The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will be without their starting quarterback when they visit the East-leading Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Friday night.
Winnipeg (6-6) is coming off back-to-back losses to Saskatchewan. The Bombers built a 13-3 lead in the second quarter last Saturday but were shut out in the second half of a 21-13 home loss to the Roughriders.
Winnipeg lost quarterback Zach Collaros, who sustained a concussion after a helmet-to-helmet hit late in the third quarter. The two-time CFL Most Outstanding Player did not practice Tuesday and was ruled out on Wednesday.
The Bombers will hand the ball to backup Chris Streveler, who has started two games this season and has passed for 772 yards with five touchdowns and eight interceptions.
“This is a long season, an 18-game season, and when you have a season this long you need everybody. People know that coming into the season,” Streveler told the Winnipeg Sun. “Whenever you get that opportunity, the thought is you are going to step up and help the team do whatever is necessary to get a win.”
Hamilton (7-5) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 26-9 win at Montreal last weekend. It was the first time this season the Tiger-Cats held an opponent to single digits on the scoreboard.
The Hamilton offense ranks second in the CFL in scoring (29.9 points per game) and third in total offense (380.3 yards per game). Winnipeg ranks sixth in scoring (26.3) and fifth in total defense (358.2).
Tiger-Cats star Bo Levi Mitchell, also a two-time CFL MOP, leads the league with 24 touchdown passes and is second with 3,653 yards through the air. Favorite target Kenny Lawler has a league-high 10 TD grabs and ranks second with 1,047 receiving yards on 59 receptions.
Hamilton’s running game led the way in last week’s win over the Alouettes. Greg Bell rushed for 156 yards and one touchdown, and the Tiger-Cats finished with 234 yards on the ground.
“I get a lot of questions about why we don’t run more, and the reason is because we’re good at the pass game,” Hamilton coach Scott Milanovich said. “We go with whatever’s working. Obviously with the weather early in the game, the run was working. It was the right way to go.”
The teams will meet again in Winnipeg on Sept. 27.
–Field Level Media
