REDBLACKS AT ALOUETTES

Five things you should know about Friday’s game at Molson Stadium (7:30 p.m., TSN), by Herb Zurkowsky.

1. Matchup

The Als are coming off a 23-17 victory Saturday in Saskatchewan. It marked their first win in more than 10 months, ending a 13-game losing skid. It also was Montreal’s first road victory since November 2016. The Redblacks have played only twice, already having enjoyed one of three bye weeks, and were defeated 24-14 Thursday at Calgary.

2. Injuries

Montreal starting QB Drew Willy suffered a stinger in the third quarter against the Roughriders. Willy has been placed on the one-game injured list, where he’s joined by offensive tackle Phil Blake, who suffered a foot injury in the same game. Safety Joe Burnett is sidelined again with his recurring quad injury. Redblacks linebacker Kyries Hebert, the former Alouette, will serve a onegame suspension for a dangerous hit against the Stampeders. Hebert decided against appealing the suspension, perhaps because he’s a repeat offender and risked a stiffer penalty. Redblacks defensive lineman Jonathan Newsome has been placed on the six-game list, while receiver Dominique Rhymes will miss one game. Ottawa doesn’t disclose the nature of its injuries.

3. The quarterbacks

The injury to Willy means this week’s starting assignment goes to Jeff Mathews, who has CFL experience with Hamilton and Toronto. The Als signed him as a free agent last month. He came off the bench in the third quarter against Saskatchewan, completing eight of 12 passes for 98 yards. Redblacks pivot Trevor Harris passed for 345 yards and two touchdowns in the seasonopener against the Riders, but was held in check by Calgary, throwing for only 135 yards.

4. The receivers

The Redblacks are paced by Greg Ellingson and Brad Sinopoli, both of whom produced 1,000yard seasons in 2017. Sinopoli’s story is all the more remarkable considering he was a quarterback in university and tried out for the position with Calgary before the Canadian was converted into a receiver. He caught 91 passes for 1,009 yards last season while scoring three majors. Ellingson had a team-leading 96 receptions for 1,459 yards and a league-leading 12 majors. Montreal’s Chris Williams victimized cornerback Duron Carter — a converted receiver — last week, catching three passes for 130 yards.

5. Running to glory

If the Als’ defence is to have any success against Ottawa, it must limit the damage inflicted by tailback William Powell. The Redblacks had trouble producing drives against Calgary, but Powell had a strong game, gaining 123 yards on 13 carries. The week before, he gained 94 yards and scored once. The Als’ ground game has been somewhat less effective. While Tyrell Sutton is averaging 4.6 yards per carry, he was held to 20 yards on 11 attempts by the Riders.