The Saskatchewan Roughriders have an opportunity to put two struggling teams out of their misery this weekend when they take on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
The Edmonton Elks and Ottawa Redblacks will be eliminated from postseason contention this weekend if the Riders are able to beat the Ticats at Mosaic Stadium. It will be an emotional evening in Regina as the club celebrates the life of the legendary George Reed and the 2013 Grey Cup-winning team is inducted into the Plaza of Honour.
Edmonton will have to beat the Toronto Argonauts on Friday in order to keep their hopes alive when Saskatchewan takes the field on Saturday, which could be easier said than done. Toronto rested a number of key players against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers this past week after clinching first place in the East Division but were still very competitive, leading for most of the game. It remains unclear who will start at quarterback for the Boatmen.
The Redblacks have lost seven of their last eight games and would have to win their last three in order to have any chance of making it to the postseason. The only spot remaining is the third and final one in the West Division, which means Ottawa would have to become the first East Division team ever to qualify for the playoffs via the crossover.
The Montreal Alouettes can also clinch a home playoff game this weekend with a victory over the Redblacks, provided Hamilton loses in Saskatchewan. This would mark the second straight year in which the Alouettes hosted a playoff game at Percival Molson Stadium.
