TORONTO — With the Division Semi-Finals kicking off Saturday, both matchups come with plenty of history.
From familiar foes out West to a rematch of the 110th Grey Cup in the East, the regular season meetings between these teams already offered a few clues about what might unfold when everything is on the line.
CFL.ca takes a look at what the regular season meetings between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Montreal Alouettes, and between the Calgary Stampeders and BC Lions, can tell us ahead of the Division Semi-Finals.
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WINNIPEG AT MONTREAL
1. WEEK 21 DIDN’T MATTER, BUT WEEK 12 DID, KIND OF
This angle on the Brady Oliveira TD is just 🤌.#CFLGameDay
🗓️: @Wpg_BlueBombers vs Als LIVE NOW
🇨🇦: TSN, RDS
🇺🇸: CBSSN
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— CFL (@CFL) August 22, 2025
Winnipeg’s late-season win over Montreal came with little at stake. Both teams had already locked in their playoff spots, and the Week 21 meeting turned into a tune-up for the post-season. The real evidence came back in Week 12, when the Blue Bombers put together one of their most complete performances of the year in a 26-13 victory.
In that game, Brady Oliveira rumbled for more than 200 yards from scrimmage and Zach Collaros missed on only four passes. Winnipeg also forced two interceptions off backup quarterback James Morgan, capitalizing on field position and turnovers to control the game’s rhythm. It was a classic Bombers formula, physicality, precision, and clock control.
For Winnipeg to win on Saturday, that blueprint holds: dominate time of possession with the run, stay mistake-free against a ball-hawking defence led by Tyrice Beverette, and keep the game in Collaros’ hands instead of Montreal’s opportunistic secondary.
That said, there’s an important detail from that game that we can’t leave out…
2. DAVIS ALEXANDER CHANGES THE CALCULUS
… which is the fact that the Week 12 matchup came without Davis Alexander under centre. As we know, the Alouettes haven’t lost a game with him as the starting quarterback yet (11-0). Alexander’s calm pocket presence and quick decision-making have helped unlock a balanced offence that complements a veteran defence built to pressure and punish mistakes.
Saturday will be the first true meeting between Alexander and the full-strength Winnipeg defence. The Bombers have the playoff experience, but Montreal now brings the one ingredient they were missing the first time around: their star quarterback.
CALGARY AT BC
1. BC’s STARS DOMINATED BOTH MATCHUPS
NATHAN ROURKE SLICES THROUGH THE DEFENCE FOR THE 26-YARD RUSHING TD! 🚀#CFLGameday
📆: @BCLions vs. Stamps LIVE NOW
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— CFL (@CFL) September 20, 2025
The Lions didn’t just beat Calgary twice, they did it convincingly, winning by a combined 43 points. Nathan Rourke was electric across the two meetings, throwing for more than 745 yards and accounting for nine total touchdowns (six passing, three rushing). Even with two interceptions, Rourke dictated tempo and found his rhythm early in both games.
His top targets were just as impactful. Keon Hatcher Sr. torched the Stamps’ secondary for 269 receiving yards across the pair of games, while Justin McInnis hauled in three touchdowns. When BC’s passing game is clicking, it can snowball quickly, and Calgary learned that the hard way in Weeks 16 and 18.
The way for Calgary to counter is to get Dedrick Mills rolling early and keep Rourke watching from the sideline. Mills led the league with 1,409 rushing yards this season, including 157 against the Lions over their two meetings. While that’s a respectable total, Calgary’s path to success lies in volume and rhythm, the more Mills carries, the better their chances. To do that, the Stamps need to keep the game close and avoid falling into a one-dimensional, pass-heavy script that plays directly into BC’s defensive strengths.
2. CALGARY NEEDS PRESSURE, AND FAST
Clarence Hicks moves in and shuts it down!
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— CFL (@CFL) October 4, 2025
If Calgary wants to flip the script, it starts up front. The Lions’ offensive line gave Rourke clean pockets all season, but left tackle Jarell Broxton has been limited in practice this week, a storyline worth monitoring as Rourke’s blindside protector. Defensive linemen Clarence Hicks and Jaylon Hutchings will be central to any Calgary comeback effort. Without sustained pressure, BC’s deep group of playmakers can take over in a hurry.
The Stamps also need Vernon Adams Jr. to protect the football. BC’s defence forced five interceptions and eight sacks across the two meetings, thriving on chaos and collapsing pockets. If Calgary can’t keep Adams upright, it could be another long night at BC Place.
That said, the last time Adams Jr. threw an interception was against BC in Week 18. The pivot threw zero picks over the final three games, a three-game winning streak for the Red and White.