It's an oddly-named Eastern Final this year in the CFL playoffs, as it features the league's westernmost team, the B.C. Lions. The Lions finished fourth in the West Division this year with a 8-10 mark, but earned a crossover berth thanks to finishing ahead of Winnipeg. They knocked off Hamilton last week, but now will take on arguably the league's best team, the Montreal Alouettes. Come join in at 1 p.m. Eastern/10 a.m. Pacific to see if they can continue their run!
Showing posts with label Montreal Alouettes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Montreal Alouettes. Show all posts
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
B.C. Lions - Montreal Alouettes live blog
For those who like football of the three-down variety, I'll be live-blogging today's B.C. Lions - Montreal Alouettes CFL match. The game is on TSN in Canada; American viewers can check out the U.S. broadcast schedule and Internet coverage options at the league homepage. Preview is here. Come join in!
Monday, June 01, 2009
Bleeding Tricolour: Gaels' Allin headed to Alouettes training camp
A fun fact about Queen's Golden Gaels defensive back Jimmy Allin attending the Montréal Alouettes' upcoming rookie camp: It's a first step to competing for a spot against a guy whose record he broke.Allin, as you might remember, set a record in the shuttle run at the CFL combine in March. The previous mark was held by current Alouettes safety Mathieu Proulx, which is kind of noteworthy (or not).
Speaking as a Gaels supporter, one has to have clear eyes. This could be seen as somewhat of a first step for Allin.
The Corbyville, Ont., native is headed to rookie camp as undrafted free agent who slipped through the CFL Canadian College Draft. That was perhaps since, as one can only assume he's sick of being reminded, he's undersized at 5-foot-10 and 170 lbs. However, Allin has some freaky athleticism, and he's also a very intelligent player (he took Life Sciences at Queen's, which is a bit more rigorous than English, eh).
The bottom line is Allin is going in as a bit of an underdog story, but there should be confidence he can at least earn a longer look from the CFL. To see him play is to know he's a unique talent. Queen's has a good track record with producing linemen, running backs and receivers who have rated a look from the pros, but Gaels d-backs getting such an opportunity has been fewer and farther between. Go get 'em, Jim.
(Cross-posted to cisblog.ca.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Grey Cup preview
The Grey Cup game between the Montreal Alouettes and Calgary Stampeders is all set to kick off in less than an hour at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, and it should be a great one. The statistical comparison of the two teams is after the jump. As always, all stats are from the regular season unless specified otherwise (thanks to the larger sample size).
The records:
Montreal: 11-7 (first in East)
Calgary: 13-5 (first in West)
Passing leaders:
Montreal: Anthony Calvillo, 472 completions on 682 attempts (69.2 per cent) for 5633 yards (8.26 yards per attempt, 11.93 yards per completion), 43 touchdowns versus 13 interceptions, 107.2 QB rating in 17 games, 12 300-yard games
Calgary: Henry Burris, 381 completions on 591 attempts (64.5 per cent) for 5094 yards (8.61 yards per attempt, 13.37 yards per completion), 39 touchdowns versus 14 interceptions, 103.8 QB rating in 18 games, ten 300-yard games
Advantage: Montreal. Calvillo was a deserving winner of the league's Most Outstanding Player this year. He's made amazing decisions all season long, as shown by his fantastic completion rate and touchdown/interception ratio, and he had a terrific East final against Edmonton. Burris is a good quarterback as well, but questions about his ability to win the big game weren't entirely dispelled in last week's Calgary win over B.C.; Burris was decent in that game, but not overly impressive. He's a better scrambler than Calvillo, but I'd rather have AC under centre if I'm a CFL coach.
Receiving leaders:
Montreal: Wide receiver Jamal Richardson, 98 receptions for 1287 yards (13.1 yards per catch average) in 18 games (71.5 yards per game average), 16 touchdowns, four 100-yard games
Calgary: Wide receiver Ken-Yon Rambo, 100 receptions for 1473 yards (14.7 yards per catch average) in 18 games (81.8 yards per game average), eight touchdowns, five 100-yard games
Advantage: Calgary. Rambo's had a great year and led the league in yards. Both he and Richardson are the leading lights of their offences, but Rambo has the better numbers and Calgary also has the better depth.
Rushing leaders:
Montreal: Running back Avon Cobourne, 950 yards on 145 carries (6.6 yards per carry) in 12 games (79.2 yards per game), six touchdowns, seven 100-yard games.
