CFL East & West Final Preview: Blue Bombers look to make history, while the Elks try to finish a special season
We are just one game away from the Grey Cup, and all four teams have a logical pathway to getting there.
The CFL playoffs are down to the final four of the 2026 season, and both the East Final and West Final are set. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers take on the Montreal Alouettes in the East, while the BC Lions visit the upstart Edmonton Elks in the West.
Both games have the makings of fantastic football, and it’s primed to be a compelling Saturday afternoon. Each of the four teams has a clear path to the Grey Cup, so let’s look at how every team can win.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers need a complete game
The Blue Bombers are fighting history. The CFL created the crossover in 1996 to ensure the best six teams made the playoffs, after the league’s expansion into the United States didn’t work. Crossover teams from the West are 6-8 historically in the semifinal, but no crossover team has ever made the Grey Cup. That record includes last year’s East Semifinal, when the Alouettes won 42-33 over the Blue Bombers.
What makes this matchup stand out isn’t how different these teams look on paper. Yes, Montreal finished 14-4 and Winnipeg went 9-9. However, the teams split the season series, with Winnipeg dominating at Princess Auto Stadium 44-28. Just a few weeks ago, Montreal crushed the Blue Bombers 38-10.
For Winnipeg, the formula is simple: play a complete game. For about half of every game, the Blue Bombers look like the best team in the league. They play fantastic on both sides of the ball. The other half, they barely look like a U Sports team. The dichotomy is wild, and if they can put four quarters together, it completely shifts the dynamic of the playoffs.
One big element will be the turnover battle. The Blue Bombers are fourth in the NFL at -2 in turnover margin, while the Alouettes are second at +21. The Bombers quarterbacks have struggled with turnovers, and just last week, they turned it over four times in a 25-22 win over the Toronto Argonauts in the East Semifinal.
It helps that Winnipeg is 4-4 on the road, making it one of the few CFL teams to play at least .500 away from home. Zach Collaros is questionable with a rib injury, making it likely Dru Brown gets the start again at quarterback. If Brown can lead a couple of nice drives and the defense gets sacks on Davis Alexander, that could be enough to get it done.
Winnipeg is 4-0 in all post-season games when Oliveira reaches 20 or more rushing attempts, and 0-4 when he doesn’t. Now, those numbers can be skewed with having a lead in the playoffs, but the Bombers’ offense is much better when they feed the best running back in the league.
Montreal Alouettes just need to be themselves
Montreal’s path is even simpler. The Alouettes need to play within themselves.
Alexander won Most Outstanding Player, and wide receiver Tyson Philpot took home Most Outstanding Canadian. Montreal averaged 34.7 points per game on their backs, second in the CFL, while ranking third in allowing 26.4 points. The Alouettes also finished first in net offense in the CFL.
Montreal could have easily finished 15-3 if they played their starters. They rested a lot of starters in the Oct. 17 game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders and ended up 14-4. If the Alouettes play like their normal explosive selves, they can likely coast to the Grey Cup. Philpot wasn’t the only receiver to thrive this year; Tyler Snead also finished with over 1,000 yards
Holding running back Brady Oliveira in check will be a massive key. The offense gets the headlines, but the defense, led by Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund, complements it well and could be the biggest reason Montreal beats the Blue Bombers.
BC Lions go as Nathan Rourke goes
The Lions had a wild season. They started 1-5, mainly because of Nathan Rourke’s injury and a decimated wide receiver room. BC held firm and went 9-3 to close the season after starting 1-5, earning home-field advantage for the West Semifinal and beating the Roughriders 33-26.
Everything hinges on what “Kid Canada” can do. BC is average across the board, ranking fifth in points for and fourth in points allowed. However, the Lions rank second in the CFL in both net offense and opponent net offense. They hold on to the football and move it down the field with a combination of a successful run game, RPOs, and explosive shot plays.
Running back Zander Horvath, who doubles as the short-yardage quarterback, has grown a lot and will be a massive part of any success. His 21 touchdowns led the CFL, and he came close to tying Milt Stegall’s record of 23. Wide receivers Keon Hatcher and Justin McInnis also need huge games for BC to go into Commonwealth Stadium and beat Edmonton.
The teams split their two meetings. BC won 36-24 on July 4 during Touchdown Kelowna while still reeling from its injuries, and Edmonton took the July 17 matchup 19-17.
Edmonton Elks have the grit to grind it out
Edmonton coach Mark Kilam has built a team that is ready for anything. The Elks aren’t the most talented or skilled team, but they have “it.” That it factor launched them to become the only team in the history of the CFL to go from fifth place in the West to first.
Early in the season, they found multiple unique ways to win. Losing those games was a huge reason why they haven’t made the playoffs since 2019. Edmonton erased a 17-point deficit at Princess Auto Stadium in Week 4 and won on a last-second field goal. Quarterback Cody Fajardo leads the way after throwing for more than 5,000 yards for the first time in his career.
This group hasn’t been here before. The Elks struggled over the last five years and this team is a lot different than the 2019 squad. Even so, the way they’ve had to scratch and claw all season gives them an edge over a Lions team that missed the Grey Cup last year after the Roughriders scored a last-second touchdown in the West Final.
The Elks are balanced and tough. Whether that’s enough to stop Rourke is the question that will define the West, and it gets answered on Saturday.
