Bombers look to shine versus Argos with much at stake for both sides

The occurrence wrong Brady Oliveira is burning a spot hotter this week, which could spell occupation for the Toronto Argonauts.

The Blue Bombers prima moving backmost said helium and the offence are acceptable to instrumentality connected the CFL’s champion tally defence astatine a sold-out Princess Auto Stadium connected Friday, particularly with the stakes truthful high.

A Winnipeg triumph would gain the squad (10-6) a ninth consecutive triumph and clinch archetypal spot successful the CFL West Division with the reward of hosting the last connected Nov. 9.

“Every week I’m going to tally hard, I’m going to tally tough, but possibly successful the magnitude of this game, knowing what’s connected the enactment for us, I deliberation that’s each that has to bash it for myself,” Oliveira said aft Thursday’s walk-through practice.

“The squad needs my best, evidently each azygous week, but particularly successful this game. And if we’ve got to enactment it connected our backs, we’ll bash so.”

Oliveira leads the league successful rushing with 1,254 yards disconnected 216 carries, bully for a league-high 83.6-yard mean per game.

He’s coming disconnected a season-high 147 yards with 1 touchdown successful past week’s 31-10 triumph implicit the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Friday’s lucifer pits him against an Argonaut defence that has lone allowed an mean of 75.5 yards per game.

A necktie against Toronto (8-7) would besides springiness the Bombers their 4th consecutive part title. If they lose, they could inactive seizure archetypal spot if the Saskatchewan Roughriders suffer oregon necktie astatine location against the B.C. Lions connected Saturday.

The Argonauts besides person a playoff extremity wrong reach.

A triumph oregon necktie against the Blue Bombers would springiness Toronto an East Division playoff spot and destruct Hamilton from post-season play. If the Argos lose, the Ticats (6-10) stay successful the hunt and person already swept Toronto 3-0 successful their play series.

The Argonauts handed the Bombers their past nonaccomplishment connected July 27, a 16-14 triumph that enactment Winnipeg’s grounds astatine 2-6 aft a 0-4 start.

Toronto caput manager Ryan Dinwiddie said he’s not amazed by Winnipeg’s turnaround since that game.

“I deliberation they got steadfast and they got connected a streak and their defence is playing truly bully close now,” helium said.

One main alteration since that triumph is Toronto’s starting quarterback.

Chad Kelly was serving a nine-game league suspension astatine the clip and is making his archetypal vocation commencement against Winnipeg.

He’s 3-3 since his instrumentality and has struggled to technologist touchdown drives, passing for 1,917 yards with six TDs and 8 interceptions.

“I’m inactive trying to get backmost into the groove, the rhythm,” Kelly said. “It’s astir timing, really. Just being connected the aforesaid leafage with everybody.”

Veteran antiaircraft tackle Jake Thomas said Winnipeg’s defence knows Kelly tin interruption retired astatine immoderate time.

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“For the astir part, helium tin bash it all,” Thomas said. “Even erstwhile he’s corralled and it looks similar he’s going to beryllium taken down for a sack, there’s been 2 oregon 3 plays this twelvemonth wherever helium benignant of pitches it retired past second.

“He’s a beauteous bully improviser. He does good extending plays. When helium does flight the pocket, that’s truly erstwhile I deliberation helium shows disconnected that large limb strength. I deliberation the champion happening we tin bash is effort to corral him and support him successful the pocket.”

The Bombers are besides alert of Toronto’s coagulated tally game, which tops the league with an mean of 126.1 yards per game. Winnipeg is 3rd astatine 115 yards.

Ka’Deem Carey has carried astir of the load for the Argos and is 34 yards shy of reaching 1,000 connected the season.

Winnipeg’s defence is ranked sixth against the run, allowing an mean of 104.4 yards per game.
Bombers backmost Zach Collaros said Toronto’s defence is bully astatine disguising coverages and has a beardown beforehand seven.

“They don’t bash arsenic galore things arsenic immoderate of the teams that we’ve gone against recently, but what they do, they truly person content successful their strategy and they bash it truly well,” Collaros said.

“They bash a large occupation astatine taking the shot distant and they’re truly opportunistic.”

TORONTO ARGONAUTS (8-7) AT WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (10-6)
Friday, Princess Auto Stadium
REST PAYS OFF: The Argonauts are coming disconnected a bye week and athletics a 7-0 grounds since 2022 erstwhile returning aft a break.
HOME SWEET HOME: Friday’s crippled marks Winnipeg’s 4th consecutive sellout of 32,343, keeping the nine arsenic the league person successful attendance for a 3rd consecutive year. The Bombers’ full location attendance this play volition decorativeness astatine 280,497 fans, an mean of 31,166 per game. Both marks are single-season franchise records.