CFL Update For Thanksgiving Day in Canada

     

Earlier today, I watched the last half or so of a Canadian Football Game for the first time this season. Had not even seen any CFL games aired before this one in 2025. So I turned in and watched the duration of the Thanksgiving Day Game between the Ottawa Renegades and the Montreal Alouettes, which was played on the football field at McGill University.

The Alouettes needed a win to keep their hopes of winning the East Division, and a playoff bye to the Eastern Final, alive.

Since this is Thanksgiving Day in Canada, it felt like a good opportunity to do an update on the 2025 CFL season, which is quickly coming to an end, as the playoff picture grows clearer. Here is a summary of what happened in the Thanksgiving Day Game, as well as this weekend just passed: 

Saskatchewan Rough Riders 27, Toronto Argonauts 19 - The Roughriders have clinched the top playoff spot in the CFL this season. All season, long, they have shown themselves to be the class of the CFL with 12 wins in the 16 games which they have played. They looked like the clearly dominant team in the league in defeating the Argos on Friday night. 

Edmonton Elks 25, Winnipeg Blue Bombers 25 - The Elks are in last place in the West Division. However, they kept their flickering playoff hopes alive by knocking off the Blue Bombers at home on Saturday. They took a sizable lead, and then held off the Blue Bombers in the fourth quarter to stay alive (for now) in the postseason hunt. Winnipeg, meanwhile, dropped a golden opportunity to clinch a playoff spot, now only one game ahead of Edmonton in the standings.

Calgary Stampeders 37, Hamilton Tiger-Cats 20 - Hamilton wasted a chance to more or less put the East out of reach for Montreal by losing this weekend when they hosted the Stampeders. Of course, Calgary needed this win to keep pace with both Winnipeg and British Columbia and try to punch their ticket to the postseason. They left no doubts in a dominant road win against the Tiger-Cats.

Montreal Alouettes 30, Ottawa Renegades 10 - With their hopes of catching Hamilton and ultimately taking the East Division, as well as a playoff bye, second place Montreal relied on their solid defense to dominate Ottawa. The Renegades have already been eliminated from playoff contention, but still hope to play spoiler in one of their remaining games. The Alouettes prevented that from happening, leaving no doubts in this solid win, although the two teams will meet again next weekend, in Ottawa.

Each weekend will be huge, and allow the playoff picture to gain more focus.

Should be interesting. Let's see what happens.