The current forecast for Sunday in Regina is clear, not too windy, little chance of snow and hovering around zero degrees Celsius or slightly below, which means the passing game should be a major factor in the 101st Grey Cup.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats have two of the most potent offences in the CFL and fans might be in for a shootout at Mosaic Stadium. Darian Durant and Henry Burris have the two strongest arms in the league and they’ll be looking downfield at a plethora of quality targets.
Whichever team’s receivers are more reliable on game day could end up being the difference and each team basically has three go-to guys.
The Riders rely heavily on Weston Dressler, Chris Getzlaf and Taj Smith, while the Ticats will look often to Andy Fantuz, Bakari Grant and the emerging Greg Ellingson.
In Week 4, Durant went off for 347 yards and four TDs in a 37-0 blowout of the Ticats, who only mustered 179 passing yards that game. The following week, backup Riders QB Drew Willy put up 269 yards and three TDs in a 32-20 win over the Ticats. However, Burris did manage to throw for 395 yards and two touchdowns in a losing effort.
RIDERS
Total receiving yards: 4,794
Targets/completions: 371-601 (61.7 per cent)
Touchdowns: 35
Number of players that caught a pass: 15
TICATS
Total receiving yards: 5,394
Targets/completions: 418-635 (65.8 per cent)
Touchdowns: 28
Number of players that caught a pass: 21
There’s no doubt Fantuz, the former Riders standout, will be the focal point of the Ticats’ passing attack, but Burris can also look to Sam Giguere on short routes or C.J. Gable out of the backfield.
Durant, meanwhile, will certainly target the sure-handed Dressler in the end zone, but he also has the luxury of looking to veteran Geroy Simon or running back Kory Sheets when his top options are covered.
Who has the edge?
Riders.
The Hamilton receivers have the ability to go off, but the Riders matchup so well against the Ticats.
The Riders had the best pass defence in the league, giving up just 226.9 yards per game through the air, while the Ticats were middle of the pack and allowed 242.9 passing yards per game.
Fans should be in for a treat and the defensive backs will need to be on their game.
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