Alouettes must snap losing skid
Here are five things you should know about the Alouettes- Saskatchewan Roughriders game at Mosaic Stadium on Saturday (9 p.m., TSN, RDS, TSN Radio 690).
1.
Matchup
The Riders thought they were going to the Grey Cup last season after scoring 18 points in the fourth quarter at Toronto in the East Division final, taking a 21-18 lead with 2:45 remaining. But Ricky Ray marched the Argos 67 yards, setting up the winning oneyard TD run by backup QB Cody Fajardo. Saskatchewan launched its season with a win at home against the Argonauts, extracting some revenge, but are coming off a humbling 40-17 defeat last week at Ottawa. The Als, of course, are winless in two games and have their own issues following a 56-10 pasting at home by Winnipeg.
2.
Injuries
The big one is to Saskatchewan QB Zach Collaros, placed on the six-game injured list after he sustained a concussion last week. He’s one of eight players already placed on the six-game list. The latest Als players to be sidelined indefinitely include linebacker Anthony Sarao (hamstring) and former first-overall draft pick Faith Ekakitie (torn Achilles). On the bright side, both rush-end John Bowman (ankle) and safety Joe Burnett (quad) are expected to make their regular-season debuts for Montreal.
3.
The QBs
The injury to Collaros means the Riders will turn to Canadian pivot Brandon Bridge, a former Als fourth-round (31st overall) draft choice in 2015. Bridge started a game against Hamilton last September, passing for 231 yards and three touchdowns in a 27-19 victory. He became the first Canadian pivot to pass for three TDs in a game since Greg Vavra in 1984. Bridge, a 6-foot-5, 230-pounder, is a dual threat as a runner. The Als will continue going with veteran Drew Willy, who began his CFL career with the Riders. Vernon Adams, repatriated this week following his release by the Tiger-Cats, will dress as the third QB, presumably for any short-yardage situations that might arise.
4.
The pride factor
We’re about to learn how much of that Montreal defenders possess. GM Kavis Reed overhauled the Als’ defence last winter, signing numerous free agents. The defence was respectable against B.C., but was unmasked by Blue Bombers’ rookie QB Chris Streveler, who engineered most of the offensive carnage. When he wasn’t picking apart the defence with his arm, he was shredding it along the ground.
5.
For the defence Although he was Saskatchewan’s leading receiver (1,043 yards) last season, Duron Carter will continue playing boundary cornerback due to an injury. He returned an interception for a TD against the Redblacks, the second defensive score of his career.