RedBlacks, Argos to jockey for position in hotly contested East

Heading into Week 14, only two points separate first and third place in the CFL's East Division. Both the Ottawa RedBlacks and Toronto Argonauts can grab a share of first place with a victory Friday night in Ottawa.

Both teams are coming off Week 13 losses, the RedBlacks suffering a lopsided 48-23 defeat at the hands of the Calgary Stampeders, while the Argonauts were crushed 46-29 by Hamilton.

Along with sharing similar fates last week, both teams have also dealt with inconsistency at the quarterback position throughout the entire season. The Argonauts will be without Ricky Ray on Friday, as he recovers from a deflated lung, as the Boatmen will turn to Dan Lefevour in this key battle. Trevor Harris, meanwhile, has taken over for the reigning CFL Most Outstanding Player Henry Burris in Ottawa.

Lefevour has performed admirably in Ray's absence, but will need to be efficient against a RedBlacks defense that has averaged 2.6 sacks this season. The Argonauts hold the advantage on the defensive side of the ball however, averaging 3.2 passes defended to the RedBlacks' 2.6, and 0.9 fumbles forced to Ottawa's 0.6.

Despite each team's inconsistencies under centre, Ottawa has put up significantly better numbers throughout the process. The RedBlacks are averaging 433.3 total yards to the Argonauts' 359, as Chris Williams and Greg Ellingson are both among the league's top 10 in receiving yards.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET at TD Place Stadium in Ottawa.