Edmonton Elks (1-4) at Montreal Aloeuttes (1-3)
Tonight: 5:30 p.m. MT; Percival Molson Stadium. TV: TSN, ESPN+, Radio: 630 CHED; Line: Montreal by 8.5
WEATHER: Risk of thunderstorm, 21 C, 12 kmh W, POP 60%
Stats Pack
Points for per game and rank: EDM 17.8 (8th), MTL 25.8 (5th)
Points allowed per game and rank: EDM 37.8 (9th), MTL 26.0 (6th)
Yards passing per game and rank: EDM 232 (9th), MTL 259 (6th)
Yards rushing per game and rank: EDM 76 (8th), MTL 90 (5th)
Net yards offence per game and rank: EDM 285 (9th), MTL 316 (7th)
Net yards allowed per game and rank: EDM 409, (9th), MTL 342 (3rd)
Five Things to Watch
HIGHS AND LOWS: Danny Maciocia didn’t need to blow the top off the Montreal Alouettes coaching staff to get back on the winning track. The Als general manager just needed to be patient throughout last week’s bye. A visit from Edmonton is sure to cure whatever ailments Montreal has, and that goes for both offence and defence. The Elks trail in both categories over the first five games of the season, allowing a league-high 409 yards per game while earning a league-low 285 yards.
LAST TIME: The last time the Elks were in Montreal, they absolutely dominated the Alouettes in the East Division semifinal crossover, led by Trevor Harris completing 33 of 36 pass attempts, including a playoff record 22 straight, for 421 yards, a touchdown and an interception on the way to a 37-29 win. Of course, that was three years and three different Elks head coaches ago, and Harris plays for Montreal now, so …
QB CAROUSEL: The Elks’ quarterback carousel continues to spin, with Taylor Cornelius becoming the third different starter in six games so far this season. An injury to rookie Tre Ford shook things up, prompting the promotion of Cornelius to the active roster for the first time this year, while also leading to five-year veteran Nick Arbuckle being traded away. And the fact Edmonton burned through three quarterbacks in last week’s game wasn’t lost on general manager and head coach Chris Jones, who reenlisted the services of Mike Beaudry, who was cut from the practice squad last week, in order to give Edmonton three throwing arms on the roster for Thursday.
WE’RE NOT WORTHY: With a pair of kickoff-return touchdowns already to his credit this season, Montreal’s Chandler Worthy is one away from setting a Canadian Football League record. And chances are if he does set it, it will be against and Edmonton coverage unit that has allowed a punt-return touchdown in each of its last two games. The Elks, meanwhile, haven’t scored a kick-return touchdown of any kind since Chris Jones’ first time as their head coach in 2015.
WHAT’S THE POINT(S)? The Elks have lost a couple of big games this season, beginning in Week 1 with a 59-15 defeat at the hands of the B.C. Lions, and are coming off a 49-6 trouncing by their rival Calgary Stampeders. The 108 combined points they’ve given up in those two games alone is almost as much as the 118 points the next-worst team, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, have surrendered all season. In total, Edmonton has given up 189 points in their five previous games this year.
Key Matchup
The Edmonton Elks offensive line vs. three of their former defensive-line teammates
If it’s true that familiarity breeds contempt, then it’s going to be one heck of a contemptible line of scrimmage between Edmonton’s offence and Montreal’s defence Thursday. Defensive linemen Almondo Sewell, Mike Moore and Nick Usher are all starting for the Alouettes against their former team, while backup defensive end Antonio Simmons has rejoined Montreal after coming to Edmonton in the trade for quarterback Trevor Harris last year. So, expect it to get both real and ugly in the trenches. Just not Garrett Marino ugly … They’re former teammates, not idiots.
Noteworthies
Edmonton is coming off a 43-point loss, after winning their only game of the season by four points one week earlier … The Elks have struggled mightily in second quarters, getting outscored 61-20 in the frame, while the Alouettes hold a 33-21 edge, but have been outpaced 38-10 in the third quarter of games … Montreal’s three leading receivers, Eugene Lewis, Reggie White Jr. and Jake Wieneke have combined for 41 catches (55 per cent of the team’s total) but have yet to score a single touchdown among them. Just one of Montreal’s top-nine receivers has reached the end zone so far … Edmonton and Montreal have combined for 27 different players with at least one catch this season … Taylor Cornelius becoming Edmonton’s third different QB starter in six games is a first for Edmonton since 2015, with Matt Nichols, James Franklin and Michael Reilly holding the duties at different times on the way to the club’s last Grey Cup championship.
Our Take
MTL 40, EDM 13: If you are picking Edmonton in this one, you will be wrong. Plain and simple. I got fooled last week, with Jones & Co. coming off their first victory of the season, somehow, thinking his defence might have gotten it together, only to have it shoved down their throats by Calgary in their worst loss of the year. Oh, and I’m not necessarily expecting Edmonton to reach the end zone Thursday with that double-digit score, either.
E-mail: gmoddejonge@postmedia.com
On Twitter: @GerryModdejonge
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