Montreal has the CFL's worst record at 1-6, while the Redblacks are first in the East at 4-3, despite a shocking loss to Toronto last week. Article content OTTAWA — Here are five things you should know about the Alouettes-Ottawa Redblacks game at TD Place on Saturday (8 p.m., TSN, RDS, TSN Radio 690). Matchup: These teams have already met once this season, back on July 6 at Molson Stadium. The Als’ 28-18 loss that night flattered the home team, which scored 10 unanswered fourth-quarter points. Montreal has a 1-6 record, the worst in the CFL, and is on a four-game losing streak. The Redblacks are first in the East Division at 4-3, but are coming off a stunning 42-41 loss last Thursday at Toronto. Ottawa was in total control of the game, leading 38-14 in the third quarter. But somehow, the visitors managed to be outscored 22-3 over the final 15 minutes, allowing the game-winning touchdown on the final play. Indeed, they lost to a 30-year-old quarterback, McLeod Bethel-Thompson, making his first CFL start. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Alouettes at Ottawa Redblacks: Five things you should know Back to video Injuries: The latest Als casualties are quarterback Vernon Adams and rush-end John Bowman. Adams suffered an injury to his left foot last week and is wearing a walking boot, while Bowman continued playing against Hamilton despite suffering a partially-torn biceps muscle. Former Als middle-linebacker Kyries Hebert is on the six-game injured list with a suspected leg problem. He didn’t face his former team last month, serving a one-game suspension. Strong-side linebacker Anthony Cioffi will miss the game as well. Canadian receiver Brad Sinopoli, the former starting university quarterback, didn’t practise all week due to a suspected twisted ankle, but is listed on the team’s 46-man roster. He could still be one of the two scratches before the opening kickoff.<doc-sep>Share this Story: Game Day: Montreal Alouettes at Ottawa Redblacks Game Day: Montreal Alouettes at Ottawa Redblacks Photo by Errol McGihon / Postmedia Article content Montreal (1-6) at Ottawa (4-3) WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday WHERE: TD Place stadium RADIO: TSN 1200, FM 104,7, Sirius XM 167 (English), 174 (French) STREAM: TSN GO TV: TSN, RDS2, ESPN 3 (in the U.S.) WEATHER FORECAST: Mainly clear, 23C, 10% chance of rain, wind 7 km/h E GAME LINE: Redblacks by 14 FIVE THINGS TO WATCH 1. Redblacks running back William Powell Ottawa is tied with Montreal with a league-worst rushing average of 84.1 yards per game. That’s not nearly good enough when you have a game-changer like William Powell behind your quarterback. Powell seems healthy, but he’s not getting the ball enough and he’s not doing enough when he does. After exploding out of the blocks with games of 94, 123 and 138 yards, Powell has sputtered, with 17, 50, 47 and 35. In the past three games, he has had 14, 15 and 14 carries. Some blame has to go to the offensive line, which isn’t creating openings so he can get to the second level of the defence. The good news: Powell’s season-high of 138 yards on 23 carries came against Montreal last month. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Game Day: Montreal Alouettes at Ottawa Redblacks Back to video Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content 2. Redblacks receiver/returner Diontae Spencer His 145 yards receiving last week (second-highest single-game total in his career) against the Argonauts were more yards than he had in the previous five games combined (122). He also had an 87-yard punt return touchdown. 3. The Redblacks’ pass rush The Redblacks will want to get after Alouettes quarterback Johnny Manziel. Last week, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats put plenty of heat on the quarterback making his first CFL start and he tossed four first-half interceptions. Ottawa defensive end A.C. Leonard had no quarterback sacks in the first three games, but has had one in three of his past four games. 4. Are they really that bad? The Alouettes are 1-17 in their past 18 games, extending back to 2017. It’s the poorest 18-game stretch in team history. In their past 12 games away from Molson Stadium, they’ve won just once. