The Ottawa REDBLACKS are looking to shake off a hard-fought overtime defeat to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers last week as they take on the Edmonton Eskimos Saturday evening on the road.
Ottawa (8-6, 1st in East Division) mounted a furious fourth quarter comeback against the Bombers, only to lose to Winnipeg in the extra frame.
Rick Campbell’s team did have success against Edmonton in their first meeting of the season. When the teams squared off at TD Place in Week 15, Ottawa came away 28-15 victors while putting up just shy of 500 yards of offence.
The Eskimos (7-8, 5th in West) have been floundering as of late. They find themselves in the basement of the West Division thanks to a three-game losing streak, meaning they have not won a game in over a month.
STORYLINES
Powell stays hot – William Powell held on to his spot atop the CFL rushing chart thanks to a 95-yard performance against Winnipeg. Powell had over 100 all-purpose yards and a receiving touchdown in the overtime defeat.
Playoffs clinched – The East Division playoff picture is becoming clear. Ottawa and Hamilton have both clinched their postseason berths, but a semi-final bye and home-field advantage in the East Final is still on the line.
Harris looking good – Trevor Harris has been quietly having a banner season for the REDBLACKS. The pivot has the fewest interceptions among starting quarterbacks (10) while also having the most pass attempts (520). Unsurprisingly, Harris’s 68.9 completion percentage is the best in the league.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
The Eskimos have been cold in recent weeks, and so has their quarterback. Mike Reilly hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass since that Week 15 matchup with Ottawa. During their three-game skid, the reigning MOP hasn’t passed for over 300 yards in a single game, and has thrown six interceptions.
The loss of receiver Derel Walker to injury hasn’t been easy for the Eskimos to overcome. D’haquille Williams is still leading the league in targets and receiving yards, but other Esks wideouts will need to start stepping up. Kenny Stafford, Bryant Mitchell and Vidal Hazelton are each seeing an increased workload.
The running game has been steady, but doesn’t win Edmonton games. C.J. Gable is third in league rushing, but has only rushed for over 100 yards once this season.
Defensive lineman Kwaku Boateng has eight sacks on the year – already double what he put up in 2017. The green & gold defensive line is second in the league in sacks, and got to Trevor Harris six times in their last matchup.
The defence as a whole has been suspect, giving up the third-most points in the CFL and the most in the West Division. J.C. Sherritt is a difference maker and sophomore Christophe Mulumba is having a breakout campaign.
GAME INFO
Edmonton Eskimos vs Ottawa REDBLACKS | Week 18 – October 13, 2018
Kickoff – 5:00 p.m. EDT | Commonwealth Stadium
BROADCAST INFO
TV (EN): TSN | Online: TSN.ca/LIVE / TSN GO
TV (FR): RDS 2
TV: (Int’l): ESPN + | BT Sport (UK/Ireland)
Radio (EN): TSN 1200 | TSN1200.ca
Radio (FR): fm 104,7 | FM1047.ca
