Friday night's game between the Calgary Stampeders and the Montreal Alouettes is an interesting one. It features two teams in similar, but very different situations.
Both teams sit in second place of their respective division. However, each team is experiencing a very different level of comfort in that position.
There are lots of positive signs for Montreal. Meanwhile, Calgary fans are starting to get nervous.
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders might be in second place, but they have several factors working against them.
- They're coming off two straight multi-score losses.
- Winnipeg and BC are both hot on their tail and coming off victories.
- They have a very real quarterback problem on their hands.
If you're a Stamps fan, don't panic yet. But the team needs to turn things around soon to avoid letting the season get away from them.
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes sit in second place, but their spot feels much more secure for several reasons.
- They are coming off two straight victories.
- They recently beat the team with the best record in the CFL.
- Toronto is two games behind them, and Montreal holds the tiebreaker since they beat them twice.
Don't get me wrong, this is still an important game for Monreal. But it just doesn't feel quite as urgent as it does for Calgary.
Keys To a Calgary Stampeders Victory
If the Calgary Stampeders want to pull off the upset on the road, they need these three things to go right.
Vernon Adams Jr. Must Play
No disrespect to the rest of the Calgary QB room, but Vernon Adams needs to play.
With PJ Walker out, nobody else on the roster has enough big-time experience to pull the Stamps out of their rut.
Not only does Big Play VA need to make big plays, but he also needs to take care of the ball. Unfortunately, that doesn't always happen.
Calgary Must Lean on Their Run Game
Even if Vernon Adams Jr. can play, he's still banged up. That means he'll need some help carrying the offense.
Thankfully, the Stamps have Dedrick Mills, who's been playing well all season. Mills is 2nd in the CFL in rushing and 3rd in rushing TDs.
In fact, Mills might be first in rushing TDs if Quincy Vaughn weren't playing so well.
Speaking of Quincy Vaughn, he's enjoying an impressive rookie season. Not only has he proven himself to be a capable blocker, but he's also near automatic as a short-yardage runner.
Vaughn's short-yardage ability should give Calgary confidence to trust in their run game. All they need is nine yards on the first two downs, and Vaughn will get them the last one.
Calgary's Defense Must Show up
Believe it or not, the Calgary Stampeders' defense is allowing a league low 22.8 yards per game this year. Unfortunately, the last two games don't reflect that stat (83 points allowed).
A big factor behind those struggles is the lack of takeaways. Calgary's defense has been one of the best in the league all year at taking the ball away. Unfotuatly, they haven't forced a single giveaway in the last two games.
They need to get back to the ballhawking takeaway machine we saw earlier in the season if they want to beat a good Montreal Alouette team.
Game Information
Day and Time: Friday, September 26th, at 7 PM
Location: Percival Molson Memorial Stadium
Broadcast: TSN and CFL+