Blue Bombers take down RedBlacks in regular-season finale

Quincy McDuffie ignited the Winnipeg Blue Bombers by taking a kickoff to the house, and now the team will wait to see whether they'll play at home in the West Division semifinal.

The Blue Bombers, on the margin of two touchdowns from Darvin Adams and a 95-yard kickoff return TD by McDuffie, completed their best regular season since 2002 by defeating the Ottawa RedBlacks 33-20 in the nation's capital Friday. The result means Winnipeg (11-7) will play the B.C. Lions in the West Division semifinal on Nov. 13 and the fourth-place Edmonton Eskimos will head to Hamilton for the East semifinal.

Whether the West semi is in Vancouver or Winnipeg hinges on the Lions (11-6) tying or winning against the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday. The last-place Roughriders have said No. 1 QB Darian Durant will not be active.

The RedBlacks (8-9-1), with home field for the East Division final secured, sat out QB Henry Burris and 10 other core players. In spite of the patchwork lineup, Ottawa took a 17-16 third-quarter lead on a touchdown gifted by McDuffie fumbling on a punt return at his 35-yard line.

McDuffie immediately redeemed himself on the ensuing kickoff. The Central Florida grad juked by Ottawa's Jean-Philippe Bolduc and Scott MacDonell, then bounced outside after picking up a block from James Tuck. The return put Winnipeg ahead to stay, and also made McDuffie only the ninth CFL player to have two kickoff return TDs in one season. Will Ford (2013) is the only other Winnipeg player to do so.

Ottawa's next drive netted a field goal, after QB Danny O'Brien hit the upright on a second-down pass play. Winnipeg signal-caller Matt Nichols responded with a six-play, 75-yard drive, with Adams making a 10-yard scoring catch just inside the end-zone pylon. That scoring march opened a 10-point lead after three quarters.

The RedBlacks, who rotated O'Brien with Brock Jensen, threatened only once in the fourth quarter. A fake field goal failed at Winnipeg's 22 with 9:55 left.

Kicker Justin Medlock made his league-record 60th field goal of the season with a 12-yard chip shot with 2:47 to play. That erased the 26-year-old mark set by Saskatchewan great David Ridgway. Medlock was 4-of-4 on the night.

Nichols was 19-of-29 for 299 yards with two TDs and one interception. Adams made six receptions for 100 yards, while SB Weston Dressler (5-82) and RB Andrew Harris (3-82) had big nights in the passing phase.

Harris had 10 rushes for 60 yards, finishing with 974 - temporarily second in the league. Winnipeg got the ball back with enough time to give the 29-year-old star a shot at the 1,000-yard milestone, but used backup RB Christophe Normand on their clock-killing last possession.

O'Brien was 10-of-22 for 133 yards with one interception for Ottawa, while Jensen was 5-of-7 for 39. Travon Van had 15 rushes for a game-high 96 yards, including a 29-yard touchdown scamper in the third quarter. Jamill Smith made four receptions for 77 yards. Ray Early was 2-of-2 on field goals.

Ottawa DB/LB Nick Taylor scored his first CFL touchdown on a 57-yard interception return in the first quarter.

In addition to Burris, the RedBlacks also rested RB Mossis Madu, SB Greg Ellingson, SB Brad Sinopoli, SB Ernest Jackson, RT Jake Silas, DT Zack Evans, DT Moton Hopkins, DT Ettore Lattanzio, OLB Antoine Pruneau, and K Chris Milo.

The West semifinal will be Winnipeg's first playoff game since the 2011 Grey Cup, which coincidentally was also against the Lions. Winnipeg averaged only 5.3 wins per season from 2012-15.