CALGARY — The Winnipeg Blue Bombers visit the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday night in a rematch of Week 6.
Winnipeg carries a 7-0 record into the game and are coming off a 24-10 victory over Edmonton. Calgary sits second in the West Division at 4-1 and are fresh off a Week 7 bye.
In the two teams’ last meeting, Winnipeg’s well respected defence shut down Calgary quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, limiting him to 12 completions for 187 yards and a touchdown. Defensive back Demerio Houston picked off a Mitchell pass.
Part of the reason for Mitchell’s performance was the pressure the Bombers defensive front put on the pivot. Defensive tackles Casey Sayles and Jake Thomas, and defensive lineman Willie Jefferson all had a sack.
The trio will be back looking for more Saturday night.
RELATED
» Depth Chart: CGY | WPG
» Stamps, Bombers Injury Reports: Stay up to date
» Power Rankings: Living in a Blue and Gold world
Jefferson has become the first player in league history to hit 50 sacks and 50 pass knockdowns, a total he hopes to add to this week.
“You look at defensive ends you usually just look at sacks, tackles, forced fumbles, but I’m different,” Jefferson told bluebombers.com. “I want to get my hands on the ball as many different ways as I can. It’s just me putting my work in on the field. I’m not done. I’m nowhere near done. I’ve got a lot more work to do. Halfway to 100.”
One of Mitchell’s strengths has been limiting his turnovers, his three interceptions are the fewest in the league for a quarterback that has played at least five games.
Aided by a strong pass rush, the Bombers defensive backs corps of Houston, Winston Rose and Deatrick Nichols will try to add to the teams 10 interceptions.
Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros threw for 315 yards and connected with Carlton Agudosi for two touchdowns in the Week 6 win. The Winnipeg pivot was held to 188 yards, completing seven of 16 passes for two touchdowns and two interceptions against the Elks last week, however.
Receiver Dalton Schoen had a huge game against the Elks, bringing in 146 yards on four catches with a touchdown. Rasheed Bailey caught the other Collaros touchdown pass.
No matter how the Stamps plan to defend the passing game, there will be playmakers everywhere. The Bombers are averaging 253.6 pass yards a game, and Collaros has thrown for 1,724 yards.
While his Week 6 performance wasn’t up to his standards, a week off to prepare for the defending champions should help Mitchell get back on track. He’s thrown for 1,299 yards and seven touchdowns in his team’s five games.
Running back Ka’Deem Carey torched the Bombers defence for 110 yards over 12 carries in their last meeting. Carey missed time in practice this week with an undisclosed illness but is a go for Saturday’s game.
If receivers Reggie Begelton and Kamar Jorden can get open for Mitchell, it will go a long way in driving the offence in the air. Malik Henry, a key cog in the receiving wheel, has been out with an illness and is questionable for the game.
In a game that could come down to the defences, the Stamps will need to find a way to shut down Collaros and his plethora of receiving options. Calgary has allowed 283 passing yards per game, a mark that ranks seventh in the league. Their secondary has seven interceptions on the year, led by linebacker Jameer Thurman with two.
When it comes to the run game, Calgary is third best at defending it, allowing 82.2 yards per game. They’ll need to deal with the rushing combination of Brady Oliveira and Johnny Augustine this week.
Their best option defensively may be to limit options at the source. Four Stamps have multiple sacks on the season. Defensive lineman Shawn Lemon has three, while defensive back Titus Wall, defensive linemen Folarin Orimolade and Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund all have two each.
Dickenson is looking forward to a rowdy McMahon Stadium against the leagues best team.
“I hope our fans ramp it up, I believe they will,” he told stampeders.com. “It’s a big game and it should be a great atmosphere. It’s going to be a huge challenge.”
The Bombers will look to go 8-0 to keep a firm hold of the top spot in the West Division Saturday night. With a win for the home side, the Stamps would get a step closer to top spot in the division.
AFI, Visaic and the CFL
American Football International is collaborating with Visaic and the Canadian Football League to present 2022 CFL games live. This is more than a livestream. This is a stream of the topflight TSN network television broadcast.