OTTAWA \u2014 The Winnipeg Blue Bombers leaned on defence and special teams to snap a three-game losing streak, highlighted by Trey Vaval\u2019s 128-yard touchdown return on a missed field goal as they defeated the Ottawa REDBLACKS 26-18 at TD Place on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Vaval\u2019s return \u2014 the longest play in franchise history \u2014 proved crucial as Winnipeg\u2019s offence struggled to gain traction. Chris Streveler<\/a> completed just three of his eight passes for 54 yards and an interception, but was far more effective with his legs, rushing for 72 yards and a touchdown. Brady Oliveira<\/a> added 100 more on the ground, marking his second straight 100-yard game. Nic Demski<\/a>\u2019s reception streak ended at 84 games.<\/p>\n Cam Allen notched his first two career interceptions, while Willie Jefferson<\/a> added his third sack of the season and two more pass knockdowns to extend his league-leading total to 15, spearheading a punishing defence that lifted the Bombers to 7-7.<\/p>\n Ottawa\u2019s offence outgained Winnipeg 452-210, led by the returning Dru Brown<\/a>, who went 33-for-45 with 406 yards, two touchdowns and the two picks to Allen. Eugene Lewis tallied 155 yards on nine catches, Justin Hardy<\/a> eclipsed the century mark for the fourth time this season, and Bralon Addison<\/a> pitched in 69 yards and a score as the REDBLACKS fell to 4-10.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n RELATED Brown came out firing, hitting four different receivers for gains of 10-plus yards to march Ottawa into the red zone before finishing with a high-arching nine-yard pass to Addison in the corner. Lewis Ward\u2019s point-after made it 7-0.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Winnipeg stumbled out of the gate, going two-and-out on its first two series and surrendering a second-down sack to Adarius Pickett<\/a> \u2014 his second in as many games after going sack-less through the first 14 weeks. Oliveira briefly lifted the offence with a 21-yard burst on the next drive, but two plays later at midfield, Streveler\u2019s pass up the middle was picked off by Jovan Santos-Knox.<\/p>\n After the interception and into the second quarter, Ottawa was forced to settle for a 43-yard field goal, but Ward\u2019s bid went wide. Vaval scooped up the miss deep in his end zone, weaved through traffic, and turned on the burners to run it back 128 yards to the house. Sergio Castillo<\/a>\u2019s convert tied it, though Ottawa reclaimed the lead with a punt single on the next series.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Later in the second quarter, Brown stayed sharp, completing 14 of his first 16 passes until the rookie Allen snagged an errant throw to Khalil Pimpleton for his first CFL pick.<\/p>\n With the field flipped, Streveler called his own number, scooting for 36 yards before punching it in from the one. Castillo\u2019s extra point made it 14-8.<\/p>\n Both defences forced punts as the half wound down, but Jefferson stole the spotlight with back-to-back drive-killing plays: a sack and a knockdown. In his return to the lineup, DeVonte Dedmon coughed up a punt return with 19 seconds left in the frame, and Winnipeg recovered in field goal range. Castillo drilled a 44-yarder as time expired, giving the Bombers a 17-8 lead despite completing just one pass in the half.<\/p>\n The REDBLACKS opened the second half like they did the first, moving quickly through the air. Brown connected with Lewis on a 54-yard strike, pushing the receiver past 100 yards for the game, but Ottawa stalled afterwards, leaving Ward with a 22-yard chip shot.<\/p>\n Neither team could generate much throughout the rest of the third. Ward missed a 47-yard field goal, Vaval\u2019s 71-yard return went nowhere, and Lorenzo Mauldin IV brought down Streveler to force Winnipeg\u2019s third two-and-out of the quarter.<\/p>\n
\u00bb\u00a0Winnipeg, Ottawa by the numbers<\/a>
\u00bb Depth Charts:\u00a0WPG<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0OTT<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0Game Notes: Blue Bombers at REDBLACKS<\/a>
\u00bb\u00a0Sign up and watch CFL games on CFL+ in the U.S. and Internationally<\/a><\/p>\n