CFL Division Final review: Montreal to meet Winnipeg in Grey Cup

The CFL Division Finals are now complete, and we have a lot to talk about. 

The final four teams were the Toronto Argonauts and Montreal Alouettes of the East Division, and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and BC Lions of the West Division. 

Now, the remaining two teams are the Alouettes and Blue Bombers, who will battle for the 110th Grey Cup. Below, we will do a full review on the two games that took place, and unravel all the drama that came with them.

Click here for all you need to know about the Grey Cup.

Big Upset in the East Division

This CFL Playoff weekend kicked off with the East Division Final between the Toronto Argonauts and Montreal Alouettes. 

The Argonauts hosted the game, as they finished the regular season with a 16-2 record, leading the East Division and the CFL. They were also coming off a week of rest, as opposed to the Alouettes who had to battle in the East Division Semi-Finals. 

However, this rest difference may have been a key factor in the overall result. The Alouettes stormed BMO Field, took care of business before the Argonauts could wake up, and earned a blowout 38-17 victory and a trip to the Grey Cup for the first time in over 10 years. 

Montreal is the hottest team in the league, winning six straight games before making this their seventh. The main factor of that run has been their defense, which was the backbone of this victory. 

Toronto took first possession of the game, looking to start off with a score. There was a score in that first drive, in the form of a pick-six by Montreal. 

They then continued that trend and completely shut down the Argonauts' offense, in arguably the best defensive effort from any CFL team in this entire season. They had eight turnovers overall, which included two pick-sixes. They even had a kick return for a touchdown in the second half. 

Along with taking advantage of turnovers, the Montreal offense did their job by eating up the clock and scoring two offensive touchdowns and adding one field goal throughout the game.

As a 16-2 team, this was a monumental disappointment for the Toronto Argonauts, as they had their eyes set on a second straight Grey Cup. Their crowd let them hear the disappointment as the game went deeper. 

Montreal was ready to go, which could be caused by playing much more meaningful action throughout the past few months. Their phenomenal performance has earned them the right to play the final game of the season.

Winnipeg gets the job done

The next game was the West Division Final between the BC Lions and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. 

This was another enticing matchup, because the Lions and Blue Bombers were battling for first overall in the West Division all season before Winnipeg finally solidified their spot. Now, they got to officially battle for the West Division in a one-game showdown.

The Blue Bombers opened the scoring with a touchdown, and they would not lose the lead for the rest of the game. 

When Winnipeg wears teams down, do not give much, and don't make mistakes. That is exactly what happened in this game. 

They took an eight-point lead into the half, and then outscored them again in the second half 6-3. Winnipeg punched their ticket to their fourth straight Grey Cup showdown in a 24-13 victory.

The Blue Bombers leaned on one of their best players, running back Brady Oliveira. He rushed 21 times, and collected 109 yards and the game-opening touchdown. 

With a banged-up wide receiver room, quarterback Zach Collaros was able to look to his star running back, giving him 23 touches overall.

Oliveria has been one of the most valuable Blue Bombers all season, and him kicking off the game with a touchdown came to no surprise, and jolted the team early.

The Blue Bombers were expected to win this game, as they were successful against the Lions all season. They went out and got the job done on home field, and now they want payback after losing last year's Grey Cup by a single point.

It was a fun and dramatic weekend of football, and we now look forward to the 110th Grey Cup between the Montreal Alouettes and Winnipeg Bluebombers. If the game is anything like the Division Finals, it will be must-watch action.