Ottawa, ON – May 29, 2026 — The Ottawa Redblacks capped their 2026 CFL preseason with a commanding 27-3 win over the visiting Montreal Alouettes on Friday night at TD Place Stadium. In what was billed as the final dress rehearsal before the regular season, Ottawa built a 14-3 halftime lead and coasted the rest of the way, showcasing depth, defensive prowess, and efficient quarterback play in front of a home crowd eager for the June kickoff.
The game marked the second preseason meeting between the long time East Division rivals, as Ottawa had previously edged Montreal 27-12 on May 22 in Montreal. This time, with roles reversed at home, the Redblacks left little doubt, improving to 2-0 in exhibition play while the Alouettes finished 0-2.
Ottawa jumped out quickly and never looked back. Quarterback Dru Brown was sharp, tossing a pair of touchdown passes while the Redblacks’ defence added a pick-six, providing the bulk of the scoring. Montreal managed just a single field goal (or rouge-equivalent points) for the entire contest, struggling to sustain drives against a physical Ottawa front.
By halftime the score stood 14-3, and Ottawa added two more scores in the second half to seal the lopsided result. The Alouettes’ offence generated limited first downs after the opening quarter, while their defence, which held firm early against Ottawa’s starters, eventually wore down as the home side rotated in reserves effectively.
Ottawa quarterback Dru Brown delivered a poised outing, completing key throws for both touchdowns and orchestrating scoring drives that kept Montreal off-balance. His performance gave head coach and staff confidence heading into roster finalization. Meanwhile the Redblack defence notched a pick-six and limited big plays, turning the game into a statement win that highlighted improved secondary play and pass rush.
For the Alouettes, Shomari Lawrence was a bright spot on offence. Lawrence ran hard with good vision and speed, finishing with strong yardage totals while excelling as a blocker and in pass protection. Montreal also saw solid receiving work from Zakhari Franklin, DeMeer Blankumsee, and Austin Watkins Jr., but the unit couldn’t convert opportunities into points.
From the Montreal perspective, the team took away several silver linings despite the scoreline: they dominated early first downs in spots, showed a physical run game throughout the two preseason contests, and gave several players — including rookies and first-time CFL starters like Jonathan Sutherland — valuable reps. “Yes, the final score was lopsided… but there were some positives,” the club noted, emphasizing preparation for roster cuts this weekend.
With the exhibition schedule now complete, both squads shift focus to final cuts and the regular-season opener. The Alouettes travel to face the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Thursday, June 4 in a rematch of recent Eastern battles, while Ottawa will look to carry this momentum into their home opener the following week.