3 x-factors in every game that could define Week 15

This is a major week in the CFL!

With the crossover still in play, teams in both the East and West are battling for second, third, or a potential crossover spot and need wins to kick off the final third of the season on the right foot.

To do that, they’ll need some players to step up and become the x-factor for a win this weekend.

Here are the players I think could be major contributors to their team winning, who aren’t the main stars.

WINNIPEG AT HAMILTON

Ontaria Wilson needs to be an x-factor for the Bombers. After losing Dalton Schoen for the season, the timing is perfect for the young star to really step up for the Bombers. If he can stretch the field for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, that will do wonders for the underneath game of Brady Oliveira and Nic Demski!

For Hamilton, Shemar Bridges is my x-factor! He’s had a quiet year with Kenny Lawler becoming a major factor for the Tiger-Cats’ passing game. But on Friday night the Tiger-Cats will need more from their sophomore receiver as you know the Bombers will be putting a ton of attention on No. 89.

Honourable mention: Demerio Houston. He’s back in the lineup, and the Bombers will need him to be a playmaker on defence and to shut down the likes of Lawler, White, Bridges, etc. The Bombers have missed Tyrell Ford to make a big play in the secondary and Houston could be that guy.

OTTAWA AT BC

Robert Priester returned to the lineup last week for the Ottawa REDBLACKS, and is a utility player that, if you put him in the right spot, he can make a huge difference. Priester will be tasked to cover some of the Lions’ big slot receivers, but he can come off a blitz, he can stop the run, and he can create a turnover. I think to win on the road, he’ll be the type of player that needs to step up big on Friday night.

Levi Bell is making his first start, with Kemoko Turay coming off the roster on the defensive line. Signed just three weeks ago, it’s a big hole to fill on the Lions’ defensive line opposite Mathieu Betts, but if the Lions can find a dynamic pass rusher, who can contain a mobile quarterback in Dustin Crum, Bell needs to step up and make an immediate impact.

Honourable mention: Ayden Eberhardt is someone I’ve been waiting to see have a monster game. He had three big games in a row a few weeks ago and has gone a bit quiet over the last three weeks for the Lions with two of them being losses.

EDMONTON AT TORONTO

I’m going to choose an individual to name an x-factor for the Toronto Argonauts, I’ll just say this: the x-factor is whoever is tasked with the responsibility for Justin Rankin on every play. Whether that is the SAM LB on contain, the MAC to fill the gaps in the run game, or anyone else that the Argos have tasked on any play to cover and tackle and stop the Elks biggest offensive weapon.

With all this extra attention on Rankin, Kurleigh Gittens Jr. could be a big factor against his former team. The Elks play action could cause issues and if Gittens Jr. can be the big play guy in the Elks offence that we haven’t seen outside of Rankin, it could be a huge boost to a win in Toronto.

Honourable mention: Brandon Barlow is another former Argo that the Elks need to get after Nick Arbuckle. Arbuckle has become the best passer in the CFL over the last month, and the Elks need to shrink the amount of time he has to pick apart the Elks’ secondary.

MONTREAL AT SASKATCHEWAN

James Letcher Jr. is my x-factor for the Alouettes. For a team that has struggled to get that much going offensively without their starting quarterback, Montreal needs a big play on special teams. The challenge will be tough, as the Roughriders coverage team is one of the best in the league. But if Letcher Jr. can spark the Alouettes with a big return (or two), especially early in the game, it could be the thing the Als need to pull off a major upset.

With a banged-up secondary for the Roughriders, the x-factor has to be up front for the defensive line to get after McLeod Bethel-Thompson in case of any communication errors on the backend. The problem is all four guys up front are potential All-CFL players, so it feels like a bit of a cop-out to pick one guy. But I’ll go with Shane Ray, as Malik Carney has been an All-CFL selection. Ray coming off the other side with as much effectiveness as Carney will be a nightmare for the Alouettes. With that being said, Ray has also had a great season to this point.

Honourable mention: Travis Theis is a bulldozer of a running back, and if the Alouettes can take the crowd out of it in Saskatchewan (good luck) it’ll help the offence tremendously. If Theis or Stevie Scott III can get rolling, and tire out the aforementioned defensive line, it could set off a great boost of confidence for their final six games of the season.

3 x-factors in every game that could define Week 15

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