Eskimos hope bye week rest will help them rediscover winning ways against Bombers
EDMONTON — The last time the Eskimos faced the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Edmonton was on a season-opening seven-game winning streak and looked like the team to beat in the CFL West.
Sure, the margin of victory in Edmonton’s wins was often razor-thin, and it seemed every week brought another injury to one of the team’s impact players, but the Eskimos were finding ways to win.
That all changed after an 33-26 loss at Winnipeg’s Investors Field on Aug. 17. The Eskimos (7-5) have dropped five straight, most recently a 34-26 home loss to Toronto two weeks ago. They’ve fallen to third in the standings, four points behind the surging Bombers.
Now the Blue Bombers (9-3), the team that started Edmonton’s miserable run, are coming to Commonwealth Stadium on Saturday in search of their seventh win in eight games. But the Eskimos hope that the chance to recharge with a bye week, and the return of star defensive back Aaron Grymes from the NFL, will help right the ship.