Calgary @ Winnipeg preview
Princess Auto Stadium
Last Meeting ( Oct 19, 2019 ) Winnipeg 33, Calgary 37
The Calgary Stampeders look to continue their late-season surge when they visit the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday. The Stampeders have won six of their last seven games, including a 37-33 victory against the Blue Bombers last week, to grab a share of first place in the West Division, and can clinch a home playoff date by sweeping the back-to-back set with Winnipeg.
Calgary is tied with Saskatchewan at the top of the standings but owns the tiebreaker following a 30-28 win on Oct. 11 and can clinch its fourth straight West Division title with another victory and a Roughriders' loss to the Edmonton Eskimos. The Blue Bombers are left to wonder what could've been after suffering their fourth loss in the last five games. Winnipeg sat alone in first place with a 9-3 record in early September, but has stumbled down the stretch to see their chances of winning their first division title since 2011 evaporate and hope to bounce back by posting their first road win in more than two months. "We've got a short week to prepare and we're banged up but they're banged up too," Winnipeg wide receiver Kenny Lawler told reporters. "I can't wait to get back to grinding this week because that was a street fight out there with us taking shots and them taking shots."
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, TSN
ABOUT THE STAMPEDERS (11-5): Bo Levi Mitchell competed 22-of-33 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns against Winnipeg to extend his streak of games with at least one TD pass to 15 (playoffs included). Reggie Begelton was named one of the CFL's Top Performers of the Week after hauling in four passes for 62 yards and three touchdowns to give him nine scores in his last seven games. Defensive lineman Cordarro Law, who leads the team with 10 sacks, suffered an injury in the fourth quarter against the Blue Bombers and is questionable after missing practice Tuesday while cornerback Tre Roberson is expected to play after sitting out the previous game with a concussion.
ABOUT THE BLUE BOMBERS (10-7): Chris Streveler went 18-of-27 through the air for 134 yards and a touchdown to go along with 85 rushing yards against Calgary but briefly left the game with injuries to his throwing hand and ankle and is questionable for Friday's clash. Winnipeg coach Mike O'Shea would have to choose between Sean McGuire, who came in for a series against the Stampeders, and Zach Collaros, who hasn't played since sustaining a concussion in Week 1, if Streveler is unable to recover by Friday. Andrew Harris accounted for 76 yards from scrimmage to become the seventh player in league history to reach 14,000 with 14,060.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Mitchell has thrown for more than 300 yards in four of his last five games.
2. Winnipeg is 1-4 in games decided by four points or fewer his season.
3. Calgary is 7-1 against West Division rivals in 2019.
PREDICTION: Stampeders 31, Blue Bombers 27