteeing the Eskimos cross over to the East, regardless of their efforts Friday. If the Redblacks win meanwhile, they will remain in first place in the East and depending on Hamilton’s fortunes the night before, could secure the Division.

Immediately following the Bombers and Redblacks is the third game of significance this week, the Lions travelling to Saskatchewan. Nothing but pride is on the line for the Roughriders, but the Lions will want a win to either keep pace with, or surpass the Blue Bombers for second in West. The Lions hold the tiebreaker over the Eskimos unless in the event of a three-way tie, in which place Edmonton would vault to second in the West. A Lions (or Bombers) win would assure that scenario doesn’t come into play.