The Canadian Press
WINNIPEG — Friday Night Football in Week 6 offers a rematch between two West Division rivals.
The Calgary Stampeders travel to Winnipeg to face the Blue Bombers with both teams looking to gain ground in the division and catch up to the Saskatchewan Roughriders and BC Lions.
It’s also the final regular season meeting between Stamps and Bombers after the two faced each other in Week 4, when the Stamps came away with a narrow 22-19 win over their rivals.
CFL.ca brings you three matchups to watch on Friday Night Football between Winnipeg and Calgary, including a battle of twins, a hungry Brady Oliveira and more.
RELATED
» Depth Chart: CGY | WPG
» Bombers, Stamps set for final regular season meeting
» Buy Tickets: Stampeders at Blue Bombers
» Week 6 Injury Reports: Stay up to date
» Who do you think is going to win? CFL Pick ‘Em presented by Old Dutch is now open!
» Sign up and watch CFL games on CFL+ in the U.S. and Internationally
Stampeders receivers vs. Tyrell Ford
Marken Michel leads the Stampeders with 226 receiving yards and two majors, while veteran Reggie Begelton caught 17 passes for 138 yards and two more touchdowns. Both veterans figure to lead the Stamps through the air, matching up with a Blue Bombers pass-defence that ranks second in passing yards per game allowed with 251.
Another matchup that potentially draws attention here is between Nationals Jalen Philpot vs. Tyrell Ford. The two share a common point in that their twin brother (Tyson Philpot, Tre Ford) also plays in the league.
Philpot caught two passes for 16 yards against the Bombers in Week 4 and didn’t register a single catch in Week 5. The young receiver has shown flashes of brilliance that include an 80.1 receiving grade in Week 2, but has yet to reach his potential.
He will have another tough matchup going against Ford who is the second highest graded defensive back in the CFL entering Week 6 behind only Saskatchewan’s Rolan Milligan Jr. The cornerback has been excellent since returning to the CFL, including in Week 4 against the Stampeders where he allowed only 33.3 per cent of the passes thrown in his direction to be completed while also registering a pick.
Dedrick Mills vs. Bombers defensive front
Mills returns from injury for the Stamps and could provide a much needed boost to Calgary’s running game against the Bombers. Winnipeg is allowing a league-high 111.6 rushing yards per game, providing plenty of opportunity for the Red and White to establish the running game and control the clock.
The Blue and Gold were able to keep Mills in check in their Week 4 matchup though, as the tailback finished with 16 carries for 51 yards, gaining only 3.2 yards per carry.
Brady Oliveira vs. Micah Awe
Oliveira is the heart and soul of the Blue Bombers offence, especially with the absence of key names like Dalton Schoen and Kenny Lawler. That means Winnipeg is gonna have to rely once more on the 2023 Most Outstanding Canadian to find a way to move the chains through the ground.
Oliveira finally looked like himself in Week 5, rushing 23 times for 129 yards while also catching five passes for 37 yards. The key to stopping him for the Stampeders will be a linebacker group that features Micah Awe and Cameron Judge. Awe leads Calgary in defensive tackles with 22 after posting a league-high 134 in 2023. The veteran will need to add more to the stat sheet in the form of tackles for loss, interceptions or fumbles if the Stampeders are hoping to stop Oliveira and the Bombers.
