WINNIPEG — Receiver Kevin Cone hadn’t seen a three-down football game until he watched Winnipeg’s loss to Calgary last week.
Now the native of Stone Mountain, Ga., who signed with the Blue Bombers on Sept. 22, will make his first CFL start Saturday against Edmonton and its stingy, top-ranked defence.
"I’m a quick learner," Cone said after the team’s walkthrough Friday. "I feel like I’m really comfortable with the offence now. I think my size and my speed can definitely help on the outside. I plan to use it."
The six-foot-two receiver brings some NFL experience to his new job. He played 29 games — mostly in special-team roles — over three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons.
The Bombers are starting four import receivers this week after shuffling Canadian Kris Bastien to a backup role. Winnipeg (4-9) remains in the playoff hunt after recent losses by B.C. (4-8) and Montreal (5-8).
"We’ve got to stop talking about other people helping us and help ourselves," Bombers head coach Mike O’ Shea said.
Guard Selvish Capers is making his debut for Winnipeg against the team that traded him last month, while Derrell Johnson will replace injured defensive lineman Greg Peach (lower body).
The 9-4 Eskimos are on a three-game winning streak and have history on their side against the Bombers.
They’ve won the last five head-to-head matchups and held Winnipeg to nine points or less over the last three meetings. Edmonton crushed Winnipeg 32-3 back on July 25.
If the Bombers are seeking an edge, it may come from quarterback Matt Nichols. Edmonton traded him to Winnipeg on Sept. 2 after five seasons.
So how does he lead the Winnipeg offence against Edmonton’s stellar defence, which has given up the league’s fewest points (238 for an average of 18.3 per game)?
"They have a lot of moving parts," Nichols said. "They try to pressure you different ways and disguise coverages. I think it’s just not panicking and just going through your reads."
He has heard from a few of his former teammates this week and received a text from receiver Nate Coehoorn that said, "We’re coming for you."
There’s a dinner planned, but that friendliness won’t extend to the field.
"Once the game starts, it’s going to be nameless faces to me," Nichols said. "I don’t care who they are. We’re going to go out and run our stuff and try to be successful and take care of the football."
While Nichols knows Edmonton’s defence, the Eskimos know the quarterback’s style as well.
"Everyone’s going to try to use that to their advantage," said Edmonton linebacker J.C. Sherritt, who trains with Nichols in the off-season. "But at the end of the day, like every week, if we line up and we execute what we’ve been taught and play our fundamentals we’ll be fine."
In its past two wins, Edmonton has had to engineer comebacks.
"So far, I think the biggest factor in stopping us has been ourselves," Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly said. "Thankfully we haven’t stopped ourselves enough to lose the football game, but if we get out of our own way we’ll be just fine."
Edmonton is making some roster changes as well. Defensive lineman Eddie Steele is back after missing two games with an injury.
Receiver Shamawd Chambers is making his season debut now that he’s recovered from a torn knee ligament and Sederrik Cunningham will replace injured kick returner Kendial Lawrence.
