Montreal @ BC preview
BC Place
Last Meeting ( Sep 6, 2019 ) BC 16, Montreal 21
The Montreal Alouettes hope to overcome the loss of their star quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. when they travel to Vancouver to face the BC Lions on Saturday. Adams is 7-3 as a starter this season, but will be forced to sit out this weekend after he was given a one-game suspension for swinging a helmet at Winnipeg linebacker Adam Bighill during a skirmish in the 38-37 victory over the Blue Bombers and the Alouettes will turn to Matthew Shiltz to help keep them on course for their first playoff berth since 2014.
"I'm going to pay my dues and be ready for next week," Adams told reporters. "I have to be better than that because I'm the quarterback and I want to be the face of this franchise." The Lions swept their home-and-home set with the Ottawa Redblacks in impressive fashion following a 40-7 win in the nation's capital in Week 15. BC, which is still mathematically alive for a playoff spot despite being seven games under .500, outscored Ottawa 69-12 to post back-to-back wins for the first time this season and hope to keep trending in the right direction by avenging a 21-16 loss to the Alouettes on Sept. 6. "All of our cards are now on the table and we need to win out so that's what we're trying to do," Lions wide receiver Duron Carter told reporters. "Everybody has their backs up against the wall and we're just trying to throw some punches."
TV: 10 p.m. ET, TSN, RDS
ABOUT THE ALOUETTES (7-5): Adams was the architect of Montreal's 24-point comeback against Winnipeg as he threw for a career-high 488 yards and four touchdowns, but earned his suspension for ripping off Bighill's helmet and swinging it at the linebacker in the fourth quarter. Jake Wieneke was named one of the CFL's Top Performers of the Week after catching eight passes for 134 yards and the game-winning touchdown with six seconds left while DeVier Posey finished with seven receptions for 132 yards and a TD. Right guard Sean Jamieson will miss Saturday's clash with an arm injury and will be replaced by Spencer Wilson.
ABOUT THE LIONS (3-10): Mike Reilly completed 21-of-27 passes for 353 yards and a pair of touchdowns as BC racked up a season-high 561 yards of total offence in the win against Ottawa. Reilly needs 69 yards to reach 31,000 in his career while Odell Willis recorded the 100th sack of his career with his takedown of Will Arndt in the fourth quarter. Bryan Burnham hauled in nine passes for 135 yards and a touchdown while extending his streak of games with at least one reception to 77.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Adams has accounted for 14 touchdowns in his last four starts.
2. The Lions have held their opponents to an average of 11.5 points over their last four games.
3. Burnham leads the CFL in receiving yards (1,078).
PREDICTION: Lions 30, Alouettes 24