With a win on Saturday towards the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the Montreal Alouettes may punch their ticket to the 2021 CFL playoffs — however the group is already trying additional.
“I’d be mendacity if I didn’t say it wasn’t a aim of ours to make the playoffs and particularly doing it in entrance of the house crowd could be wonderful,” stated quarterback Matthew Shiltz. “On the similar time, we have now lots of greater targets too.”
“We wish the primary seed within the East, we need to carry on transferring in direction of the tip of the playoffs, get to the championship and win it.”
Shiltz began the final two video games filling in for the injured Vernon Adams Jr., however skipped a follow day in the course of the week to heal up from a knee harm. Latest acquisition Trevor Harris crammed in throughout follow however the Alouettes (6-4) is not going to make a quarterback change forward of Saturday’s sport.
For Shiltz, this season has been a studying course of. He welcomes the duty of beginning a 3rd straight sport and enhancing Montreal’s successful streak to 5 video games.
“After just a few video games, you simply preserve constructing confidence and you retain on turning into extra comfy again there,” he stated. “I’m simply studying as I’m going and I preserve making performs and placing the group in the perfect place to make performs.”
Khari Jones remains to be locked in together with his starter however is happy with having Harris on the sidelines within the occasion Shiltz can’t play.
“It was good to have him in there in follow the third day, I felt like each day he received higher with what we’re doing,” Jones stated. “He’s a sensible man, he’s taken to the offence effectively. The fellows have belief in him and so it gained’t be every little thing, perhaps, but it surely’ll be sufficient that we are able to go and win.”
Patrick Davis would be the fourth participant lining up at centre for Montreal this season. The twenty eighth total choose within the 2021 CFL Draft out of Syracuse College shall be making his first profession begin.
“That’s the good unknown however he’s made me an increasing number of comfy each day seeing him in there, seeing how he handles our guys and seeing all of the calls,” Jones stated. “It’s a troublesome place. It’s not simply the blocking aspect of issues, it’s determining what’s occurring on defence and making the appropriate calls and he’s dealt with it rather well.”
The Roughriders (6-4) usually are not underestimating their opponent as they fly over to Montreal for Saturday’s sport. For quarterback Cody Fajardo, the Alouettes are “scorching proper now” and shall be a check to his group’s offensive line.
“I placed on the final couple of video games towards Toronto and Ottawa and it was identical to a spotlight tape of killing the quarterback,” Fajardo stated. “You by no means need to put that on and see that as a quarterback however we received our work minimize out for us and I believe it’ll be an amazing sport and hopefully we give ourselves an opportunity to win within the fourth quarter.”
Anticipating rain on Saturday, Riders head coach Craig Dickenson stated that they’re ready for a battle in more durable situations.
“We did some moist ball stuff with our snapper, we dunked the ball within the water somewhat bit and let him snap with it,” Dickenson stated. “The main focus must be sharp. Most of our gamers performed lots of soccer and so they’ve all performed within the rain sooner or later. We couldn’t simulate the rain so we did the subsequent neatest thing.”
Saskatchewan fullback Alexandre Dupuis can have added emotion in his return to Percival Molson Stadium. The Montreal native signed with the Alouettes in June hoping to play for his hometown group however was launched on the finish of pre-season in August.
Dupuis visits Montreal for the primary time since getting launched. The 31 year-old who hadn’t performed skilled soccer for “over 1,000 days” till he suited up for Saskatchewan on Aug. 21, stated he’s glad to have landed within the Prairies.
“I’m actually grateful for that chance and proper now I’m simply attempting to get essentially the most out of it and attempting to point out all people that handed on me or launched me that they have been unsuitable,” Dupuis stated. “It’s unhappy for them but it surely’s nice for Saskatchewan that I may be right here and play and be concerned lots within the offense and do as a lot as I can to assist this group win soccer video games.”
SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS (6-4) AT MONTREAL ALOUETTES (6-4)
Saturday, Percival Molson Stadium
ARTIS-PAYNE OUT: Alouettes operating again Cameron Artis-Payne will miss a second straight sport. The previous Carolina Panther missed final week’s sport for a non-COVID sickness and can stay on the one-game injured checklist forward of Saturday’s matchup.
STANBACK APPROACHING 1000: William Stanback is 120 yard away from reaching the 1000 speeding yards mark this season. The CFL main rusher has recorded over 120 yards in three of his final 4 video games.
RIDERS PUNTER CHANGE: Kaare Vedvik will exchange the injured Jon Ryan at punter. Vedvik, a worldwide participant from Norway, featured on eight NFL group rosters earlier than getting chosen within the second spherical of the 2021 CFL International Draft.
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