Montreal Alouettes host Winnipeg Blue Bombers in CFL East final

MONTREAL · The Montreal Alouettes host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL East final on Saturday afternoon at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium. Montreal finished first in the East with a 14-4 record and went undefeated at home during the regular season. Winnipeg, which finished fourth in the West with a 9-9 record, crossed over into the East playoffs and defeated the Toronto Argonauts 25-22 in the semifinal. The winner advances to the 113th Grey Cup on Nov. 15 in Calgary, where it will face the winner of the West final between the B.C. Lions and Edmonton Elks.

The Blue Bombers are trying to become the first crossover team in CFL history to reach the Grey Cup. Winnipeg backup quarterback Dru Brown led a late drive to stun the Argonauts last week, throwing a 23-yard touchdown pass with 44 seconds left. The status of Winnipeg's usual starter, Zach Collaros, remains questionable after he missed the semifinal with a rib injury and did not participate in practice Thursday. Montreal averaged a league-best 34.7 points per game this season and is favoured by 9.5 points. The Alouettes are making their fifth consecutive appearance in the East final and their third straight under head coach Jason Maas. They are looking to reach the Grey Cup for the second time in three seasons after winning the championship in 2023.

The teams split their two regular-season meetings. Winnipeg won the first matchup 44-28 on Aug. 28, with Collaros completing 26 of 32 passes for 324 yards and two touchdowns. Brady Oliveira added more than 100 rushing yards as the Bombers controlled possession for nearly 38 minutes. Montreal got its revenge on Oct. 3 with a 37-10 victory to clinch first place. Davis Alexander threw for 440 yards and four touchdowns, while Tyson Philpot had 11 catches for 207 yards.

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Alexander was named the CFL's Most Outstanding Player on Thursday after finishing the regular season with a 122.7 quarterback rating, the third-best single-season mark in league history. Philpot was named the league's top Canadian. Winnipeg's secondary will need to be disciplined to limit yards after the catch and prevent Montreal from turning short completions into explosive plays. A key matchup will be Winnipeg's offensive line against Montreal's defensive front. The Blue Bombers allowed a league-high 42 sacks during the regular season. Montreal's defence, featuring players like Mustafa Johnson and Tyrice Beverette, finished the regular season allowing just 90.9 rushing yards per game. Winnipeg's offensive line allowed just two sacks in the semifinal against Toronto.

For Winnipeg to pull off the upset, it needs to establish a physical identity early with Oliveira. The 2024 CFL Most Outstanding Player remains one of the most important pieces of Winnipeg's offence. When Oliveira is productive, the Bombers become a much more balanced team and can dictate the tempo of a game. He does not necessarily need a 100-yard performance, but Winnipeg must find a way to run the ball effectively.

Montreal has been particularly difficult to beat at home in the playoffs, carrying a 29-11 record in post-season games in Montreal into Saturday's matchup. Winnipeg is making its 12th East final appearance and has won 69 playoff games in franchise history. The two teams met last year in the East semifinal, with Montreal beating Winnipeg 42-33 behind a 384-yard passing performance from Alexander. The game kicks off at 3 p.m. ET. The forecast is for mostly sunny and mild conditions with a high of 7 C.

With files from Sportsnet