RedBlacks crush hapless Alouettes, but Tate goes down

Drew Tate exited with an injury but not before helping the Ottawa RedBlacks top the Montreal Alouettes 29-11, handing the Als their fifth loss in a row.

The Als hoped a coaching change would change their fortunes, but they looked no better with Kavis Reed roaming the sideline. Quarterback Darian Durant was benched after failing to connect on his first six passes, while Drew Willy failed to push the ball downfield after replacing him.

Tate's injury, meanwhile, could be a huge concern for Ottawa, which is already missing Trevor Harris because of a shoulder issue. Harris is expected to miss about a month. Tate went 21-of-29 for 185 yards with one touchdown and an interception before exiting.

With their top two quarterbacks out, the RedBlacks turned to Ryan Lindley, who rode out the rest of the lopsided contest. Ottawa received a major boost from its running game all afternoon, as William Powell rushed for a game-high 135 yards on 23 carries.

The victory improved Ottawa's record to 5-7-1 - not pretty, but good enough to stand atop the East Division standings. Montreal dropped to 3-9, and is in danger of slipping past the 2-9 Hamilton Tiger-Cats into the cellar of the CFL.