Not much to add to this match; Physical game - Field position - Long drives - Establish running game
The game is a sellout, thus should be great game.
Looking forward to a big win, and taking top spot in the league. :cowboy:
Step aside Shmoes, there's nothing wrong with second! 
Huge early season match-up. Will be interesting to see how Ricky Ray & Co. fare against the best defense in the country right now. Could very well be a Grey Cup preview. (although both Calgary & Montreal might have something to say about that).
If Ray gets going early, can Pierce keep up?
I'm very surprised something has not broken on Bucky yet!
Buck Pierce is having a hard enough time keeping himself ahead of Lemon… he can’t even see Ray
If the Defence gets going, can Ray get up?
Not having Doug Brown will hurt, no 2 ways about it. We’ve played each game this year with injuries to key players and the one constant is the back ups stepping up. Gotta get at Ray in a hurry so he doesn’t have time for the long one, and gotta be a force at the line stopping the run. Time for the Dline to step up again, hopefully they still have some in the tank after last week’s emotional game.
I’m getting excited, can’t wait! :rockin:
East is the Beast this year. Edmonton barely escaped with the 1 point win against a dreadful Toronto team last week, and was helped by getting that extra shot on the goal line at the end of the first half after they had already been stuffed a couple of times. If that call wasn’t made there’s a good chance Edmonton would be at 4-1 as well.
Key matchup as noted in the FreePress today http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/football/bombers/key-matchup-five-story-lines-126822958.html
1. Licking StampsEskimos receiver Fred Stamps is without question the premier pass catcher in the game right now. The numbers – 578 yards on 30 catches and five touchdowns – easily support this assertion. So who draws the assignment for the Bombers?
Defensive back Jonathan Hefney, the current CFL defensive player of the week, that’s who.How have the two fared against each other in the past?
Advantage Hefney. The Bombers sparkplug has held Stamps to just nine grabs for 85 yards and zero majors in four games
If Hefney can keep up his neutralization of Fred Stamps Ray could be in for a tough day. Yes Barnes can make some catches but nobody else on that receiving core aside from Stamps is an elite type receiver or any better a receiver than the ones our defensive backfield has shut down already this season. Bombers have only allowed 2- 100 yard plus games this season, Mann in wk 1 vs Hamilton, and Copeland in week 2, and 0 100 yard rushing games against. The Edm defence had given up 100 yard games to Dressler in week 1, Geroy Simon in week 3, Nick Lewis in week 4, and were run over by Kacert for 130+ rush yards last week.
I think Hefney keeps up his play and shuts down Stamps. Which then leaves the Edmonton running attack vs the Blue. It will help having JoLo back, as long as he’s healthy and not playing hindered by injury. A healthy JoLo is a beast (see highlights games 1-4 of 2011), an injured one a liablity (see 2010 highlight reel). Missing Doug Brown will hurt and may benefit the Edmonton runners, but if you take away Messam’s big game against the Ticats neither of their backs has been outstanding.
Should be a fun match up as its been built up all week by all the storylines but if we all did the math correctly, the inevitable conclusion is BLUE WIN BLUE WIN.
Stamps has been traditionally shut down by Hefney and never done anything productive against the Bombers, however, it should be noted that he is also playing far better this year than he ever has before. Interesting battle there along with a whole bunch of other ones in the game..
with the Esks allowing the fewest rushing yards per game, it's easy to overlook that they also allow the most yards per carry... presumably because they have been getting leads, forcing opponents to pass and abandon the run more quickly... stick with Reid and we could very well see his breakout game.
Also can't forget about Adarius Bowman, I have a feeling he'd want to stick it to us.
Hopefully I can get my 5th correct pick in a row here....
I think Bowman's hurt. Nowhere to be found on the depth chart on the team website anyway.
Adarius Bowman was placed on the 1 game injured list (since Aug.4th) with a rib injury; now has been extended to Sept.10th.
Jesus. That’s a month away. So much for a couple weeks. :x
After reading your post Chief; I correct myself :oops: , thus should read August 10th.
Lots of forum pride on the line tonight. Big bet between a cpl winnipeg fans and some eski-schmoes. Loser has to wear the other teams logo as an avatar for 2 weeks. 
Gonna be a good one!
Add in a personal bet between me and Backer on who finishes higher at the end of the year. Big game.
Gotta admit its a strange night on the schedule - 2 best teams square off, followed by the 2 of the bottom ones.
Other than our personal bet LetsGoBlue confirmed at the start of the season by the way; Chief is the one who started all this by his :lol: smiley, and then the one bet (mpdid/Chief was made. And of course I just had to get in on it too, bet with papazoola. But it will all come to an end tonight I say. The difference is the Esk’s have Jerome Messam = “The Undertaker”. :cowboy:
All planned in advance, of course. :roll:
Quick start for the Smoes!!
Ray to Barnes!
Let the schooling of the pretenders begin… :twisted: