Didn't have anywhere else to put this, so thought I would start a thread for the Grey Cup game itself.

 

Here is a link from June on the odds of each team winning the Grey Cup.

 

http://cfl.ca/article/cauzs-annual-take-on-grey-cup-odds

 

Interesting that Ottawa had the worst odds of any team of winning the Grey Cup at the beginning of the season.  20 : 1 

 

 

So why should I bet on them to win the Grey Cup?:

Because you're trying to be a hero. You've decided to tell your friends on Monday November 30th that you knew all along that Henry Burris could put together a magical season boosted by the addition of Maurice Price, Ernest Jackson and Chris Williams. You knew that this would be the year that Chevon Walker could put together a healthy 20 game season playing behind a much improved offensive line.

 

So why should I avoid betting on Ottawa?:
I know we have to be careful about not drawing too many conclusions from the Pre-Season but Ottawa did very little in those eight quarters to prove the team will be much better than the 2014 version. Finally I loved watching Chris Williams play but he's been out of the league for three years so it's hard to believe he'll manage to come close to his 2012 form so soon. He's only 27 so he still has a bright future but I wonder just how in synch this offence will be with so many additions at the wide receiver position.

I'll be cheering for Edmonton... not that I'll really care either way...

I just wish that Sorensen stumbles again coming out of that tunnel like what he did on the IGF inaugural...

 

... that might lift the curse in IGF

Go Ottawa!

Yaaaaaaawn

Bombers out......CFL is meaningless

Yaaaaaaawn

Bombers out......CFL is meaningless

CFL meaningless for the past 25 years ... drat

Edmonton put the boots to a good Calgary team. Ottawa barely beat a team playing their 3rd or 4th string QB. Snow is on the ground but it won't be cold.... Edmonton played in snow this past Sunday. ..... Edmonton wins and it's not even close

Tend to agree, much like Bad Hank for the Cats in the 2013 Grey Cup .

Heart hopes Ottawa will win. Head thinks that Edmonton will. They've been on a fantastic tear these past few weeks...

I haven't been this excited for a Cup match-up since 1981. (kidding of course).

Still remember the 1981 Grey Cup. The Eskimos were supposed to destroy the Ottawa Rough-riders but JC Watts had other ideas. Edmonton did prevail in the end, but clearly the Eskimos had walked in to the park thinking they had already won, and spotted Ottawa three TD's before Warren Moon went to work.

That being said, I believe that the Eskimos are going to slaughter bad Hank and the gang on Sunday. Hank just can't play in cold weather. If this game was in a dome, it would have been a lot closer.

Is -2 cold?

Is -2 cold?

for some people...

Interesting note I just realized today, and apologize if already mentioned:  Greg Ellingson has been in the league for 3 seasons and his team has made it to the championship game in all 3. 

Take note Mike, take note...

@PentonKirk: If practices competed against one another, the #Eskimos practice would beat the #Bombers practice 48-2.

Take note Mike, take note...

@PentonKirk: If practices competed against one another, the #Eskimos practice would beat the #Bombers practice 48-2.

http://www.netbooknews.com/wp-content/2011/09/dr-evil-1-million-dollars.jpg

delete... 

Interesting note I just realized today, and apologize if already mentioned:  Greg Ellingson has been in the league for 3 seasons and his team has made it to the championship game in all 3.

Didn't Tim Burke have a streak like that going too for awhile?

Take note Mike, take note...

@PentonKirk: If practices competed against one another, the #Eskimos practice would beat the #Bombers practice 48-2.

Kind of funny for someone who was perceived to be a hard ass,MOS is anything but. I wonder if Pinball really was his biggest influence.

I haven't been this excited for a Cup match-up since 1981. (kidding of course).

Still remember the 1981 Grey Cup. The Eskimos were supposed to destroy the Ottawa Rough-riders but JC Watts had other ideas. Edmonton did prevail in the end, but clearly the Eskimos had walked in to the park thinking they had already won, and spotted Ottawa three TD's before Warren Moon went to work.

That being said, I believe that the Eskimos are going to slaughter bad Hank and the gang on Sunday. Hank just can't play in cold weather. If this game was in a dome, it would have been a lot closer.

 

Our group of 8 arrived last night. Girls out shopping and we are heading out to an event. Looking forward to seeing Edmonton kick some butt! Inn at the Folks is a great hotel! Got to make sure that we make it to the game in good shape tomorrow - might be a challenge!

CFL Grey Cup Matchup

 

The 93-yard completion to win the East Final was the 9th longest in all CFL playoff history. However in a unique historical parallel, the last time that Ottawa won a playoff final game they did so in similar late fashion. In 1981, Ottawa’s last Division Final win before 2015, J.C. Watts connected with Pat Stoqua for a 102-yard TD pass play to take a 14-13 lead over Hamilton with 6:40 to play. Ottawa wound up winning 17-13. The 93-yard TD by Ellingson was the longest-ever TD play in the final 3:00 of any CFL playoff game in league history.

 

The REDBLACKS led the CFL in 11 different statistical categories in 2015, in particular net offence allowed at just 298 yards per game. That completed a full turnaround as they ranked #9 in 2014 at 373 yards against per game. Ottawa also led the CFL in net offence per game at 386.3 yards per game in 2015. This is actually not all that rare as Edmonton was number one in both in 2014 as was BC in 2012. They are the first Ottawa team since 1978 to rank #1 on both offence and defence however.

 

One primary reason that Ottawa and Edmonton reached the Grey Cup in 2015 is their strong defensive units. They ranked #1-2 in the CFL in forcing opponents into 2-&-outs averaging 6.9 (EDM #1) and 6.1 (OTT #2) per game respectively.

 

The Eskimos come into this Grey Cup riding a 9-game win streak. That is their longest season/playoff-ending win streak since 1982 when they won their last 8 regular season contests plus the Western Final.

 

Edmonton went 4-1 in games decided by 4 points or less in 2015 and Ottawa one better at 5-1.

 

The Eskimos have not been outscored in the 4th Quarter in their last 8 games (107-22 scoring edge) or in any of their 14 wins this year. In their 14 wins they are 145-28 (+117) in Q4 scoring, in their 4 losses they have been outscored 29-3. They had two games in 2015 where they outscored their opponent 21-0 in the final 15:00. Last week Calgary outscored the Eskimos 16-14 in the final 15:00 snapping their 8-game run of not losing the 4th Quarter in any contest.

 

The Eskimos were #2 in the CFL with four “pick 6’s” in 2015 while Ottawa was #3 with 3 of their own.

 

The Esks offence averaged 464 net yards per game including 339 via the pass over the final 3 regular season games. In the 2015 Western Final, they kept that up with another 400+ day – 438 yards including 370 passing.

 

The REDBLACKS broke the all-time Ottawa wins record with their 12-6 mark going one better than the 11-5 Rough Riders in 1978. They finished above .500 on the road (5-4) for the first time in 20 seasons (1983: 5-3 Rough Riders).

 

The REDBLACKS will be trying to prevent a third consecutive Western Grey Cup champion. No Division has won three straight times since the West from 2005 to 2008, and before that from 1992 to 1994 (Calgary, Edmonton and then BC).

 

The most recent CFL head coaches to win the Grey Cup in his their second year … Corey Chamblin (2013), Marc Trestman (2009), Dave Ritchie (1994), Mike Riley (1988) and Bob O’Billovich (1983). Just missing from that list is Mike O'Shea (just seeing if you were paying attention)

 

Mike Reilly - Has now led the Eskimos to wins in 9 straight starts, something no Edmonton QB has done since Tracy Ham won 9 in a row across 1989-1990. Over the last 3 games of the regular season, Reilly produced three 300-yard games in a row with 7 TD passes, 1,017 yards and 27 completions for 2nd down conversions. That matched his career-best streak of 300-yard games. In the Western Final he passed for 370 yards making it four straight games of any kind with 300+ yards.

 

Derel Walker - Led all receivers averaging 92.5 yards per game reaching 1,110 in just 12 contests. He was honoured as the West Division’s Most Outstanding Rookie for 2015 – the first time that an Edmonton player has picked up the Division Award two years in a row (Dexter McCoil in 2014). Walker’s 92.5 yards per game is the 3rd-best in the last 10 seasons (2006-2015) behind only Jamel Richardson (104.5 yards per game, 2011) and Geroy Simon (102.1 yards per game in 2006).

 

William Powell - the current #1 running back for Ottawa started the final 4 games of the regular season and had a major impact. Powell rushed for 392 yards on 66 carries (13 runs of 10+ yards) - #1 in the CFL over the final 4 weeks of the season (#2: Tyrell Sutton with 373). The REDBLACKS won all four games that he started and Powell added 12 catches for 102 yards in that span. In the East Final win over Hamilton, Powell led all rushers with 60 yards on 13 carries.

 

Ottawa had four receivers over 1,000 yards this season: Chris Williams (#3, 1,214), Greg Ellingson (#7, 1,061), Ernest Jackson (#9, 1,036) and Brad Sinopoli (#11, 1,035). Ellingson made 20 catches for 355 yards over the final 4 games to make into the 1000-yard group. Only Montreal in 2005 and 2004 has had four in one season. Ottawa had never before had even three 1,000-yard receivers in the same year.