Calgary @ Montreal preview

Calgary at Montreal

Last Meeting ( Jul 21, 2018 ) Montreal 8, Calgary 25

The Calgary Stampeders look to clinch a home playoff date when they visit the Montreal Alouettes on Thanksgiving Monday. The Stampeders cruised past the Toronto Argonauts 38-16 in Week 16 to become the first team in the CFL to secure a berth in the postseason and can ensure they host a playoff game for the seventh consecutive year by notching their first win in Montreal since July 12, 2013.

"We're not taking anyone lightly as we haven't played well in Montreal for many years," Calgary coach Dave Dickenson told reporters. "We need to go out there and play well and try to get a win." The Alouettes are on the verge of officially being eliminated from playoff contention after dropping a 34-29 decision to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Johnny Manziel threw the first two touchdown passes of his CFL career, but it wasn't enough as Montreal fell to their third straight defeat and need to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the season to avoid missing the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. "I got the monkey off my back with this team moving forward and I'm going to play with pride the rest of the way," Manziel told reporters. "I have nothing but high hopes for these last four games of the season regardless who we play."

TV: 1 p.m. ET, TSN, RDS

ABOUT THE STAMPEDERS (11-2): Bo Levi Mitchell threw for 307 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the win against the Argonauts to extend his streak of consecutive games with a TD pass to 16 (playoffs included). Calgary signed wide receiver Chris Matthews, who spent the last three seasons in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens, after Reggie Begelton was ruled out for the rest of the year with a broken arm. Wide receiver Eric Rogers is expected to make his first appearance since July 28 after going through a full week of practice without any pain in his knee while defensive back Tre Roberson is good to go after suffering a thigh injury against Toronto.

ABOUT THE ALOUETTES (3-11): Manziel completed 9-of-16 passes for 138 yards to go along with another 45 against Saskatchewan. Left tackle Tony Washington and wide receiver B.J. Cunningham, who leads the team in catches (52), receiving yards (631) and touchdowns (three), suffered lower-body injuries against the Roughriders and are questionable for Monday's clash. Veteran linebacker Chip Cox registered nine tackles against the Roughriders to move past Barrin Simpson (955) for fourth place on the CFL's all-time list with 961.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Calgary is 7-0 against East Division opponents.

2. Montreal has dropped six of its seven home games in 2018.

3. Mitchell leads the league in touchdown passes (29).

PREDICTION: Stampeders 33, Alouettes 20