The Montreal Alouettes will try to end their four-game losing streak on Saturday in Calgary. Facing the Stampeders, the players of head coach Jason Maas will begin a crucial sequence with a view to participating in the playoffs, and they will have no excuse.
For their five games in six weeks, the Alouettes (6-7) have by far the most favorable schedule in the Canadian Football League. Their opponents (Calgary, Ottawa twice, Edmonton and Hamilton) have a combined record of 20-46, for a winning rate of just 303.
“We know we’re on a four-game losing streak and we see what’s happening in the standings,” said receiver Tyson Philpot. It’s a match that we have to win on our side. The next few weeks will be pretty much like this too. »
“Morale is still good,” he continued. We are aware of what we are capable of. We didn’t play a bad game against the “Argos”, but we must be able to take advantage of our chances and finish our streaks (with touchdowns). It’s about executing well and stopping making mental mistakes.
“There’s definitely a little pressure knowing that the Tiger-Cats could beat us in just one game. We now have to raise our levels of play and concentration,” summarized Philpot.
Different training; similar strategies
The Alouettes defeated the Stampeders (4-9) 25-18 in their previous meeting this season, a game played during the eighth week of CFL activities at Percival-Molson Stadium.
The Alouettes head coach does not expect to face a team that is very different from a strategic point of view.
“Strategically, it’s similar to what we saw from them earlier this season,” Maas explained after Tuesday’s training. It is more at the staff level that we notice changes.
“They are also historically very strong after a bye week, and that will be the case again this week,” he added. The things they do well, they’ve been doing for a while. »
“It’s an extremely well-led team. It’s true that it’s not going the way they would have liked this season, but knowing Dave (Dickenson, the head coach of the Stampeders) as I know him having coached against him often, I know that they will be well prepared for this meeting,” concluded Maas.
Back to basics
It’s a match that was particularly anticipated for Philpot. The receiver, who is coming off his best moments of the season with nine catches for 105 yards and a touchdown against the Argonauts last week, is a product of the University of Alberta Dinos.
“I’m so excited!” These are two games — this one and the one in Vancouver, which I was not able to participate in — that I had circled on the calendar, said the footballer from Delta, British Columbia. This is where I played my college football, on the same field. I will have many relatives and friends in attendance. »
Philpot will take the opportunity to reconnect and catch up with his twin Jalen, who is forced to be inactive due to surgery on his hamstring muscles.
Begelton to watch
Obviously, the defense will have to keep an eye on the Stampeders’ receiving group. Jake Maier is the second most prolific quarterback in the CFL with 3,310 yards of aerial gains.
Perhaps special attention will need to be paid to Reggie Begelton. The one who ranks fourth among CFL receivers is only 81 yards from the 1,000 mark this season.
This would be his second season with 1,000 or more yards of aerial gains, having accumulated 1,444 in 2019.
Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Saturday.