Lions eyeing top spot in West headlines Week 16 doubleheaders on TSN
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The BC Lions' chase for the top spot in the West Division highlights a pair of doubleheaders in TSN's coverage of Week 16 of the 2023 CFL season.
Friday Night Football has the Ottawa Redblacks fighting for their playoff lives against the Saskatchewan Roughriders and then the Lions can catch the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for first place in the West with a win over the Edmonton Elks.
On Saturday, the Montreal Alouettes try to maintain the second spot in the East Division as they take on the Calgary Stampeders and that game is followed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats pushing for a home playoff game against the Toronto Argonauts.
Roughriders vs. Redblacks
The Redblacks (3-10) look to bounce back from a devastating loss to the Lions in Week 15 as they host the Roughriders on Friday evening.
Ottawa blew a 17-point fourth quarter lead to the Lions and ended up losing 41-37 thanks to a Lucky Whitehead touchdown catch in the dying seconds.
Quarterback Dustin Crum had a strong game, throwing for 233 yards with three rushing touchdowns and an interception while receiver Justin Hardy recorded 114 receiving yards.
The Redblacks have lost their last seven games and sit in last place in the East with their playoff hopes dwindling.
Saskatchewan is coming off a 36-27 back-and-forth loss to the Elks on Friday night.
Pivot Jake Dolegala threw for 202 yards with three touchdown passes and an interception while receiver Tevin Jones had 61 receiving yards with a touchdown.
The Roughriders (6-7) sit in third place in the West ahead of the Stampeders and Elks in the division and ahead of the Redblacks for a possible crossover playoff spot.
Lions vs. Elks
The Lions (9-4) have a chance to catch the Blue Bombers in the West as they battle the Elks on Friday night.
BC is coming off a dramatic victory four-point over the Redblacks on Saturday and a win over the Elks would tie the Blue Bombers, who are idle in Week 16, in the standings.
Vernon Adams Jr. threw for 325 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions while receiver Justin McInnis had 118 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Whitehead also had 87 receiving yards and the game-winning touchdown in the dying seconds of the fourth quarter against the Redblacks.
The Elks (4-10) are coming off a nine-point victory over the Roughriders on Friday.
Quarterback Tre Ford continues to be the catalyst for the Elks resurgence this season by throwing for 173 yards with a passing and running touchdown while running back Kevin Brown ran for 175 yards with a rushing touchdown.
Two-time all-star receiver Eugene Lewis also had 84 receiving yards with a touchdown in the victory.
The Elks have now won four of their last five games and continue to stay alive in the playoff hunt.
Alouettes vs. Stampeders
The Alouettes will try to maintain their hold on second place in the East when they take on the Stampeders on Saturday afternoon.
Montreal is tied with the Tiger-Cats in the East with a 6-7 record but hold the tiebreaker over their East rival.
The Alouettes are coming off a narrow 23-20 loss to the Argonauts on Friday that saw them lose a seven-point lead with less than two-and-a-half minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
Pivot Cody Fajardo threw for 274 yards with a touchdown and interception in the loss while receiver Tyson Philpot had 105 receiving yards and a touchdown.
The Stampeders (4-9) are coming off a Week 15 bye after they sustained a 25-23 loss to the Elks on Sept. 9.
Jake Maier threw for 210 yards with two touchdown passes while running back Ka'Deem Carey had 77 rushing yards in the loss.
Calgary sits in fourth place in the West behind the Roughriders and are behind the Tiger-Cats and Alouettes in a possible crossover playoff spot.
Tiger-Cats vs. Argonauts
The Tiger-Cats will try to leap frog the Alouettes for second place in the East as they take on the division winner Argonauts on Saturday night.
Hamilton is coming off an important 29-23 win over the West leading Blue Bombers on Saturday afternoon.
Quarterback Taylor Powell stepped up and threw for 236 yards with a touchdown and interception while running back James Butler ran for 82 yards with a touchdown
Receiver Terry Goodwin also added 61 receiving yards and a touchdown in the victory.
The Argonauts (11-1) clinched the East with a narrow three-point comeback win over the Alouettes on Friday night.
Chad Kelly threw for 275 yards with a touchdown while receiver Damonte Coxie had 75 receiving yards with a touchdown.
Star running back A.J. Oullette also had 53 rushing yards with a touchdown in the victory.