With a win on Saturday in opposition to the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the Montreal Alouettes may punch their ticket to the 2021 CFL playoffs — however the crew is already wanting additional.
“I’d be mendacity if I didn’t say it wasn’t a purpose of ours to make the playoffs and particularly doing it in entrance of the house crowd could be superb,” mentioned quarterback Matthew Shiltz. “On the similar time, we’ve got a whole lot of larger objectives too.”
“We would like the primary seed within the East, we wish to carry on shifting in the direction of the top of the playoffs, get to the championship and win it.”
Shiltz began the final two video games filling in for the injured Vernon Adams Jr., however skipped a observe day through the week to heal up from a knee harm. Current acquisition Trevor Harris stuffed in throughout observe however the Alouettes (6-4) is not going to make a quarterback change forward of Saturday’s recreation.
For Shiltz, this season has been a studying course of. He welcomes the accountability of beginning a 3rd straight recreation and bettering Montreal’s successful streak to 5 video games.
“After a couple of video games, you simply preserve constructing confidence and you retain on turning into extra snug again there,” he mentioned. “I’m simply studying as I am going and I preserve making performs and placing the crew in one of the best place to make performs.”
Khari Jones remains to be locked in along with his starter however is happy with having Harris on the sidelines within the occasion Shiltz can’t play.
“It was good to have him in there in observe the third day, I felt like daily he acquired higher with what we’re doing,” Jones mentioned. “He’s a sensible man, he’s taken to the offence effectively. The fellows have belief in him and so it gained’t be every part, perhaps, however it’ll be sufficient that we are able to go and win.”
Patrick Davis would be the fourth participant lining up at centre for Montreal this season. The twenty eighth total choose within the 2021 CFL Draft out of Syracuse College will likely be making his first profession begin.
“That’s the good unknown however he’s made me increasingly snug daily seeing him in there, seeing how he handles our guys and seeing all of the calls,” Jones mentioned. “It’s a tricky place. It’s not simply the blocking aspect of issues, it’s determining what’s taking place on defence and making the precise calls and he’s dealt with it rather well.”
The Roughriders (6-4) are usually not underestimating their opponent as they fly over to Montreal for Saturday’s recreation. For quarterback Cody Fajardo, the Alouettes are “scorching proper now” and will likely be a check to his crew’s offensive line.
“I placed on the final couple of video games in opposition to Toronto and Ottawa and it was similar to a spotlight tape of killing the quarterback,” Fajardo mentioned. “You by no means wish to put that on and see that as a quarterback however we acquired our work minimize out for us and I feel it’ll be an amazing recreation and hopefully we give ourselves an opportunity to win within the fourth quarter.”
Anticipating rain on Saturday, Riders head coach Craig Dickenson mentioned that they’re ready for a combat in harder situations.
“We did some moist ball stuff with our snapper, we dunked the ball within the water slightly bit and let him snap with it,” Dickenson mentioned. “The main target needs to be sharp. Most of our gamers performed a whole lot of soccer and so they’ve all performed within the rain sooner or later. We couldn’t simulate the rain so we did the subsequent neatest thing.”
Saskatchewan fullback Alexandre Dupuis can have added emotion in his return to Percival Molson Stadium. The Montreal native signed with the Alouettes in June hoping to play for his hometown crew however was launched on the finish of pre-season in August.
Dupuis visits Montreal for the primary time since getting launched. The 31 year-old who hadn’t performed skilled soccer for “over 1,000 days” till he suited up for Saskatchewan on Aug. 21, mentioned he’s glad to have landed within the Prairies.
“I’m actually grateful for that chance and proper now I’m simply attempting to get essentially the most out of it and attempting to indicate all people that handed on me or launched me that they had been fallacious,” Dupuis mentioned. “It’s unhappy for them however it’s nice for Saskatchewan that I may be right here and play and be concerned lots within the offense and do as a lot as I can to assist this crew win soccer video games.”
SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (6-4) AT MONTREAL ALOUETTES (6-4)
Saturday, Percival Molson Stadium
ARTIS-PAYNE OUT: Alouettes operating again Cameron Artis-Payne will miss a second straight recreation. The previous Carolina Panther missed final week’s recreation for a non-COVID sickness and can stay on the one-game injured record forward of Saturday’s matchup.
STANBACK APPROACHING 1000: William Stanback is 120 yard away from reaching the 1000 dashing yards mark this season. The CFL main rusher has recorded over 120 yards in three of his final 4 video games.
RIDERS PUNTER CHANGE: Kaare Vedvik will change the injured Jon Ryan at punter. Vedvik, a worldwide participant from Norway, featured on eight NFL crew rosters earlier than getting chosen within the second spherical of the 2021 CFL International Draft.
© 2021 The Canadian Press
