MONTREAL - The Alouettes could be pushed past their breaking point if Montreal ends up on the wrong side of another lopsided loss. Jalen McDaniels Jersey . Montreal lost to the BC on July 19 and the Toronto Argonauts last week by a combined score of 72-10 — their lowest two-game point tally in almost three decades — and will have a hard time against the high-scoring Edmonton Eskimos on Friday. Catch the game on TSN starting at 7pm et/4pm pt. "Theres always a breaking point," said head coach Tom Higgins, whose Alouettes have lost three games in a row and have not scored a touchdown in their last two. "Right now, — and Im not threatening anybody — we havent gotten to the breaking point, but it could be Friday. And I dont want it to be Friday. I would like for it to be smooth sailing, but there are still things that have to be tweaked here and there." Higgins said it wasnt time to sit quarterback Troy Smith, whos started all five games this season for Montreal (1-4), but the Alouettes coach wants his QB to start coming out of the gate firing. That hasnt happened much this season. Montreal has trailed at the half four times this year, has scored a league-low six touchdowns, and Smith has the worst pass rating amongst starting quarterbacks. Against the Lions, the 30-year-old Smith threw a measly 45 passing yards in three quarters of play before he was taken out in the fourth. B.C. took an early lead and never looked back, pounding Montreal 41-5. Against Toronto, the Als conceded four consecutive touchdowns en route to a 31-5 loss. But Eskimos quarterback Mike Reilly, who has yet to beat Montreal in two career starts, doesnt think hell pick apart the Als defence when Edmonton (4-1) rolls into town on Friday. "I dont look at how many points theyve given up; I look at their personnel," said Reilly, who will make his 26th career start on Friday. "Theyre a very good defence. They have a lot of good athletes out there. We really have to be on our A game to go in and play against these guys. "The way their season has gone so far, you know theyre that much hungrier for a win. Theyre a dangerous football team to play against. Its going to be a hard-fought football game." The numbers, however, tilt heavily in Reillys favour. The Eskimos are unbeaten on the road so far this season (2-0), and theyre playing some of their best defence in years. Chris Joness men have given up the fewest yards in the Canadian Football League, have given up the fewest first downs, and have the leagues best pass defence. Edmonton has only allowed 84 points in five games this season — what the Alouettes have given up in their last nine quarters. "Dont think for a moment its a rollover game, that Edmonton will just come in here and take two points from us," said Higgins. "Id be very disappointed if the team had that kind of mindset. They dont." Off the field, Montreal has been doing what it can to shake things up. On Monday, the Alouettes added former NFL and CFL quarterback Jeff Garcia to their coaching staff. A week earlier, the Als brought on their former coach and CFL Hall of Famer Don Matthews as a consultant. But the additions behind the bench wont intimidate Reilly and the Eskimos offence. Edmonton is second in the league with nine passing TDs, and second with 35 rushing first downs. Wide receiver Adarius Bowman leads the league with 359 receiving yards. "Everybody on our offence can play," said Reilly. "Were not building around a single guy, a superstar. We go and execute based on what the defence is doing. Other guys in our offence have stepped up. We go into every game expecting to win, and knowing that we should win." The Eskimos also make a point of holding onto the ball for long drives, ensuring their opponents defence stays on the field. The team keeps possession of the ball, on average, for a league-best 32 minutes per game. Montreal, on the other hand, is dead last in that category. "Theyre going to pin their ears back," said Higgins, conjuring the image of an attack dog, ready to pounce. "Edmontons coming in and theyre licking their chops. Theyre thinking: Good, this is what were going to do. Were going to shut them out, and were going to score 50 points. And its our job to not let us be shutout, and not let them score 50 points." Over the last two games, Montreal has converted just 22 of 59 pass plays, and has not visited the red zone in its last 37 possessions. "You have to show up on game day with an understanding of what youre going to execute: be nasty, be tenacious, be a dog," said Smith. "Understand that were in a slump. We dont want to be here, so something has to change. Become a different player, so to speak, mentally, and hopefully you get a different outcome." Notes: Als slotback S.J. Green (ribs) and offensive tackle Josh Bourke (knee) will be game-time decisions on Friday. … In 1985, the Alouettes scored a total eight points in two consecutive matches. … Montreal has yet to win a game when trailing after the first quarter. … The West has won 13 of 15 inter-divisional matches this season. … The Eskimos are coming off their only loss of the season, after falling 26-22 to the Calgary Stampeders. Miles Bridges Jersey . The Brazil defender was substituted 13 minutes into Wednesdays 2-1 Copa del Rey win at Athletic Bilbao because of a right hamstring problem. Scans revealed a second grade tear which could keep him out for a reported four to six weeks. Percy Miller Jersey . Louis Blues have returned to the top spot in the TSN. https://www.hornetslockerroom.com/Nicolas-Batum-City-Edition-Jersey/ . LOUIS -- Known for his game-managing and defensive skills, Yadier Molina made another statement with his bat.The CFL Scouting Bureaus top prospect was absent from this weekends CFL Combine; he was instead preparing for some NFL workouts. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif has pre-draft visits scheduled with the Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, and Cleveland Browns, accordingg to ESPNs Adam Caplan. Larry Johnson Hornets Jersey. The McGill offensive linemans pro-day is scheduled for Thursday. While he remains the top-ranked prospect by the CFL, due to the obvious interest in the NFL, Duvernay-Tardif will likely fall in the CFL Draft. ' ' '  |
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