Kevin Sousa/CFL.ca
TORONTO — Friday Night Football features a battle of two undefeated teams in the Montreal Alouettes and Toronto Argonauts.
The two top scoring offences go head to head when the Boatmen (37.0 points per game) face the current champions (32.3 points per game) at BMO Field. Montreal also has the top defence in the league over the first three weeks, allowing only 17.7 points and 319.7 yards per game.
That means there’ll be no shortage of intriguing battles to watch between two of the most talented squads in Canadian football.
CFL.ca brings you three matchups to watch on Friday Night Football.
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Montreal’s ground game vs. Toronto’s run defence
This one could also be billed as Walter Fletcher vs. Jared Brinkman. The Alouettes running back has been somewhat of a revelation over the initial portion of the season, rushing for 163 yards and a major while also catching 11 passes for 114 yards and another score over three games on his way to a 75.3 PFF grade. Fletcher trails only Argos’ Ka’Deem Carey in offensive grade amongst running backs with at least 50 snaps.
His challenge will be running against a defensive line led by Brinkman, the top rated defender in the league at this moment. With a 91.1 defensive grade (and an even more impressive 91.5 run defence grade), the veteran defensive lineman has been a one-man brick wall in the middle of the Argonauts defence.
Ka’Deem Carey vs. Tyrice Beverette
We teased this one a bit but it’s impossible not to mention the top rated running back going against the only defender in the CFL rated above 70.0 in every single defensive category. Run defence, pass rushing or coverage, Beverette can do it all, meaning he’ll see plenty of Carey throughout the game on Friday.
That’s because the veteran running back also relies on his versatility, rushing for 169 yards and a major and catching seven passes for 40 yards and another score in only two games for the Boatmen so far in 2024. Signed to replace AJ Ouellette and Andrew Harris, Carey has more than delivered so far, ranking second in rushing and pass-catching grade amongst tailbacks with at least 50 snaps and first in offensive grade.
Toronto’s pass rush against Montreal’s offensive line
It’s easy to highlight the great play of quarterback Cody Fajardo, but an underrated aspect of the Alouettes early-season offensive success is the play of their offensive line. Among the top five rated offensive lineman in the CFL right now, Montreal has four, including Pier-Olivier Lestage (86.5), Justin Lawrence (85.6), Nick Callender (81.4) and Philippe Gagnon (81.3). The Als have allowed only four sacks over three games, some of which came on broken plays long after protection did its part, meaning it won’t be easy for the Argos to get past Montreal’s wall.
That does not mean, however, that Toronto doesn’t have the firepower to do so. Toronto ranks first in pass rushing grade (86.2) with four of the top 10 defenders in this regard. Jake Ceresna (83.8) leads the way for the Argos with two sacks and nine total pressures in only two outings, with teammates Wynton McManis (81.4), Brinkman (80.6) and Folarin Orimolade (76.8) combining for four more sacks.
