Get Pressure on Nathan Rourke
Montreal has seen their pass rush diminish since losing defensive end Shawn Lemon to suspension. On the other hand, BC has struggled often in pass protection and will be without left tackle Jarell Broxton this week due to a knee injury. It could be an opportunity for Montreal to get a spark back in their pass rush. I expect to see some well-executed linebacker blitzing to reinforce the efforts of the defensive line this week from the Alouettes as we have often seen from them.
Lockdown Pass Coverage
Montreal’s secondary will be going up against a great receiving group this week and will need to play as well as they have for most of the season to ensure Nathan Rourke and company are not able to generate big plays.
Another Strong Game From Cody Fajardo
Fajardo has completed 75.5% of his passes for 1,972 yards with 12 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. If Fajardo can have another game in which his completion percentage is high and turnovers are avoided then Montreal will have a great chance to win.
#31 RB William Stanback
Stanback has been a force this season forcing missed tackles and having a strong impact on the ground and in the passing game. He has rushed 161 times for 810 yards, 5 yards per carry, and 2 touchdowns. He also has 34 catches for 302 yards and 2 touchdowns.
#18 WR Justin McInnis
McInnis leads the league in receiving yards by over 150 and leads in touchdowns having caught 63 passes for 1,026 yards and 7 touchdowns.
#92 DT Josh Banks
Last week Banks had 1 tackle officially but had a bigger impact than what is indicated on the stats sheet that gives credit to only 1 tackler. He was in on 3 shared run stops and had 3 pressures last week.
Evans is coming off a great game last week in which his coverage only saw the quarterback try to complete a pass his way 2 times. 1 resulted in an 8-yard completion while the other one he broke up. Like Stanback, Evans also won a Grey Cup last year with Montreal and will want to do well against his old team.
#90 DE Mathieu Betts
Betts had a positive impact in his first CFL game of the season last week as he had 3 tackles and a sack as well as by my count 2 pressures. He also made a solo run stop and was in on 2 shared run stops.
5 Alouettes to Watch
#17 WR Cole Spieker
Spieker led the team in receiving in week 12 as he caught 5 passes for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns. He has 37 catches for 525 yards and 5 touchdowns this season.
Rambo had 3 catches for 95 yards in week 12. He has made a great impact as a CFL rookie this season having caught 41 passes for 599 yards and 4 touchdowns.
#94 DT Mustafa Johnson
Johnson is one of the most well-rounded defensive tackles in the league with run-stopping and pass-rushing capabilities. This season he has 29 tackles and 5 sacks. Montreal will need a big game from him in Stanback’s return to Montreal.
#26 WLB Tyrice Beverette
Beverette is asked to do a lot of different things in Montreal’s defense and has been one of the most impactful linebackers in the league. This season he has 71 tackles, 3 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, and an interception. He is currently 4th in tackles in the league.
Sankey is second in tackles on the team with 63 and also has 3 forced fumbles, a sack, and an interception. The hard-hitting middle linebacker’s performance this week in run defense will be critical to the outcome of this game.
Injury Report:
Depth Charts:
Score Prediction:
I predict a close game in which the home team comes out on top. BC has been moving in a great direction in the ground game but I still consider them to be a passing-centric offense even by CFL standards. Will the Lions remain committed to the run if Montreal stops it early? Montreal is well-built to defeat passing-centric offenses. I predict Montreal to win 27-20.