CFL Roundup: Week 1 showed Jake Ceresna proving the Blue Bombers right to Davis Alexander staying undefeated
Week 1 of the Canadian Football League showed us a lot about the top teams in the league and something concerning overall.
The first week of the Canadian Football League is in the books, and it showed exactly why it’s so entertaining.
Thanks to the World Cup starting this week, three teams had a bye in Week 1, meaning we have yet to see the Toronto Argonauts, BC Lions, or Grey Cup champion Saskatchewan Roughriders.
What we got was three really good games that showcased the one thing that separates the CFL from everyone else: entertaining finishes. All three games came down to the wire, with two of them having walk off field goals. Here’s what else we learned
Attendance is down
It’s only three games into a 21-week season, and the attendance figures aren’t quite what we expected. All three home openers were down from what they were last year.
| Team | 2025 | 2026 | Difference |
| Hamilton | 22,810 | 18,577 | -18.56% |
| Calgary | 18,682 | 17,743 | -5.03% |
| Ottawa | 21,441 | 15,038 | -29.86% |
There are some interesting elements at play here. The home opener for the Ottawa Redblacks was the biggest drop off, but the game was also played with severe rainstorms. That will end up keeping fans out of the building.
In Hamilton, the Tiger-Cats having over a 4,000-fan drop off is a frustrating one. However, school isn’t quite out yet, and it was a Thursday night. Even so, the Tiger-Cats won the East division last year.
For the Calgary Stampeders, it’s frustrating. There were many complaints about the ticket prices, which seems to be a common theme. That’s not great overall for the Stampeders, but they did see growth year/year last season. In fact, five of the nine teams in the CFL had growth last year, and Toronto was essentially flat.
It’s too small of a sample size to be concerned just yet, but it’s worth monitoring.
Winnipeg’s free agency additions pay off immediately
After five consecutive Grey Cup appearances, the Blue Bombers took a more conservative approach in free agency ahead of the 2025 season. It didn’t pay off, as they had to enter the East bracket as the crossover playoff team and lost to Montreal in the East semifinal. In the CFL, if the fourth place team from the other conference has a better record than the third place team, they crossover and make the playoffs in the opposite division.
This offseason, they got really aggressive in adding key pieces to the team. The two biggest ones were wide receiver Tim White and defensive lineman Jake Ceresna. Both players, along with cornerback Jonathan Moxey and offensive tackle Jarell Broxton, were massive in Friday night’s 30-28 win on the road over the Stampeders.
White stepped up in a big way, and the Blue Bombers needed it with Nic Demski only catching two passes for 28 yards. He caught five passes for 60 yards, including a touchdown in the third quarter.
The biggest return on investment has been Ceresna. They moved on from Jackson Jeffcoat after the 2024 season, and having Willie Jefferson not having a dominant option on the other side proved to be a huge impact on the Blue Bombers’ pass rush. Ceresna didn’t just play well, he was dominant, getting three sacks on the day.
There are still questions about the Blue Bombers this season, especially with the age of quarterback Zach Collaros, but this is a great start. If they can beat Hamilton on Thursday, the Blue Bombers will be viewed much differently.
Davis Alexander still has the magic
Going into last year’s Grey Cup, Montreal Alouettes quarterback Davis Alexander hadn’t lost a game. His first loss was against Saskatchewan in the Grey Cup. He was 11-0 in regular season games with a 13-0 record, including the playoffs.
The Alouettes got down 24-10 in the third quarter, and Robert Kennedy sparked it with a pick-six on Bo Levi Mitchell. Alexander then led the game-tying drive, leading to a Jose Maltos-Diaz field goal to tie it, and then another to win the game in overtime. He’s got the magic to lead the Alouettes to a Grey Cup.
The key is going to be staying healthy. Alexander suffered multiple hamstring injuries, including reaggravating it in the Grey Cup, hindering him enough to where he couldn’t perform as well as he should have. If he can stay healthy, the Alouettes will be serious contenders.