Calgary: Running back Joffrey Reynolds, 1310 yards on 227 carries (5.8 yards per carry) in 18 games (72.8 yards per game), 10 touchdowns, five 100-yard games
Advantage: Calgary. Cobourne is a skilled back, but Reynolds is a bit better for my money and he's more durable. This isn't a huge advantage, though, as the two are pretty close.
Sack leaders:
Montreal: Defensive lineman Keron Williams leads the team with 10 sacks. Linebacker John Bowman has eight.
Calgary: Lineman Miguel Robede (a Laval product) and linebackers Mike Labingo and Charleston Hughes are tied for the team lead with five sacks.
Advantage: Montreal. Again, this isn't a massive advantage as Calgary has the more nimble quarterback, but Burris has been known to throw picks when he gets hurried.
Interception leaders:
Montreal: Defensive backs Reggie Miles and Davis Sanchez both have three picks.
Calgary: Safety Wes Lysack, who has four picks in 15 games and 101 resulting yards with one return for a touchdown.
Advantage: Calgary. Calgary has one of the best pass defenses in the league, and Lysack is a part of that. They're big, quick and physical, as Dan Ralph of The Canadian Press pointed out this morning.
Overall notes:
This should be a great showdown between the two most consistent teams in the league (as shown by their regular-season records) and the two candidates for most outstanding player (Burris and Calvillo). Look for some impressive offensive numbers on both ends.
Prediction: Montreal victory.
The teams are reasonably even on paper, but I like Calvillo's consistency at the quarterback spot. Burris has shown a tendency to get rattled at times, and the massive hometown crowd inside the Big O might be able to get on him. From experience at both the Big O and B.C. place, I know how loud domed stadiums can be, and that can be a huge advantage in football. It's tough to call audibles or even hear the snap count in those circumstances. The fired-up crowd may be the crucial difference in this game, and that could help Montreal earn the win.
The records:
Montreal: 11-7 (first in East)
Calgary: 13-5 (first in West)
Passing leaders:
Montreal: Anthony Calvillo, 472 completions on 682 attempts (69.2 per cent) for 5633 yards (8.26 yards per attempt, 11.93 yards per completion), 43 touchdowns versus 13 interceptions, 107.2 QB rating in 17 games, 12 300-yard games
Calgary: Henry Burris, 381 completions on 591 attempts (64.5 per cent) for 5094 yards (8.61 yards per attempt, 13.37 yards per completion), 39 touchdowns versus 14 interceptions, 103.8 QB rating in 18 games, ten 300-yard games
Advantage: Montreal. Calvillo was a deserving winner of the league's Most Outstanding Player this year. He's made amazing decisions all season long, as shown by his fantastic completion rate and touchdown/interception ratio, and he had a terrific East final against Edmonton. Burris is a good quarterback as well, but questions about his ability to win the big game weren't entirely dispelled in last week's Calgary win over B.C.; Burris was decent in that game, but not overly impressive. He's a better scrambler than Calvillo, but I'd rather have AC under centre if I'm a CFL coach.
Receiving leaders:
Montreal: Wide receiver Jamal Richardson, 98 receptions for 1287 yards (13.1 yards per catch average) in 18 games (71.5 yards per game average), 16 touchdowns, four 100-yard games
Calgary: Wide receiver Ken-Yon Rambo, 100 receptions for 1473 yards (14.7 yards per catch average) in 18 games (81.8 yards per game average), eight touchdowns, five 100-yard games
Advantage: Calgary. Rambo's had a great year and led the league in yards. Both he and Richardson are the leading lights of their offences, but Rambo has the better numbers and Calgary also has the better depth.
Rushing leaders:
Montreal: Running back Avon Cobourne, 950 yards on 145 carries (6.6 yards per carry) in 12 games (79.2 yards per game), six touchdowns, seven 100-yard games.
Calgary: Running back Joffrey Reynolds, 1310 yards on 227 carries (5.8 yards per carry) in 18 games (72.8 yards per game), 10 touchdowns, five 100-yard games
Advantage: Calgary. Cobourne is a skilled back, but Reynolds is a bit better for my money and he's more durable. This isn't a huge advantage, though, as the two are pretty close.
Sack leaders:
Montreal: Defensive lineman Keron Williams leads the team with 10 sacks. Linebacker John Bowman has eight.
Calgary: Lineman Miguel Robede (a Laval product) and linebackers Mike Labingo and Charleston Hughes are tied for the team lead with five sacks.
