Patrick Doyle/CFL.ca
OTTAWA — The Ottawa REDBLACKS head to Winnipeg on Friday to take on the Blue Bombers and the team knows they’re in for a challenge against the West Division foe.
Not only is the Bombers offence operating efficiently this season – Andrew Harris leads the league in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns and as a team they leading the CFL in total points with 268 – their defence is one of the best through the first nine weeks of the season.
“Those front six guys are tough,” offensive coordinator Jamie Elizondo told OttawaREDBLACKS.com. “They fly around, they’re physical, they’re explosive off the ball. Those two interior guys will knock you back so we have to be stout in the middle of the pocket. On the back end, they’re smart, they play a lot of different coverages and they’re quick to transition.
“We’ve got our hands full. I think the biggest thing is that it’s an opportunistic defence and they capitalize on turnovers so we can give them any.”
RELATED:
» Preview: REDBLACKS look to stall high-flying Bombers on Friday Night Football
» Watch: REDBLACKS at Bombers preview
» Harris on matchup vs. REDBLACKS: ‘We’re two hot teams meeting’
Trevor Harris threw for over 400 yards last week against the Alouettes (The Canadian Press)
In last week’s win over the Montreal Alouettes, the REDBLACKS accumulated 601 yards of total offence but managed to score just 24 points. They also turned the ball over five times and that’s something that Elizondo is looking to fix before this week’s match against the Bombers.
“It’s a testament to our guys that we had five turnover and still won that game,” said Elizondo. “If you had told me that was the case, you don’t win football game that way. We’ve got to rectify that. That has to get fixed.”
Keeping Trevor Harris protected in the pocket will be one of the keys for the REDBLACKS offence as the Bombers lead the league in sacks with 21 on the season. Winnipeg also leads the league in interceptions with 11.
“If you don’t have those turnovers you end up with more points,” Elizondo continued. “I think those two things go hand in hand. We have to protect the ball and we’ve got to score points.”
– With files from OttawaREDBLACKS.com
