Edmonton wins Grey Cup with 26-20 win over Ottawa

Jordan Lynch scored on a 3rd and goal plunge from the Ottawa one yard line with 3:22 remaining to put the Eskimos in front 24-20. Both teams slogged it out the rest of the way; it was 19-18 heading into the final frame, with Ottawa extending the lead to two points at 5:59 on a 72-yard punt single from Chris Milo. Akeem Shavers added a two-point convert.

The Eskimos had a chance to retake the lead on the final play of the quarter but Sean Whyte’s 35-yard field goal effort clanged off the upright, resulting in a dead ball and no points.

Edmonton players receive $16,000 for the win while the Redblacks get $8,000 apiece. Then Burris found Jackson on a seven-yard touchdown toss set up by Domaso Munoz’s recovery of Kendial Lawrence’s fumble on the ensuing kickoff. For Ottawa, who came in the game as a decided underdog, it was the ideal start.

It was an excellent tactical battle between the coaching staffs, as the RedBlacks switched between man and zone coverage throughout the contest and the Eskimos increased their pressure on Burris as the game progressed.

The Eskimos, who extended their longest winning streak since 1982 to 10 games, once again their opponents in the fourth quarter. It was only the third field goal Whyte has missed in 31 attempts with the Eskimos. The CFL on TSN panel discusses how his return to the Eskimos lifted their season and take a closer look at the defensive pass interference that effectively ended the game. That makes it hard on a defence to concentrate on a single receiving threat although Edmonton was the toughest team to pass against this season. A punt single from Ottawa made it 20-18 with nine minutes to go in the game. Adarius Bowman (six foot three, 217 pounds), Canadian Shamed Chambers (six foot three, 219 pounds), Mate Shoehorn (six foot two, 210 pounds) and CFL top rookie Derek Walker (six foot two, 185 pounds) all present match-up problems for a Redblacks’ defensive back field with only one player listed over six feet. It was a grind for them, but in the end, their offence warmed up enough and Ottawa’s froze over.

WINNIPEG-Excitement for the Canadian football showdown of the year reached its nadir in Winnipeg as Edmonton and Ottawa fans decked themselves out in team colours and engaged in a bit of friendly trash talk prior to the start of Sunday’s Grey Cup.