Advantage: Montreal. Again, this isn't a massive advantage as Calgary has the more nimble quarterback, but Burris has been known to throw picks when he gets hurried.
Interception leaders:
Montreal: Defensive backs Reggie Miles and Davis Sanchez both have three picks.
Calgary: Safety Wes Lysack, who has four picks in 15 games and 101 resulting yards with one return for a touchdown.
Advantage: Calgary. Calgary has one of the best pass defenses in the league, and Lysack is a part of that. They're big, quick and physical, as Dan Ralph of The Canadian Press pointed out this morning.
Overall notes:
This should be a great showdown between the two most consistent teams in the league (as shown by their regular-season records) and the two candidates for most outstanding player (Burris and Calvillo). Look for some impressive offensive numbers on both ends.
Prediction: Montreal victory.
The teams are reasonably even on paper, but I like Calvillo's consistency at the quarterback spot. Burris has shown a tendency to get rattled at times, and the massive hometown crowd inside the Big O might be able to get on him. From experience at both the Big O and B.C. place, I know how loud domed stadiums can be, and that can be a huge advantage in football. It's tough to call audibles or even hear the snap count in those circumstances. The fired-up crowd may be the crucial difference in this game, and that could help Montreal earn the win.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
CFL: No all-West Grey Cup for you!
Well, the Montreal Alouettes came up with a 36-26 victory [Sean Gordon, The Globe and Mail over the Edmonton Eskimos in this afternoon's East final, shattering not only my perfect streak of playoff predictions but also the dream of an all-Western CFL final. That probably keeps the league executives happy: as Gordon pointed out in his pre-game piece this morning, it's easier to sell a final with Montreal nationally than a battle of Alberta or a B.C.-Edmonton clash. It also means that there should be a lot of excitement in Montreal leading up to the final, which might have been more muted if the home team wasn't playing (particularly considering that the Canadiens are retiring Patrick Roy's number on the night before the big game). Thus, the Alouettes' win is probably good for the league, but it's somewhat disappointing to miss out on a never-before seen all-Western matchup.
In any case, this was a great football game, but it wasn't the offensive shootout many were anticipating; much of the fireworks came on special teams, which saw Edmonton pick up two touchdowns on a blocked punt (blocked and recovered by former Manitoba Bison Justin Cooper [CIS] and a 78-yard punt return by Tristan Jackson and Montreal add two more on 97 and 64-yard punt returns by Larry Taylor. Ricky Ray and Anthony Calvillo were similarly effective (339 and 295 yards respectively) and both threw one touchdown against zero picks, but Calvillo was more efficient, completing 20 of 32 passes against Ray's 26 of 49.
The run game also favoured Montreal. Avon Cobourne, who still seemed a little banged-up, ran 16 times for a decent 52 yards, while Edmonton only tried to rush three times with A.J. Harris and only picked up three yards doing so. Curiously enough, Edmonton didn't throw many short passes to their running backs either, which is usually a staple of their offence. Harris didn't have a catch all day, while Calvin McCarty (a Surrey guy who went to Western Washington) only had four catches for 14 yards. By contrast, Cobourne added another 61 yards on his four catches.
Early on, things were looking good for Edmonton. Their offence was moving the ball, even if they only got a few points out of it, while Calvillo struggled early on. Two field goals and the early blocked punt gave the Eskimos a 13-3 lead early in the second quarter. As the game went on, though, the Montreal line gave Calvillo more protection, and he started to pick apart Edmonton's defence with quick, short passes. Taylor's first punt return for a touchdown (64 yards) with less than two minutes to go before halftime gave Montreal a 19-13 lead and got their fans back into the game, and the Alouettes never trailed after that. As Montreal head coach Marc Trestman told TSN's Sara Orlesky after the game, "We took Edmonton's best shot today and we withstood the test."
The Eskimos made the end game interesting, though. Ray threw a bomb to Kelly Campbell early in the fourth quarter, and he took it in for a touchdown to bring Edmonton within 16. The Eskimos' defence held Montreal, but their offence couldn't keep the momentum going; Ray forced too many deep throws and the Alouettes dd well in pass coverage. Jackson re-energized Edmonton with a 78-yard punt return for a touchdown inside the last two minutes, but the two-point conversion failed. Maurice Mann did well to recover the ensuing onside kick, but Ray fumbled on the next drive, driving the final nail into Edmonton's coffin.
