Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
TORONTO — For two teams that have combined for four straight losses, expect no shortage of firepower on Saturday night from the Eskimos and REDBLACKS.
It was full tilt the last time these teams met back in Week 1, a Grey Cup rematch in which they played to a 45-37 Ottawa REDBLACKS victory in overtime. And neither team has slowed down since then, the REDBLACKS coming into the weekend with the No. 1-ranked offence (446.2 yards per game) and the Eskimos not far behind in second (433.6).
Who can score more points in the end? That’s the question heading into the Week 7 marquee matchup, because so far there’s been little to separate two of the league’s most explosive teams along with players like Chris Williams, Greg Ellingson, Adarius Bowman and Derel Walker.
Mike Reilly leads the CFL in passing yards and is on pace to break the all-time single-season record for yards in a season for the Eskimos. Trevor Harris is out of the lineup for Ottawa but last year’s Most Outstanding Player in Henry Burris is a welcome replacement.
The defences, meanwhile, are struggling to find their footing — Ottawa checking in at fourth overall and the Eskimos ranking second-last with more than 400 yards allowed per game.
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With two teams coming in hungry on the heels of back-to-back losses, Saturday’s matchup to close out Week 7 has all the makings of a classic at Ottawa’s TD Place.
The REDBLACKS have not yet won at home this season and after a dominant start to their 2016 slate have fallen behind slightly in the East. Edmonton, meanwhile, has gotten more than enough from its offence but hasn’t been able to overcome a shaky defence hit by numerous losses after winning the 103rd Grey Cup Championship last November.
It means expect plenty of urgency.
Ottawa has the slight edge on paper, receiving 60 per cent of fan picks on Pick ‘Em and four out of seven writer picks. But the Eskimos were step for step with Ottawa in Week 1 and would have opened with a win if not for a 55-yard field goal by Chris Milo in the game’s final minute.
CFL.ca Writer Picks
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| Pedersen (2-2-1) | Landry (4-0-1) | Steinberg (2-2-1) | Nye (3-1-1) |
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| Morris (3-1-1) | Dunk (3-1-1) | Cauz (3-1-1) |
Put this one under the category of too close to call, and the last one like that ended in a tie.
Keep an eye on the pick trend and if you haven’t already, log in and make your pick! Kickoff is Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. ET.
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