CFL Week 8 Game Preview, Prediction: Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Toronto Argonauts
Perhaps when the smoke settles on the five-month CFL season, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Toronto Argonauts will once again reside near the league's top, as they have for the last few years. However, as of now, both are in unfamiliar terrain, looking up at a field of teams ahead of them.
If the season ended today, the 2-5 Bombers would be out of the playoffs. It's been nearly a decade since that's happened. Winnipeg has been to four consecutive Grey Cups and hasn't been out of championship contention since 2015. Mike O'Shea's squad is trying to dig themselves out of a hole after a 0-4 start.
The 3-3 Argonauts, losers of three of their last four, have lost more regular season games in 2024 than they did all of last year. The drop off for Double Blue was expected after an offseason of talent losses, which also saw league MOP Chad Kelly suspended. Ryan Dinwiddie's team is scrambling for answers in a predictable topsy-turvy campaign.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Toronto Argonauts Week 8 Preview
Line: Argonauts -1, O/U 49
Date/Location: Saturday, July 27, 2024, at BMO Field in Toronto
Kickoff Time: 7pm EST
Weather Forecast: Partly cloudy skies. Low 22C. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 km/h.
TV/Streaming: TSN, CFL+
- The teams’ last three games at BMO Field have been decided in the final three minutes.
- Winnipeg has won six of the teams’ previous eight matchups.
- Winnipeg has the fewest big plays (nine), while giving up the most (22).
- Zach Collaros is 10-5 versus his former team. He is 74-45 as a starter.
- Last season against Toronto, Brady Oliveira set a career-high with 169 rushing yards.
- At this point last season, Winnipeg led the league with 15 30+ yard completions. The team is currently second last with five. Toronto has four.
- The game features the league’s Top-2 rushers: Ka’Deem Carey (429) and Brady Oliveira (415). Carey leads the league with 12 runs of 10+ yards.
- Last season, the Argonauts finished with a franchise-best 14.5 return yards per punt; this year, they have 15.7.
- Last week, Toronto’s Janarion Grant tallied a kick-return touchdown for the third straight game – a 96-yard effort. He is the third player to accomplish the feat, joining Henry Williams (1990) and Chris Williams (2012).
- Grant has three of the four kick-return TDs this season.
- He has 11 career kick-return touchdowns (9 PR, 2 KO) in 47 games; his mark of one in every 4.3 games is the best in league history.
- Grant leads the league with 16.3 yards per return – a pace that would be fourth best all-time.
- Grant’s career punt return average of 13.4 ranks fourth all-time.
- On Saturday, Grant faces his former team for the first time. He holds the Bombers’ franchise record with eight kick-return touchdowns (7 PR, 1 KO).
Team Depth Charts/Lineup Notes
Bombers superstar Brady Olivera is good to go despite a shoulder injury. Defensive star Kyrie Wilson will, however, miss Saturday's game with the same injury.
The Argos defense takes another hit with the loss of Jared Brinkman. However, his fellow defensive cohort upfront, Jake Ceresna, returns to the lineup after missing last week's action. Musical chairs continue in Toronto's secondary as the returning Tarvarus McFadden reclaims his starting spot at cornerback. Benjie Franklin will man the boundary side.
Keys To the Game
Despite having top-tier ground attacks, both teams have struggled to generate explosive plays on offense.
It's not a surprise on Toronto's end, who has talked up a platoon situation at quarterback with Dukes, and veteran Nick Arbuckle. The duo is facing a defense that's allowed the most big plays of any team in the CFL this season. The Argos have to figure out a way to push the ball down the field, and perhaps use play action to set those plays up.
Teams that have opposed Toronto haven't needed to open up things offensively. The Argos pop gun attack has seen opposing teams play conservatively against them. It's time for Collaros and the Bombers to challenge Toronto's cornerbacks early and often. The Argonauts secondary has tackled poorly in the open field and is vulnerable down the field. An early Blue Bombers strike, and lead would push Toronto out of its comfort zone and force them into chase mode.
Prediction
This matchup favors Winnipeg simply because they have the better quarterback. Zach Collaros is due for a big game after dealing with losses on offense and injury. On the flip side, there's not a lot of faith in the Argos quarterback situation. You can't rely upon weekly return touchdowns from Grant to keep your team afloat. O'Shea's team will have a gameplan to slow down their former return specialist.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers 31 Toronto Argonauts 19
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