Big Blue rested and ready

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This article was published 28/09/2023 (767 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Following months of anticipation, the Grey Cup rematch between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Toronto Argonauts has finally arrived.

The Bombers welcome the Argos to a sold-out IG Field Friday night in what will be the first meeting since Toronto dealt Winnipeg a narrow 24-23 defeat last November to spoil its bid of earning three straight league titles.

The excitement level of the game is only heightened by the fact the Argos and Bombers remain the two best teams in the CFL, with Toronto atop the East Division with a league-leading 12-1 record and Winnipeg pacing the West at 10-4.

Toronto’s success has taken away some of the game’s lustre. With the Argos already clinching the lowly East two weeks ago, they’ve decided to sit four of their best players, including No. 1 quarterback Chad Kelly.

That hasn’t fazed the Blue and Gold, not with the goal of wrapping up the West still incomplete, as they remain in a tight race with the B.C. Lions. The Lions, who are also at 10-4, play the Saskatchewan Roughriders later Friday before welcoming the Bombers to BC Place for pivotal matchup next Friday.

“Everybody is going to be ready to play,” said Bombers QB Zach Collaros following Thursday’s walk-through. “I’m sure that they’re not taking us lightly and we’re certainly not taking them lightly, either. You don’t go out onto the field and expect not to win a football game. It’s going to be a challenge and we’re excited for it.”

With that, let’s dig a little deeper into this one in the latest edition of 5 Storylines.

DUKES TO EARN FIRST CFL START

Few, if any, outside of Toronto that follow the CFL would have known who Cameron Dukes is if not for an injury to Kelly partway through a Week 9 loss to the Calgary Stampeders. Dukes came in after the first quarter and looked everything like an inexperienced player, attempting 15 passes and completing eight for 63 yards and an interception.

There is a significant difference, though, from that game to this one. While Friday will mark Dukes’ first CFL start, he’s at least had the opportunity to earn valuable first-team reps with the offence at practice this week.

Not sure that will be enough, and even with an improved comfort level, Dukes is a major downgrade from Kelly. After all, Kelly is in the midst of an all-star season and the front-runner for the East Division’s most outstanding player.

Because the tape on Dukes in the CFL is limited, the Bombers have watched and studied film on the 25-year-old while playing last season for the Vegas Knight Hawks of the Arena Football League, as well as some of his college highlight reels while at Lindsey Wilson to see what makes him tick. Don’t be surprised if the Bombers beef up the blitz packages in an attempt to rattle the first-year pivot early.

ARGOS TO BRING DEPLETED DEFENCE

If Kelly’s absence has removed some of the game’s shine, then the depleted defence that the Argos are bringing has completely taken the wind out of its sails.

Toronto is resting three key pieces of its defence, including linebacker Wynton McManis, defensive lineman Shawn Oakman and cornerback Jamal Peters, all of whom were all-stars in 2022 and seem destined to repeat that accomplishment again this season. While it’s three of 12 defensive players, it creates holes in all three layers of the defence.

This is setting up to be a dominating game for the Collaros-led attack. The Bombers offence enters Week 17 leading the CFL in offensive points per game (30.8), offensive touchdowns (49), net offensive yards per game (406.6) and first downs (310).

This game feels similar to the Banjo Bowl a few weeks back, when the Bombers put a beat down on the Roughriders after getting their lunch money stolen the week before. Only this time Winnipeg is fresh off the bye week, they are 6-0 since 2021 and 12-1 dating back to 2017 coming off the week off.

While the Grey Cup was 10 months ago, don’t think for a second this group isn’t looking for revenge after a stale effort in last year’s championship game, no matter who’s lining up on the other side.

NO HARRIS, NO PROBLEM

There has to be a level of disappointment among Bomber fans that they won’t get to see Andrew Harris playing one last time at IG Field. Harris injured his knee in Week 15 and has been added to the six-game injured list, putting his future in question, in what will be his final CFL season.

Harris will still be in attendance and will do a first-quarter sideline interview with TSN’s John Lu, which will surely draw a standing ovation from the crowd after Harris helped bring two Grey Cups to his hometown. Even with Harris out of the lineup, the Argos are in good hands when it comes to the run game.

In fact, Harris has been mostly a complement to go-to running back A.J. Ouellette. Ouellette has been among the best runners in the CFL this season, racking up 868 rushing yards in 12 games – an average of 72 yards per game, which ranks second to Winnipeg’s Brady Oliveira’s 85 – while Harris has 229 yards in the same amount of time.

If there’s an X-factor for the Argonauts, it’s Ouellette. He’s a powerful north-south runner and with Dukes at the controls of the offence, there’s little doubt he’s going to get a significant workload. It only helps the 28-year-old was given last week off so he should be ready to go.

The Bombers have been good against the run this season, giving up 95 yards a game, which ranks them fourth behind Toronto, Ottawa and B.C. They took a hit in the ground game in a Week 15 loss to Hamilton, surrendering 160 rushing yards.

That was against a defence that didn’t include defensive lineman Jackson Jeffcoat, who returns this week from a hip injury. I’d also keep an eye on fellow defensive end Willie Jefferson, who’s miffed having not recorded a sack in seven games, meaning he’ll be going after more than just the running back.

HANSEN RETURNS

The Bombers have needed a boost to their special teams units and they’re getting one this week with the return of Thiadric Hansen.

Hansen will be making his 2023 debut after a long recovery from an Achilles injury he suffered last season. The German-born linebacker is a locker room favourite, but he’s also a punishing hitter who is desperately needed on punt return and punt coverage teams.

With Mike Miller and Shayne Gauthier, two stalwarts on special teams, still on the six-game injured list, Hansen should help fill some of the holes left behind. He’s also important depth behind Jefferson and Jeffcoat.

There was some good news this week about injured returner Janarion Grant, who has been out with an ankle injury since mid-July but was seen at practice this week sprinting the width of the field several times, while also doing footwork exercises. He’s still not set to return for at least another week, giving Jamal Parker another shot to prove he can be a capable returner.

RESTED AND READY TO PERFORM

There really is no excuse for the Bombers to come out flat in this one. They’re coming off the bye rested and ready, are fighting for points in the standings and playing against a watered-down opponent.

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It’s also noteworthy Winnipeg hasn’t lost back-to-back meaningful regular season games since 2019. Or, in other words, since Collaros joined the club.

Winnipeg has also been dominant at home and playing in a third consecutive sell-out has the players eager to thank the fans for their unwavering support. IG Field has been a terror for other clubs, with the Bombers boasting a 21-2 record at home since the start of 2021.

If that wasn’t proof enough, consider that when Argos head coach Ryan Dinwiddie was asked why he opted to sit Kelly this week, he said: “(Winnipeg’s) crowd noise and defensive line.” Take a bow, fans, and enjoy the game.

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jeffkhamilton

Jeff Hamilton
Multimedia producer

Jeff Hamilton is a sports and investigative reporter. Jeff joined the Free Press newsroom in April 2015, and has been covering the local sports scene since graduating from Carleton University’s journalism program in 2012. Read more about Jeff.

Every piece of reporting Jeff produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.