Playoff Preview: Setting up the 99th Grey Cup

This is what the whole 2011 CFL season comes down to, one shot at glory for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and B.C. Lions. Who will prevail in the 99th Grey Cup (Sunday, 6 p.m. Eastern, TSN/RDS/America One/ESPN3), which we'll be live-blogging here? To find out, let's continue our Playoff Preview series.

This Grey Cup is an interesting clash of two teams that have undergone substantial turnarounds this season. The Blue Bombers were 4-14 last season, but rallied to a 10-8 record, the first seed in the East Division and eventually a berth in the championship game, while the Lions were solid picks to make it this far at the start of the year, but started 0-5 before getting back on track. Both have plenty of known top-tier stars, such as B.C. quarterback Travis Lulay and Winnipeg defensive end Odell Willis (seen above at practice Saturday), but the championship game's often a time when others beyond the biggest stars step up. As Sandy Annunziata and I outline in this video we shot at B.C. Place Saturday with Yahoo! Sports' Evan Doherty, a lot may depend on the likes of Lions' receiver Arland Bruce, Lions' running back Andrew Harris, Winnipeg defensive lineman Doug Brown and Bombers' quarterback Buck Pierce:

Beyond that, though, which team has the edge? Let's get to the matchups.

B.C. offence: Four receiver additions.

The Lions' offence dramatically improved over the course of the year, and the maturation of Lulay, the addition of Bruce and the emergence of Harris were all key reasons why. They were excellent down the stretch, and they finished second in the league overall with 511 points during the regular season. Still, there are a few areas of concern here, including Lulay's 58.7 per cent completion mark, inconsistency in the ground game and the 10 sacks the Bombers recorded in just two games against the Lions.

B.C. defence: Five rainy days.

The Lions' defence was the real key to their late-season dominance, allowing just 385 points on the year (21.4 points per game, tops in the league). It all started up front with an amazing pass rush, but they've received key performances from the secondary and the linebackers as well. Expect them to shine Sunday.

B.C. special teams: Five barbecue sauces.

It always helps when your kicker is having the greatest kicking season in CFL history, doesn't it? B.C.'s no slouch in the other areas of special teams either, featuring superb cover men like Jason Arakgi and Adam Bighill as well as solid returning performances from Harris and Tim Brown.

Winnipeg offence: Two duck, duck, goose games.

The Bombers' offence is promising at times, and running back Chris Garrett in particular has star potential. Terrence Edwards is also a terrific receiver, and they have some promising depth beyond him, including Greg Carr and Cory Watson. Consistency from receivers other than Edwards can be an issue, though, and quarterback Buck Pierce threw just 14 touchdowns and 18 interceptions this season. This offence can be good, but they haven't been dominanct consistently. Winnipeg scored just 432 points this year, fifth in the CFL.

Winnipeg defence: Five perception challenges.

They aren't called "Swaggerville" for nothing. The Winnipeg defensive players talk a big game, but they often back it up as well. Their defensive line has played their hearts out this year in tribute to Richard Harris, the assistant head coach/defensive line coach who passed away in July. The secondary's full of ball-hawking players, including Jovon Johnson, the first defensive back to ever claim the league's most outstanding defensive player award, and they can capitalize on mistakes forced by the defensive line's pressure.

Winnipeg special teams: Three planking celebrations.

The Bombers haven't had consistently great kicking or punting this season, and their return game has also been a bit of an issue; Johnson has had some terrific returns, but hasn't always been consistently effective. They're not terrible in any facet of special teams, but they don't really shine here either.

Add them up: 14 points for B.C., 10 for Winnipeg.

X-Factor: The Lions' reaction to the atmosphere. Playing in a Grey Cup at home is something remarkable, and it has the potential to turn out brilliantly or poorly for them. If the hype and the excitement (plus being favoured by seven points) go to their heads, we could see an upset like the one that happened Friday night, but if the Lions can use the home crowd to get even more fired up, it could prove a substantial edge for them.

Prediction: For the predictions, let's go to another video Sandy and I shot with Evan Saturday, focusing on the keys for each team and who we've got.

Sandy has B.C. 31, Winnipeg 21, while I have B.C. 24, Winnipeg 21.

Remember to swing by our live blog, starting shortly before kickoff at 6 p.m. Eastern!