It wasn't a lights-out performance by Montreal, though, and some questions will hang over their heads as they prepare for the Grey Cup. Early on, while Edmonton's pass rush was getting past their offensive line, Calvillo looked decidedly vulnerable and was noticeably ineffective. Both Calgary and B.C. bring great pressure up front; Montreal will have to improve their pass protection and be more consistent with it if they want to win the big game.
Cobourne's health is also an issue. As Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette points out, he missed the final three games of the season with an ankle injury and hadn't played since Oct. 13. He looked somewhat sluggish today, and wasn't able to make as many of the quick cuts CFL fans have come to expect from him. That might be rust, or it might be a still-sore ankle, but the Alouettes may need more from him in the final. Both Calgary and B.C. boast powerful ground games; a Montreal team without one will be at a considerable disadvantage.
In any case, this was a great football game, but it wasn't the offensive shootout many were anticipating; much of the fireworks came on special teams, which saw Edmonton pick up two touchdowns on a blocked punt (blocked and recovered by former Manitoba Bison Justin Cooper [CIS] and a 78-yard punt return by Tristan Jackson and Montreal add two more on 97 and 64-yard punt returns by Larry Taylor. Ricky Ray and Anthony Calvillo were similarly effective (339 and 295 yards respectively) and both threw one touchdown against zero picks, but Calvillo was more efficient, completing 20 of 32 passes against Ray's 26 of 49.
The run game also favoured Montreal. Avon Cobourne, who still seemed a little banged-up, ran 16 times for a decent 52 yards, while Edmonton only tried to rush three times with A.J. Harris and only picked up three yards doing so. Curiously enough, Edmonton didn't throw many short passes to their running backs either, which is usually a staple of their offence. Harris didn't have a catch all day, while Calvin McCarty (a Surrey guy who went to Western Washington) only had four catches for 14 yards. By contrast, Cobourne added another 61 yards on his four catches.
Early on, things were looking good for Edmonton. Their offence was moving the ball, even if they only got a few points out of it, while Calvillo struggled early on. Two field goals and the early blocked punt gave the Eskimos a 13-3 lead early in the second quarter. As the game went on, though, the Montreal line gave Calvillo more protection, and he started to pick apart Edmonton's defence with quick, short passes. Taylor's first punt return for a touchdown (64 yards) with less than two minutes to go before halftime gave Montreal a 19-13 lead and got their fans back into the game, and the Alouettes never trailed after that. As Montreal head coach Marc Trestman told TSN's Sara Orlesky after the game, "We took Edmonton's best shot today and we withstood the test."
The Eskimos made the end game interesting, though. Ray threw a bomb to Kelly Campbell early in the fourth quarter, and he took it in for a touchdown to bring Edmonton within 16. The Eskimos' defence held Montreal, but their offence couldn't keep the momentum going; Ray forced too many deep throws and the Alouettes dd well in pass coverage. Jackson re-energized Edmonton with a 78-yard punt return for a touchdown inside the last two minutes, but the two-point conversion failed. Maurice Mann did well to recover the ensuing onside kick, but Ray fumbled on the next drive, driving the final nail into Edmonton's coffin.
It wasn't a lights-out performance by Montreal, though, and some questions will hang over their heads as they prepare for the Grey Cup. Early on, while Edmonton's pass rush was getting past their offensive line, Calvillo looked decidedly vulnerable and was noticeably ineffective. Both Calgary and B.C. bring great pressure up front; Montreal will have to improve their pass protection and be more consistent with it if they want to win the big game.
Cobourne's health is also an issue. As Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette points out, he missed the final three games of the season with an ankle injury and hadn't played since Oct. 13. He looked somewhat sluggish today, and wasn't able to make as many of the quick cuts CFL fans have come to expect from him. That might be rust, or it might be a still-sore ankle, but the Alouettes may need more from him in the final. Both Calgary and B.C. boast powerful ground games; a Montreal team without one will be at a considerable disadvantage.
CFL: East final preview
Ladies and gentlemen, we present one of the greatest rivalries in the CFL! The Montreal Alouettes and Edmonton Eskimos, who have faced off in 11 Grey Cups, will go head-to-head in the East final today [1 p.m. ET, TSN]. Of course, it's somewhat odd to see Edmonton in the East final, but the shockingly bad East division this year and the strength of the West led to them crossing over and knocking off the Winnipeg Blue Bombers last week. That made them the first crossover team ever to win a playoff game. If they keep it up, we could see a very Western final between Edmonton and either B.C. or Calgary. This should be a great one, particularly with Ricky Ray and Anthony Calvillo, two of the league's best quarterbacks, going head-to-head. For a full preview, take David Lee Roth's advice and go ahead and jump!
