It's the last game of the season on Sunday night as the
champions of the East and West Divisions meet. It's the Grey Cup, the CFL's
Super Bowl.
Edmonton Eskimos v Ottawa Redblacks
Investors Group Field, Winnipeg
Investors Group Field, Winnipeg
Sunday 29 November
live coverage from 11.30pm on BT Sport ESPN.
live coverage from 11.30pm on BT Sport ESPN.
Weather forecast: Dry, light winds, -5°C (That's fairly mild for Winnipeg at this time
of year, it's been down to -18°C some nights this week.)
The two teams who've timed their best form to the last weeks
of the season are meeting in Winnipeg on Sunday night.
For Edmonton it's the first time they've reached this stage
since 2005 and they last won in 2002.
They finished the regular season with a 14&4 record and defeated
their great rivals, the Calgary Stampeders, to become Western champions.
Ottawa are the fairy tale story. They only joined the league
last year as an expansion team and have jumped from only two wins in their
first season to champions of the East. It's no surprise that Rick Campbell has
won the Coach of the Year award.
Players to watch
The Ottawa offence is led by the veteran quarterback
Henry Burris who has quite rightly won the year's Most Outstanding Player
award. Two other players won awards too (see further down). Four receivers had
1000 yard seasons but Greg Ellingson has been the stand out in the last couple
of games. He made the sensational 93 yard touchdown which got Ottawa here. Then
there's ex quarterback turned receiver Brad Sinopoli who's won the Canadian
Player of the Year award. The defence were the CFL sack leaders, watch out for
lineman Shawn Lemon who came in from the San Francisco 49ers as an injury
replacement and has anchored the unit.
Edmonton's defence was stingiest in total points and
yards allowed. Among it's stars are rookie back John Ojo, who opposing QBs try
to avoid, linebacker JC Sherrit and sack leader Odell Willis. The offence is
led by Mike Reilly at quarterback who's favourite receivers are slotback
Adarius Bowman and wide receiver Derel Walker, the Rookie of the Year. Kendial
Lawrence poses a threat on kick returns too.
Who will win?
The bookmakers have Edmonton as seven point favourites to win the game. They beat Ottawa comfortably in their two meetings this season, but those were back in July and a lot has changed since then. I'll say the Eskimos will spoil the Ottawa “worst to first” narrative and take it, but with very low confidence.
The bookmakers have Edmonton as seven point favourites to win the game. They beat Ottawa comfortably in their two meetings this season, but those were back in July and a lot has changed since then. I'll say the Eskimos will spoil the Ottawa “worst to first” narrative and take it, but with very low confidence.
Other News
Ottawa Redblacks dominated this year's Shaw CFL Awards
which were presented on Thursday night.
MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER: Henry Burris, QB (Ottawa REDBLACKS)
MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER: Henry Burris, QB (Ottawa REDBLACKS)
COACH OF THE YEAR: Rick Campbell, Head Coach (Ottawa
REDBLACKS)
MOST OUTSTANDING OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: SirVincent Rogers, OL
(Ottawa REDBLACKS)
MOST OUTSTANDING DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Adam Bighill, LB (BC
Lions)
MOST OUTSTANDING SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER: Brandon Banks,
REC/RET (Hamilton Tiger-Cats)
MOST OUTSTANDING ROOKIE: Derel Walker, REC (Edmonton
Eskimos)
MOST OUTSTANDING CANADIAN: Brad Sinopoli, REC (Ottawa
REDBLACKS)
Some Grey Cup notes
Spare a thought for CFL pundit Tyrell Owchar who contributes
to the Two and Out podcast. Before
the season started he declared that Ottawa had no chance of winning twelve
games. If they did, he said, he would submit himself to a Brazilian waxing. The
latest reports are that a suitable salon has been booked in Winnipeg for Ty to
make good on the bet.
The Grey Cup was first presented in 1909. It was donated by
Earl Grey, the Governor General of Canada, originally to be played for by
amateur rugby clubs. It still bears the wording “Amateur Rugby Football
Championship of Canada”.
This year's game brings reminders of the 1981 Grey Cup. That
game featured the Edmonton Eskimos and a previous CFL franchise in Ottawa, the
Rough Riders. Just like this year the Esks had had two bye weeks before the
divisional final and came in as favourites. That Ottawa team hold the record
for the team to make the final after the worst regular season record, they'd
finished 5 & 11.
The game was a lot closer than expected. Edmonton, led by
Warren Moon at QB, were 22.5 favourites to win but the final score was 26-23,
the Eskimos won only by a last minute field goal!
There's another connection too, the Edmonton Head Coach was
Hugh Campbell, the father of the current Redblacks head coach Rick Campbell.
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