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Alouettes, Eskimos look to use each other to build momentum

Mark Blinch / REUTERS

It's too early to call it a must-win game for either team, but Thursday's contest between the Montreal Alouettes and Edmonton Eskimos is clearly very important.

The Alouettes, 2-4, need to begin digging out of the early season hole they've created for themselves. That challenge is particularly urgent now, with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats - sitting two points ahead of them in the standings - about to get back star quarterback Zach Collaros from injury.

Edmonton, also 2-4, is in need of a win as well. The Eskimos are looking to gain ground on three teams in front of them in the West, and simultaneously keep the Saskatchewan Roughriders glued to the cellar of the standings.

Montreal comes in as losers in four of its past five outings, with only a blowout win over the Riders to boast about. In their four defeats, the Als have mustered a combined 55 points, good for less than two touchdowns per game.

Edmonton, meanwhile, is winless in three straight weeks, but nearly came away victorious all three times. In fact, the Eskimos have dropped their last three games by a combined total of just 17 points.

The Eskimos will ride into La Belle Province with the league's most prolific passer to this point of the season, as Mike Reilly leads the CFL with 2,181 yards through the air. For comparison's sake, Als quarterback Kevin Glenn sits seventh in CFL passing with 1,406 yards.

On the ground, Edmonton has the league's No. 6 rusher, with John White tallying 233 yards on the ground to date. Montreal's Brandon Rutley has just 175 rushing yards, which ranks ninth in the CFL.

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