MONTREAL 鈥� A win Monday would be worth its weight in gold for the Montreal Alouettes.
A CFL team chasing a .500 record for most of the season, the Alouettes (7-7) can both clinch a playoff spot and a home post-season game with a Thanksgiving Day victory over the visiting Ottawa Redblacks (3-11).
The Alouettes face a Redblacks team with an altered sideline.聽
Coach Paul LaPolice was fired following a 34-19 loss to the B.C. Lions on Sept. 30. Special teams co-ordinator Bob Dyce assumed the interim role with four games remaining in the regular season.
Redblacks quarterbacks coach Will Arndt will be calling the plays at Percival Molson Stadium.聽
鈥淭he greatest thing that I want to do is that I want to make sure the players are in a position to be successful,鈥� Dyce said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to rush into anything. I know we鈥檙e on a short time frame but I want to do things right for these four games.聽
鈥淚 have a lot of respect for those guys in the locker room and I want to make sure that we do things right and that鈥檚 going to allow us to set a strong foundation here.鈥澛�
Alouettes general manager and interim coach Danny Maciocia insisted his team won't underestimate Ottawa.聽
鈥淚 think that this is a team that is very proud and they have a coach that鈥檚 able to motivate his players,鈥� Maciocia said of the opponent. 鈥淚鈥檓 convinced that they will give us a hell of an effort. It will be very important to match their intensity that they will bring to us.鈥� 聽
鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to disrespect them, that鈥檚 really important. They are professional players, they are coached and they have their pride."
The Alouettes welcome the return of star running back William Stanback. The two-time all-star and CFL rushing leader last season hasn't played since breaking his ankle in the season-opener against the Calgary Stampeders.
鈥淲hen you add that element, it can definitely dictate a lot of things that the defence can and can鈥檛 do,鈥� Alouettes quarterback Trevor Harris said of Stanback.聽
鈥淚t also helps us establish the run being able to, late in games, use our play-action game, be able to hand him the football and know that we鈥檙e gonna go downhill and be able to get positive yards.鈥澛�
Stanback is a significant upgrade to Montreal's offence, but Maciocia remains cautious about how much he'll play Monday. Montreal has a quick turnaround following Monday's game with another Friday in Ottawa.
The coach required three pain-free practices from Stanback to insert him into Monday's lineup. That achieved, Maciocia will play one of his most dominant players albeit in a limited manner.聽
鈥淲hat is important is for us to be really strategic with William,鈥� Maciocia said. 鈥淗e hasn鈥檛 played since the start of the year. We have two games in five days. I don鈥檛 think we can afford to give him 20 carries on a Monday and 20 carries on Friday, it鈥檚 not realistic.聽
鈥淲e need to have a plan, which we have already established with the coaches. We shared it with the players, including Will, so he will have a word to say in our success on Monday I hope but he isn鈥檛 a player that will lead 60 or 70 plays.鈥澛�
Harris acknowledged Stanback is an asset on offence, but also pointed out the Als managed at .500 record without him. Other running backs filled it for the star during his absence.
鈥淭o say that our other backs haven鈥檛 done a great job would be a disservice to them because I think Walter Fletcher is an absolute budding star in this league,鈥� Harris said. 鈥淎nd Jeshrun Antwi, explosive plays when you just don鈥檛 expect it and all of a sudden he pops for 70 (yards).鈥�
In addition to the shakeup at head coach, the Redblacks also added two new faces to their coaching staff this week. Doug Malone, who was an offensive line coach for the Lions, Saskatchewan Roughriders and Hamilton Tiger-Cats, joined as an offensive consultant.聽
Cory McDiarmid joining as a special teams assistant means he's served on the coaching staff of every current CFL team except the Tiger-Cats.
MONTREAL ALOUETTES (7-7) VS. OTTAWA REDBLACKS (3-11)
POWELL RETURNS: The Redblacks get running back William Powell back Monday. The 34-year-old last played in Ottawa鈥檚 17-3 loss to Stampeders on Aug. 5 when he sustained a knee injury.
ROMICK 100: Defensive end Nigel Romick will play his 100th career game Monday. The 31-year-old from Thunder Bay, Ont. has spent all eight of his CFL seasons with the Redblacks.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2022.
Tristan D'Amours, The Canadian Press
