Grey Cup Preview: Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs. Montreal Alouettes
The CFL season concludes Sunday night as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers look to win their third Grey Cup in four seasons against the Montreal Alouettes.
Winnipeg goes into the Grey Cup with a 14-4 regular season record and comes off a 24-13 win over the BC Lions in the Western Final. Montreal went 11-7, and had to beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and before upsetting the Toronto Argonauts last week 38-17.
Here is a preview of the game including game information, key injuries and storylines to watch out for before the biggest football game in Canada all year.
Montreal quarterback Cody Fajardo had a career-high 71.6 completion percentage during the season.
How to Watch Bombers vs. Alouettes
Game Day: Sunday, Nov. 18, 2023
Site: Hamilton, Ontario at Tim Hortons Field
Game Time: 6 PM EST
Television/Streaming: TSN, RDS (Canada)/ CFL+ (United States and International)
Key Injuries (Final Injury Report)
Winnipeg has two listed as doubtful: linebacker Adam Bighill (calf) and receiver Dalton Schoen (ankle). Bighill was in a boot heading into this week and didn’t practice. Schoen also did not practice at all this week leaving their chances of playing slim.
Four Blue Bombers questionable: defensive lineman Jackson Jeffcoat (hip), linebacker Kyrie Wilson (hip), receiver Rasheed Bailey (knee) and receiver Nic Demski (ankle). Jeffcoat was the only player who fully participated in practice on Thursday and Friday. The other three players were limited in practice Friday.
Montreal safety Zach Lindley is out for the game. Offensive lineman Pier Olivier Lestage (knee) is questionable and was a full participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday, but did not practice on Friday. Despite practicing every day, receiver Kaion Julien-Grant (shoulder) was listed as doubtful.
The depth charts for the Grey Cup were released Saturday.
Top Storylines
Bombers O vs. Als D: One aspect of the game fans will need to keep an eye on is the battle between the Blue Bombers offense against the Alouettes defense. Winnipeg led the CFL in total offense (417.3) and points per game (33), while Montreal is top three in total defense (333.9) and points allowed (21.8).
Montreal’s defense has been stellar in the playoffs allowing just 29 total points between Hamilton and Toronto. The Als created 12 turnovers in those two games thanks to nine takeaways against the Argos. The late season additions of Shawn Lemon and Darnell Sankey have take the defense at the next level.
Vet QBs: This game features two of the most veteran quarterbacks in Montreal’s Cody Fajardo and Winnipeg’s Zach Collaros.
Fajardo had an up-and-down season throwing 14 touchdowns to 12 interceptions, but did have a career-high 71.6 percent completion percentage. He’s in search of his second Grey Cup title, winning one with Toronto in 2017 as a backup.
Collaros has been one of the league’s best quarterbacks in the last three seasons. He ranked second in passing yards (4,252) and led the CFL in passing touchdowns (33) this season. He’s won three total Grey Cups, including two in the last three seasons with the Bombers.
Containing Oliveira: One question that will arise is if the Alouettes defensive front can contain CFL rushing champion running back Brady Oliveira. He’s coming off a 101-yard day against the BC Lions in their Western Final win. While the secondary has been great for the Alouettes, their rush defense has allowed an average of 140.5 rushing yards in their two playoff games.
Bottom Line: On paper, Winnipeg appears to be the better team coming in as 7.5-point favorites despite the fact that Montreal has won seven straight games. Prior to the playoffs, the Alouettes had been winless against the three best teams in the league this season (Toronto, Winnipeg and BC). Montreal has a chance to make it three straight wins against that trio, but the high-powered Bombers offense presents plenty of challenges and intrigue.
You can follow Anthony Miller on Twitter @ByAnthonyMiller.
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