Edmonton @ Ottawa preview
TD Place Stadium
Last Meeting ( Aug 9, 2019 ) Ottawa 12, Edmonton 16
The Edmonton Eskimos look to end their longest losing streak in more than two years when they visit the nation's capital to take on the Ottawa Redblacks on Saturday. The Eskimos dropped a 30-27 decision to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Week 15 to suffer their fourth consecutive defeat while falling below .500 for the first time and hope to turn their fortunes around by sweeping the season series with the Redblacks following a 16-12 victory Aug. 9.
"At the end of the day we have to play our best football at the right time," Edmonton quarterback Logan Kilgore told reporters. "We've got to get ourselves out of this hole and play well this week." Ottawa is left to go back to the drawing board after another blowout loss to the last-place BC Lions. The Redblacks were outscored 69-12 in the home-and-home set to the Lions, including a 40-7 loss last weekend, to see their losing streak reach six games and look to keep their slim playoff hopes alive by positing their first victory at TD Place Stadium in more than three months. "It's embarrassing when you lose by a lot of points and it's embarrassing when you lose at home in front of your fans," Ottawa wide receiver Brad Sinopoli told reporters. "I look around and think we have really good players but for whatever reason it's just not coming together."
TV: 4 p.m. ET, TSN, RDS2
ABOUT THE ESKIMOS (6-7): Kilgore completed 22-of-36 passes for 223 yards and a pair of touchdowns but threw three interceptions in his first start with the league's leading passer Trevor Harris (3,706) nursing an injury to his throwing arm. C.J. Gable accounted for 97 yards from scrimmage while Greg Ellingson made three catches for 50 yards and a touchdown as the Eskimos stormed back from a 24-point deficit to level the contest only to see Lirim Hajrullahu bank in the winning field goal off the upright as time expired. Kilgore will get his second straight start with Harris still on the shelf while Edmonton added linebacker Kaulana Apelu to the practice squad.
ABOUT THE REDBLACKS (3-10): Jonathon Jennings was limited to 121 yards on 8-of-17 passing before he was pulled late in the third quarter in favour of Will Arndt (6-of-11 for 61 yards) against BC. Ottawa coach Rick Campbell revealed that Dominique Davis, who started seven games this season, will split snaps with Jennings on Saturday while linebacker Jerod Fernandez is poised to return after missing three games with an undisclosed injury. R.J. Harris caught four passes for a team-high 88 yards before suffering a leg injury and is questionable for Saturday.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Ottawa is 1-6 at home this season.
2. Kilgore has four touchdown passes and 14 interceptions in nine career games.
3. The Redblacks have lost eight games by 14 or more points in 2019.
PREDICTION: Eskimos 33, Redblacks 18