Preview: Alouettes host Lions on Saturday night
The Alouettes are returning to Montreal for the first time since the regular season opener, as they’ll host the B.C. Lions on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. ET (TSN, RDS, CFL+, TSN 690, 98.5 FM). The Als (3-1-0) are coming off a loss to the Ticats last week while B.C. (1-3) has dropped three games in a row to Winnipeg (twice) and Saskatchewan.
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Lineup Changes:
Davis Alexander, Austin Mack and Dylan Wynn will all miss a second consecutive game. They are considered day-to-day right now.
Corner Lorenzo Burns will be held out this week due to injury, but the good news is that veteran Dionte Ruffin will make his season debut. Ruffin was the starting corner on the boundary side of the field when the Alouettes won the Grey Cup in 2023. So, getting him back is significant.
Quebec-born defensive end Joshua Archibald will make his Alouettes debut. He missed the first four weeks with a lower-body injury. The timing of his return is impeccable, as he’ll be playing against his former on Saturday night.
Receiver Jalen Wayne will also be making his CFL debut.
Getting into a groove offensively:
There’s no denying that last week’s game was the toughest of the season from an offensive standpoint. The offence didn’t look in sync and two of their turnovers led directly to Tiger-Cats touchdowns.
Quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson will be at the helm for the second consecutive week. It’s always easy to point the finger at the quarterback when things don’t go well, but last week’s performance can’t be pinned on one guy.
Bethel-Thompson is a proven winner that is still getting acclimated to a new offence. Also, getting another full week of practice with his receivers should help the chemistry on the field, too.
“I felt like we were prepared last week. I felt like we had a good game plan and a good week of practice, but that game didn’t go the way we wanted it to. I felt like we had a good preparation this week and I’m excited for the opportunity to come back home and protect our house.”
Alexander, who will miss his second game with a lower-body injury, will get an extra week of rest with the bye coming up after this game.
Sean Thomas Erlington plays 100th Game
Quebec-born running back Sean Thomas Erlington will reach an important milestone on Saturday, as he’ll be playing in his 100th career CFL game in front of 20 to 30 friends and family members.
The 32-year-old is a great story, as he was an eighth-round pick in the 2017 CFL Draft out of the University of Montreal. The fact that any player gets to 100 pro games is impressive, but it’s even more unique when you look at players drafted as late as Thomas Erlington was.
“It’s definitely a big number,” he said this week. “I’m happy to be able to reach 100 games especially here in my hometown in front of our fans and my family.
“In the end, (being an eighth-round pick) makes it a little bit sweeter, but at the time I was just thankful to get an opportunity. I was just trying to make the best of it. I just showed up and worked, and at the end of the day I got noticed. I got on some rosters and ended up signing here, so I’m very grateful. Hard work pays off. That’s it.”
Kristian Matte returns
Longtime offensive lineman Kristian Matte will make his first return to Montreal since announcing his retirement last winter. Weeks after stepping away from the game as a player, Matte was hired by the B.C. Lions as the team’s running backs coach.
The 39-year-old won two Grey Cups with the Alouettes in 2010 and 2023 and was named an East Division All-Star in 2019 and 2021 during his 14-year career.
