Then there were two.
After a grueling Canadian Football League season, the Montreal Alouettes and the Edmonton Elks remain in the hunt for the 113th Grey Cup.
Watch the Elks battle the Alouettes on Sunday LIVE at 6 p.m. ET across the TSN Network, streaming on TSN.ca and the TSN App.
After playing their first playoff game in more than 2,500 days and their first home playoff game more than 4,000 days last weekend, the Elks have made the Grey Cup for the first time in more than a decade and for only the second time in 20 years.
The Alouettes, on the other hand, could not be more different. Montreal is one of the last teams standing for the second year in a row and for the third time in four years.
Here are three key matchups to keep an eye on in the big match on TSN.
Alouettes’ WR Tyson Philpot vs. Elks’ DB Tyrell Ford
Some of the best Canadians the CFL has to offer will be going head-to-head in this one as Alouettes’ wideout Tyson Philpot will take on Elks’ defensive back Tyrell Ford.
The Most Outstanding Canadian in Philpot and the Divisional All-CFLer in Ford have seen plenty of each other throughout their careers, and in 2026 in the pair of matchups throughout the regular season.
The duo has clashed on 31 snaps this season and 60 times since 2022 – the second most matchups Philpot has seen of any corner and the fourth most Ford has seen of any receiver – and it’s been a fairly even matchup.
Throughout their careers, Philpot has gotten open on 31 routes (55.4 per cent), earning 16 targets and making 13 catches for 187 yards. Six of Philpot’s grabs have been for first downs and two have been for touchdowns, while the CFL’s interceptions leader has not been credited with a pass breakup.
Two of Ford’s highest-targeted games in 2026 have come against Montreal, which is no surprise given Philpot is the most targeted player north of the border. It’s also worth noting that nearly half of Philpot’s yards have been from after the catch, largely thanks to the wideout’s high screen rate.
Get your popcorn ready and enjoy watching two of the best Canadian football players duke it out on the grandest stage.
Elks’ WR Austin Mack vs. Alouettes’ DB Lorenzo Burns
Now to the other side of the coin, where Edmonton’s No.1 wideout Austin Mack will take on Montreal’s No.1 corner Lorenzo Burns.
Like Philpot and Ford, Mack and Burns have squared off quite a bit in 2026, lining up against each other 33 times (the third most against any defender for Mack and the second most against any receiver for Burns).
In this matchup of divisional All-CFLers, Mack has gotten open on 18 routes (56.3 per cent) while getting targeted 11 times and making five catches for 46 yards. Burns has made three pass breakups and one interception, while only one of Mack’s five grabs has been for a first down.
While Philpot and Ford out on the field side will be more a battle of speed, Mack and Burns’ battle will be more about physicality on the boundary. Different, but just as entertaining to watch.
Alouettes’ OTs Nick Callender and Tiger Shanks vs. Elks’ DEs Malik Carney and Noah Taylor
It was too hard to pick just one from each of the duo, so the final matchup is a two-against-two with Montreal’s offensive tackles Nick Callender and Tiger Shanks trying to contain Edmonton’s edges, Malik Carney and Noah Taylor.
Speaking of the Elks’ edge duo, they have both caused a ton of chaos, and the pressure this pair has put on opposing pivots has been immense.
The duo is No.2 and No.3 in sacks north of the border, while both appearing in the top 10 in pressure percentage and pass rush win percentage. They helped lead an Edmonton defence that was tops in pressure percentage (34.6), was third in sacks (40), and had the most tackles for loss (37).
Montreal’s tackles have been up to snuff in their area of expertise as well.
Neither Callender nor the Canadian Shanks have been credited with allowing a sack this season. Also, the pair are top five in pressure percentage allowed among tackles, while Callender boasts the lowest pressure percentage allowed among all offensive linemen (1.9 per cent).
In terms of head-to-head matchups, they have gone the Alouettes’ tackles way. Edmonton’s duo has only registered one pressure and six tackles combined against the tackles in the pair of matchups during the regular season.
Three out of these four were named to divisional All-CFL teams; we are in for a fun one off both of the edges.
Stats are courtesy of Pro Football Focus.