The Montreal Alouettes will host the BC Lions on Friday to kick off week 14 in a potential preview matchup of who may meet in the Grey Cup. The Lions are coming off a dominant win in Victoria over the Ottawa RedBlacks last week that saw them snap a 5-game losing streak with a final score of 38-12. The Alouettes are coming off of the bye week. Montreal’s last game saw them win a close match over Edmonton 21-17.

Game Details:

Date/Location: Friday, September 6 /Percival Molson Memorial Stadium, Montreal, QC

Kickoff Time: 7:00 PM ET, 4:00 PM PT

Channel: TSN (Canada), CFL+ (USA, Global)

Odds: 

Spread: B.C. +3.5 (-110), Montreal -3.5 (-110)

Moneyline: B.C. 6150150, Montreal -182

Over/Under: 50.5 (Over -122, Under +100)

B.C. Lions: The BC Lions aim to be the 2nd team to defeat the reigning Grey Cup Champions. Last week we saw Nathan Rourke have his best game of the season yet in what was his third game as he completed 21 of his 30 passes for 325 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. Receivers Justin McInnis and Keon Hatcher both had over 70 yards receiving. William Stanback rushed 20 times last week for 93 yards (4.65 yards per carry) and a touchdown. Stanback also led the team in receiving as he caught 6 passes for 78 yards, 69 of which were YAC. Stanback has over 90 yards and at least 15 carries in each of the last 3 games. This game will likely mean more to Stanback as it will be his first time playing in Montreal as a visitor where he played from 2018 to 2023. 

Montreal Alouettes: The Alouettes are rested coming off of the bye week but they will be without receiver Austin Mack who has now been placed on the 6-game injured list due to an ankle injury after being limited in practice on Wednesday. Montreal’s 6-game injured list now has 5 receivers listed as Canadians Tyson Philpot, Kaion Julien-Grant, Regis Cibasu and American Tyler Snead were already on the 6-game injured list. Reggie White and Jose Barbon will both be elevating from the practice roster to start among the receivers in this game. Barbon is yet to record a CFL reception but had 6 catches for 45 yards and a touchdown in the preseason.

Lions Keys to the Game

Pound the Rock

Montreal has had a lot of success in defending against the pass over the last couple of seasons but the run defense has been more on the average side for Montreal. The Alouettes until their last game had allowed the lowest passing efficiency rating from their opponents and have the fewest passing touchdowns allowed at 11 so far this season. Not running the football has been a losing recipe against the Alouettes. A lot of fans in Montreal will want to see Stanback get the ball and he will be amped up to play in front of fans who loved him for years. The Lions should lean into feeding off that energy.

High Percentage Passing Plays

Montreal nearly has as many interceptions as they do touchdowns allowed this season. Rourke had a great game last week but he may have a more difficult test against Montreal. It will be important for him to take the high percentage options and not take unnecessary risks. Both of Montreal’s corners, Dionte Ruffin and Kabion Ento have 2 interceptions this season.

Stop the Run

With so many injuries to Montreal’s receiving room, the Alouettes may try to incorporate the run game more this week. Montreal has had success from Walter Fletcher running the ball who has a strong yards per carry at 5.4. Defensive tackle Tibo Debaillie will rejoin the lineup this week listed as a second-stringer to round out a talented group of run stoppers in the interior defensive line including Josh Banks, Jonah Tavai, and Christian Covington.

Alouettes Keys to the Game

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.

5 Lions to Watch

#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.

#17 CB Ciante Evans

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.

#14 WR Charleston Rambo

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.

#1 MLB Darnell Sankey

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.

@JonathanClink on Twitter