CALGARY — The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will be rolling with Dru Brown at quarterback this week when they head to Calgary to take on the Stampeders on Friday night.
Zach Collaros sat out of practice this week with a neck injury he sustained in Edmonton and is listed as the third quarterback. That means Brown will make the start in his place after taking over seamlessly and throwing for 307 yards and four touchdowns against the Elks.
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers can stand alone atop the West Division, at least for the time being, with a win against the Calgary Stampeders at McMahon Stadium.
Winnipeg improved to 7-2 by escaping Edmonton with a 38-29 victory last week despite falling behind 22-0.
After beating Toronto, Calgary couldn’t sustain their momentum and dropped a 37-9 decision to the BC Lions.
Brown will face a Stamps pass defence led by defensive back Branden Dozier and linebacker Micah Awe, who had an interception in their loss to BC. As a unit, they’re surrendering 241.4 yards per game.
Dalton Schoen continues to be a top target thanks to his 655 receiving yards, a total that trails Alouettes receiver Austin Mack by just two for the league lead heading into this week’s action.
With Schoen, Nic Demski and Drew Wolitarsky having combined for 14 touchdowns and the Stamps coming off a game in which they allowed 320 passing yards, Brown shouldn’t be hesitant to put the ball in the air.
Should his options not be there, he’ll also have no problem handing the ball to Brady Oliveira who tops the league with 703 yards and is averaging 5.6 yards per carry. Lining up against a Stamps front that’s given up an average of 105.9, it makes for a prime opportunity to add to his totals.
Winnipeg’s defence, on the other hand, has averaged 100 yards against on the ground. Stopping the run will be the focus for O’Shea as the Stamps feature a pair of dynamic rushers in Ka’Deem Carey and Dedrick Mills. With Mills ranking third with 517 yards and Carey possessing gamebreaking ability, the front of Willie Jefferson and Jackson Jeffcoat will be asked to prevent them from getting to open space.
Quarterback Jake Maier has thrown more interceptions (11) than touchdowns (eight) so the Bombers secondary will be on high alert. Defensive back Demerio Houston leads the CFL with six interceptions and is joined downfield by Evan Holm and his eight pass knockdowns.
In classic O’Shea fashion, he admits he’s happy with where his team stands as they head into Calgary but stops short of saying they’re where they need to be.
“Room to get better,” O’Shea told bluebombers.com. “Lot of fun so far. Great group of guys always putting in the work. Fun to be around. Easy to come to work every day. They’ll continue working and continue to get better.”
Stampeders head coach Dave Dickenson has been searching for consistency all season long from Maier and a good game against a strong Bombers team could be just what he needs heading into the second half of the season.
To do it, he’ll require support from all of his receivers. No wideout had more than 36 yards against the Lions, an output that can’t be repeated if a win is to be in the cards.
The Stamps best players need to be their best players to find success. That means receivers Reggie Begelton and Tre Odoms-Dukes in the pass game have to be their regular selves.
Begelton knows he has to look in the mirror following his four catch, 33 yard performance and understands he needs to be better.
“You have to go in, watch the film and figure out what you personally can do better,” Begelton told stampeders.com. “If it comes to me with blocking, route running, you have to look at yourself personally. You can’t start pointing fingers in these situations, that’s the worst thing you can do. I’ve always been on teams that have been able to bounce back. We have to go figure it out, as simple as that. We have to make the plays.”
Coming off a game against a top tier quarterback and receiving corps, the Stamps defence should be well prepared.
Awe has been arguably one of the best defensive players all season, impacting both the pass and run games. Defensive lineman Mike Rose has seven sacks and Jordan Herdman-Reed has two fumble recoveries. Capitalizing on any mistakes is important against an offence that’s firing on all cylinders.
The Bombers can inch ahead of the Lions at the top of the West Division standings with a road win.
If the Stamps have plans to run down the Bombers and Lions, a win on Friday night is a must.
Kickoff is scheduled for 9:00 p.m. ET. Canadian viewers can watch on TSN/RDS while International and U.S. audiences can tune in on CFL+.
