Linebacker Reggie Hunt, right, and the Saskatchewan Roughriders held Winnipeg running back Charles Roberts, left, to less than 100 yards in each of their two regular-season meetings. (John Woods/Canadian Press)

Winnipeg offence

Frers: This is a major stage for [quarterback Ryan Dinwiddie]. There's a lot of hope he can [have success in place of injured starter] Kevin Glenn and that's why you play the game. Dinwiddie has talent, and the message to him has to be to get the ball quickly into the hands of receivers Terrence Edwards, Derick Armstrong and Milt Stegall. You have to be effective with the ball in their hands. But [running back] Charles Roberts is Winnipeg's No. 1 offensive weapon. He will need to get 25-plus touches. The more success he has will give Dinwiddie an opportunity to find the receivers downfield.

Impact player: The Blue Bombers' offensive line. It protected the quarterback better than any other O-line in the CFL. But if it plays an average game, then [running back] Charles Roberts is going to do nothing. The offensive line has to be there for them. If the O-line can give [quarterback] Ryan Dinwiddie the confidence in the pocket, he will have the vision downfield [to find his receivers]. But coming at him is the best pass rush in the CFL. And Saskatchewan's defensive front is the healthiest part of that team.

Saskatchewan offence

Frers: The Roughriders were finding [open] spots against B.C. [in the West final] and were unbelievably prepared. [Rookie coach] Kent Austin understands the CFL game so well and getting the team into spots. But the Winnipeg defence has been playing really well. [Wide receiver] D.J. Flick and [slotback] Andy Fantuz are the go-to guys, and [wide receiver] Yo Murphy is going to catch his balls. They're executing the offence well but they're not going to win the game based on their rushing attack. [Quarterback] Kerry Joseph is their No. 1 rushing threat. He presents a different challenge for the Blue Bombers' defence that Toronto didn't [in the East final] because [Argos quarterback] Michael Bishop only ran once on a quarterback sneak.

Impact player: Joseph. He has really impressed me. We [the CFL on CBC panel] were asked if he could perform [in the West final] like he did the week before [391 yards passing, 109 yards rushing in semifinal victory over Calgary]. I wasn't sure, but I've never given him the credit that he is deserving of now. He's a strong leader, composed and has shown a tremendous level of skill.

Winnipeg defence

Frers: The defence is steady, has gone through a lot of change and forces balls to be thrown in front of them, so Saskatchewan has to be methodical [on offence]. The defence for Toronto, when the offence is sputtering, gets opportunities like a [forced] fumble to get the team into scoring position. But that's not what the Winnipeg defence has been about this season. They are good at getting teams two-and-out, but you need some immediate momentum swings. They have to make plays, be aggressive and create turnovers which they haven't done this season.

Impact player: A quiet, strong leader in the secondary is [defensive back] Kelly Malveaux. He's an impact guy that isn't as obvious as [linebacker] Barrin Simpson, and he was one of the few healthy guys this season. He's co-ordinating a lot back there [in the secondary], like [Saskatchewan defensive back] Eddie Davis.

Saskatchewan defence

Frers: The secondary is the story and has been a little more stable the last three weeks. In the second half of the West final against B.C., the Roughriders sacked [Lions quarterback] Dave Dickenson five times to B.C.'s one against Kerry Joseph. Saskatchewan's defence made the necessary adjustments at halftime and that was the difference in the game. The Roughriders can be creative on how they want to bring pressure [against Winnipeg quarterback] Ryan Dinwiddie because he won't be as quick as [injured Kevin Glenn] picking up the blitz and throwing the ball right away to the right player.

Impact player: It's a great team defence with impact players across the board, like [linemen] Fred Perry and John Chick, [defensive back] Eddie Davis, and [linebackers] Maurice Lloyd and Reggie Hunt. Eddie is the QB of the defence. He leads by example, physically, and he's making plays, with one interception [in each of] the last two games.

Winnipeg special teams

Frers: The Blue Bombers have to win the battle of special teams. [Kick returner] Keith Stokes is going to have to be an offensive weapon this week. If he can average well on punt returns, Dinwiddie doesn't need to be that effective because they'll already be in field-goal range. [Kicker] Troy Westwood was criticized through the season, but he has punted unbelievably well the last two weeks. If the opportunities are there, he'll have to be on his game.

Impact player: Stokes. He has fresh legs and is talented. The return game with Albert Johnson III was going nowhere until [general manager Brendan Taman] signed Stokes [late in the season]. Stokes was the big story [of the East final with an 81-yard punt return for a touchdown]. He's close to breaking one every play.

Saskatchewan special teams

Frers: They'll have a chance to watch tape as to what went wrong against B.C. in the West final [when Lions kick returner Ian Smart ran back five kickoffs for 155 yards and 10 punts for 99 yards]. They can't let that happen against Winnipeg. Luca Congi is a young guy [age 24] in his second season and one of the few kickers that kicked decently this year. He's kicking better in the playoffs [83.3 per cent field-goal efficiency] than the regular season [70.5] and he'll have perfect conditions inside the Rogers Centre.

Impact player: Congi. In playoff football you have to have the kicker put the ball through the uprights. If it's at all a game and the Winnipeg defence is playing well, he's going to have to make good with the points available. If he goes 0-for-3, it'll be a challenge for the Roughriders to win the game.

What are the keys to victory for the Blue Bombers?

Frers: The question is, is Dinwiddie going to hurt the team? His first priority should be not to hurt the team by throwing interceptions and fumbling the ball. The offensive line has to be fantastic because that's where it starts for the offence. On defence, they're going to have to create turnovers, something they haven't done this season. They have to create immediate scoring and opportunity for the offence. And they have to win the special- teams battle, in terms of field position and the return game.

What are the keys to victory for the Roughriders?

Frers: The reason why Saskatchewan beat B.C. [in the West final] was its ability to create turnovers and not turn the ball over. [Quarterback] Kerry Joseph can't turn the ball over, but he was good all season [eight interceptions in 17 games]. If the Roughriders come out guns-a-blazing and generate success early they'll stay in the game. If they can, it'll also raise some doubts, and question marks will come to the forefront for Winnipeg because the ability to catch up is not as good without [injured quarterback] Kevin Glenn.

Prediction

Frers: It's a different psychology for the Roughriders. They came in as underdogs [against B.C.] in the [West final] and are coming in as the favourite this week. It's a delicate psychology. It'll be interesting to see how they respond to people telling them all week that they're a shoo-in to have their [Grey Cup] ring sized. But when you're in Regina and winning, you have to deal with distractions, so they have learned to deal with it through the season.

I'm not going to sway much from the rest of Canada and outside Manitoba by picking Saskatchewan to win. It's going to be a challenge for Winnipeg without a starting quarterback. They'll also have to be good on defence and special teams because they're coming up against a well-prepared and efficient Roughriders team. It will either be a low-scoring game or Saskatchewan is going to break it open.