Montreal — The Montreal Alouettes, who had a humiliating defeat and a much-needed bye week, will be without a crucial player when they play again on Thursday.
Montreal — The Montreal Alouettes, who had a humiliating defeat and a much-needed bye week, will be without a crucial player when they play again on Thursday.
Prior to their game against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the team has placed starting quarterback Cody Fajardo on the six-game injury list.
The Grey Cup MVP from the previous season did not practice this week after he injured his hamstring late in the first quarter of the team’s July 11 loss to the Toronto Argonauts, 37-18.
Under center, Caleb Evans, who won twice in 2023, will replace Fajardo.
Against Toronto, the 26-year-old completed 12-of-22 passes for 127 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. This was Montreal’s first loss since September 2023.
With 1,636 passing yards and 10 touchdowns, Fajardo is fourth in the CFL. He also has the greatest completion percentage in the league at 77.5%.
Montreal has a 5-1 record and is first in the East Division. In addition, Saskatchewan is 5-1; with starter Trevor Harris out due to injury, the team will rely on backup Shea Patterson for the fourth straight game.
Jason Maas, head coach of the Alouettes, voiced his faith in Evans’ ability to manage the offense effectively.
“Caleb is capable of making every throw,” Mass informed reporters this week. “As our starting quarterback, he’s proven himself in this league and has won games for us. He exudes confidence.”
“Just try not to do too much, play within yourself, make good decisions and trust the guys around you.”
In Week 10 of the previous season, Evans’ first victory with Montreal came against the Roughriders, where he completed eight passes for 149 yards and a score in a 41-12 triumph.
The next week, he guided the Alouettes to a 26–25 victory over his old side, the Ottawa Redblacks, before giving up the starting job as Montreal advanced to the Grey Cup.
Evans stated that receiving lots of practice reps and having a bye week are beneficial.
“Get away from football to clear my mind and kinda have a mini off-season,” he stated. “Then coming back for a full week of preparation, getting back into the groove of things, I feel great coming into this game.”
In 2024, the Louisiana-Monroe graduate will need to handle the ball against a Saskatchewan defense that boasts a plus-11 differential that is CFL-best.
“The teams that lead the league in turnover margin generally win a lot of games,” Maas stated. “We usually do a good job of that too, and that’s the No. 1 focus for us this week.”
Regarding injuries, there is some good news for the Als: top defensive back Marc-Antoine Dequoy will be available. The 29-year-old’s shoulder issue prevented him from playing in Toronto’s loss.
He said to reporters in French, “We have to concentrate on ourselves and what we can control.” “We faced adversity in the loss, but I like the energy I’ve seen from the team this week.”
After defeating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 19–9 at home, the Roughriders will play without their standout rushing back, A.J. Ouellette, due to a hip injury.
Corey Mace, the head coach, stated that his team is still confident going into Percival Molson Stadium.
