Surging Eskimos rout Als in Montreal

Mike Reilly and the Edmonton Eskimos won in the East on Monday, which they might have to do in the playoffs.

Edmonton (8-7), which is pushing for a West Division playoff berth, but is in position to be a crossover team in the East, rolled to a 40-20 win against the Montreal Alouettes (4-10) at Percival Molson Stadium. Reilly was responsible for three touchdowns and RB John White scored twice for the second game in a row. Edmonton's defence limited Montreal to 301 yards.

The defending Grey Cup champions take a three-win streak into a bye week. Their closest competition in the West Division race, the BC Lions (9-5) and Winnipeg Blue Bombers (9-6), meet Friday. Edmonton has more wins than every East team.

The Alouettes are all but eliminated. Two of their last four games are against West-leading Calgary.

The margin was only five points at halftime, due in part to back-to-back lost fumbles that contributed to the Alouettes' first touchdown. The second came when Troy Stoudermire, looking into the sun, fumbled a punt and Montreal's Daryl Towsend recovered on Edmonton's nine-yard line. The Alouettes cashed in two plays later.

Nonplussed by three turnovers in the first half, Edmonton pulled away with a 21-0 third quarter. On the first snap of the half, CB Cord Parks intercepted Alouettes QB Rakeem Cato's overthrown pass. The pick set up a four-play, 43-yard drive, with SB Chris Getzlaf making an eight-yard TD catch.

White tallied 36 of the 75 yards during a march that consumed more than five and a half minutes. In the last minute of the quarter, Bowman made an over-the-shoulder catch for a 59-yard reception. White scored on an eight-yard rush on the next play.

Edmonton had three scoring drives of 10 or more plays.

Reilly was 25-of-34 for 346 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, and also had a rushing TD. It was his 12th 300-yard game of the season, two shy of the single-season mark Doug Flutie set in 1991.

White had 19 rushes for 145 yards. All three of Reilly's main targets tallied more than 100 yards from scrimmage. Bowman made six receptions for 112 yards, bringing his league-leading tally to 1,609. Rookie Brandon Zylstra, playing his third CFL game, made five receptions for 102 and one TD. Derel Walker had 113 total yards, including 96 from five grabs.

Sean Whyte, who has not missed from inside of 50 yards all season, was 2-of-2 on field goals.

Cato was 20-of-31 for 268 yards with one TD and one INT. Samuel Giguere and Brandon Rutley scored the Alouettes' touchdowns. Anthony Fera was 1-of-2 on field goals with a single.

Star WR Duron Carter was well-contained by Edmonton CB Patrick Watkins, mustering only three receptions for 61 yards.

The Alouettes are 0-7 when trailing at halftime, and 0-9 when trailing after the third quarter.