Blue Bombers can clinch playoff spot for 8th straight season with win over Elks

Willie Jefferson doesn’t for illustration to look excessively acold ahead, but location is thing he’d for illustration to spot hap aft nan Winnipeg Blue Bombers big nan Edmonton Elks connected Friday.

A triumph by nan Blue Bombers (8-6) successful beforehand of a 3rd consecutive sellout astatine Princess Auto Stadium would clinch a playoff spot for nan eighth consecutive season, 1 successful which nan squad started 0-4.

“We don’t needfully interest astir standings and each that stuff,” Jefferson said Thursday aft Winnipeg’s walk-through practice. “But aft nan crippled erstwhile we get to nan locker room and we get nan chance to deliberation astir everything that’s going forward, it would consciousness a batch amended to triumph this crippled and person that playoff spot.”

The Bombers are riding a six-game triumph streak and lead nan CFL West Division.

The Elks beryllium astatine 5-9, 4th successful nan section and still successful nan playoff picture.

Friday’s rematch comes aft Winnipeg defeated Edmonton 27-14 past week successful a crippled that was tied 10-10 heading into nan 4th quarter.

That’s erstwhile Winnipeg seasoned backmost Zach Collaros helped technologist 3 touchdown drives, including moving backmost Brady Oliveira’s first 2 fields of nan season. He vanished pinch 127 yards disconnected 18 carries.

Collaros ever follows nan team’s one-game-at-a-time mantra and said clinching a playoff spot won’t beryllium a notable achievement.

“I deliberation we’ll beryllium worried astir nan adjacent game, honestly,” Collaros said. “I cognize that’s a cliché point to opportunity and it’s benignant of coach-speak and you perceive that from maine each nan clip arsenic well, but I’ll beryllium reasoning astir nan adjacent force for judge because nan extremity is nan goal.

“You’ve sewage to commencement by getting to nan playoffs, obviously, but we deliberation we person bigger things up of us.”

Collaros was intercepted erstwhile past week by protect backmost Darius Bratton, who will miss Friday’s lucifer pinch a knee injury.

Edmonton will purpose to trim down connected its turnovers. It had six, including 2 interceptions and 1 mislaid fumble by starting backmost Tre Ford.

Ford was replaced by McLeod Bethel-Thompson successful nan 4th quarter, who sewage nan motion to proceed nether centre erstwhile Friday’s crippled kicks off.

“It’s consistency,” Edmonton interim caput coach Jarious Jackson said of his logic for starting nan seasoned complete Ford. “Just knowing what to do, wherever to spell pinch nan football, managing nan guys, managing nan huddle. Just giving nan squad a spark. I conscionable consciousness for illustration he’s been nan much accordant feline this twelvemonth successful that position.”

Bethel-Thompson is 3-1 successful starts this play and would emotion to adhd different 1 successful nan triumph file against nan Bombers.

“I’m really excited for this opportunity to travel successful and hit nan brakes disconnected these guys,” he said. “They’re a awesome squad and this is going to beryllium a awesome atmosphere.”

Jefferson said Bethel-Thompson has a different style than Ford arsenic he likes to enactment successful nan pouch and usage his acquisition to publication defences and prehend nan opportunities.

Winnipeg’s defence, which leads nan convention successful allowing only 20.6 points per game, needs tight sum to springiness unreserved extremity Jefferson and his counterparts clip to bring nan pressure.

“If they tin clasp nan receivers and past springiness america immoderate clip arsenic nan protect statement and beforehand 7 to get to nan backmost and make it difficult for him and get him connected nan ground, that’s a triumph for us,” Jefferson said.

Bethel-Thompson said nan crippled scheme is to beryllium businesslike connected first downs.

“When you put yourself successful 2nd and long, past they do their drop, lucifer sum and they’ve sewage 9 (defensive backs) backmost location and Willie Jefferson is coming disconnected nan separator pinch a caput of steam,” he said.

The Elks mightiness trust heavy connected their crushed game, which was successful against nan Bombers. Winnipeg ranks sixth successful allowing an mean of 106.1 yards per game.

Edmonton moving backmost Justin Rankin utilized 14 carries to peel disconnected 157 yards.

EDMONTON ELKS (5-9) AT WINNIPEG BLUE BOMBERS (8-6) Friday, Princess Auto Stadium.

LONGTIME ADVANTAGE: Winnipeg has won its past 11 games against Edmonton, making love backmost to 2019.

MAKING GAINS: The Elks’ offence averaged 24.9 points per crippled successful this season’s first 7 games. They improved to 32.1 points successful nan adjacent seven, but past week’s 14 points matched a play low.

CLIMBING THE RANKS: Oliveira leads nan convention successful rushing pinch 1,021 yards. He needs 15 much yards to scope 4,000 successful his profession and move into eighth spot all-time for Winnipeg rushers.