LIVESTREAM CFL: Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ Saskatchewan Roughriders, June 17, 03:00 CET (3 am, 9 pm EDT)
REGINA — A pair of 1-0 teams will square off on TSN’s Friday Night Football as the Saskatchewan Roughriders welcome the Winnipeg Blue Bombers to Mosaic Stadium.
Both teams picked up wins in Week 1 but they did it in very different ways. The Roughriders downed the Edmonton Elks 17-13 on the road, while the Blue Bombers won 42-31 at home against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
The Roughriders will need another strong defensive effort against the high octane Bombers offence if they hope to stay undefeated on the young season, especially with quarterback Trevor Harris a game time decision due to a hip injury.
Five different players recorded a sack against the Elks and their success in Week 2 will rely heavily on their defensive front.
» Depth Chart: WPG | SSK
The defensive line of DeMarcus Christmas, Charbel Dabire, Anthony Lanier, Micah Johnson and Pete Robertson will be sure to give the Bombers all they can handle when it comes to protecting quarterback Zach Collaros.
Finding a way to get to Collaros and limiting his time and space will go a long way in slowing their offensive production downfield.
With Bombers running back Brady Oliveira picking up where he left off in 2022 with 113 yards on 22 carries against the Ticats, the linebacker corps will also be put to the test to close gaps.
Larry Dean and Justin Herdman-Reed are both coming off four-tackle weeks and will add additional pressure and provide a second layer of support against the run.
Collaros won’t be able to sleep on the Riders’ secondary as Rolan Milligan looked in midseason form against the Elks.
Against a talented Bombers receiving corps and with Collaros’ ability to take care of the football, it’ll need to be a team effort in the secondary with Milligan and Jayden Dalke leading the way.
Watch live. Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ Saskatchewan Roughriders, June 17, 03:00 CET (3 am, 9 pm EDT)
Fellow defensive back Nic Marshall is listed as doubtful with a shoulder injury.
On the offensive side of the ball, if Harris does draw under centre, he’ll want to improve on his one-touchdown, two-interception performance of Week 1.
Mason Fine will serve as the Riders’ backup and will be prepared to step up if Harris is unable to go.
No matter who the starter is, they’ll have options to both their right and their left as they look to spread out the Bombers’ defence.
WITH DEREL WALKER MOVED TO THE SIX-GAME INJURED LIST, THE RIDERS COULD USE A BIG GAME FROM SHAWN BANE JR. (WALTER TYCHNOWICZ/CFL.CA)
Jake Wieneke, Shawn Bane Jr. and Samuel Emilius combined for 13 catches and 133 yards a week ago. They may need to duplicate that feat or better it, with receiver Derel Walker’s knee injury sending him to the six-game injured list. The veteran receiver had a touchdown reception in his Riders’ debut last week.
The Bombers were able to halt the run game in Week 1 but will face a different look this week as head coach Craig Dickenson has plenty of confidence in both Jamal Morrow and Frankie Hickson. It was Morrow who took the bulk of the carries against the Elks, finishing with 80 yards on the ground.
But Dickenson will be seeking better execution from his offence after they managed just one touchdown against the Elks.
“We want to finish with touchdowns and hold the opponent to field goals,” Dickenson told Riderville.com. “That’s something we have to work on and hopefully improve on. Down near the goal line we had at least one negative play. As we get better and play together more I think we’ll be more efficient in the red zone.”
Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea will be seeking a 60-minute performance from his team after they coughed up 27 second-half points to the Tabbies.
The offence remains in good hands as Collaros is coming off a 354-yard passing game but his decisions will need to be quicker against a Riders defence that likes to disrupt timing.
With four receivers finishing with 50 or more receiving yards against the Ticats, led by Nic Demski’s 113, there’s no singular focus for the Riders’ secondary.
If there’s an offensive area for improvement, it’s holding onto the ball as the Blue and Gold fumbled four times a week ago. That’s something they can ill afford to do against such a strong defense.
The Riders’ offence will need to be on high alert as the Bombers’ defence remains a strong suit of the team.
When it comes to applying pressure, defensive lineman Willie Jefferson does it as well as anyone. He had two sacks, a forced fumble and three tackles in the win last week. Against a team that struggled to keep its quarterback protected a year ago Jefferson will look to wreak havoc yet again, even with the group allowing a more respectable two sacks last week in Edmonton.
With Jefferson and the rest of the defensive line holding strong up front, defensive back Demerio Houston will be relied upon to make plays in the secondary.
O’Shea doesn’t care about the stats Harris put up last week as he knows what kind of quarterback his team needs to prepare for should he be ready to go.
“He’s really good,” O’Shea told Bluebombers.com. “You have to look at more of the career and he’s very efficient with the football. He’s won a lot of football games and understands what CFL defensive coordinators are trying to do to their offence. When you get a guy that smart and quick with his reads and gets rid of the ball quickly it makes it tough to play against him.”
The Riders and the Blue Bombers will both look to jump into the drivers’ seat in the West Division with a win on Friday night.
Watch live. Winnipeg Blue Bombers @ Saskatchewan Roughriders, June 17, 03:00 CET (3 am, 9 pm EDT)
