Fans trash talk as excitement builds for Grey Cup

A one-yard run by backup quarterback Jordan Lynch with three minutes, 17 seconds left in the game won the 103rd Grey Cup for the Edmonton Eskimos over the Ottawa Redblacks, 26-20, on Sunday night.

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.

Back-to-back pass interference/illegal-contact penalties aided the Eskimos on their game-winning drive, moving the ball from the Edmonton 35 to the Ottawa 10-yard line.

But Ottawa finished 0-3 versus Edmonton this year, the first two losses coming in July with Reilly on injured list.

The contest was a defensive battle, especially in the second half as Edmonton outscored Ottawa just 9-4.

Eskimos changed up their defence by initially lining up Patrick Watkins and John Ojo man-on-man on Ottawa’s two best receivers, Chris Williams and Ernest Jackson, respectively, regardless of where they were on the field. The Redblacks went up 13-0 before the Edmonton offence even got the ball, thanks to an opening 61-yard touchdown drive, a Kendial Lawrence fumble on the subsequent kickoff return, and another 40-yard touchdown drive (with a missed convert).

The 104 Grey Cup takes place in Winnipeg at Investors Group Field and kick off will 6 p.m. ET.

“We’ll celebrate this Grey Cup”.

“With the GM we have, the coaching staff we have and the players they brought in, we’ve been built to do this multiple times”.

But after earning a single on Sean Whyte’s missed 45-yard field goal, Edmonton took its first lead of the game on Shavers’ touchdown. The predominant feel-good story of the week, though, was not quarterback Mike Reilly’s comeback from injury or coach Chris Jones leading the way.

Burris hit Lavoie on a three-yard TD pass at 11:38 as Ottawa opened the game with a seven-play, 73-yard scoring march.

“All that stuff will handle itself”. However, Reilly then produced a remarkable eight-play, 88-yard touchdown drive, capped off with a two-yard pass to Shavers.

A 41-yard pass interference penalty set up the next Ottawa points, another 33-yard Milo field goal, while Edmonton put up a punt single.

“We had opportunities to turn the tide and we just didn’t make the plays, whether it was me missing a throw or making a play or something”, Burris said.