Montreal @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 19, 2017 ) Montreal 6, Toronto 38

The Toronto Argonauts look to win back-to-back games for the first time this season when they host the Montreal Alouettes on Saturday. The Argonauts held on for a 34-26 victory against the Edmonton Eskimos to snap a two-game skid and hope to win the season series with the Alouettes following a 38-6 rout on Aug. 19 as they continue their quest to win their first East Division title since 2013.

Toronto sits one point behind the Ottawa Redblacks in the standings, but swept the season series with the defending Grey Cup champions, and can improve to 5-2 against its division rivals with another win at BMO Field. The Alouettes look to pick up the pieces following a 29-11 setback to Ottawa. Montreal fired coach Jacques Chapdelaine and longtime defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe in the days leading up to the Week 13 clash, but the same old problems that have plagued the team all year popped up as the Alouettes were held to fewer than 20 points for the eighth time in 12 games. Darian Durant was pulled in the second quarter, but general manager/interim coach Kavis Reed revealed the veteran quarterback will get the starting nod as Montreal hopes to end a five-game slide and move back into the playoff picture in the process.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN, RDS

ABOUT THE ALOUETTES (3-9): Durant's mechanics were off from the start as he missed all six of his pass attempts before making way for Drew Willy midway through the second quarter. "I can only speak for myself specifically but I just didn't get it done," Durant told reporters. "It was just a flat-out bad performance and if I'm going to be the leader of this team I can't perform like that." Offensive lineman Philip Blake practiced with the starters for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury in the 41-40 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on July 27, and is expected to play Saturday.

ABOUT THE ARGONAUTS (5-7): James Wilder Jr. was named one of the CFL's Top Performers of the Week after exploding for a career-high 190 rushing yards and a touchdown to go along with seven receptions for another 67 yards against Edmonton. "I just wanted to show the team and show coach (Marc Trestman) that I can handle the pressure," Wilder told reporters. "Coach Trestman could have run through those holes." Defensive end Victor Butler, who leads the team and is tied for second in the CFL with seven sacks, registered two tackles after missing the previous six games while defensive back Akwasi Owusu-Ansah returned to practice and could play Saturday.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Toronto leads the CFL with 34 sacks.

2. Montreal is averaging 11 points over its last three contests.

3. Durant has failed to throw for more than 140 yards in three of his last five games.

PREDICTION: Argonauts 30, Alouettes 18