The Winnipeg Blue Bombers head into Ottawa Friday night to face the 1-4-1 Ottawa RedBlacks at TD Place stadium in a game that has enormous implications for both teams.
The RedBlacks sit third in the East but could just as easily have found themselves in first. Their four losses have been by a combined total of 10 points. Their lone win was by five points over Montreal and they tied Calgary 31-31.
Winnipeg at 3-2 have a slightly better record but in the much tighter West division are still only fourth. They have proven they can score points with three +40 points games out of the five (33.8 points/game, good for 2nd overall) but they have also allowed 40 or more points in three of the five as well. That is an average of 35.8 per game, next to worst.
Photo: Sean Kilpatrick/THE CANADIAN PRESS
These two teams faced each other in back to back games to end the 2016 season. Ottawa won the first game in Winnipeg 23-10 and the Bombers returned the favor in Ottawa a week later winning by the same margin, 33-20.
Ottawa quarterback Trevor Harris is the second leading passer in the CFL having thrown for 1,939 yards (323 yards/game) and a league leading 12 touchdowns. Bombers pivot Matt Nichols, while not as prolific with 1,438 yards passing and 10 TDs, is equally efficient with a 70% completion rate, the same as Harris.
The RedBlacks have two receivers in the top six, Greg Ellingson (643 yds/2nd) and Brad Sinopoli (440 yds/6th) while Bombers running back Andrew Harris is the fifth leading rusher in the CFL with 240 yards and four touchdowns in five games.
Darvin Adams (1) of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers during the game against the BC Lions at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, BC., on Friday, July 21, 2017. (Photo: Johany Jutras)
Defensively there is not much separating these two with Ottawa better against the run having allowed only two rushing touchdowns in six games. However, the RedBlacks have allowed 12 passing touchdowns and four return touchdowns, a fact that will not have gone unnoticed by the Blue Bomber coaching staff.
This one is a toss up with an edge to the defending Grey Cup champion RedBlacks. They are playing at home and there is a real sense of urgency.
AFI, Yare Media and the CFL
American Football International is collaborating with Yare Media and the Canadian Football League to present 2017 CFL games live. This is more than a livestream. This is a stream of the top flight TSN network television broadcast.
If you can’t watch it live, each game is available for 48 hours after the original broadcast.