Week 2 – MTL @ EDM
After defeating the Blue Bombers in Winnipeg last week, the Alouettes will be back on the road in Week 2 as they’ll take on the Edmonton Elks on Friday night at 9pm ET. The Als will finally get to play a home game next week when they host the Ottawa Redblacks on June 20th.
Here’s what you need to know about this week’s matchup:
New faces in key places:
Last week’s victory came at a cost, as they lost receiver Tyler Snead, linebacker Tyrell Richards and defensive back Reggie Stubblefield. Earlier this week, the Als announced that Stubblefield would miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL. The other two players are week-to-week.
The Alouettes must therefore replace two Americans and one Canadian (Richards) on their roster.
According to what we’ve seen at practice, expect first-year defensive back Bryce Cosby to replace Stubblefield in the starting defence. Cosby has played very well from the first day of training camp and throughout the preseason.
“I think the main thing is my football acumen,” Cosby said on Tuesday. “I know and understand the game. I’m not naïve. I know that coming from the States, it’s a different field, it’s a different game. They gave us access to film in the off-season and I did my best to glance over it and see anything I noticed from my years of playing.”
In Snead’s case, it sounds like Canadian Shedler Fervius will step into his spot. Fervius played a huge role on special teams for the Alouettes in the second half of last season. He’ll look to take the next step on offence in 2024.
“He did well finishing off last year,” head coach Jason Maas said of Fervius. “He played well on special teams, and on offence in training camp, he really showed up. We expect him to be able to run our offence with him in it. He runs great routes, and he catches the ball. We’re excited about his opportunity.”
The 2023 fifth-round draft pick missed last week’s game in Winnipeg due to injury.
Rookie Myles Brooks will make his CFL debut on Friday night. The American joined the This off-season and earned a practice roster spot to open the season. He’ll jump into a special teams role this week.
Receiver Kaion Julien-Grant will be a game-time decision on Friday night.
Reggie White Jr. pulled off six-game injured list:
Receiver Reggie White Jr., who hasn’t played a game since Oct. 2022, has been removed from the six-game injured list.
The Alouettes receiver suffered a serious knee injury that required surgery during the 2022 Thanksgiving Day game, but he started the year on the injured list due to a rib injury. White Jr. was removed from the six-game injured list prior to Wednesday’s practice, which meant he was allowed to participate in the on-field session with his teammates.
He won’t be back in the lineup on Friday night, but he’s clearly closing in on a return.
Do you want chips?
You may have missed a brief kicking controversy across the league last week. A chip was added inside the kicking balls which affected the trajectory of the ball after it left the kicker’s foot. It seemed to affect Bombers kicker Sergio Castillo most, as he missed two field goals and an extra point.
The CFL has since determined that each team will decide whether they want to have a chip placed inside the ball.
“No chip,” Cote explained when he was asked whether he’ll use the new piece of equipment or not. “I’m going to go with the classic approach. We’re going to continue that way, exactly like last year. Nothing changes for us.”
For Alouettes fans who want to experience the action live Commonwealth Stadium, Redtag is offering discounts on flights to Edmonton. Check out their offers here.
