VANCOUVER — The Toronto Argonauts and Winnipeg Blue Bombers battle for the Grey Cup on Sunday.
After a 2-4 start, the Blue Bombers finished atop the West Division and earned their spot in the championship game by beating the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the West final.
The Argos weathered quarterback woes to finish second in the East before upsetting the league-leading Montreal Alouettes in the division final.
That win proved costly, though, as quarterback Chad Kelly broke his ankle. That leaves Toronto relying on backup Nick Arbuckle on Sunday.
A look at the 111th Grey Cup by the numbers:
1: Arbuckle makes his first Grey Cup start. The last two QBs to play in the championship for the first time each won (Cody Fajardo with the Montreal Alouettes in 2023, MacLeod Bethel-Thompson with Toronto in 2022).
2: The Argos beat the Bombers twice during regular-season play, but both games were tightly contested. Toronto won 16-14 at BMO Stadium on July 24, then took a 14-11 win in Winnipeg on Oct. 11.
4: Fourth-quarter comebacks have become a regularity at the Grey Cup. Six of the last eight were won by teams trailing in the final frame.
5: The Blue Bombers make their fifth straight Grey Cup appearance and Zach Collaros becomes the first quarterback to start five in a row.
8: This will be the eighth time the two sides have met in the championship game. Toronto won the first seven matchups.
9: Toronto trailed by nine points with 14:38 left in the 2022 Grey Cup in Regina The Argos held the Bombers scoreless across the fourth quarter and rallied for a 24-23 win.
15: The number of Argonauts playing in their first CFL championship game, including star running back Ka'Deem Carey.
17: The number of times Vancouver has hosted the Grey Cup with the last held in 2014.
18: The number of Blue Bombers with Grey Cup experience. Offensive lineman Stanley Bryant makes his seventh appearance.
50,000: Spectators expected at B.C. Place on Sunday. The 41-year-old stadium has a capacity of about 55,000.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 16, 2024.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
