Edmonton @ Ottawa preview
TD Place Stadium
Last Meeting ( Aug 10, 2017 ) Edmonton 27, Ottawa 20
The Ottawa Redblacks look to build off one of their biggest wins of the season when they host the Edmonton Eskimos on Saturday. The Redblacks, who had dropped their previous two games, beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 30-25 in Week 14 to regain sole possession of first place in the East Division and hope to create some separation at the top of the standings by knocking off Edmonton in the regular season for the first time in more than two years.
"I keep telling people that the moxie and mettle of this team is something special," Ottawa quarterback Trevor Harris told reporters. "We don't have people pointing fingers when things are going badly." The Eskimos went into their off week on a high note following a 48-42 victory over the Calgary Stampeders in the Labour Day rematch. The Eskimos had dropped three of their previous four games to fall into third place before outlasting their provincial rivals and hope to take another step toward hosting a playoff game by beating the Redblacks for the third consecutive time. "I think we're right there and we just have to finish this off and have a great last six games," Edmonton coach Jason Maas told reporters. "The standings are so tight and you can't slip up at all and it starts with this one."
TV: 4 p.m. ET, TSN
ABOUT THE ESKIMOS (7-5): Mike Reilly strengthened his case to reclaim the league's Most Outstanding Player award as he threw for 397 yards and three touchdowns while adding another three TDs on the ground against Calgary. Duke Williams was the main beneficiary of Reilly's big day as he hauled in seven passes for 172 yards and a touchdown despite being hampered by an arm injury. Edmonton acquired dynamic kick returner/running back Martese Jackson, who had three kick return touchdowns last season, from the Toronto Argonauts in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2019 draft.
ABOUT THE REDBLACKS (7-5): William Powell was named one of the CFL's Top Performers of the Week after racking up 148 yards on 18 carries to go along with a pair of touchdowns against Saskatchewan and needs six yards to reach 1,000 for the second straight season. Harris bounced back from two pedestrian performances by passing for 334 yards and two touchdowns without an interception against the Roughriders after throwing three picks during Ottawa's skid. Kicker Lewis Ward continues to impress in his rookie campaign as he made a 41-yard field goal to extend his streak of consecutive makes to 30 in a row, which is tied for the third-longest in CFL history.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Powell leads the CFL in rushing yards (994).
2. Williams has registered three straight 100-yard receiving games.
3. Reilly has thrown at least one touchdown pass in every game this season.
PREDICTION: Eskimos 31, Redblacks 27