STREAMING PPV: Calgary Stampeders @ Winnipeg Blue Bombers, August 30, 01:00 CET (1 am, 7 pm August 29 ET)
WINNIPEG — Week 4 of CFL action will come to a close on Sunday night with the Calgary Stampeders travelling to IG Field to take on their Western rivals, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
The Stampeders will be looking to build on the impressive Week 3 debut of rookie quarterback Jake Maier, whose gutty performance helped to secure a 28-22 victory over the Montreal Alouettes.
Despite a rough start from the rookie, Maier wasn’t easily rattled, which earned him high praise from veteran offensive linemen Ucambre Williams.
“Great poise, even with the mistakes he was still back there gunslinging,” Williams told Stampeders.com.
“He got hit a couple times and still got back up. I enjoy that as an offensive lineman. You want to protect the guy, but when he gets back up when you make a mistake that gives you confidence.”
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Maier struggled throwing the ball in the first quarter, completing just two passes on six attempts, while throwing two interceptions. However, through the remaining three quarters Maier showed that he has the talent necessary to be a CFL quarterback, throwing the ball 23 times and completing 14 passes for 248 yards and a touchdown.
This week, against an aggressive Winnipeg defensive unit, the young pivot knows he will need to stay in the moment and not let his emotions take over.
“I believe a quarterback should be even keeled and not get rattled by anything,” Maier told Stampeders.com.
“I think that rubs off on your teammates when you’re playing in big game or a hostile environment.”
While Maier’s first start was impressive and has generated headlines across the league, the recent play of the Calgary offence shouldn’t go without mention.
Headlined by the electric play of Josh Huff and Markeith Ambles the Stamps have been able to build an impressive passing attack. The Red and White have accumulated 846 air yards and are averaging 8.3 yards per reception, making them one of the most efficient passing offences through the first three weeks of league action.
Ambles and Huff have combined for 409 yards on 24 receptions for Calgary and are one of the best receiving tandems in the league, second only to the BC Lions duo of Lucky Whitehead and Bryan Burnham.
Despite the aggressive nature of the Winnipeg defence, they have struggled defending the run, surrendering a league-high 327 rush yards and three rushing touchdowns.
The Stamps will certainly be looking to Ka’Deem Carey to contribute on the ground in their matchup against the Bombers. Carey has totaled 185 rush yards through his first three games, including a two-touchdown performance against Montreal in Week 3.
The Bombers enter their Week 4 matchup coming off a 30-23 loss to the Toronto Argonauts, a rare occurrence for the defending Grey Cup champs. Their last loss in the CFL regular season was 672 days ago, where they fell 37-33 in Week 19 to Calgary.
As they prepare for the Stamps this time around, they will be preparing for a rookie quarterback. That’s something that veteran defensive linemen, Jackson Jeffcoat knows the Bombers’ front seven will need to take advantage of.
“He seems to be pretty confident back there in the pocket throwing the ball,” Jeffcoat said of Maier, through bluebombers.com. “As a young guy, we’re going to have to rattle him, not let him sit back there and be comfortable.”
Barring the loss to Toronto, the Winnipeg defensive unit has looked to be one of the most aggressive in the league through the first three weeks.
Lead by Jeffcoat, the Bombers’ pass rush has been able to get to the quarterback six times on the season and has forced opposing teams into 18 two-and-out situations. Jeffcoat has totaled three of Winnipeg’s six sacks, while also forcing three fumbles on the season, one of which was taken for a touchdown by linebacker Jesse Briggs.
The Bombers have also been one of the league’s best teams in forcing turnovers. They have forced nine turnovers to start the season and have a league-leading turnover ratio of plus-six. Simply put, the Bombers are taking the ball away from opposing offences, while limiting their own turnovers.
Still, Winnipeg defensive coordinator Richie Hall believes the best is yet to come from his defence.
“Defensively, we haven’t played physical football from a consistent perspective,” Hall told Bluebombers.com. “One of the things we pride ourselves on is being a physical defence, being a physical football team.”
As one of the top defensive teams in the league, Winnipeg’s defence not having yet reached its full potential is a scary thought for offensive coordinators.
While many are enamoured by the impressive play of the Winnipeg defence, their offence has quietly been one of the league’s best. Entering Week 4 of the CFL season they have an opportunity to exploit the Calgary secondary.
The Stamps have proven to be susceptible to big plays through the air this season, allowing an average of 319 passing yards per game, an average of 8.5 yards per passing play and have allowed four plays of 30 yards or more through the air. The Red and White will face a difficult task with the explosive ability of the Bombers’ receivers.
Bombers’ signal caller Zach Collaros has thrown for 713 yards on the season and his six touchdown passes are the most of any quarterback through the opening weeks of the regular season.
As two provincial rivals prepare to go toe-to-toe, Maier and the Stampeders look to build upon their recent success and improve to 2-2 on the season. Standing in their way however, are the Blue Bombers, who will be looking to play with an added sense of aggression following their Week 3 loss.
AFI, Visaic and the CFL
American Football International is collaborating with Visaic and the Canadian Football League to present 2021 CFL games live. This is more than a livestream. This is a stream of the top flight TSN network television broadcast.
