Alouettes’ Defensive Challenges

By Liam Tremblay — 7 August 2026 — 3 min read

Alouettes’ Defensive Challenges

The Montreal Alouettes are set to face the Edmonton Elks with a significantly altered defensive lineup this Saturday at Molson Stadium. The team’s roster, released Friday morning, confirmed several key defensive players will be absent due to injuries.

Among those sidelined are middle linebacker Geoffrey Cantin-Arku (adductor), defensive backs Najee Murray (head) and Wesley Sutton (calf), and defensive lineman Mustafa Johnson (knee). These absences come as the Alouettes, one of the CFL‘s top teams, prepare to host the Elks.

Despite the injuries, head coach Jason Maas indicated that his approach would not change. He expressed confidence in the depth of his squad, stating that the team has many players ready to step in and perform at a high level. Maas emphasized that the absences were not a primary concern for the team.

Replacements for the injured players have been named. Micah Awe will take over as the starting middle linebacker for Cantin-Arku, while Faion Hicks steps into Murray’s position. Decarius Hawthorne and Ty Anderson are expected to share duties at Johnson’s defensive line spot. Additionally, defensive end David Perales has been activated from the six-game injured list to replace T.J. Guy.

Intriguing Matchup Details

The game presents an intriguing narrative as former Alouettes quarterback Cody Fajardo and receiver Austin Mack return to Montreal. Fajardo now leads an Elks team that handed the Alouettes their only loss this season.

The previous encounter between these two teams saw the Elks defeat the Alouettes 32-29 in overtime during Week 3 at Commonwealth Stadium. That game marked the first regular-season loss for Alouettes quarterback Davis Alexander as a CFL starter.

Mack, reflecting on his departure from Montreal, expressed a desire to win against his former team. He told reporters in Edmonton that it is always good to return and compete against them at home. The Elks are coming off a 28-26 loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders last week.

On the offensive side, Alexander has been performing well, leading the CFL with 2,788 passing yards through Week 9. The Alouettes also boast strong receiving options in Tyson Philpot, who has accumulated 1,023 receiving yards, and Tyler Snead, with 794 yards.

Fajardo praised Alexander’s health and the Alouettes’ high-flying offence, suggesting that the Elks’ offence would need to keep Montreal’s potent attack off the field. In their last meeting, Edmonton’s Justin Rankin was a significant factor, rushing for 179 yards and two touchdowns, in addition to making five receptions for 51 yards.

Maas highlighted the importance of limiting turnovers on offence and improving tackling on defence, particularly against players like Rankin, to potentially tie the season series. He noted that turnovers in scoring areas contributed to the closeness of their last game. The upcoming matchup between these division leaders could offer a preview of a potential Grey Cup contest.

Both teams have demonstrated strong turnover ratios, with Montreal leading the league at +11 and Edmonton close behind at +9. This suggests that the game could be decided by which team makes fewer critical errors. The Elks’ secondary faces a challenge against the Alouettes’ passing game, which has amassed 2,795 yards.

The game is scheduled for Saturday afternoon, with kickoff at 3:00 p.m. ET.

Source: theglobeandmail.com