There are so many important statistics to consider for this WestJet Thanksgiving Weekend slate of games.
I’m not talking about glasses of wine at dinner (Ontario Pinot Noir!), slices of pumpkin pie (take the OVER), or weight gained by 9:00 p.m. on Monday night (shame).
The key when it comes to any statistic is to remember that it may just be one number, but it can tell a much bigger story.
Here are my five favourite stats for this very thankful weekend.
WESTJET THANKSGIVING WEEKEND
» Weekly Predictor: Who wins on WestJet Thanksgiving Weekend
» AMSOIL Power Rankings: Who leads ahead of WestJet Thanksgiving Weekend
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1 | SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS WIN AWAY FROM TOP OF THE WEST
A victory on Friday night against the Toronto Argonauts would give Corey Mace and company their first West Division title in six years. (Editor’s note: As of this writing, the CFL is still looking at each scenario carefully, and will release the full, official Playoff Scenarios later in the week to confirm each team’s path to the post-season.)
This is a big deal for a franchise that has only taken the West three times since 1976. By the way, the 1976 season is the last time the Roughriders finished with the league’s best overall record, a goal that is very much in their sights with a win at Mosaic Stadium.
Their lack of divisional titles can at least be partially traced to all the Hall of Fame quarterbacks they have faced over the decades, from Warren Moon to Doug Flutie to Bo Levi Mitchell, to name just a few.
2 vs. 2 | HAMILTON OFFENCE VS. CALGARY DEFENCE
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have scored the second most offensive points while the Calgary Stampeders have allowed the second fewest offensive points.
Bo Levi Mitchell is coming off of a spectacular bounce-back game against the Toronto Argonauts, and leads the CFL in both passing yardage and big-time throws.
Let’s see how he does against his former team where Derrick Moncrief, Adrian Greene, Clarence Hicks and Jacob Roberts will be looking to make life far more difficult for the certain MOP candidate quarterback.
Speaking of the number two, the Stamps are in a battle with the BC Lions for second place in the West, while Hamilton needs a win to keep Montreal firmly behind them in the East.
300.7 | PASSING YARDS ALLOWED BY THE EDMONTON ELKS
This has less to do with the Elks pass rush or secondary and more about what kind of game we get from Zach Collaros.
Two weeks ago, against Hamilton, we saw some serious glimpses of the 2023 version of Collaros who led the league in touchdown passes.
The best version of the Blue Bombers quarterback is one that hits on several deep shots and doesn’t make that one critical mistake. The last time Zach faced off against this defence was back in Week 3, where he put up 334 yards and three touchdowns. This feels like the sort of game where you want Nic Demski on your CFL Fantasy team.
600+ | JUSTIN RANKIN RECEIVING AND RUSHING YARDS
I fully understand why people are focused on the three-way battle between Dedrick Mills, AJ Ouellette and James Butler for the 2025 rushing title, but Justin Rankin is must-watch TV.
He is the only player with over 600 yards rushing and receiving. The Elks running back has recorded the longest run from scrimmage (90 yards), the highest single-game rushing total (204 yards) and leads all players with 15 “big plays.”
On top of all that, only Kenny Lawler has scored more touchdowns than the second-year back. Last time these teams met, the Bombers were able to hold Justin to 39 yards from scrimmage. Let’s see if Tony Jones and company can replicate that performance.
9-0 | DAVIS ALEXANDER’S CAREER RECORD
The Alouettes quarterback made history two weeks ago in the team’s 38-20 win over the Stampeders. Davis Alexander’s 350-passing yard, one-touchdown day not only kept his team within striking distance of Hamilton, but it also broke the record he shared with Danny McManus for most consecutive wins to start a career.
I understand that “wins” is not an official quarterback statistic, and it takes a village to produce a victory, but just look at the productivity of the Alouettes offence when Alexander is in the starting lineup. Montreal scores 33.8 points per game with Alexander starting versus 19.7 when he is injured.