Roughriders face ‘tall task’ against Blue Bombers in Western Final on TSN
Published
A long-standing rivalry will continue when the Winnipeg Blue Bombers host the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Football League’s Western Final on Saturday.
The Blue Bombers are in familiar territory as they aim to advance to the Grey Cup for a fifth straight season, while the Roughriders last reached the big dance in 2013.
Watch Saskatchewan Roughriders vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Western Final LIVE Saturday at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT on TSN1/3, TSN.ca and the TSN App.
It wasn’t until the final week of the regular season that Winnipeg secured first place in the West Division with a narrow win over the Montreal Alouettes, edging out the Roughriders by three points in the standings.
While the Blue Bombers sat idle with a bye last weekend, the Roughriders took care of business against the BC Lions in the semi-final to set up a showdown between the West’s top two teams.
The Roughriders know the challenges that await as they have dropped their previous eight contests against the Blue Bombers at Princess Auto Stadium.
"Tall task,” Roughriders head coach Corey Mace said. “We have to be on it to go in there and come out with a win."
Collaros in the spotlight
The Roughriders, who had a win and two losses against Winnipeg this season, are particularly aware of what Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros brings to the table.
"You have to get after the guy and try to force him into some bad throws,” Mace said. “Our d-line has done a decent job trying to get him off the spot and make him feel uncomfortable.
"You also have access to the blitz game. The back end needs to make it tough on him for his reads. There's not a tonne he hasn't seen, he's played a lot of football."
Collaros, 36, was second among CFL pivots with 4,336 passing yards and also threw for 17 touchdowns in 18 appearances during the regular season.
The Steubenville, Ohio, native is 3-0 in his home playoff appearances for the Blue Bombers, but knows the Roughriders’ defence will be ready for him.
"A lot of challenges: they're very fast, they're very, very good up front, they can get to the quarterback just bringing four, they do a great job in their zone drops, they mix in what zones they're playing,” Collaros said.
“They have tremendous speed. They're fast, they play very physical, they do a really good job pursuing the football. That's why they've been able to generate so many turnovers this year. The way they pursue the football and get to the quarterback makes it difficult for teams and that leads to turnovers."