Two of the CFL’s Top Performers for October face off Saturday when defensive lineman David Menard and the Montreal Alouettes visit quarterback Zach Collaros and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Menard totaled six sacks and two forced fumbles as Montreal (6-5) went 4-1 last month, while Collaros passed for 1,101 yards and eight touchdowns as Winnipeg (10-1) swept all four October contests and clinched first place in the West Division.
Winnipeg is on an eight-game winning streak. The Blue Bombers haven’t lost at home all season (6-0) and they haven’t lost period since Aug. 21 at Toronto.
The Bombers are coming off their most lopsided win of the campaign, a 45-0 thrashing of the B.C. Lions on Oct. 23. Collaros completed 16 of 20 passes for 267 yards with three touchdowns, two of them to Kenny Lawler. Winnipeg also scored on a 39-yard interception return by Willie Jefferson and a 63-yard punt return by Janarion Grant.
With home field advantage locked up for the West final on Dec. 5, Bombers coach Mike O’Shea was asked this week if he might rest Collaros and play backup Sean McGuire.
“Everybody wants more reps and we want to see everybody on our team play,” O’Shea said, according to the Winnipeg Free Press. “I don’t know how that will play out.”
Meanwhile, with three games left in the regular season, Montreal enters the weekend one game behind East-leading Toronto.
The Alouettes had a four-game winning streak snapped last Saturday with a 19-14 loss to Saskatchewan. Starting quarterback Matthew Shiltz struggled (106 yards on 7-of-13 passing with one interception) before being replaced by 35-year-old Trevor Harris, who threw a fourth-quarter TD to Eugene Lewis to get within 16-14.
“I was just looking for a change of pace, that’s why I put Trevor in,” Montreal coach Khari Jones said. “I just didn’t feel like we were doing enough on offense and I wanted to give him the opportunity to change the pace.”
Harris will get the start on Saturday with Shiltz missing multiple practices this week due to a knee injury.
Winnipeg running back Andrew Harris (knee) and offensive lineman Jermarcus Hardrick (hip) both sat out practices this week, while defensive lineman Jackson Jeffcoat (hip) was a limited participant.
–Field Level Media
