Montreal @ Saskatchewan preview
Mosaic Stadium
Last Meeting ( Aug 9, 2019 ) Saskatchewan 17, Montreal 10
The Montreal Alouettes look to stay on track for their first playoff berth since 2014 when they travel to Regina to face the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday. The Alouettes beat the BC Lions 21-16 in Week 13 to extend their winning streak to three games and hope to cement their spot in second place by avenging a weather-shortened 17-10 loss to the Roughriders on Aug. 9, which was the first regular-season game to be called early because of inclement weather.
"We still have a lot of work to do and our guys know that but it's good to win football games," Montreal coach Khari Jones told reporters. "We have Saskatchewan next and that's all I'm thinking about." Saskatchewan looks to bounce back from a humbling 35-10 setback to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Banjo Bowl. The Roughriders took a CFL-best six-game winning streak into the annual rivalry game but were outplayed in all facets against the Blue Bombers and hope to get back on track by knocking off the Alouettes for the second time in five weeks after their victory in Montreal, which was called because of lightning strikes with 2:41 left in the third quarter. "We didn't show up and I think we were riding the high of six games a little too much," Saskatchewan quarterback Cody Fajardo admitted to reporters. "Sometimes this is good for a team to go out there and have a game like that to understand you're not invincible."
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN, RDS
ABOUT THE ALOUETTES (6-4): Vernon Adams Jr. threw for 232 yards and accounted for three total touchdowns, including a pair on the ground, to give him 10 on the year, which set a franchise record for most rushing touchdowns in a season as he passed Antonio Pipkin (2018) and Sandy Stephens (1962), who jointly held the mark with eight. John Bowman was named one of the CFL's Top Performers of the Week after the veteran defensive end registered five tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble against the Lions. Running back Jeremiah Johnson is questionable after suffering an undisclosed injury in the first half while defensive end JaVon Rollan-Jones and running back Jarveon Williams were added to the practice roster.
ABOUT THE ROUGHRIDERS (7-4): Cody Fajardo completed 16-of-24 passes for 196 yards and added another 46 on the ground, including an 8-yard touchdown run, against Winnipeg. Defensive end Charleston Hughes recorded his league-leading 13 sack to move past Stewart Hill (126) for eighth place on the CFL's all-time list while Manny Arceneaux made five receptions to extend his streak of games with at least one catch to 108. Saskatchewan will honour the 1989 Grey Cup winning squad on the 30th anniversary of their 43-40 triumph during a halftime ceremony.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Saskatchewan has won four straight games against East Division opponents.
2. Bowman needs one sack to move past Vince Goldsmith (130.5) for sixth place on the league's all-time list.
3. The Roughriders have given up five kick-return touchdowns this season.
PREDICTION: Alouettes 23, Roughriders 21