HAMILTON — For the second time in four weeks, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Winnipeg Blue Bombers will square off when they wrap up FanDuel Canada Day Weekend.
It was Hamilton who took the first matchup, 37-27, in Week 2 in Winnipeg.
The scene shifts to Hamilton Stadium on Sunday night with the Tiger-Cats owning a 2-1 record and the Blue Bombers coming in sitting at 1-2.
FANDUEL CANADA DAY WEEKEND
» Depth Charts: WPG | HAM
» Game Notes: Blue Bombers at Tiger-Cats
» Tickets: Winnipeg at Hamilton
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WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
1. PASS DEFENCE REDEMPTION
The Bombers kept Ticats’ pivot Bo Levi Mitchell to 287 yards the last time they met, but he found the end zone three times. The secondary anchored by Evan Holm, Redha Kramdi and Deatrick Nichols own the best pass defence in terms of average yards against after four weeks, but will be hoping for better results on the scoreboard.
2. THE LEGS OF BRADY OLIVEIRA
Running back Brady Oliveira’s best game was his first of the season when he put up 113 yards and a touchdown in Week 1. The next week he was limited to 32 yards by Hamilton’s front. Oliveira isn’t the only rusher the Ticats have made life difficult on, as they came into the week with the second best run defence.
3. HOLD ON TO THE BALL
The Bombers fumbled six times against Edmonton a week ago, coughing up three of them for turnovers. They can’t afford to have it happen again against a team that’s averaging 35 points per game.
HAMILTON TIGER-CATS
1. RUN IT UP
Running back Larry Rountree III had a season-best 124 rushing yards in the first game against Winnipeg, but has averaged just 3.2 yards per carry in his other two starts. Will the Winnipeg defensive front adjust, or will Rountree exploit them again?
2. KENNY LAWLER VS. TIM WHITE ROUND 2
It’s always intriguing to watch players face their former teams. When those players can still change a game, it’s even better. Kenny Lawler was held to 17 yards on a pair of receptions in Week 2 for the Tiger-Cats, while Tim White pulled down four catches for 79 yards for the Blue Bombers. The Ticats need Lawler to outperform his counterpart this time around.
3. GRIND THE DEFENCE
Hamilton’s gone two-and-out on just 18 per cent of possessions so far this season, the second lowest percentage in the league entering this week’s action. The longer they can hold on to the ball, the better chance Mitchell, Rountree, Lawler and the rest of the offence has to put up points.
NEED TO KNOW:
- Wynton McManis is set to make his Tiger-Cats debut after missing the team’s first three games with a knee injury, as he is behind linebacker Ryan Baker on the team’s depth chart.
- Hamilton had an extra week of preparation after being on a bye in Week 4.
- This is the final meeting of the season between the Ticats and Bombers.
- Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET, and can be watched on TSN in Canada, on CBSSN in the U.S., and on CFL+ internationally.