(Note: Out of Left Field is not responsible for any injuries incurred while jumping. Also, all numbers used in this post are regular-season unless specified otherwise; the larger sample size is more useful to my way of thinking.)
The records:
Edmonton: 10-8 (fourth in West)
Montreal: 11-7 (first in East)
Passing leaders:
Edmonton: Ricky Ray, 422 completions on 605 attempts (69.8 per cent) for 5661 yards (9.36 yards per attempt, 13.41 yards per completion), 26 touchdowns versus 17 interceptions, 101.8 QB rating in 18 games, 12 300-yard games
Montreal: Anthony Calvillo, 472 completions on 682 attempts (69.2 per cent) for 5633 yards (8.26 yards per attempt, 11.93 yards per completion), 43 touchdowns versus 13 interceptions, 107.2 QB rating in 17 games, 12 300-yard games
Advantage: Montreal. This one is pretty close, as the numbers show. Both QBs air the ball out all day, and they've found a lot of success doing it; they're first (Ray) and second (Calvillo) in the league in passing yards, and they're only 28 yards apart. However, Calvillo gets the nod here thanks to his amazing TD/INT ratio, and he also played in one less game.
(Note: The CFL's passing stats have Calvillo with 5624 yards, while TSN's stats give him 5633 yards. Apparently, CIS isn't the only league with inconsistent stats!)
Receiving leaders:
Edmonton: Wide receiver Kamau Peterson, 101 receptions for 1315 yards (13.0 yards per catch average) in 18 games (73.1 yards per game average), four touchdowns, five 100-yard games
Montreal: Wide receiver Jamal Richardson, 98 receptions for 1287 yards (13.1 yards per catch average) in 18 games (71.5 yards per game average), 16 touchdowns, four 100-yard games
(Notes: Edmonton wide receiver Kelly Campbell also is right up there with 54 receptions for 1223 yards (22.6 yards per catch average) in 15 games (81.5 yards per game average), seven touchdowns and five 100-yard games, as is Montreal slotback Ben Cahoon with 107 receptions for 1231 yards (11.5 yards per catch average) in 17 games (72.4 yards per game average), seven touchdowns and four 100-yard games).
Advantage: Edmonton. Again, this is a pretty close one, but Peterson has slightly better numbers than Richardson and Campbell is a great big play guy.
Rushing leaders:
Edmonton: Running back A.J. Harris, 557 yards on 99 carries (5.6 yards per carry) in 11 games (50.6 yards per game), six touchdowns, one 100-yard game
Montreal: Running back Avon Cobourne, 950 yards on 145 carries (6.6 yards per carry) in 12 games (79.2 yards per game), six touchdowns, seven 100-yard games
(Note: Both backs are also extremely effective as pass receivers, which they spend a good amount of time doing thanks to the pass-happy nature of their team's offences.)
Advantage: Montreal. The Alouettes have a pretty solid running game with Cobourne, so they can go to the ground if the pass doesn't work. With Edmonton, it's more frequently pass or nothing.
Sack leaders:
Edmonton: Defensive linemen Jim Davis and Dario Romero are tied for the team lead with six sacks.
Montreal: Defensive lineman Keron Williams leads the team with 10 sacks. Linebacker John Bowman has eight.
Advantage: Montreal
Interception leaders:
Edmonton: Cornerback Jason Goss, who has five picks and a total of 182 resulting yards off them, including two pick-sixes.
Montreal: Defensive backs Reggie Miles and Davis Sanchez both have three picks.
Advantage: Edmonton
Overall notes:
Montreal head coach Marc Trestman is in his first year in the CFL, and has had a pretty impressive rookie campaign. Edmonton head coach Danny Maciocia grew up in Montreal won the Grey Cup in his rookie campaign with the Eskimos in 2005, but his team hasn't made the playoffs since. Their showdown will be interesting to watch. Edmonton has the historical advantage over Montreal, beating them eight of 11 times in the Grey Cup, but Montreal has the hometown crowd on their side. It's also interesting that the two teams were only one victory apart in the regular season, but that was enough to give Montreal first in the East and Edmonton fourth in the West.
Prediction: This is a tough one to call. The teams are pretty close in most of the statistical categories. However, I like Edmonton's pass-heavy offence against Montreal's generally weak pass defence [CBC.ca, and I think the Eskimos will pull this one out.