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content 5. Can the kid keep kicking field goals? Rookie Redblacks kicker Lewis Ward has a 95 per cent success rate. He began his CFL career with a 3-for-4 performance and has not missed a three-pointer since. He’s now 22-for-23 with 19 straight makes. Two weeks ago he went 7-for-7. The longest streak of consecutive field goals by a rookie CFL player was 21 by Saskatchewan’s Luca Congi in 2006. THE KEY MATCHUP Johnny Manziel vs. Noel Thorpe It’ll be the arm and legs of Manziel, the Alouettes’ QB, against the mind and game plan of Thorpe, the Redblacks’ defensive co-ordinator. The Ticats defended Manziel very well a week ago, forcing him into four first-half interceptions. In fact, Montreal turned the ball over on five of its first six possessions. Against a Montreal offensive line that has allowed a league-worst 25 quarterback sacks, expect Ottawa to turn up the heat. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content INSIDE THE GAME Ottawa has won its past five games vs. Montreal … The Redblacks’ loss last week to Toronto after being up by 24 points was the second-largest collapse by any Ottawa CFL team, trailing only a 26-point Calgary Stampeders comeback against the Rough Riders on Aug. 9, 1987 … The Ticats’ 28-0 lead last week at Montreal matched the biggest first-quarter difference in CFL history — Edmonton had a 28-0 lead on Saskatchewan in 1998 and won 35-13, Winnipeg had a 34-6 lead on Hamilton in 1991 and won 68-14, and Ottawa had a 28-0 lead on Toronto in 1977 and won 41-11 … In their past three games, the Redblacks have averaged 30.3 points per game versus 15.0 points in the previous three outings, two of which were against Calgary, the league’s top defensive unit … The Alouettes have increased their run-game total yardage in each of the past five games: from 32 to 43 to 62 to 132 to 176. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content PREDICTION: Ottawa 34, Montreal 17 It’s really tough to pick against the Redblacks (4-3-0), who are facing a team that has won just once. The Alouettes are banking on quarterback Johnny Manziel to be their saviour, but expect him to remain a work in progress. Of course, I picked the Redblacks to lose to Hamilton and to beat Toronto, so it’s not exactly like I’m on a roll. Stats pack Montreal Points For: 14.7 (9th) Points Against: 34.6 (9th) Rushing Yards: 84 (tied for 8th) Passing Yards: 207 (8th) Net Offence: 253 (9th) Yards Against: 429 (9th) Ottawa Points For: 25.1 (5th) Points Against: 24.0 (5th) Rushing Yards: 84 (tied for 8th) Passing Yards: 288 (3rd) Net Offence: 357 (5th) Yards Against: 368 (6th) Share this article in your social network Latest National Stories Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Ottawa Sun Headline News Sign up to receive daily headline news from the Ottawa SUN, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. Email Address There was an error, please provide a valid email address. By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300 Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way.<doc-sep>Share this Story: Johnny on the spot as Alouettes prepare to take on Redblacks Johnny on the spot as Alouettes prepare to take on Redblacks Photo by Paul Chiasson / THE CANADIAN PRESS Article content While he’s a curiosity thrown into the middle of a hype machine, the guy they call Johnny Football just wants to win football games, starting with a Saturday night date with the Ottawa Redblacks at TD Place stadium. Thrown into the fire a week ago with a starting assignment against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Johnny Manziel, the former Heisman Trophy winner at Texas A&M (and first-round draft pick of the National Football League’s Cleveland Browns), is trying to eliminate the noise around him and sidestep a travelling carnival. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Johnny on the spot as Alouettes prepare to take on Redblacks Back to video “It’s been my life for six or seven years. It’s something I deal with, move forward and try to continue on,” Manziel said Friday. Photo by Paul Chiasson / THE CANADIAN PRESS “I think he’s kind of used to it by now so I don’t think it’s a distraction for him,” Alouettes head coach Mike Sherman said. “Initially it was a bit of a shock to our team. Every question every player was asked was not about them, it was about John. It’s settled down a bit.” Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content “We’re not really talking about it,” Alouettes fullback and former Redblack Patrick Lavoie said. “We’re focusing on trying to play better every week and win games. Johnny’s a quiet guy in the locker room, so it’s not like he’s making a big splash about it. I’m not going to lie. He’s here for a good reason: that’s to play football. I didn’t know what to expect, but he’s doing his thing.” As spectacular as Manziel was with a football in his hands through college and his time in the NFL, he stumbled along in real life, with a Google search producing a list of screwups. However, with a second chance at football and maybe in life, Manziel is saying and trying to do all the right things on and off the football field. “You can imagine what’s on his shoulders. Half the country wants to see him do well, half the country doesn’t,” Sherman said. “People either love him or they don’t. I’m hoping more people love him as he continues to mature and grow as a quarterback. I want him to be better tomorrow than he was last week and we’ll build on that.” Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Manziel threw four first-half interceptions, completing 11 of 20 passes for 104 yards in a 50-11 loss. “You don’t beat yourself up over it,” Manziel said. “You had a bad day at work. If you continue to dwell on that, it does nothing but hurt you moving forward. We have another game seven days after that game last week. You either get ready, continue to work and try to get yourself prepared for the next week or you’re a week behind. I had a rough 24 hours because I did expect more. I did feel like I let my team down a bit.” The Redblacks say they’re not getting caught up in Manziel’s Canadian Football League saga. “Enough people have had enough opinions (on what Manziel did last week),” Redblacks head coach Rick Campbell said. “All I know is he’s a good player, we’ll have our hands full. He’s an athletic guy, he can improvise. Any of those quarterbacks who can use their feet and make plays that are off schedule — meaning not the way it was designed up — those guys can scare you. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content “I don’t know what else to say. I’ve heard and read so much about the guy. We know he’s a good player, but they have a lot of other guys, too.” The Redblacks defence will attempt to make Manziel uncomfortable. “You see the hype, we’re all looking forward to it,” defensive end A.C. Leonard said. “We know he’s a guy who can get outside the pocket and make plays. He’s a very dynamic, electrifying player. As a defensive end, we just keep him in contain. He makes his best plays outside the pocket.” The Redblacks are coming off a stunning 42-41 loss to the Toronto Argonauts in which they blew a 24-point lead. “We talk about being resilient, we want to be a team that doesn’t lose two games in a row,” Campbell said. “It’s another big game against an Eastern (Division) opponent.” Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content OttSunWP RAVEN GETS START: It’s looking like more and more of a steal. Seventh-round draft pick Justin Howell, a former Carleton Raven, will start at safety for the Redblacks on Saturday, with Antoine Pruneau moving to linebacker to replace Anthony Cioffi, who’s on the one-game injured list. “I’m excited, for sure, to get out there,” Howell said. “I’m sure I’ll be fired up, but I’m always ready to go. It’s football. It’s a childhood dream for me: playing a sport I love. Coach (Noel) Thorpe and the rest of the staff have really made it a focal point for me to make sure I’m prepared because you never know in football. Your name could be called out in a game. Nothing changes. I’m going to be getting more playing time … that’s about it.” Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Campbell said the Redblacks had “started integrating him into the defence. We had some packages with an extra DB on the field and he’s done that the past few weeks.<doc-sep>Share this Story: Last-minute William Powell touchdown gives Redblacks win over Alouettes Last-minute William Powell touchdown gives Redblacks win over Alouettes Photo by Justin Tang / THE CANADIAN PRESS Article content On a night when Montreal Alouettes quarterback Johnny Manziel had some money in his game, the Ottawa Redblacks stumbled and fumbled a bit, but came through in the final minute of the game to win 24-17 at TD Place stadium. Running back William Powell delivered the dagger with an 11-yard touchdown run with 15 seconds remaining. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Last-minute William Powell touchdown gives Redblacks win over Alouettes Back to video “In the fourth quarter, maybe three or four times on second down, I didn’t get the yardage I needed,” Powell said. “I told the coach, ‘I’m going to get it next time, just trust me, trust the ball in my hands.’ And we were able to get it into the end zone.” The Redblacks put up huge chunks of yardage through the air — Trevor Harris had 487 yards passing — some big mistakes kept them from scoring more points. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Toggle full screen mode Previous Gallery Image Photo by Justin Tang / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by Justin Tang / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by Justin Tang / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by Justin Tang / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by Justin Tang / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by Justin Tang / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by Justin Tang / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by Justin Tang / THE CANADIAN PRESS Photo by Justin Tang / THE CANADIAN PRESS Next Gallery Image Toggle gallery captions All 9 Photos for Gallery “We had to just keep plugging, keep grinding,” Harris said. “I said this after an abysmal Calgary game: ‘I believe we have an elite offence.’ And I said, after the Hamilton game where we didn’t finish drives and I’ll say it after we had four turnovers:; We have an elite offence. We just have to make sure we finish drives.” After Montreal was stopped on the game’s opening drive, the Redblacks put together a big drive, marching into Alouettes territory, but fullback J.C. Beaulieu fumbled after catching a Harris pass at the 25. The fumble was caused and recovered by Chip Cox. The Alouettes got a single on their next possession with a 57-yard Boris Bede punt. Harris led the Redblacks downfield again, highlighted by completions of 19 yards to Diontae Spencer and 13 yards to Brad Sinopoli, but, after Sinopoli caught a pass on Montreal’s 37-yard line, he fumbled and the ball was picked up by Vantrel McMillan. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content The Redblacks forced a turnover of their own when Jonathan Newsome pounced on the ball at his team’s 29-yard line. Richie Leone rocketed a 62-yard punt, forcing Montreal to start on its own four-yard line. Stopped on the next two plays, Montreal conceded a safety and Ottawa led 2-1 just 49 seconds into the second quarter. The Alouettes went ahead 8-2, though, when Chris Ackie intercepted a Harris pass that had been tipped at the line of scrimmage and ran 37 yards into the end zone for a touchdown. The convert was good. Ottawa narrowed the gap after a 45-yard field goal by Lewis Ward, then had a chance to take or cut into the lead late in the second quarter. After a 19-yard catch by Ellingson left the Redblacks with third-and-inches with 12 seconds left, rather than push ahead for the first down, backup QB Dominique Davis rolled to his left and unsuccessfully tried to pass to Marco Dubois in the end zone. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Ottawa took the lead with 8:44 left in the third quarter, when Trevor Harris found R.J. Harris open for a 14-yard touchdown. Montreal regained the lead with 5:27 left in the quarter on a quarterback draw by Manziel. He was hit and fumbled just before reaching the goal-line, but the ball was recovered by offensive lineman Kristian Matte. The convert made it 17-11 for the Alouettes. After pair of completions to Ellingson for seven and 15 yards, Harris tried to find the receiver long, but it was tipped away. Then, near midfield, Harris fumbled after getting hit behind the line of scrimmage. The Alouettes recovered on the Redblacks’ 52. Then, on a bizarre play a minute into the fourth quarter, Montreal’s Adarius Bowman caught the ball near the first-down marker, but, without being touched by a Redblacks player, he held the ball up in the air. It was slapped away by Ottawa’s Jonathan Rose and recovered by Danny Mason. but the CFL Command Centre review determined that Bowman had rolled out of bounds nearly two yards short of the first-down marker, forcing a punt. A 17-yard run by Powell, a 27-yard completion to Sinopoli and a six-yard completion to Beaulieu set up a 33-yard field goal by Ward for the Redblacks. On their next possession, the Redblacks drove again with Harris rolling out and finding Beaulieu on the run. The fullback fumbled near the sideline, but R.J. Harris jumped on the loose ball to retain possession. Ward tied the score with a 15-yard field goal with 3:52 left. Share this article in your social network Latest National Stories Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Ottawa Sun Headline News Sign up to receive daily headline news from the Ottawa SUN, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. Email Address There was an error, please provide a valid email address. By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails.<doc-sep>
