The defending Grey Cup champion Ottawa REDBLACKS will play host to their 2016 championship game opponents, the Calgary Stampeders, in the opening game weekend of the Canadian Football League’s 105th season in TD Place Stadium in Ottawa.
It’s been 208 days since the REDBLACKS won the 104th Grey Cup in Toronto in a 39-33 overtime thriller against Calgary.
The REDBLACKS are coming off a slightly unexpected championship season. They finished the 2016 regular season with an 8-9-1 record before going on to beat the high-flying Stampeders (15-2-1) who had lost only two regular season games en route to their title game appearance.
However, Ottawa has undergone a few changes since that game including a change at quarterback. With the retirement of Henry Burris, Trevor Harris, who played 12 games in 2016, is now the unquestioned starter, and the receiving corps has also seen an overhaul with Kenny Shaw and Diontae Spencer replacing the two 1,000 yard receivers Ernest Jackson (Montreal) and Chris Williams (BC).
TORONTO, ON – NOVEMBER 27: Patrick Lavoie #81 of the Ottawa Redblacks scores a touchdown during the first half of the 104th Grey Cup Championship Game against the Calgary Stampeders at BMO Field on November 27, 2016 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
The Stampeders have arguably the best quarterback in the league in Bo Levi Mitchell while running back Jerome Messam is a key in the backfield. The receiving tandem of Marquay McDaniel and DaVaris Daniels has returned and is definitely an elite unit.
The Stamps defensive line, led by two-time CFL sack leader Charleston Hughes, was beefed up in the winter with the free-agent acquisition of tackle Bryan Hall, an Arkansas St. product who recorded 33 tackles and four sacks as an Argo last season.
Promising defensive end Ja’Gared Davis will get the start in Ottawa with starter Cordarro Law reportedly on the shelf long-term.
With nearly the entire defensive line back and Khalil Bass added to a strong linebacker group spearheaded by Taylor Reed, the REDBLACKS defensive unit is confident in its ability to shut down a high-flying Stamps offense.
Two of the three games these two teams have played in Ottawa have gone into overtime with Ottawa winning one 29-26 (2015) and the other ending in a tie.
Calgary owned the league’s best regular-season offense last year (32.6 points-per-game) and defense (20.5 points-allowed-per-game) while Ottawa ranked sixth in those two categories respectively.
These are two of the league’s most promising teams, and they have plenty of tools at their disposal to put on a show for the first edition of Friday Night Football.
American Football International is collaborating with Yare Media and the Canadian Football League to present every 2017 CFL game live.
LIVESTREAM PPV: CFL – Ottawa REDBLACKS, Calgary Stampeders in Grey Cup rematch June 24th, 7:30 pm EDT (1:30 am CET)
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