Montreal @ Winnipeg preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 26, 2016 ) Winnipeg 32, Montreal 18

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers look to bounce back from a demoralizing Week 5 defeat when they host the Montreal Alouettes on Thursday. The Blue Bombers were undone by a series of self-inflicted errors as they blew a double-digit advantage in the final 10 minutes of the 45-42 setback to the BC Lions, and hope to stay in the race for the West Division title by avenging a 22-14 loss to the Alouettes at Investors Group Field last season.

"We had a 15-point lead and they say no lead is safe in this league but the defence should have stepped up and made a few more plays," Winnipeg defensive back T.J. Heath told reporters. "We're 2-2 right now and have a long season ahead of us so it's too early to be putting our heads down." Montreal is left to wonder what could've have been following a 24-19 loss to the Ottawa Redblacks. The Alouettes seemed poised to grab the top spot in the East Division when they marched down to the Ottawa 8-yard line with less than two minutes to go, but quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. was stuffed on a third-and-1 to leave them a game below .500, and they hope to regroup by beating the Blue Bombers for the third time in the last four meetings. Montreal has been held to fewer than 20 points in four of its five games in 2017 and hopes the offence finally finds its groove against a Winnipeg defence which has surrendered 34.8 points per contest.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, TSN, ESPN2

ABOUT THE ALOUETTES (2-3): Veteran wide receiver Nik Lewis caught six passes for 64 yards and a touchdown to become the fourth player in CFL history to surpass 1,000 receptions for his career. "It's a number you don't think to look at when you first start," Lewis told reporters. "I feel like I've constantly been counted out but at the end of the day I love to compete." Tiquan Underwood had five receptions for 95 yards and a touchdown before suffering an ankle sprain and is likely to miss Thursday's clash while running back Tyrell Sutton will sit out a second straight game with a calf injury.

ABOUT THE BLUE BOMBERS (2-2): Justin Medlock had made a franchise-record 28 consecutive field goals before missing a potential game-tying 50-yard attempt with one second remaining against BC. Matt Nichols completed 28-of-36 passes for 254 yards and three touchdowns, but threw a costly interception with 1:29 left in the fourth quarter, which led to the Lions' go-ahead field goal. Winnipeg linebacker Derek Jones blocked the fifth kick of his career in the first quarter, which is three shy of the franchise record set by Rod Hill while T.J. Thorpe caught eight passes for 65 yards in his regular-season debut after suffering a couple injury setbacks in training camp.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Montreal has dropped five of its last seven road games.

2. Alouettes QB Darian Durant has thrown a league-high six interceptions through five games.

3. Winnipeg leads the the CFL with eight interceptions.

PREDICTION: Blue Bombers 27, Alouettes 20