CFL Update for the First Weekend of October 2026

     

The CFL season is winding down. Teams are making a final push to try and qualify for the playoffs. Or, in Ottawa's case, to notch their first win of the season and eliminate the distinct possibility of going winless throughout the season.

Let's take a look at what happened on the first weekend of October in the CFL:

Hamilton 34, Ottawa 16 - During the first half, the Ottawa Redblacks appeared like they might finally win their first game of this 2026 CFL season, now in it's final weeks. The cursed start to the season might finally end with the Redblacks earning their first win of the season. But then Hamilton just took over all across the board in the second half. From outplaying the Tigercats and seemingly looking fired up enough to finally win, to watching it fall apart in the second half, with Hamilton going on a 24-0 run to completely dominate the second half and hand Ottawa yet another loss. It ended a six game losing streak on the road for the Tigercats, who improve to 5-11 this season overall. However, it also extended Ottawa's own losing streak, which now reaches 21 straight games. They also set a new modern CFL record for the worst start by any franchise, as they fall to 0-15 on the year. It's undeniably historic, although not the kind of history that any team wants to make. They have three more chances to try to notch their first win of the season. Let's see what happens.

"It marked Ottawa's 21st loss in a row dating back to last season, a modern-day CFL record. The latest loss also put the Redblacks in the record book for the worst start to a CFL season, overtaking the Shreveport Pirates' 0-14 start to the 1994 campaign."

Redblacks fall to Tiger-Cats for 21st loss in a row by Canadian Press October 03, 2026:

https://www.sportsnet.ca/cfl/article/redblacks-fall-to-tiger-cats-for-21st-loss-in-a-row/

Redblacks fall to Tiger-Cats for 21st loss in a row - Sportsnet.ca

Calgary 37, Saskatchewan 31 - This game had a lot of scoring in the first quarter, and a lot of scoring in the final quarter, but little scoring between the two teams in the quarters in between. In the end, however, the Stampeders played just well enough to escape with another win. It was the third straight win for the Stampeders, who clearly are making a push for the playoffs, having just swept two straight games against Ottawa. This win was far more important and impressive, coming against a West Division team with a winning record, and on the road, at that. Calgary improves to 8-8 on the season with the win, while the Riders fall to 8-7 on the year after this loss. The West remains very tight with the season winding down. 

BC Lions 24, Toronto 30, - The Lions feel like the hottest team in the league right now. However, the Argos feel like they might be the second hottest team. They have really been coming on as of late, as well, making a push for the playoffs and even trying to keep pace with Montreal. This might throw a monkey wrench into that, however, as the Lions stayed hot and managed to beat the Argonauts in Toronto, which is an impressive achievement. In the process, they improve to 9-6 on the year, and are in sole possession of second place in the West Division with their third straight win. Meanwhile, Toronto falls to 9-7, and no longer mathematically have a chance to winning the East Division, although they will surely head to the playoffs.

Montreal 37, Winnipeg 10- The Alouettes need to keep winning in order to keep ahead of Toronto, who were really coming on as of late, and making  a run not just for the playoffs, but potentially for the East Division title if the Alouettes slipped a little. So Montreal needs to keep winning, at least for now, as they have not quite clinched things just yet. This game helps. It was a decisive win over the Blue Bombers, which was necessary. Montreal improves to 12-3 on the year with this win, and now have clinched first place in the East Division. That means that they will enjoy a playoff bye. Meanwhile, the Blue Bombers are going in the opposite direction, suffering their second loss and falling to 7-8, now in sole possession of last place in the West.