LIVESTREAM CFL: Edmonton Elks @ Montreal Alouettes, Aug. 26, 01:00 CET (1 am, 7 pm Aug. 25 EDT)
MONTREAL — Two of the hottest teams in the Canadian Football League battle it out on Sunday night as Week 12 comes to a close.
The Edmonton Elks and their three-game win streak head to Percival Molson Memorial Stadium for a game against the 9-1 Montreal Alouettes.
Don’t expect Edmonton to feel any intimidation as they’ve reeled off wins over Saskatchewan, BC and Hamilton during their current run.
It’ll be McLeod Bethel-Thompson under centre for the second straight week as Tre Ford continues to work his way back from a chest injury.
When Bethel-Thompson goes to the air, he’ll be looking for Kurleigh Gittens Jr., Tevin Jones and Eugene Lewis. Gittens Jr. leads the team in receptions with 54 and Lewis tops them in yards with 498.
But the pass defence is where the Alouettes shine, limiting teams to 254 yards per game.
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Defensive backs Marc-Antoine Dequoy, Kabion Ento, Dionte Ruffin and Wesley Sutton do a good job of limiting time and space across the field.
Without Ford and Javon Leake, who will miss the game with a hip injury, the rushing duties fall on Justin Rankin and the return of Kevin Brown. Rankin rushed for 108 yards and three touchdowns against Hamilton, while Brown last played in Week 8 and has 221 yards on the season.
The duo will certainly have their fair share of opportunities as the Alouettes are giving up over 100 yards per game on the ground despite strong play from Tyrice Beverette and Mustafa Johnson in the front seven.
Given the success of the Als pass defence, running the football could very well be the Elks best path to a victory.
Watch live. Edmonton Elks @ Montreal Alouettes, Aug. 26, 01:00 CET (1 am, 7 pm Aug. 25 EDT)
Head coach Jarious Jackson has enjoyed the success of Rankin given the work he’s put in.
“I think the kids just being him, he loves football to death,” Jackson told reporters. “He wants to contribute any way form or fashion that he can. He’s always studying his plays. When he lowers his head and drops those shoulders, he’s pushing forward all the time.”
The Als defence will try to get their offence on the field as quickly as possible with quarterback Cody Fajardo set to make his return from injury.
Fajardo found success the last time out against the Elks, throwing for 269 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-20 Week 2 win.
He’ll be reunited with an old friend in Austin Mack as he returns from a stint with the National Football League’s Atlanta Falcons. Mack caught 78 passes for 1,154 yards in 2023 to help the Als to their Grey Cup victory and is a welcomed addition with Tyson Philpot still out of the lineup.
Mack will join Charleston Rambo and Cole Spieker as Fajardo’s primary targets.
It all makes for a lot to handle for an Elks secondary that’s last in the CFL allowing 307.4 yards per game.
Defensive backs Kordell Jackson and Derrick Moncrief are coming off an interception against Hamilton and it’s sure to be a team effort as they plan to shut down Fajardo in his first game back.
Fajardo understands he needs to trust that he’s 100 per cent healthy and play without hesitation to be successful.
“As a veteran, it’s not really getting in the flow of things, it’s more having the confidence that you’re healthy and you can go out there and perform,” Fajardo told reporters. “I think when the game comes, the adrenaline is going to be running high and I’m going to be confident in my ability I’ve shown in the last two years here.”
With Noah Curtis ranking among the best at finding his way to opposing quarterbacks, slowing down the Als attack starts right from the snap.
Curtis and the rest of the Elks defence also needs to be aware of running back Walter Fletcher. Fletcher has the ability to make plays in various ways, having rushed for 429 yards while also pulling down an additional 416 through the air.
Four wins in a row gets Edmonton right back into the thick of the West Division race.
Montreal can take another step towards securing the East with a victory.
Watch live. Edmonton Elks @ Montreal Alouettes, Aug. 26, 01:00 CET (1 am, 7 pm Aug. 25 EDT)