(Note: Out of Left Field is not responsible for any injuries incurred while jumping. Also, all numbers used in this post are regular-season unless specified otherwise; the larger sample size is more useful to my way of thinking.)
The records:
Edmonton: 10-8 (fourth in West)
Montreal: 11-7 (first in East)
Passing leaders:
Edmonton: Ricky Ray, 422 completions on 605 attempts (69.8 per cent) for 5661 yards (9.36 yards per attempt, 13.41 yards per completion), 26 touchdowns versus 17 interceptions, 101.8 QB rating in 18 games, 12 300-yard games
Montreal: Anthony Calvillo, 472 completions on 682 attempts (69.2 per cent) for 5633 yards (8.26 yards per attempt, 11.93 yards per completion), 43 touchdowns versus 13 interceptions, 107.2 QB rating in 17 games, 12 300-yard games
Advantage: Montreal. This one is pretty close, as the numbers show. Both QBs air the ball out all day, and they've found a lot of success doing it; they're first (Ray) and second (Calvillo) in the league in passing yards, and they're only 28 yards apart. However, Calvillo gets the nod here thanks to his amazing TD/INT ratio, and he also played in one less game.
(Note: The CFL's passing stats have Calvillo with 5624 yards, while TSN's stats give him 5633 yards. Apparently, CIS isn't the only league with inconsistent stats!)
Receiving leaders:
Edmonton: Wide receiver Kamau Peterson, 101 receptions for 1315 yards (13.0 yards per catch average) in 18 games (73.1 yards per game average), four touchdowns, five 100-yard games
Montreal: Wide receiver Jamal Richardson, 98 receptions for 1287 yards (13.1 yards per catch average) in 18 games (71.5 yards per game average), 16 touchdowns, four 100-yard games
(Notes: Edmonton wide receiver Kelly Campbell also is right up there with 54 receptions for 1223 yards (22.6 yards per catch average) in 15 games (81.5 yards per game average), seven touchdowns and five 100-yard games, as is Montreal slotback Ben Cahoon with 107 receptions for 1231 yards (11.5 yards per catch average) in 17 games (72.4 yards per game average), seven touchdowns and four 100-yard games).
Advantage: Edmonton. Again, this is a pretty close one, but Peterson has slightly better numbers than Richardson and Campbell is a great big play guy.
Rushing leaders:
Edmonton: Running back A.J. Harris, 557 yards on 99 carries (5.6 yards per carry) in 11 games (50.6 yards per game), six touchdowns, one 100-yard game
Montreal: Running back Avon Cobourne, 950 yards on 145 carries (6.6 yards per carry) in 12 games (79.2 yards per game), six touchdowns, seven 100-yard games
(Note: Both backs are also extremely effective as pass receivers, which they spend a good amount of time doing thanks to the pass-happy nature of their team's offences.)
Advantage: Montreal. The Alouettes have a pretty solid running game with Cobourne, so they can go to the ground if the pass doesn't work. With Edmonton, it's more frequently pass or nothing.
Sack leaders:
Edmonton: Defensive linemen Jim Davis and Dario Romero are tied for the team lead with six sacks.
Montreal: Defensive lineman Keron Williams leads the team with 10 sacks. Linebacker John Bowman has eight.
Advantage: Montreal
Interception leaders:
Edmonton: Cornerback Jason Goss, who has five picks and a total of 182 resulting yards off them, including two pick-sixes.
Montreal: Defensive backs Reggie Miles and Davis Sanchez both have three picks.
Advantage: Edmonton
Overall notes:
Montreal head coach Marc Trestman is in his first year in the CFL, and has had a pretty impressive rookie campaign. Edmonton head coach Danny Maciocia grew up in Montreal won the Grey Cup in his rookie campaign with the Eskimos in 2005, but his team hasn't made the playoffs since. Their showdown will be interesting to watch. Edmonton has the historical advantage over Montreal, beating them eight of 11 times in the Grey Cup, but Montreal has the hometown crowd on their side. It's also interesting that the two teams were only one victory apart in the regular season, but that was enough to give Montreal first in the East and Edmonton fourth in the West.
Prediction: This is a tough one to call. The teams are pretty close in most of the statistical categories. However, I like Edmonton's pass-heavy offence against Montreal's generally weak pass defence [CBC.ca, and I think the Eskimos will pull this one out.
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