Share this Story: Zurkowsky: QB Manziel better, but Alouettes still lose to Redblacks Zurkowsky: QB Manziel better, but Alouettes still lose to Redblacks Als head coach Mike Sherman's cautiously optimistic his team may have found its quarterback of the future Photo by Justin Tang / THE CANADIAN PRESS Article content OTTAWA — Throughout the winter, knowing what little he had inherited at the position, Mike Sherman was always non-committal when asked whether the Alouettes had a legitimate starting quarterback. After two games of the Johnny Manziel era, the new Als head coach still won’t go out on a limb and make any wild proclamations. But he doesn’t have to. Manziel has displayed enough raw potential and talent that it has become clear this team has its first bona fide pivot since the days of Anthony Calvillo. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Zurkowsky: QB Manziel better, but Alouettes still lose to Redblacks Back to video That doesn’t mean there won’t be hiccups in the evolution of Manziel. It simply means, finally, there could be a reason for optimism with this franchise, although it might already be too late to salvage this season. “You know me. I’m not quick to rush to judgement or praise a lot of the times,” Sherman said. “I think John showed enough out there today to make us feel more comfortable at that position. “I thought John made drastic improvement from last week. He made unbelievable improvement from his first game. He threw the ball well and made some really good decisions. I thought he did a good job — and he’ll just get better and better.” Article content After throwing four first-half interceptions in his Montreal debut against Hamilton and being benched in the fourth quarter, Manziel displayed marked improvement Saturday night against Ottawa. It wasn’t enough to end the Als’ losing ways — their losing streak is now at five games following a 24-17 defeat against the Redblacks — but there was enough there to believe this run of futility might finally be coming to an end. “Anything’s better than last week,” Manziel quipped. “It sucks to lose the game. I’m not happy with the outcome but, as far as improvement, we’re close. We’re a lot closer than we were a week ago. “It sucks when you don’t see results,” added Manziel, who came to the Als in a blockbuster five-player trade from the Tiger-Cats on July 22. “I hope they keep believing in what we’re doing and see the improvement. We’ll get there, (but) it’s going to take some time.” Article content Although 10 games remain, the Als are quickly falling out of contention, even in the weak East Division. Their latest defeat leaves them with a 1-7 record, and they’re in the midst of a stretch that sees them playing three out of four games on the road before their next bye week in the schedule. Montreal was 1-7 under Tom Higgins in 2014 and went on an incredible second-half run to finish 9-9 before losing the division final. It’s hard to believe history might be repeated, but with Manziel, perhaps it’s possible. He completed 16 of 26 passes against Ottawa for a modest 168 yards, but displayed a strong arm and would have done better had his receivers not dropped the occasional ball. His footwork improved, and he saw the field better. This game, he also took advantage of his mobility, gaining 36 yards on three carries. This is what a running quarterback must do in Canada. Article content But the Als, nonetheless, had their offensive struggles, with the unit accounting for only one touchdown. Although linebacker Chris Ackie returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown, Montreal’s offence failed to take advantage of the five turnovers — including three fumble recoveries — the defence created. Photo by Justin Tang / THE CANADIAN PRESS “I understand it’s close. I get it. We looked better than previous weeks, but it’s still the same result,” said tailback Tyrell Sutton, who gained 63 yards on 10 carries while adding another 25 on three receptions. “He can play some ball, man,” Sutton said of Manziel. “We have to catch the f—ing ball. We have to capitalize on the turnovers the defence gave us. It was the closest game we’ve had. This was the closest to a complete game we’ve played all year.