Battle of the understudies in the nation’s capital

OTTAWA — With only a handful of games remaining in the regular season, both the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Ottawa Redblacks are feeling the pressure.

The Bombers are clinging to the third and final playoff spot in the West Division. At 6-7, they’re tied with the B.C. Lions — but own the season-series tiebreaker — and are just two points up on the Edmonton Elks for that final playoff berth.

If that sounds challenging, things are even worse in the nation’s capital.

The Redblacks are in full-on desperation mode, stuck in last place in the East Division with a 4-9 record. If Ottawa has any chance at a playoff spot, it’ll have to go on a serious run and hope some other teams trip up.

“Nobody here is looking at their record,” Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea said. “They’ve had a tough stretch with injuries, but they seem to be getting a few guys healthy and they play a tough brand of football. You kind of like those matchups, right? We’re not taking them for granted.”

It’s created the perfect environment for Saturday’s Week 16 clash at TD Place — the second and final meeting between these two clubs. The Bombers earned a 30-27 nail-biting victory when they met last month, the game going down to the wire at Princess Auto Stadium.

To get you ready for the rematch, let’s dig deeper into the game in the latest edition of 5 Storylines.

Streveler vs. Brown

Zach Collaros will be sidelined for a second straight game, leaving Chris Streveler to take the reins under centre.

Collaros continues to recover from a head injury he sustained during the Banjo Bowl, and despite being limited in practice this week, the team opted to give his injury more time. Last week, Streveler took over in a losing effort against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, falling 32-21 on the road.

The Redblacks, however, will get a major boost on offence with the return of quarterback Dru Brown.

Brown has missed the last three games with a knee injury but has worked exclusively with the first-team offence and was announced the starter mid-week. Backup Dustin Crum has played well in relief, including what was arguably the best game of his career in a win over the B.C. Lions in Week 14, but the Redblacks are undoubtedly in better hands with Brown at the controls.

This quarterback matchup gives Ottawa a significant advantage. The Redblacks are getting a returning starter who has led their offence to success, while the Bombers are relying on a backup with a rookie offensive co-ordinator.

Hogan under fire

Winnipeg’s offence remains under the microscope after another tough week for offensive co-ordinator Jason Hogan, who continues to take hits for his less-than-stellar results so far this year. He was once again peppered with questions by reporters this week, a group that was carrying added ammo owing to headline-grabbing comments made by running back Brady Oliveira.

Oliveira, who considers Hogan a mentor as much as a coach, seemed to offer a subtle critique when he was quoted saying he wished Hogan would put players in better positions to succeed. Hogan responded by walking that familiar tightrope of defending himself and respecting his players, while also asking for patience from fans.

With the Redblacks ranking near the bottom of every defensive statistical category, the Bombers — who beat them by three points earlier this year while putting up 30 points of their own — won’t be up against a defensive juggernaut in this game.

However, the Redblacks defence excels at limiting the run game, averaging just 89 yards against — second only to Saskatchewan. This makes it a fitting challenge for Hogan, who will have to find a way to get the most out of Oliveira and the Bombers’ league-leading rush attack.

Turnover troubles

The Bombers best chance of losing this game is if they lose the turnover battle, something that has occurred far too often this season.

Winnipeg currently has the league’s worst turnover ratio, at a concerning minus-12. To put that into perspective, according to the CFL’s game notes, the Bombers were never in the negative between 2016 and 2024, with a cumulative +109 in those eight seasons.

Interceptions have been particularly damaging for the Bombers as of late, with a combined seven between Collaros and Streveler in the last three games. This is a dangerous trend for Winnipeg, especially going up against the Redblacks who have the third-most interceptions in the league with 14 — only four back of the league-leading Riders.

What’s more, Ottawa’s success in the turnover department is directly correlated to its success this season. In the Redblacks’ four wins in ’25, they have a plus-nine turnover ratio, while a combined minus-eight in their eight losses.

Secondary depth

Another key area to focus on is the Bombers secondary. The group has struggled at times this season and have battled injuries all year.

The latest is to defensive back Michael Griffin II, who provides key depth at strong-side linebacker behind starter Redha Kramdi. To show how important Griffin is to the group, defensive co-ordinator Jordan Younger praised his versatility, calling him arguably the least expendable player on defence.

The good news for Winnipeg is they get defensive back Jamal Parker Jr. back the first time in close to two months, with Parker missing the last six games with a leg injury. He missed all last season with a torn ACL but was a bright spot on defence before getting injured, registering 20 defensive tackles and an interception returned for a touchdown in seven games.

It’s no secret that Brown likes to chuck the ball — he’s eclipsed 300 passing yards in 44 per cent of his 25 career starts — and he’s got a receivers group that is healthy and among the best in the CFL. Coupled with the fact that Redblacks OC Tommy Condell seems allergic to the run game, Winnipeg’s chances of winning could very well hinge on the Bombers last line of defence.

Playoff-like conditions

The importance of this game for both teams cannot be understated. While it won’t officially count as a playoff game, each side will be treating it as one.

The Redblacks are in must-win territory and a loss would likely spell the end of their pursuit of a consecutive playoff berth. Not only are they competing with the 5-8 Toronto Argonauts for the third and final playoff spot in the East, they’re also up against the Lions, Bombers and Elks who are also eyeing a crossover if there’s no room to take the traditional route.

The Bombers, although in a better position than the Redblacks, can’t just put their feet up. Losing their last three games, the Blue and Gold are undoubtedly reeling.

While they’ve publicly kept a lid on their collective frustration, a loss to the league’s worst team would seriously challenge that composure and leave a notable dent in the Bombers’ playoff aspirations.

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca