Nichols shines as Blue Bombers hammer RedBlacks

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers returned from their bye week in impressive fashion, as Matt Nichols threw for 319 yards and two touchdowns in a 29-9 beatdown of the Ottawa RedBlacks.

The veteran pivot looked early and often for Darvin Adams, hitting the star wideout seven times for a whopping 195 yards. Andrew Harris was also a force on the ground for the Bombers' offense, piling up 83 yards and a score on only 11 carries.

The success of the Bombers' passing game was a stark contrast to Ottawa's struggles through the air as Ryan Lindley managed just 151 yards in the loss. The RedBlacks entered play with the league's top passing attack, but without injured starter Trevor Harris, the offense couldn't get anything going through the air.

Winnipeg strengthened its hold on second place in the West with the win, as the club now sits four points clear of the third-place Edmonton Eskimos. The Calgary Stampeders continue to lead the way with 21 points through 12 games.

Ottawa remains atop the East despite the loss, but can be passed by the Toronto Argonauts if they can knock off the Montreal Alouettes on Saturday.