The Stamps are currently the hottest team in the league, having won four straight games since Bo Levi Mitchell came off the injured list.
Vernon Adams Jr. is set to return from his one game suspension. The Als seemed to miss Adams last week, as they fell to the BC Lions while accumulating only 177 passing yards.
“Hopefully [the week off] got him excited to play,” Alouettes head coach Khari Jones told MontrealAlouettes.com when asked about Adams. “Hopefully he missed it a little bit, knowing that this can be taken away from you at any time. He had a really good week of practice and was out there with a lot of energy like he normally is.”
A bright spot for the Alouettes was an eye-popping performance from William Stanback. The running back rushed 14 times for 147 yards – his first 100-yard rushing outing since Week 5.
Meanwhile, Don Jackson returns to the backfield for the Stamps. Out since Week 10, Jackson has battled injuries and inconsistency this season while appearing in a mere three games.
Jackson isn’t the only Calgary rusher to endure a rough 2019 season. Fellow running backs Romar Morris and Ka’Deem Carey have both been ruled out for the season with serious injuries.
“I’ve just got to play in the name of those guys, Romar and Ka’Deem,” Jackson told Stampeders.com. “It ain’t been the easiest season but we stay above all that and put our friendship, our brotherhood above all that other stuff. All we know is that whoever is on the field, we try to be the best we can be and represent everybody else in the room.”
Mitchell and the Stamps had to deal with an unexpected distraction at practice this week…snow. Calgary was hit with an unseasonable storm that left 25 centimetres in some parts of the city. It’s something Stampeders veterans are familiar with and welcome.
“In the CFL, when that cold wind starts to kick in — and we skipped that and went straight to the snow — you know it’s playoff time,” Mitchell said. “I think everyone in the West feels like it’s already playoff time. Everybody is really tight in the races and it’s just going to come down to the last couple of games. We control our own destiny basically when it comes to that.”
One trend that Mitchell is looking to shake involves interceptions. He has thrown seven picks through six games this season. The Katy, Texas product tossed 14 interceptions last year (his most in a single season) but did so in three times as many contests.
“Regardless of who they have out there, he makes that offence tick,” Khari Jones answered when asked about Mitchell. “If you can get him a little off his game, then you have a better chance. We just have to limit everybody. You never know who’s going to show up in their receiving corp.”
The Stampeders defence was dealt a blow this week when middle linebacker Cory Greenwood was moved to the six-game injured list. Greenwood was filling the spot vacated by Alex Singleton admirably, leading the league in tackles and on pace to set the franchise record for tackles in a season.
Wynton McManis shifts to the middle linebacker spot in Greenwood’s absence. The third-year pro has 50 defensive tackles this season.
How McManis and the rest of the Calgary front-seven deal with Stanback could be a deciding factor in the matchup. Stanback missed the teams’ Week 10 meeting due to injury, but Jeremiah Johnson picked up the slack, rushing for 107 yards on 13 carries.
Adams has been putting up impressive numbers over his last few starts (he’s thrown for 300 yards or more in four of his last five games) and it’s no wonder considering his receiving corps.
Chris Matthews won’t play on Saturday, but the Alouettes still have Geno Lewis and rookie standout Quan Bray. Jake Wieneke, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound rookie, has proven to be a threat in the red zone as he leads the Als with five receiving touchdowns.
Key off-season signing DeVier Posey anchors the group, and he certainly has some history with the Stamps. It was Posey who earned Grey Cup MVP honours in 2017 thanks to a 175-yard performance that helped the Toronto Argonauts stun the favoured Stampeders.
BY THE NUMBERS
4 – Calgary has had a four-game winning streak in each of the last 10 seasons.
12 – Rushes of 20 yards or more for William Stanback, the most in the CFL.
48 – Passes thrown by the Stampeders last week, their most since 2017.
3 – Straight games for Montreal decided by two points or less.
– With files from Stampeders.com and MontrealAlouettes.com
AFI, Yare Media and the CFL
American Football International is collaborating with Yare Media and the Canadian Football League to present 2019 CFL games live. This is more than a livestream. This is a stream of the top flight TSN network television broadcast.
LIVE STREAM PPV: CFL – Calgary Stampeders @Montreal Alouettes, Sat. Oct. 5, 4p EDT (10p CEDT)
