The Edmonton Eskimos find themselves in unfamiliar territory after their 19-12 loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders over the weekend: in the West Division basement and out of the playoff picture at 7-8. But there are still games left on the schedule and a lot to play for in the West, so the Eskimos are far from out of it.

The Calgary Stampeders lead the division at 12-2 and still have a shot to tie the league record for wins in a season with 16. The division crown is all but clinched – a Stampeders’ win coupled with a Roughriders’ loss or tie would do it this week – but everything else in the division is still up for grabs. And because the Toronto Argonauts and Montreal Alouettes’ struggles in the East have guaranteed a crossover, three playoff spots are up for grabs instead of two.

The Roughriders (10-5) control their fate and are in the driver’s seat for a home game in the Western Semi-Final after their third straight win and seventh in eight contests over the Eskimos this weekend.

The Blue Bombers (8-7) have a provisional edge over the BC Lions (7-7) for third in the division, while the Lions have a half-game advantage on the Eskimos (7-8) for the crossover playoff spot.

The most significant game this week is the Roughriders versus Blue Bombers. The rivalry needs no added incentive, but two points would be huge for either team this late in the season. With a win, the Roughriders’ record would improve to 11-5 and put them on the verge of clinching a home playoff date – a feat they would accomplish if their win was coupled with a Lions’ loss or tie.

If the Blue Bombers pull off the win however, things get very tight in the race for second in the division. Winnipeg would find themselves just a game behind the Roughriders with two still to play.

Week 18 sees the Lions start their crucial season-ending stretch of games that are all in the division. BC begins by travelling to Calgary to take on the league-leading Stamps before they host the Eskimos in Week 19. The Lions get the Roughriders in Saskatchewan in Week 20 before ending their season at home with another tilt against the Stamps.