Ottawa visits Montreal in first-against-worst East Division battle

With a slim one-point lead in the East Division over both the Toronto Argonauts and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the Ottawa RedBlacks look to widen the gap with their visit to the Montreal Alouettes in Week 11.

The teams met just two weeks ago, and Montreal won the Week 9 encounter in convincing fashion, handing Ottawa a 43-19 loss. The RedBlacks took the first game of the season series with a 28-13 win in Week 2.

Ottawa's Trevor Harris performed well after being named the No. 1 quarterback in Week 10 over Henry Burris, going 23-of-30 for 352 yards and a touchdown in a close 29-23 loss to the BC Lions. The RedBlacks have averaged 363.8 passing yards per game so far this season, and will be tough to handle if Travon Van can establish a presence on the ground.

The Alouettes' defence has undoubtedly been the brightest spot for the team this season, and a solid performance last time against the RedBlacks contributed greatly to the team's victory. In total, Montreal recorded seven quarterback sacks, with Gabriel Knapton providing two and Winston Venable, Bear Woods, Chip Cox, and Jovon Johnson all adding one apiece.

While the Alouettes seem to have fourth place in the East to themselves for the time being, this week's game with the RedBlacks could have significant playoff implications. Both Toronto and Hamilton are still very much in the hunt for first place in the division and the two are about to square off in their traditional Labour Day matchup.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium on Thursday.