Bombers, Ticats set for midweek matchup in Winnipeg

WINNIPEG — It seems like all the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Hamilton Tiger-Cats needed to break out offensively was a trip to Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium.

The Bombers went into Edmonton last week and pulled out a 30-23 victory to snap a two-game skid, while the Tabbies visited Edmonton in Week 5 and exploded for 37 points, a historic comeback and their third road win to start the season.

This week’s edition of Wednesday Night Football pits the Ticats — still undefeated on the road — against the Bombers, who have yet to win on home turf at Investors Group Field in 2016.

Winnipeg will once again turn to Matt Nichols under centre on Wednesday. Nichols, an ex-Eskimo, was superb for the Bombers in their win against his former team last week, throwing for over 300 yards and a touchdown.

Though the return of quarterback Zach Collaros seems imminent for the Tabbies, Jeremiah Masoli will make his sixth start of the season on the back of a record-setting performance in Edmonton two weeks ago.

The Ticats roll into Winnipeg off a bye week with a 3-2 record and, with Ottawa in a two-game slump, an eye on first place in the East Division.

“Our guys are focused on what they need to do individually to get better as a football player,” Ticats head coach Kent Austin told Ticats.ca. “As each week passes, then collectively we play better as a unit on both sides of the ball and special teams.”

Hamilton will be without the services of defensive back Johnny Sears Jr., who was placed on the six-game injured list following the win over the Eskimos. The veteran defender sat fourth on the Ticats with 21 tackles through Week 6. South Carolina State-product Dominique Ellis is expected to slot in at halfback for Sears.

The Ticat defence has been nothing short of terrifying through its first five games of 2016, forcing eight fumbles (second in CFL) and a league-high 20 sacks.

Hamilton’s front seven, meanwhile, has been the undisputed best in the league through the first third of the season. All four of the Tabbies’ starters on the defensive line have registered at least two sacks, while a balanced group of linebackers led by Simoni Lawrence has made well over 50 tackles on the season.

Ticats return man Brandon Banks is once again a top special-teams performer in the league in 2016 with one punt return TD and 12.3-yard average return to his name already.

While Winnipeg is riding the high of a strong road performance in Edmonton last week, the Bombers are a bruised and battered bunch entering Week 7.

Top receivers Darvin Adams (upper-body) and Weston Dressler (leg) are both expected to miss a significant length of time. Their absences will put pressure on the likes of Jace Davis, Rory Kohlert and rookie Thomas Mayo to pick up the slack, along with recent veteran addition Clarence Denmark.

Of course, the offence will still largely run through Nichols under centre and dual-threat running back Andrew Harris, who ran for a season-high 127 yards and his first rush touchdown against Edmonton last week.

For either to replicate their standout performance from Week 6 on Wednesday, they know their offensive line will be key against Orlando Steinauer’s defence.

“It starts and finishes with (the O-line), ” Harris told BlueBombers.com. “They’re the guys that get it going, pass blocking or run blocking — they’re the heartbeat of this offence, and they were creating lanes and distortion in the run game, and ultimately took the defence out of the game.”

Winnipeg offensive coordinator Paul LaPolice understands the challenge Hamilton’s aggressive defence could pose.

“You have to do a good job against Hamilton of not giving them any mistakes,” said LaPolice, who explained his team spent more time preparing for blitz packages this week. “That’s been the focus for us — protect the football — we have to handle everything they throw at us and take care of the ball.”

A new face will feature in the Bombers’ receiving core on Wednesday night, as UTEP alum Kris Adams will slide into the lineup in Weston Dressler’s short-side receiver slot. Adams will be activated from the six-game injury list on Tuesday.

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Matt Nichols will have to make it work with a depleted receiving corps vs. the Ticats (The Canadian Press)

By the Numbers

3 – Number of fumbles forced already this season by Ticats safety Courtney Stephen.

3 – Team-high sacks recorded by Winnipeg defensive lineman Jamaal Westerman.

23 – Consecutive completions by Hamilton QB Jeremiah Masoli in Week 5 — a CFL record.

857 – Receiving yards out of the Winnipeg lineup with the absences of Darvin Adams and Weston Dressler.

The Skinny

Both Hamilton and Winnipeg are looking to build off impressive road wins in Edmonton.

In the Ticats’ case, an otherworldly second-half performance from Jeremiah Masoli pushed them over the hump at Commonwealth Stadium in Week 5. In Winnipeg’s Week 6 win, it was the play on the line which powered the Bombers to a victory largely seen as a surprise by the rest of the league.

The Ticats have the best defensive line in the CFL, bar none. Winnipeg’s offensive line did its job against the Eskimos last week, but trying to deal with a front seven as aggressive and varied as Hamilton’s will be substantially more difficult for the Bombers as they search for their first home victory of 2016.

Kickoff is slated for 8:30 p.m. ET and can be seen live on TSN or followed online via CFL.ca GameTracker.

With files from TiCats.ca/bluebombers.com

CFL Fantasy

What the fans are saying:

Roughly three-quarters of CFL fans are picking Hamilton to remain perfect on the road (and Winnipeg to remain winless at IGF).

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What the writers are saying: