The Montreal Alouettes headed home to face the Calgary Stampeders before their last bye week of the season, as franchise quarterback Davis Alexander made his return from a hamstring injury suffered in July. He took over the game, and the Als powered through the Stamps by a score of 38-20.
Here are my thoughts on the game.
The return of the record-setter
Let’s be honest, the Als’ offence needed Davis Alexander’s talent. Badly.
McLeod Bethel-Thompson held down the fort during the last two games, getting two wins, but the offence on Friday night looked nothing like we saw in the previous eight games. That was because of number 10.
The 26-year-old finished 26-of-36 for a career high 350 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. It didn’t take too long before the 22,070 fans present at Percival-Molson Stadium to see what makes the native of Gig Harbour, Wash., so special.
On the second offensive play, Alexander scrambled and found Tyler Snead with an across-the-body throw. Then, after missing some passes, he connected with Charleston Rambo for a 42-yard touchdown while facing heavy pressure. The pass was perfectly thrown as the receiver raced down the sideline.
It didn’t stop there. In the third quarter, Alexander made a highlight reel play as he fumbled a snap, picked up the ball, escaped the pocket, and found Tyson Philpot deep for a 28-yard gain. It set up a touchdown drive that put the Als up by 11. The Stamps never recovered.
The five-foot-11, 210-pound passer was able to move the ball effectively all night. He involved all his receivers, each of them having at least four catches. Tyler Snead led the way with 12 for 115 yards.
Alexander is now the record holder for the most consecutive wins to start a career in CFL history with nine, surpassing Hall of Fame quarterback Danny McManus. After the game, he credited the whole team for this achievement.
“I’m proud of myself,” he told the media. “I’m proud of my team. They know how I feel about them. I’d do anything for them. I love them, I love this city.”
A still fragile hamstring
Alexander had a meeting with the coaches and the training staff before this week and promised them he would be cautious on the field regarding runs. He told the media that it was a tough ask, but vowed to deliver in another fashion. That’s what he did on Friday night with a lot of throws from the pocket. However, he told the media that the cautiousness will continue during the bye week.
“My leg feels fine. It feels sore, but it’s a different feeling than two months ago,” he said. “This bye week is massive. I don’t wanna get into too many details. It is a different type of soreness (than the usual one). It’s hard to simulate game stress. That’s why it was really important for me to play this game.”
Alexander will have 16 days to continue his full healing before the next game.
The Als’ swagger is back
When the Als won the Grey Cup in 2023, there was a swagger to that edition of the team that was unmatched by any opponent. It was evident from the way players spoke to the media and their behaviour on the field.
I feel that was lost last year at the end of the season. For the first time since, I can say it’s back. Will it be enough to win it all on November 16 in Winnipeg? I don’t know, but something special is slowly brewing.
Who’s the catalyst? Davis Alexander. His return makes everybody feel more confident. Head coach Jason Maas agreed with that statement.
“I think our whole team feels different. The guy we deemed our starting quarterback is back,” he said. “He’s won every game he’s started. It’s hard not to believe when he’s out there.”
Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund illustrated this confidence in his TSN post-game interview.
“This is the same team that was 0-5, number nine ranked, all over TSN, 3DownNation, but this is Montreal — nobody comes in here and takes it in our house,” he said. “We’re built different in Montreal, in the 425. Fans built different, stadium built different. You will continue to see it.”
Tyrice Beverette was also fired up after the win when asked if this was the most complete game the Als have played this season.
“For sure. Just having Davis (Alexander) back, the way we played complementary football. I think we showed the league we’re back,” he insisted. “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. This locker room, everyone believes.”
Points left on the board
It shouldn’t have been 18-14 heading into the half for the Als. Montreal had the ball for 17 minutes and dominated almost every aspect of the game. Jose Maltos missed two field goals, which resulted in only one point for the Als. A bad snap might have caused the second one, but regardless, the whole unit needed to be better.
Maltos has been less consistent over the last few weeks. The Mexican kicker has only made 69 percent of field goals in his last three games, including Friday. It wasn’t costly in this game, but the Als will need him down the stretch. As crazy as it sounds, he has missed on short distances while still being strong on long-range attempts.
A lot of good (and some bad) defence
It was a strong outing offensively, but defensively, we saw some issues with the Stamps’ run game. Still, it felt like a combination of the last two weeks’ strong outings, with three turnovers, including one interception by Tyrice Beverette, as well as four quarterback sacks. The defensive line was really effective at generating pressure, as the unit got to Vernon Adams Jr. all night long.
Overall, 20 points allowed in a game where you score 38 is not bad, but I’m sure Noel Thorpe will review the run defence during the bye week. The Als got beaten to the outside by Dedrick Mills multiple times during the game; the Stamps were the fastest team to the edges, which created open lanes for Mills.
There was also Adams Jr., who scrambled for a 21-yard touchdown at the end of the first half. Poor angles taken by the Als’ players, along with defensive backs unable to shed their blocks, led to the Stamps cutting the lead to four. It was the closest the visitors ever got.
What’s next?
The Als will have their third and last bye week of the season. They return to action on Thanksgiving Day, when they’ll face the Ottawa Redblacks. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. EDT.
Pablo is an Alouettes and CFL reporter based in Montreal.
