CFL 2024 Eastern Final Preview: Toronto Argonauts at Montreal Alouettes
CFL 2024 Eastern Final Preview: Toronto Argonauts @ Montreal Alouettes, Saturday, November 9, Molson Stadium, 3 pm ET, TV: TSN, CTV, CFL+ | Radio: TSN 1050
The Montreal Alouettes and Toronto Argonauts have claimed the last two Grey Cups. To achieve that championship feat, they had to best one another. This scenario is set to repeat in this Saturday afternoon's East Final.
The players remain the same, but the script has flipped from last year's East Final.
The Argos (11-8), winners of five of their last 7 seven games, are coming off an impressive 58-point total team effort in a semi-final victory over Ottawa.
The Boatmen are seeking revenge in the East Final, a year after Montreal stunned the then heavy favorite 16-win Toronto club 38-17 en route to a Grey Cup championship.
The defending CFL Champion Alouettes (12-5-1) have reversed roles with their East rival from 2023. As the league's top team, encountering an easy road to this point, Montreal is looking to accomplish what Toronto didn't last year — defending its home field and clinching a chance to repeat as league champions.
Keys And Game Notes
DraftKings has the Als as 2.5-point favorites at home. The Over/Under is set at 52. The current kickoff forecast by Weather.com shows clear conditions with a high of 18C and winds SW at 10 to 15 km/h.
The Argonauts led the 2024 season series 2-1, losing their Week 4 game to the Als 30-20, but rebounding with a 37-18 victory in Week 6 in Montreal and securing a 37-31 win at home in Week 17.
Toronto has faced Montreal on the road in the Eastern Final eight times. The most recent six encounters in Montreal took place at Olympic Stadium,. The last Eastern Final between the Alouettes and Toronto at Molson Stadium was hosted back in 1955.
The Als are playing in their third straight East Final. This is Toronto's fourth consecutive appearance, but their first on the road in that span. It's been nearly two decades since both squads have achieved that accomplishment. All-time, Montreal leads Toronto in East Final games, 7-6.
Eastern Final Depth Chart 🌊 pic.twitter.com/7C6qYoiusK
— Toronto Argonauts (@TorontoArgos) November 8, 2024
Both teams are relatively healthy coming into Saturday. The one gametime decision of note is that of wide receiver Damonte Coxie (knee), who is trying to battle his way back into Toronto's lineup.
In last year's final, it was nine forced turnovers that made the difference in Toronto's loss at home to Montreal. In a career-defining moment, making his first-ever playoff start, it was Chad Kelly who helped engineer the Argos playoff meltdown. The enigmatic superstar melted under the bright lights, Kelly threw four interceptions, including a tone-setting 101-yard pick-six to Marc Antonie Dequoy that doomed the Double Blue from the very outset.
Although Kelly faced Montreal in a rematch this season, steering the Boatmen to victory back in Week 17, his effort was modest, throwing for 287 yards, zero touchdowns and an interception while Toronto's offense had to settle for eight field goals.
Kelly's performance in the Finals rematch against Montreal on Saturday will be critical in defining his narrative as a quarterback. Can he rise above in the season's most pivotal moment and defeat the demons of a year ago?
Therein lies the key for Montreal — getting into Kelly's head early and making him lose his composure under pressure, the way he did in last year's East Final.
Toronto has had success all season long running the football with Kadeem Carey and a well-designed rushing atttack. The Argos leaned on that strength in their two victories over Montreal this year. For the Boatmen to encounter smooth sailing on Saturday, they must get out in front, play balanced offensive football, and rely on their league leading pass rush to stall Cody Fajardo and Montreal's offense.
Conversely, the Als must slow down the Argos run game, and engineer one of their own with superstar Walter Fletcher. Dictating the pace of play and forcing Kelly and the Argos defense to play from behind is imperative. The Alouettes are already inside Kelly's head. They need to stay there.
East Final Prediction
The roles have reversed for these two clubs. Toronto is now the underdog, the red-hot team challenging the league favorite on their own turf. The frontrunning Alouettes were so far ahead that they had the luxury of easing off the accelerator as the year wound down.
As a result, the expectation by some is that there will be a full-on role reversal in this year's East Final.
The problem with that wishful premise is that Montreal, which was on the other side of this scenario in 2023, is fully aware of what took down Toronto, as the perpetrator of the Argos demise. They won't make the same mistake their enemy did.
The Alouettes are the better overall team, at home, with two weeks to prepare for an opponent they vanquished from the Grey Cup picture last season , I like Montreal to get to the Grey Cup again. History repeats itself, only with the same victor.
Montreal Alouettes 36 Toronto Argonauts 30
You can find Mike Mitchell on X @ByMikeMitchell.
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