Blue Bombers try to hold off Eskimos for final West playoff spot

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are currently holding down the final playoff spot in the Western Division, but the Edmonton Eskimos are closing the gap.

Edmonton is coming off a big win over the BC Lions and now look to cut Winnipeg's edge for third in the West to a half game Friday, after the Blue Bombers saw their seven-game winning streak snapped at the hands of the Calgary Stampeders.

Bombers quarterback Matt Nichols failed to throw for 300 yards against the Stamps and tossed his first interception since Aug. 12. Still, the Bombers narrowly lost to a team that is the class of the league and has dropped only one game all year, so Winnipeg will be riding into the contest against the Eskimos with plenty of confidence.

The Eskimos, on the otherhand, are trying to string together a pair of solid performances after ending a three-game losing streak. Last week's win over the Lions ended the skid, as running back Shakir Bell chipped in with a strong game for the Eskis.

Bell ran for 108 yards and a score filling in for John White, and he'll need to duplicate that performance this week in order to take some of the pressure off quarterback Mike Reilly. The Blue Bombers lead the league in interceptions and forced fumbles, so protecting the ball will be paramount.

Eskimos wideout Adarius Bowman was recently named CFL Player of the Month for September, after posting 32 grabs and 444 yards with a pair of scores. Winnipeg will need to find a way to slow him down if they hope to stop the Edmonton attack.