The CFL’s East is forever a mystery.

Between Hamilton, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, it often feels like each club is walking uphill through the snow in both directions just to earn a win in head-to-head matchups. They see each other so often, thanks to the current CFL schedule numbers game, that coaches are forced to get creative just to do anything that has not already been shown to the opponent a few weeks earlier.

Yes, the occasional matchup gets blown open by a Kenny Lawler performance, as seen when Hamilton went on the road to Toronto this year. At the same time, the nuts and bolts of quarterback play, like what Montreal received from Davis Alexander when healthy against Ottawa, or what the REDBLACKS lacked during long stretches without Dru Brown, underline a simple truth. Regardless of who lines up across from you, the rules of engagement in the East rarely change.

What really stands out each season is the incredible amount of time and effort invested in securing the Eastern Final and the all important bye, all in the hope of accelerating the Grey Cup celebration process. Just ask Hamilton how quickly that effort, and the reward that comes with it, can vanish.

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