A CFL playoff game in the month of August? What? Well, get ready for something darn close to it because on Thursday night, August 31, your Alouettes will be taking on the Ottawa REDBLACKS in what is going to be one of the hottest match-ups of the year. It’s a close race in the East Division and with half of the season left to play, a lot can still happen.
Plus, this game against the reigning Grey Cup champions is a perfect excuse to get your @MarksClothing #LDWeekend off to an early start. But even though you’ll be starting your long weekend, our guys will still be hard at work. With what looked to be a victory slipping through their fingers in overtime last week against Winnipeg, it means that now more than ever they are determined to get a win Thursday night. Get ready for some particularly fierce competition and to be entertained to the max!
Great jams at halftime
We’ll get back to football in just a second…
Surprise! John Jacob Magistery will be on stage at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium at halftime! To our delight, the band that wowed the crowds at Osheaga, the Jazz Festival and the Folk Festival will be performing at the stadium on Thursday night. After all, it’s Student Night, it’s the last party of the summer… you’ve got to celebrate in style!
The best part of all? The game and the concert come at a very friendly price: The Thursday Night Party pack includes four game tickets and four beers and is now only $28 per person (instead of $33). Hey, youngins (18 years and over, of course)! You can’t say that we aren’t thinking of you!
Watch your back, Harris…
O.K. Back to football.
The game itself also promises to be super-entertaining! Ottawa added a third victory to their record last week by beating the BC Lions at home. And although the REDBLACKS are inching up in the CFL’s East Division standings, the Montreal defence, starting with Kyries Hebert (second in the league in defensive tackles), will be out to stop them.
To turn the lights out on Trevor Harris and his preferred targets – Ellingson and Sinopoli – Noel Thorpe’s troops need to prevent any long plays. It’s when going deep that Ottawa is most dangerous. Fortunately, the defensive line led by veteran – and sack master – John Bowman (tied for third spot in the league for sacks and quarterback pressures) definitely has the potential to upset Harris’ rhythm in the pocket. And don’t forget that a position needs to be filled with the release of defensive tackle Ray Drew at the beginning of the week… What’s certain is that between Ivan McLennan, chameleon Jean-Samuel Blanc and new recruit Davon Walls there’s no shortage of choice.
The work of the linebacking corps and the secondary, a.k.a. the lethal weapons of the Montreal defence, will also be crucial to stopping the explosive REDBLACK receivers. Greg Henderson, who returned in style last week, is hoping to repeat his feats and give his team the chance to get back on top of the East Division. The defensive back was out for seven weeks due to injury, but his return to the field did not go unnoticed. The other pillars of the secondary – Branden Dozier, Tyree Hollins and Jonathon Mincy – might also be able to count upon super-quick Tevaughn Campbell. The former Roughrider took part in a few reps this week at practice and might be very handy when it comes time to stop the sneaky Diontae Spencer in his tracks.
Attack… without mercy
Obviously, the Als have to do more than simply contain Harris’ offence. Thursday will also be about scoring points. Since the start of the season, Ottawa has conceded 271 points, 40 more than our Alouettes, an average of 27.1 points per game. We’ve seen what the offensive line is capable of doing, even in the most difficult of times. Although some O-liners have gone down to injury in the past month, the front line has not flinched; they have only allowed 14 quarterback sacks since the start of the season and currently rank third in the league in terms of sacks allowed. At first glance, there’s no reason why the giants up front can’t continue their stellar performance this week and allow Durant and his targets the opportunity to advance downfield.
The first target to watch out for: Tyrell Sutton. The ball carrier missed the last game against Winnipeg, but he won’t be on the sideline for a second longer. Returning to practice this week, Sutty proved true to himself: competitive, intense and ready to take-on the next challenge. And if there is one area where Jacques Chapdelaine’s troops surpass their opponents, it’s the running game. The Alouettes dominate with eight rushes of more than 20 yards and have the best yards-per-rush average (5.8 yards). Sutty compares himself to a pitbull… and he’s not wrong.
The second target to watch out for: Ernest Jackson. Our big #9 will be facing his former teammates at home for the first time in the regular season and there’s no doubt he’s going to want to leave an impression. E-Jack stood out last week with a ridiculous one-handed grab, so close to the ground, on a 38-yard pass from Durant for a touchdown that gave the team a second wind at a critical moment. The least we can say is that Ernest is always there when it counts the most. He scored three touchdowns in the last four games and is on his way to completing the season with 1,000+ receiving yards. The guy knows all about action.
Begin at the beginning
On Thursday, the effort must be there from the first quarter right through to the fourth and from all three units. Consistency remains a key for the team’s success. On special teams, Stefan Logan and Boris Bede will once again have important roles to play to get their teammates in favourable field position or, in the case of Bede especially, to open the scoring as early as possible such as he’s been doing so well this season.
Without a doubt, Thursday night’s game will be an event not to be missed, especially for anyone who wants to find out how the Alouettes begin the second half of their season. We’re looking forward to seeing you at the stadium at 7:30 p.m., or better still, at the tailgate which starts at 5:30 p.m.
