Landry's 5 takeaways from Week 20

Hello, Week 21.

Bet that when the season started, you were figuring on being a bit of an afterthought. Overlooked. A bunch of run-out-the-schedule games with a slew of rested starters; The cliché, nerdy, rom-com bookworm of weeks.

Well, take your glasses off and flirtatiously run a hand through your hair, Week 21. It turns out everyone now knows you’re da bomb, my friend.

Here are the Week 20 takeaways.

ALL THAT AND SPEED TOO

When you think you’ve seen all you can from BC quarterback Nathan Rourke, there is still room for surprise.

In helping lead the Lions to a fifth straight victory in Week 20, Rourke showed off some blazing speed to go along with everything else we already knew he had.

His 70-yard touchdown run against the Edmonton Elks began with what we’re all accustomed to seeing by now and that is a nifty escape from the pocket by Rourke.

It was the inability of Edmonton corner Tyrell Ford — a pretty fast guy, we can all agree — to close in on Rourke has he chased him that really popped on the play.

“The way that he’s always looking to extend plays is awesome,” said head coach Buck Pierce of Rourke after his team’s 37-24 win.

“He just makes great plays all the time.”

BONUS TAKEAWAY: Just six weeks ago, we were all asking why the BC defence looked so soft. That seems weird now.

HE’LL WALK THE WALK IF HE’S GONNA TALK THE TALK

Calgary coach Dave Dickenson threw a challenge flag on a Toronto completion with 1:19 left on the clock and his team up by a score of 44-7.

A tad unnecessary at that point, one might argue, but for a coach who continually preaches the virtues of full effort and execution at all times, it seems on brand.

If he’s asking his players to give it all — all the way through — it seems Dave Dickenson is ready to do that himself.

He won that challenge, by the way, and Jake Herslow’s catch was taken off the board.

BONUS TAKEAWAY: A happy, dancing Vernon is a good sign for the Stampeders. A limping Vernon, not so good.

THAT GUY’S HEATING UP AT THE RIGHT TIME

The Montreal Alouettes seem to be in a good place as the playoffs draw closer and Austin Mack looks like he is parade marshal for that feeling.

After making five catches for 87 yards and a TD last week in a win over Ottawa — including a spectacular, lay-out-for-it reception — Montreal’s gamebreaking receiver followed up with eight catches for 108 yards in Week 20, with another tuddy and another magnificent exteeeeeeennnnding reception.

With Tyler Snead continuing his sparkling campaign including two, 100-plus yard performances in his last three games, adding a red hot Mack to the mix is quite a boon to the Montreal offence.

Now, can they get Tyson Philpot going again?

BONUS TAKEAWAY: Stevie Scott III is becoming a thing.

IT’S NOT EXACTLY A PYRRHIC VICTORY BUT IT AIN’T ALL SUNSHINE AND ROSES NEITHER

A win is a win, they say, but Winnipeg’s scratchy 17-16 victory over a weakened (due to resting a few starters) Saskatchewan Roughriders’ roster left little room for unbridled confidence going forward.

At least when it comes to the offence, that is.

“I didn’t like anything,” said an obviously frustrated quarterback Zach Collaros, rocking back and forth during his post-game media scrum. “We didn’t do anything well.”

“That’s why we got three phases,” offered head coach Mike O’Shea afterward.

Can’t say it seems like the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are feeling in the groove as the final week of the regular season approaches.

But they are still in the running to host the Western Semi-Final and have one more game to get their offensive mojo back.

“We’ve got another week to roll,” answered O’Shea when asked about hitting the playoffs with momentum.

Is one week enough? he was asked.

“If everybody feels good,” he replied after a laugh which may or may not have been of the nervous variety.

HE MADE A PRETTY STRONG CASE FOR SOME POST-SEASON SNAPS

Mitch Picton makes the catch for a big gain!#CFLGameday
📅: @sskroughriders vs. Blue Bombers LIVE NOW
🇨🇦: TSN
🌎: CFL+ pic.twitter.com/1ziu3lNeE7

— CFL (@CFL) October 18, 2025

Saskatchewan receiver Mitch Picton hadn’t had a catch since Week 6 but when he was given an opportunity to show his stuff in Friday’s game against Winnipeg he did just that.

With five catches for 71 yards, Picton’s night included two second-down conversion catches and a couple of stunners; a toe-drag beauty on the sideline as well as a musclebound, fight-for-it catch against Winnipeg’s Jamal Parker, who was on him like a rain poncho.

The ‘Riders are deep in receivers and Mitchell Picton reminded us that they are even deeper than we may have thought.

BONUS TAKEAWAY: The SAM position seems to really agree with Antoine Brooks Jr.

AND FINALLY: We don’t talk enough about Kordell Jackson.

Landry’s 5 takeaways from Week 20

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