Winnipeg linebacker Barrin Simpson last played in the Grey Cup in 2004 as a member of the B.C. Lions. (Mike Aporius/Canadian Press)

Kent Austin has achieved plenty in his first season coaching the Saskatchewan Roughriders, like posting a 12-6 record, winning a home playoff game for the first time in 31 years and gaining a berth in this Sunday's 95th Grey Cup against Winnipeg.

What one of the brighter minds in the Canadian Football League might have trouble accomplishing is getting in the head of Barrin Simpson.

The Winnipeg linebacker seems to have a knack, according to his teammates and others around the league, for calling a play by the opposition before the snap of the ball.

It's something the Blue Bombers hope to use to gain an edge as they attempt to win their first Cup since 1990.

"I think what he does off the field is what makes him a special guy," Toronto Argonauts running back Robert Edwards told CBCSports.ca one day after losing 19-9 to Simpson and company in the East final. "He watches, learns and picks up little nuances on what the offensive line is doing, because a lot of times he's calling our plays before they're run."

Gene Makowsky, a 13-year veteran of the Roughriders offensive line, isn't foolish enough to think the five-foot-11, 228-pound Simpson can be stopped. Slow him down early and stay on him is the tackle's advice.

"He's a real shifty guy," said Makowsky. "On the pass play if he's blitzing, you have to be aware of where he is."

Blue Bombers defensive end Tom Canada is just happy Simpson, the leading tackler in this year's playoffs with 11, is on his side.

"He studies film so much," Canada said in reference to his teammate of four years. "He knows the [backfield] sets, the formations. Within one motion or one movement of the [offensive] tackle he knows what's going on.

"He's already given us some insight on what to expect [on Sunday], how to prepare, and that's big, because there aren't too many guys on the team who have been to the Grey Cup."

Simpson last played for Lord Earl Grey's championship in 2004 as a member of the B.C. Lions, who fell 27-19 to Toronto at Frank Clair Stadium in Ottawa.

CBCSports.ca spoke with Simpson about the events leading up to that Cup run, the last two seasons in Winnipeg and how to defend Saskatchewan quarterback Kerry Joseph.

You have said the 2004 B.C. Lions, a team you were part of, celebrated their West final victory over Saskatchewan too much and had little focus for the Grey Cup, which they lost 27-19 to Toronto. What is the message to your Blue Bombers teammates when you look back at that playoff run?
Focus. You might not get another opportunity to play in this [Grey Cup] game. You want to take advantage of every opportunity that you have to win the championship. And this is one of the opportunities we have right now to win the championship and we've got to take advantage of it. Nobody is talking about last week [19-9 East final win over Toronto]. That game was over Sunday after we celebrated and by Monday we had moved on. Our focus is right now.

What makes you confident this year's Bombers squad has the necessary focus to not let this opportunity slip away?
For one, we're the underdogs. Plus, we have that focus of knowing that it's hard to get here. There's no room to be cocky or overconfident, but you have to be confident in your ability to play this game and to go out there and win. And we're very confident in that.

Simpson seems to have a knack, according to his teammates and others around the league, for calling a play by the opposition before the snap of the ball. (John Woods/Canadian Press)

When you looked at signing with the Blue Bombers as a free agent prior to the 2006 season, did you know the team would be this good and could contend for a Cup in the near future?
When I looked at the roster I was like, man, they got some players on this team. And then coach [Doug] Berry came in and I was like, man, this could be our opportunity to win a championship. That was the mindset, seriously. We felt we had the talent to win a championship and we definitely got our opportunity now, two years later, to do it.

You have enjoyed two successful seasons in Winnipeg. In 2007, you topped the previous campaign with 111 defensive tackles and captured CFL defensive player of the month honours for July. How have you become a better or different player within Blue Bombers defensive co-ordinator Greg Marshall's system?
Greg puts a lot of responsibility on me. He demands perfection out of us, especially out of me. He wants me to go out and set an example, work hard, so that the young guys know what it takes, know what has to be done to be successful. He's demanded more out of me in that aspect and that's definitely made me a better player. He says go out there and play, go get the football, so that gives you the freedom to go out there and play.

Speaking of freedom, I don't think you, personally, will have as much freedom against Saskatchewan as you did versus Toronto to drop back in pass routes, because Roughriders quarterback Kerry Joseph will demand you stay close to the line of scrimmage to try to stop the run. What is the game plan?
We're going to do a little bit more spying. Most of the time I'll be the guy tracking the [ball] carrier and then we'll get some other people tracking to mix it up. So, we're definitely going to try to keep him [Joseph] in the pocket and keep him from beating us with his feet.

How much is your job made easier when you can lean on all-stars like [defensive tackle] Doug Brown and [end] Tom Canada, who combined for 19 quarterback sacks this season, to put pressure on the quarterback?
We can rush a little more with the four-man pressure, much like B.C. [with Brent Johnson, Cameron Wake, Tyrone Williams and Aaron Hunt]. That gives us the ability to put more people in [pass] coverage and not have to blitz all the time.

On Sept. 2 in Saskatchewan, Winnipeg allowed Roughriders quarterback Kerry Joseph to cap a seven-play drive with a 27-yard touchdown run that gave the home side a 31-26 win. What broke down on that final drive in the fourth quarter?
Big plays. That was a game we gave up way too many big plays to Saskatchewan and it really cost us the ball game. The second game [a 34-15 Winnipeg home win over the Riders Sept. 9] we didn't give up those big plays. They're a big-play team, much like Toronto, that loves to throw the ball deep and looks for that big play.

Is it safe to say you'll be keying most on Joseph and the running attack in Sunday's game?
In any football game you want to take away the run and then contain Kerry Joseph, so he won't be able to extend plays and throw the ball deep on us.

Joseph was hurting for a brief period in the second half of the season and didn't run with the ball as much as he had early on. However, he is back to excelling with both his arm and legs, as evidenced by his performance in the West semifinal against Calgary when he threw for 391 yards and rushed for another 109 yards.

What is the key to limiting his effectiveness?
The key is keeping him in the pocket and forcing him to get rid of the football. We can't let him extend the play, run around, get first downs and then run around, come close to the line of scrimmage and then throw it deep. If we allow him to do that he'll kill us [laughing].

The Blue Bombers defence was steady through most of this season, but wasn't a unit that generated a lot of turnovers. Is that something that will have to change to win a big game like this?
I think we're going to need to make some turnovers and also we have to be solid, just keeping them out of the end zone is going to be key for us. We have to make plays, give our offence as many opportunities as possible to score points for us and just be fundamentally sound, not give up the big play.

Your last two games were against Toronto, which unlike Saskatchewan doesn't boast an explosive offence. How concerned are you that some of your teammates may let off the gas a little because they haven't been as challenged as they probably would had they played against the Roughriders?
We've played that type of [mobile] quarterback [like Kerry Joseph] for the last six weeks. For the last six to eight weeks we've been playing quarterbacks that have the ability to run and throw, so we're well-prepared to go out and play [the Roughriders] offence.