The Montreal Alouettes have already assured themselves a playoff spot this season. But don’t say this game doesn’t mean anything to head coach Khari Jones.
The Alouettes and Ottawa REDBLACKS will do battle as the only game on Friday night in both teams’ regular season finales. Ottawa and Montreal have each won a game against each other this season.
Jones took over as interim head coach from Mike Sherman a week before the Alouettes’ season began. The former Canadian Football League quarterback is now on the verge of taking his team to the playoffs for the first time in four seasons, which might be enough to consider him as Coach of the Year.
But Friday night’s closing game is still important, even if it has no bearing on the team’s playoff situation: it’s his team’s final chance to ensure they’ll end the year with a record above .500.
“I want this win, I want to have a winning record,” he said. “You don’t necessarily have to have the momentum, teams have won playoff games without winning their last game, but I would like to go into the playoffs on a winning note.”
Montreal last had a record over .500 in 2012, when they finished 11-7. They last finished at .500 in 2014 when they had a 9-9 record.
As for the REDBLACKS, there will be no playoff games in the nation’s capital this year. Ottawa started the season at 2-0, but only secured one win in their last 15 games of the season. The REDBLACKS are currently on a 10-game losing streak that they hope to snap Friday.
“It’s one of those seasons,” receiver Brad Sinopoli told the Canadian Press. “A lot of things came together at the right time to make us not win games and then at the end of the day we all need to look in the mirror and understand we weren’t our best individually, which translates into not any wins.
“It was a tough year. It wasn’t fun.”
The REDBLACKS will start Dominique Davis at quarterback Friday. Davis began the year as starting quarterback but struggled with consistency issues and soon found himself sharing duties with Jonathon Jennings. Will Arndt has also gotten repetitions at quarterback instead of Davis.
“We want to see Dominique play one more time at the end of the season,” REDBLACKS head coach Rick Campbell said. “I’m glad he’s healthy and gets one more chance at it.”
Ottawa won’t have receiver Dominique Rhymes in the lineup. The receiver has 65 catches for 1,056 yards. He ranks 10th in the league in receptions. Running back Mossis Madu Jr., receiver DeVonte Dedmon, linebacker J.C Beaulieu, and linebacker Nicolas Boulay are among the many REDBLACKS on the one-game injured list.
But, defensive back Antoine Pruneau will be in the lineup after being on the six-game injured list. He’s missed time with a broken tibia and he’s “pissed off” at his team’s current state.
“There are a lot of people in this organization who are pissed, but I’ll be honest, we need more,” he told the Ottawa Sun. “We need more passion, this is unacceptable what happened this year. Everyone has to treat every game like it’s the most important game. At times, there was maybe a lack of that.”
Running back John Crockett will also play Friday. He hasn’t played since Week 11.
While some Montreal starters like Vernon Adams Jr. and Henoc Muamba will play, a number of Alouettes will sit out Friday. They include defensive end John Bowman, wide receiver Quan Bray, receiver DeVier Posey, defensive backs Chris Ackie and Tommie Campbell, and long snapper Martin Bedard.
BY THE NUMBERS
10 — Ottawa’s losing streak of 10 games is the worst in their franchise history. It’s also the worst by any Ottawa CFL team since the 1988-89 season when the Ottawa Rough Riders lost 11 in a row.
20 — The Alouettes have 20 rushing touchdowns this season. It’s the most they’ve had since they had 22 in 2005.
1 — Ottawa has just one home win this year. A loss Friday would give them the league’s worst home record since 2013 when both Edmonton and Winnipeg went 1-8 at home.
3 — Montreal looks to end a three-game road losing streak on Friday. They last won a road game Aug. 25 against Toronto.
– With files from MontrealAlouettes.com and OttawaREDBLACKS.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 – Montreal Alouettes @Ottawa REDBLACKS, Frriday, Nov. 1, 7p ET (12a CET)