The 111th Grey Cup preview

The GIST: Ready for some deep conversations at the Waffle House BC Place? The 111th Grey Cup kicks off Sunday at 6 p.m. ET, featuring the East Division champ Toronto Argonauts and the West Division–winning Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The gridiron’s already burnin’ up, so hut, hut, here we go.

Toronto Argonauts: The Argos flipped the script during last week’s Division Finals, upsetting the defending champ Montréal Alouettes 30–28. But the dub came at a cost: Controversial quarterback (QB) Chad Kelly suffered a broken ankle, meaning backup signal caller Nick Arbuckle’s now in the spotlight.

• Arbuckle’s only thrown 14 or more passes in three games this season and will have his hands full with the Bombers, who have the best pass defense in the league this season.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers: The Bombers are this close to cementing their dynasty, making their franchise-record fifth straight Grey Cup appearance despite starting the season 2-6. Since that shaky start, they’ve lost only once, a 14–11 October L to, you guessed it, the Argos.

• Winnipeg boasts a healthy starting QB in superstar Zach Collaros — who threw for four touchdowns in last week’s 38–22 Division Finals win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders — and the type of confidence that only comes from a dominant second half of the season.

Our prediction: Toronto’s been stellar in title games, eking out a 24–23 W over Winnipeg in 2022 to nab their seventh win in as many Grey Cup appearances. However, the Bombers have their starting QB, momentum, and an appetite for revenge, so it’s Winnipeg for us. Whatever happens, one thing’s for sure, we’re feelin’ heat in November.