Toronto @ Winnipeg preview
Princess Auto Stadium
Last Meeting ( Jul 27, 2018 ) Toronto 14, Winnipeg 40
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers look to stay unbeaten when they host the Toronto Argonauts on Friday. The Blue Bombers cruised past the previously undefeated Ottawa Redblacks 29-14 last Friday in the nation's capital despite an injury to starting quarterback Matt Nichols, who resumed practice this week, and hope to extend their lead at the top of the West Division by improving to 4-0 for the first time since 2003.
"For us it's understanding that our three wins mean nothing unless we continue to play good football," Nichols told reporters. "We need to continue to rack up the wins and try to stay ahead of everyone for as long as we can." Toronto is left to pick up the pieces after suffering a heartbreaking 18-17 loss against the BC Lions in Week 4 to remain winless. The Argonauts were outscored 96-21 over their first two games, but gave BC all it could handle as they tied the game with 40 seconds left in the fourth quarter before Chris Rainey failed to run a missed field goal out of the end zone - which resulted in the deciding single - and they hope to turn things around by notching their first road win since Nov. 4, 2017. "It was a hard feeling to lose like that," Rainey told reporters. "That one point was crucial and that's a dangerous one point."
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, TSN
ABOUT THE ARGONAUTS (0-3): McLeod Bethel-Thompson threw for 303 yards and a touchdown in place of James Franklin, who is currently on the six-game injured list with a hamstring issue. James Wilder Jr. racked up 109 yards from scrimmage to go along with a receiving touchdown while Rainey, who spent the previous four seasons with BC, returned a punt 79 yards for a score - the seventh kick-return TD of his CFL career. Toronto signed kicker Tyler Crapigna, who made 36-of-42 field goal attempts with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2017, and released kicker Drew Brown.
ABOUT THE BLUE BOMBERS (3-0): Nichols threw for 262 yards and a touchdown before going into the concussion protocol when he took a hard hit midway through the third quarter, and is expected to play on Friday. Backup quarterback Chris Streveler rushed for 44 yards and a pair of touchdowns to go along with a TD toss while Mike Miller was named one of the CFL's Top Performers of the Week after matching a league record with seven special-teams tackles. Wide receiver Chris Matthews, who was one of Winnipeg's marquee signings in free agency, will be sidelined for a week with a finger injury while linebacker Adam Bighill could return after missing the Week 4 win with a hamstring issue.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Nichols is tied for the league lead with seven touchdown passes.
2. Toronto has dropped 12 of its last 13 games dating back to last season.
3. Winnipeg hasn't surrendered an offensive touchdown in two games.
PREDICTION: Blue Bombers 33, Argonauts 19