CALGARY — The Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Winnipeg Blue Bombers meet for the 11th time in Grey Cup history Sunday, and people here are split on which team is going to lift the trophy.
Hamilton has been dominant all year, and history is on their side: five of the last six 15-win teams have hoisted the Grey Cup.
On the other hand, the team with the most rushing yards has won the Grey Cup in eight of that last nine years, and Winnipeg boasts the most dominant rushing attack in the league.
On paper, the teams are pretty evenly matched.
| Hamilton | Winnipeg | |
|---|---|---|
| Points for | 30.6 (1st) | 28.2 (2nd) |
| Pass yards | 313.3 (1st) | 212.2 (9th) |
| Rush yards | 100.4 (4th) | 147.9 (1st) |
| 2nd down conversion | 50.5 (1st) | 48.9 (5th) |
So, Sportsnet canvassed three of the CFL’s best players to get their perspective on what each team needs to do on Sunday and who is going to win.
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Here’s how Edmonton Eskimos quarterback Trevor Harris, Montreal Alouettes linebacker Henoc Muamba and Saskatchewan Roughriders receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux see Sunday’s big game unfolding.
SN: What does each team need to do to be successful in the Grey Cup?
Trevor Harris: “When you’re in big games, you start to wonder, ‘What can we do to throw them off? what can we do to break our tendencies?’ But I think the biggest thing in big games is be who you are. Sometimes people go awry and they try and surprise and do things they aren’t great at. Winnipeg, they’re great at running the football, ball control, they play amazing special teams and they rush the passer extremely well. If they stick to their strengths, that gives them the best chance.
Hamilton has been really good at finding creative ways to get Brandon Banks and Bralon Addison the ball in space. They’re really crafty in their run game and their screen game and when they do those things they’re at their best. On defence, they have Ja’Gared Davis and Julian Howsare and they have guys that push the pocket in the middle and when they do those things they’re at their best. They are a very tight-knit group in the defensive backfield. When they do get that pass rush, they can makes plays on the ball in the secondary.
Both of those teams have done a great job of saying, ‘This is our strength and this is what we’re going to do.’ That’s what they’ve done all year and that’s one of the reasons they find themselves playing on the last Sunday in November.”
Henoc Muamba: “I think for Hamilton, they’re going to have to be great in protection. I think Winnipeg’s strength is in their D-line. If they’re able to get to Dane Evans, who at the end of the day this is still his first big game in the CFL. If Winnipeg can affect him, that’s going to be a problem for Hamilton.
For Winnipeg, definitely getting Andrew Harris going is going to be key and important for them, establishing the running game.
Defensively, you have to make Collaros one dimensional. If Hamilton can stop their running game than Collaros is one dimensional.
Then again, Paul LaPolice does a good job of putting in Chris Streveler every once in a while, to keep the defence off balance. That flexibility really helps Winnipeg a lot. It’s hard to defend against a running quarterback. Defences are not built to defend against a running quarterback and what they do really well is a lot of misdirection which keeps you off balance, so if you’re not sound you’re in trouble.”
Emmanuel Arceneaux: “You have a team like Winnipeg that milks the clock and runs the ball. You have a team in Hamilton with an aggressive defence that plays with swagger and on offence that just wants to light it up.
Keep the other offence off the field. ‘Speedy B’ can’t beat you if he’s not on the field. With Zach Collaros being a quarterback that can strike from any area on the field, he can’t beat you if he isn’t on the field. So, it’s going to come down to really which offence can actually stay out there the longest because I think it will be a good defensive battle. If your defence is playing more plays than your offence, you’re in trouble.”
SN: Who is playing in the game that you would you like to see win a Grey Cup?
Harris: “Adam Bighill and Zach Collaros.
As much as I want to see Zach and Biggie win, there are some guys on Hamilton you’d love to see win. Delvin Breaux, Brandon Banks, those guys have been through the ringer. When you think Hamilton Tiger-Cats, you think Simoni Lawrence.
It’s tough to say one guy in particular, I’m just close with Adam Bighill and I’m a big admirer of who he is and what he stands for, and Zach is one of my close buddies, so that’s the reason I said them.”
Muamba: “Cameron Marshall and Tyrell Sutton for Hamilton. Both have had up-and-down seasons, as far as injuries are concerned, on and off the roster. For Sutty, I’ve played against him in the past and played with him last year and he’s just a really good dude and I’d like to see him win one. I would of said Willie Jefferson, but he won CFL’s most outstanding defensive player award and he has won a Grey Cup before so I won’t put him in there.”
Arceneaux: “Both teams have droughts that would be nice to end. This would be nice for Orlondo Steinauer. Coach Mark Washington I had in B.C. with Jeff Reinebold, Robin Ross and Randy Melvin, it would be good to see them go get a championship after being removed from football in B.C.
Then you look at Winnipeg, it would be nice for them. Milt Stegall is on the panel and never won a Grey Cup.
It would be good to see either team win it. Both teams can’t but history will be made with this game either way.”
SN: What’s your prediction of what’s going to happen?
Harris: “This is a true toss-up game. It’s going to be close. If I was on the TV panel, I’d give you my prediction but I don’t want to side one way or the other.”
Muamba: “Hamilton wins 34-21.”
Arceneaux: “I think it’s going to be a good game. I’d roll with the Ticats if I had to pick.”
