MONTREAL — The Montreal Alouettes and Hamilton Tiger-Cats clash for the second week in a row on Saturday night at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium.
It was Montreal who went into Tim Hortons Field and walked away with a 33-16 win in Week 9. The victory propelled them to a league best 7-1 record, while dropping Hamilton to 2-6.
Davis Alexander is set to make his second consecutive start under centre for the Alouettes after throwing for 262 yards and a touchdown.
Having seen the Ticats secondary already, he’ll have an idea of what to expect.
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With Charleston Rambo stepping up for four catches and 86 yards in the two team’s first game, a repeat effort combined with strong play from Tyson Philpot and Reggie White Jr. will be a lot to handle.
Head coach Jason Maas has been impressed with the play of Rambo and believes he’ll continue to get better.
“Every day he improves,” Maas told reporters. “Charleston has done an outstanding job from Day 1 for us and he’s been just getting better each and every week. When the plays were called to go his way, they weren’t easy catches, and he made them all. A lot of work has been put in on his part to be ready each and every week.”
Davis learned first hand the playmaking ability of the Hamilton defensive backs, as Kenneth George Jr. returned an interception for a touchdown. If the Ticats can get game changing plays from their defence, it’ll only help them in their attempt to hand the Als their second loss.
Running back Walter Fletcher’s 362 yards on the ground may not stand out among the league’s top rushers, but it’s his ability to impact the game in multiple ways that’s given opponents fits. Fletcher rushed for 64 yards and pulled down an additional 28 in the air a week ago, causing issues for not just the Ticats defensive front but also defenders downfield.
Defensive linemen Dewayne Hendrix and Casey Sayles found their way to Davis for a sack, as did linebacker Kyle Wilson. It serves as an important reminder for the Als about the importance of protecting their quarterback and giving Fletcher space.
Slowing down Bo Levi Mitchell has been a tough assignment this season, but the likes of defensive back Kabion Ento and linebacker Bryce Cosby managed to pull down an interception against the league’s top passer.
The secondary’s ability to close space downfield on top receivers Shemar Bridges and Tim White in the pass game is critical to coming away with another win.
Despite their losing record, White said the team isn’t getting down on themselves and expects them to bring their best effort.
“I’ve been extremely proud of how our team has handled adversity,” White told reporters. “Guys have continued to show up day in and day out with excitement to work. They’re happy to get out there on the field, they’re in meeting rooms and they’re constantly trying to get better. They’re speaking positively about one another.”
When coverage is tight, head coach Scott Milanovich will need James Butler to be the force the team expects him to be. Butler sits with an even 400 yards on the season and hopes to use a second crack at a defensive front allowing 105.6 yards per game to his advantage.
If there’s been a concern for the Als, it’s been their inability to effectively stop the run. Mustafa Johnson is the anchor of the defensive line but support is needed from Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund and Avery Ellis off the edges to keep Butler from getting to the outside. If they can, it’s up to linebackers Tyrice Beverette, Darnell Sankey and the aforementioned Cosby to stop Butler from breaking loose for big plays.
Beating a team twice is never an easy feat but it’s one Montreal will try to accomplish come Saturday.
Hamilton needs wins, and needs them soon, if they want to keep pace in the East Division.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET. Canadian audiences can tune in on TSN/RDS while U.S. viewers can watch on CBS Sports and International viewers can watch on CFL+.
– with files from MontrealAlouettes.com and Ticats.ca
