The Montreal Alouettes (5-1) will host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (3-3) on Sunday, July 26, at Percival Molson Stadium in Montreal.
Kickoff is set for 7:00 p. m.
EDT.
A victory would give Montreal a six-point lead over Hamilton in the East Division and secure the season series tiebreaker.
The Tiger-Cats enter after a 24-23 win over Toronto, while Montreal aims to extend its three-game winning streak.
Hamilton Adjusts at Quarterback
Canadian quarterback Tre Ford will start for the second consecutive week after Bo Levi Mitchell underwent ankle surgery.
Ford threw for 218 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in last week's win.
Receiver Kenny Lawler said the offence will maintain its system despite the change. “We’re pretty much a veteran group on offence,” Lawler said.
“Just because we got a new quarterback, don’t make anything up and keep it the same.”
Lawler emphasized execution under Ford. “You’ve got to understand the timing and the rhythm of the offence.
We’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing and just rally with each other,” he said.
Receiver Kiondré Smith said a road win would validate the team’s capabilities.
“It would just remind us and reinforce that we know exactly who we are and what we can do,” Smith said.
Defensive back Stavros Katsantonis stressed internal focus.
“We want to be first in the East and we want to show that we’re still a competitive and dominant team in this East Division,” Katsantonis said.
“That is our plan going out there on Sunday night to prove that to the rest of the league.”
Katsantonis added that external expectations do not matter.
“No one else believes in us and we don’t need anybody else to, other than the guys that are in this locker room and the people that are in this organization,” he said.
Montreal's High-Powered Offense
Montreal leads the CFL in net offence with 2,754 yards. Quarterback Davis Alexander has thrown for 2,181 yards, surpassing 300 passing yards in every game.
Receiver Tyson Philpot leads the league with 807 receiving yards.
Head coach Jason Maas said the defensive plan focuses on containing Ford’s mobility.
“(Ford) has very much the skillset and the capabilities of making things happen, but if you’re disciplined with how to control him, you can do it,” Maas said.
“He is going to make plays, there’s no doubt about that.
You just want to limit the damage when you can, but also, when you get near him, we’ve got to hit him.”
Maas dismissed outside expectations. “We don’t even care about that,” he said.
“You don’t hear me very often speak about another team at all. I don’t care about anybody outside of our building.
I do not care what other people think about our team. It’s about what we have in our locker room.”
Maas expressed confidence in the team’s preparation. “Never once have we prepared all week and not expected to win,” he said.
“That’s just how we work here. The way we practiced today and all week, we’ve earned the opportunity to win.
I couldn’t care less if other people agree or not.”
Linebacker Micah Awe said the defence focuses on self-improvement. “I don’t care about those 10 spread points,” Awe said.
“Those are the scariest things to look at as a defence, even as a team. I don’t care what Vegas thinks.
For us, it’s a learning experience. Last week, we had a very good half against Calgary, but they came back.
Yes, we won, but we still have a lot to work on.”
Montreal will activate return specialist DeVonte Dedmon for his team debut after releasing Mario Alford.
Dedmon, who signed in January following six seasons with Ottawa, missed early action due to a hamstring injury.
Dedmon said returning to full health was a relief. “It was tough because they gave me an opportunity to play some receiver,” Dedmon said.
“I was enjoying it and playing pretty well. Then the injury happened.”
Dedmon credited teammates for supporting his recovery. “You’ve got to control what you can control in that moment.
The guys had my back and they pushed me every day to get back faster than I should have,” he said.
Maas expects Dedmon to boost a special teams unit averaging a league-low 10.2 yards per punt return.
“The type of returner he is, I think, sets up well for how we like to do things here,” Maas said.
“He’s put in a lot of work and effort into getting back and being ready.
We’re excited to have him back and do the things he’s been accustomed to in this league.”
Running back Travis Theis, who rushed for 123 yards last week, said he sees room for improvement.
“It was probably my best game, but I feel like there’s so much more to improve on,” Theis said.
“I’m looking to do that this week.”
Theis noted the recognition that comes with breaking 100 yards. “It’s fun,” he said.
“You get recognized more for going over 100 (yards). You could have 99 or 100, they’ll recognize it a little more if you have 100.”
Theis highlighted the importance of the divisional game. “It’s a huge game,” Theis said.
“We can take the series lead. We’re up 1-0, but just beating a divisional opponent is huge.
It’s a big game.”
The game will be broadcast nationally on TSN and RDS in Canada and CBS Sports Network in the United States.
