The Montreal Alouettes are set to host the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday night in an important East Division matchup. This game closes out Week 8 of the season. Hamilton currently holds a 3-3 record, placing them in second in the division, four points behind first-place Montreal.
The Alouettes are coming off a 38-32 victory against Calgary last week and aim to extend their division lead. The game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET and will be broadcast in Canada on TSN/RDS, in the U.S. on CBSSN, and internationally on CFL+.
Hamilton’s Offensive Strategy
For Hamilton, a key factor will be the performance of quarterback Tre Ford. In Week 7, Ford demonstrated his dual-threat capabilities, throwing for 218 yards and rushing for 109 yards, leading the Tiger-Cats to a win over the Toronto Argonauts. He will likely need to utilize both his arm and legs against an Alouettes defence that allows 395.7 yards of net offence.
The Tiger-Cats‘ coaching staff will also be looking for their receivers to create separation. While Kenny Lawler and Kiondré Smith are prominent targets, head coach Scott Milanovich will need contributions from players like Kurleigh Gittens Jr. and Keric Wheatfall, who combined for 109 yards in their last outing.
Defensively, Hamilton’s front will need to contain Alouettes running back Travis Theis. Theis has been playing with confidence, and the Tiger-Cats‘ defensive unit, which allows 89.5 rushing yards per game, will need to match his energy and prevent extra yards after contact.
Montreal’s Defensive and Offensive Focus
The Alouettes‘ defence will prioritize containing Ford, especially his rushing attempts. The play of defensive linemen Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund and Kylan Guidry will be crucial in keeping Ford within the pocket and forcing him to pass the ball.
On the offensive side, Montreal’s quarterback Davis Alexander has been a central figure. He recently set a Canadian Football League record with 324 consecutive pass attempts without an interception, surpassing Saskatchewan‘s Darian Durant. Alexander’s current streak stands at 336 consecutive attempts without an interception. He has consistently moved his team down the field and has passed for over 300 yards in every game this season, including 402 yards last week.
Montreal’s offence relies heavily on its top receivers, Tyson Philpot and Tyler Snead, who lead the team in targets with 64 and 58 respectively. With the Tiger-Cats‘ secondary likely focusing on these two, other receivers, such as Alexander Hollins, may need to step up. Head coach Jason Maas‘s team may also need patience, as Hamilton ranks second in fewest big plays allowed, defined as completions over 30 yards and runs over 20 yards. This could necessitate stringing together lengthy drives to score.
In other team news, veteran returner DeVonte Dedmon is scheduled to make his season debut against the Tiger-Cats. Dedmon, who was signed as a free agent, has been sidelined with a hamstring injury but has participated in practice throughout the week.
Attendance Trends and League Challenges
The upcoming game marks the second time this season the Alouettes will play a home game on a Sunday night. The team’s attendance figures have been a topic of discussion, with a season-low crowd of 17,138 announced at Molson Stadium when the Alouettes hosted Ottawa on June 28. The stadium has a capacity of 23,035. For their last home game on July 11 against Calgary, which resulted in a 37-30 victory for Montreal, 18,046 spectators attended.
Through three home games, the Alouettes are averaging 18,763 in attendance. This trend is not isolated to Montreal, as other teams across the CFL are also experiencing low attendance figures. For example, Edmonton is averaging 16,860 through three home games at Commonwealth Stadium, while Ottawa averages 14,711. Only Winnipeg, with an average of 32,273, and Saskatchewan, with an average of 26,893, report higher attendance numbers.
The league is undergoing significant rule changes over the next two seasons, including shortening the field to 100 yards in 2027. These changes have drawn criticism from long-time fans. The CFL‘s new six-year broadcast agreement with Bell Media, DAZN, and YouTube, which begins next season, is expected to provide financial stability.
Davis Alexander has passed for 2,181 yards and 11 touchdowns through seven weeks of the regular season, completing 71.3 per cent of his throws.
Source: cfl.ca
