The battle for first place in the West Division is about to get a lot more, or less, interesting. The Saskatchewan Roughriders are in first place, and the Calgary Stampeders are in second. That won't change this week. But the gap between them will.
After this week's game, Calgary will be either one or three games behind Saskatchewan.
With only 8 games left in the regular season, that difference is huge. With a win, the Stamps put a lot of pressure on the Roughriders. But a loss would leave them with a huge hole to climb out of.
So who will win?
It's impossible to say, but the following three questions will go a long way towards determining the winner.
Who Will Win The Ground Game?
This game features two of the best running backs in the entire CFL.
The Calgary Stampeder's Dedrick Mills is 2nd in the CFL with 660 rushing yards.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders' A.J. Ouellette is 3rd in the CFL wth 648 rushing yards.
In the week 6 matchup between the two teams, they couldn't have looked more opposite.
Mills rushed for 85 yards on 14 carries while Ouellette managed just 9 yards rushing.
Both offenses look significantly better when they establish the run. Both teams will need their workhorse back to show up.
Which Defense Plays Better
This matchup features the two best-scoring defenses in the CFL.
Saskatchewan Roughriders: 20.3 points allowed per game.
Calgary Stampeders: 21.3 points allowed per game.
Both offenses have been playing well most of the year. They can both move the ball and manufacture explosive plays. However, this game might just come down to which team can come up with a stop when it counts most.
Which QB Makes More Plays
Vernon Adams Jr. and Trevor Harris are two of the best QBs in the league. And, they are both enjoying solid starts to the season.
Vernon Adams Jr.
- 67% completions
- 2,213 passing yards
- 11 TDs
- 6 INTs
Trevor Harris
- 75.5% completions
- 2,490 passing yards
- 16 TDs
- 5 INTs
Both QBs have strong rushing attacks and defenses to back them up, but this is the CFL we're talking about. In the CFL, the game almost always ends up in the QB's hands when it matters most.