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MONTREAL — One of the Canadian Football League’s most storied rivalries takes centre stage on Friday Night Football as the defending Grey Cup champion Toronto Argonauts travel to Montreal to face the Alouettes.
The last time these two teams squared off was also at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium when the Argos edged the Als 30-28 in the 2024 Eastern Final en route to their 19th championship.
Let’s take a look at three keys to victory for each team ahead of the 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff that can be watched on TSN, RDS and CFL+.
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TORONTO ARGONAUTS
1. BACK UP NEEDS TO STEP UP
With starting quarterback Chad Kelly still recovering from a leg injury he sustained in the playoffs, its Nick Arbuckle’s pocket in Week 1. While missing your starter is never ideal, Arbuckle enters the game with the confidence of a 252-yard, two -touchdown Grey Cup winning performance to lean on. Facing an experienced and talented Alouettes secondary, limiting his turnovers will be key. Over the course of his career, Arbuckle has thrown more interceptions (32) than touchdowns (27).
2. DEONTA MCMAHON THE MAN
Toronto released running back Ka’Deem Carey late last week, meaning the majority of the handoffs will go the way of Deonta McMahon. His best performance from a season ago came against the Als front when he rushed for 62 yards and averaged 13.4 yards per carry in a 37-31 Week 17 win.
3. GROUND THE AIR ATTACK
The Argos were known to give up a lot of yardage through the air in 2024 and they’ve also lost their team’s interception leader DaShaun Amos to Hamilton. The reworked secondary now features Darrius Bratton joining mainstays Benjie Franklin and Tarvarus McFadden down field.
MONTREAL ALOUETTES
1. DAVIS ALEXANDER’S TEAM
With Grey Cup champion pivot Cody Fajardo gone, it’s Davis Alexander’s starting job to lose. The front office showed such faith in Davis as the replacement that they handed him a three-year contract extension in the off-season. But should he falter, head coach Jason Maas has veteran and former Argo and Elk McLeod Bethel-Thompson on standby.
2. FIRED UP TYSON PHILPOT
Tyson Philpot’s excellent 2024 season was derailed when he suffered a foot injury that ended his campaign on August 10. With Davis taking control under centre, he’ll need his top receiver to return to pre-injury form and make plays against a secondary that’s been prone to giving up yards. Philpot enjoyed facing Toronto last season, catching nine-of-10 passes thrown his way for 128 yards.
3. SHUTDOWN SECONDARY
The Als secondary was one of the best at limiting opposing yards through the air and return much of the corps that helped them do it. Led by Marc-Antoine Dequoy, he’ll be joined by Kabion Ento, Wesley Sutton and 2025 second round pick Nate Beauchemin, who will make his CFL debut. If they can limit time and space downfield, it could make for a tough night for the Argos offence.
NEED TO KNOW
- Toronto quarterback Chad Kelly has been back at practice and is nearing a return.
- Montreal defensive lineman Shawn Oakman and Bethel-Thompson were members of the Argos’ 2022 Grey Cup champion team.
- The Argos won three-of-four against the Als last year, including the final three matchups.
- Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET and can be watched on TSN, RDS and CFL+.
