THE CANADIAN PRESS

MONTREAL -- They were the best defence in the CFL all season and the Montreal Alouettes know they will have to play like that when they face Casey Printers and the B.C. Lions in the East Division final.

Jarious Jackson was B.C.'s quarterback as the teams split back-to-back games midway through the regular season, but Printers' ability to scramble out of trouble and hit receivers downfield represents a whole new challenge for the Alouettes.

The veteran pivot who returned to Vancouver in September when the Lions had a run of injuries was brilliant as B.C. upset the Tiger-Cats in Hamilton in overtime in the East semifinal last week.

"The guy can scramble," Montreal tackle Eric Wilson said Friday. "It's really a matter of being aggressive and going after him.

"You have to make three or four moves sometimes to get to this guy because he's all over the place."

The keys for Montreal will be to keep Printers in the pocket and to shut down the running game, which Wilson notes they were able to do to opponents regularly during the season, other than in two lame defensive efforts late in their 15-3 season against Hamilton and Winnipeg.

The Alouettes allowed only 324 points -- 18 points per game -- in 18 regular season contests, which was 104 points better than their closest competitor, Hamilton. They allowed fewer than 15 points nine times, including a 25-0 shutout of lowly Toronto on Aug. 7.

In the noise of the domed Olympic Stadium for the East final on Sunday (TSN, 1 p.m. ET), where a crowd in excess of 50,000 is expected, Printers and the B.C. offence will be up against a formidable defensive unit with all-stars Anwar Stewrat at rush end, Keron Williams at tackle and Chip Cox at linebacker.

The Montreal defence led in 21 of the 25 statistical categories kept by the league, including the least passing and rushing yards, touchdowns and field goals. The areas they didn't lead include sacks, where B.C. nipped them 45 to 42, and interceptions, where Winnipeg had 31 passes to second-place Montreal's 24.

"We set a standard for ourselves and every week the bar kept rising a little more," said linebacker Diamond Ferri. "Now we've put a rope up there and we're going to climb it."

It starts with the defensive line, where end John Bowman finished tied for the CFL sacks lead with 12 with B.C.'s Ricky Foley and Saskatchewan's Stevie Baggs. Stewart had nine and Williams had eight.

But they all say the key is Wilson, who usually takes on two blockers at nose tackle to free up his teammates to attack the ball.

"My job is not a glorious thing," said Wilson. "Other nose guards in the league may have more tackles or sacks, but look at the run defence or points scored.

"Eighteen points a game in 18 games is pretty darned good, and we should have had less except for the Winnipeg and Hamilton games."

In their 15th and 16th games of the season, with first place safely in hand, the Alouettes surrendered 38 points to the Ticats and 41 to the Blue Bombers, spoiling their bid to give up fewer than 300 points for the season. They rebounded by giving up a total of 30 points in the final two games.

Ferri's linebacking mates include Shea Emry, a Canadian who impressed in his first year as a starter, and Cox, who was converted from defensive back to bring more size and speed to the second line of defence.

Rookies Jerald Brown and Billy Parker join veterans Mark Estelle, Davis Sanchez and Mathieu Proulx in the backfield.

The Alouettes have been especially strong against the run, except one game in particular -- a 19-12 loss in Vancouver on Sept. 4 when Martell Mallett rushed for 213 yards on 21 carries, a game Wilson missed because he was sick. A week later, Mallett was held to 66 yards on 14 tries as Montreal beat the Lions at home 28-24.

Mallett has a sore shoulder and may be replaced by Ian Smart.

"When I get the stats sheet I look first at rushing yards," said Wilson. "We want to shut down the run and go after the quarterback.

"So to shut down Mallett or Smart or whoever is playing, that's our No. 1 job."

Wilson missed the final two games of the regular season with a dislocated kneecap, but with the bye week the Alouettes enjoyed for finishing first in their division, he said he is ready to go on Sunday. Ditto Ferri, who is returning from an ankle injury.

The Lions, who were 8-10 this season but were able to cross over to the East because they had a better record than Toronto and Winnipeg, were to arrive late Friday night after a week of practice in the rain in Vancouver.