WINNIPEG — West Division rivals clash on Friday Night Football when the Calgary Stampeders head to Winnipeg to take on the Blue Bombers at Princess Auto Stadium.
Calgary has dropped two straight, both to the Montreal Alouettes, and sit four points behind the third place Bombers.
Winnipeg has reeled off three straight victories.
Here’s three keys to victory for each team ahead of Friday’s 8:30 p.m. ET kickoff, which can be watched on TSN/RDS2 in Canada, and on CFL+ in the U.S. and internationally.
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CALGARY STAMPEDERS
1. SLOW DOWN THE OPPOSING O
Calgary has allowed a league-high 214 points through seven weeks, or 35.6 per game. Much of their issue has been defending the pass game, which ranked last in yards surrendered at 361.3 per game. Defensive back Zy Alexander has three of the team’s four interceptions and is tasked with leading the secondary in shutting down Bombers’ receivers Nic Demski and Tim White.
2. BUILD ON MOMENTUM
When trying to get things turned around, it’s important to find the positives in recent performances. The Stamps put up 21 fourth quarter points last week, an offensive showing they will try to carry into Friday night’s action. Quarterback Vernon Adams Jr., who has thrown a league-best 17 touchdowns and zero interceptions, will have to navigate a Bombers’ secondary that’s allowed only nine passing touchdowns.
3. FINDING HOLES UP FRONT
Running back Dedrick Mills can make an immediate impact in the game against a Winnipeg defensive front which is giving up 110.7 yards on the ground per game. He’s already rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown against them once this season.
WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS
1. BRADY OLIVEIRA EYES WEEK 1 REPEAT
Running back Brady Oliveira matched Mills in that Week 1 matchup, totalling 113 yards and a touchdown. It remains Oliveira’s best game of the season.
2. DRU BROWN’S POCKET
With Winnipeg placing quarterback Zach Collaros on the six-game injured list, the starting job appears to be Dru Brown’s for the foreseeable future. As he continues to settle in this week against the Stamps’ secondary, he’ll work to find familiar faces in Demski, White and Ontaria Wilson.
3. LOCK IN ON DEDRICK MILLS
Not only can Mills create chaos on the ground, he’s also shown an ability to jump into the pass game as an option for Adams Jr. Limiting his production starts with Jake Ceresna and Tony Jones up front. If they can, it will force receivers Erik Brooks and Jalen Philpot to make plays downfield against a strong secondary.
NEED TO KNOW:
- The Blue Bombers can secure their 2026 season series with a win. The two teams meet for a third time in Week 19.
- Damien Alford will make his season debut after rejoining the Stampeders this week. Calgary’s first overall pick in the 2025 CFL Canadian Draft caught 20 passes for 407 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie before signing with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints.
- Brady Oliveira needs 97 rushing yards to reach 6,000 in his career.
- Over their first six games, the Stamps have just six giveaways.
- Vernon Adams Jr.’s streak of 243 consecutive pass attempts without an interception is the fourth longest of all time.
- Kickoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET, which can be watched on TSN/RDS2 in Canada, and on CFL+ in the U.S. and internationally.
