The Ottawa Redblacks and Winnipeg Blue Bombers can both clinch spots in the CFL’s postseason in Week 17.
The Redblacks can clinch a playoff berth with a win or if the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Edmonton Elks both lose. Ottawa will visit the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday, while the Tiger-Cats are in B.C. and Edmonton is in Winnipeg.
Ottawa has missed the playoffs in each of the past four years, going 14-54 over that span and finishing at the bottom of the East Division standings in each of those seasons. The team has had the opportunity to clinch a postseason berth in both of their last two games but suffered losses to Hamilton and Montreal, respectively.
Winnipeg has won six straight games to sit atop the West Division with a record of 8-6. The team has finished first in each of the past three seasons but got off to a miserable 2-6 start earlier this year. The Blue Bombers have made the playoff seven years in a row under head coach Mike O’Shea.
The Alouettes can also clinch first place in the East Division with a win or Ottawa loss. Montreal hasn’t finished first since 2012 when the team lost the East Final to the eventual Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts. The club finished atop the East Division 10 times from 1999 to 2012.
