Montreal Alouettes earn Grey Cup berth with gritty win over Hamilton Tiger-Cats (& nine other thoughts)

The Montreal Alouettes headed to Steeltown for the East Final on Saturday afternoon and beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats by a score of 19-16 in front of a sold-out crowd.

Unbeaten quarterback Davis Alexander led the charge and will look to keep his record perfect in next week’s Grey Cup in Winnipeg.

Davis the OK

This wasn’t Davis Alexander’s best game. He didn’t look as comfortable as he did in previous starts, and his stat-line reflects that: 19-of-26 on pass attempts for 210 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He missed a couple of reads and, by his own admission, didn’t play a clean game.

However, when it mattered most — even while injured — he orchestrated a game-winning drive with clutch throws under pressure. He was patient with his reads and took what the Hamilton defence gave him.

When they needed it most, they call on RAMBO!!

Less than a minute left.

🗓️: Eastern Final LIVE NOW
🇨🇦: TSN, CTV, TSN2, RDS
🌎: CFL+#GCPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/bgCXsYmnuG

— CFL (@CFL) November 8, 2025

Alexander’s second-down throw to Charleston Rambo was a perfect example. On second-and-ten with just under one minute left, the passer went through his first two reads, didn’t like what he saw, checked the ball down, and let the receiver work his magic.

Rambo made linebacker Devin Veresuk miss and picked up 19 yards, setting up the game-winning field goal from Jose Maltos Díaz three plays later. Sometimes your job as a quarterback is to put the team on your back. Sometimes your job is to allow others to make plays.

The injury

Alouettes fans held their breath in the fourth quarter when Alexander grabbed his hamstring after a tackle by Devin Veresuk while escaping the pocket. Everyone knew his hamstring hadn’t fully healed — he missed eleven games this year — though it hadn’t caused issues in recent games.

Saturday was different. Alexander had to run more often to move the chains. Head coach Jason Maas admitted his quarterback could’ve been smarter in the first three quarters but praised his poise afterward.

Alexander confirmed postgame that he tweaked the hamstring, but said it wasn’t as bad as earlier in the season. He told Maas about it, prompting the coach to prepare backup McLeod Bethel-Thompson.

“I told him there’s no way you take me out of the game,” Alexander said. “That was the conversation right there. I know we lie all the time about injuries, but this isn’t as bad as the last two.”

Jose, Jose, Jose

Jose Maltos Díaz was on the practice roster the last time the Alouettes reached the Grey Cup in 2023. This time, he had the chance to kick the game-winner — and he didn’t miss. His historic season continues in storybook fashion.

“I was feeling calm before the kick,” he told 3DownNation in Spanish. “I’ve worked so much for this. My practice gave me this opportunity. It feels like a dream. Two years ago I was on the practice roster — now I’m the starter. It feels like a dream.”

Early defensive battle

The game opened like a boxing match as the teams felt each other out in the first quarter. The defences stood tall with key second-down stops. From Montreal’s perspective, playing against the wind, it was a small victory — though they lost the early field position battle.

Alexander showed flashes with his legs but couldn’t extend drives as usual. Receivers struggled to get open, and Hamilton was ready for Montreal’s rare deep shots. Alexander had to go through his progressions, often resulting in punts.

“I thought we were OK in the first half,” he said. “It was definitely a field position battle. We started a lot of drives deep in our own end. I had a feeling it was going to be a low-scoring game.”

Standing tall

The Alouettes defence made a big impact in the first half, limiting Bo Levi Mitchell to minimal yardage and intercepting him once. Noel Thorpe’s unit wasn’t given favourable field position but held strong.

The only issue was allowing two or three first downs before getting off the field, which consistently pinned Montreal’s offence deep.

In the second half, only one touchdown was allowed and the unit forced Hamilton to tie the game, giving more than enough time to the offence to win it all.

Targeted

For the first time this season, Kabion Ento was visibly targeted by Bo Levi Mitchell. Early on, it paid off — Ento missed multiple tackles and gave Hamilton receivers too much space in one-on-one coverage. He was beaten in the end zone by Shemar Bridges for the Tiger-Cats’ lone touchdown.

Ento has been solid since joining the Alouettes in 2023 and earned respect from opponents who rarely threw his way. Mitchell broke that trend and tested him. The defender responded in the fourth quarter with a key knockdown against Tim White.

En-Theis-ing performance

The wild card for Montreal was the return of Travis Theis.

The team’s candidate for Most Outstanding Rookie had recently been sidelined with an ankle injury, though he was dynamic as a running back and returner at times this year.

The University of South Dakota product contributed both in the run game and as a receiver, recording 18 rushing yards and 52 receiving yards. His presence was crucial, especially with Stevie Scott III still hampered by a leg injury.

Losing the battle

This game was all about field position — a facet of the game that’s critical, though not always the most exciting.

It’s rare to see the Alouettes lose that battle, but that’s exactly what happened for nearly an entire half. Montreal’s drives consistently started deep in their own territory. Alexander and the offence managed some first downs but couldn’t flip the field.

Hamilton applied pressure throughout the half but couldn’t capitalize with a touchdown. Scott Milanovich’s offence settled for a field goal, which the Alouettes matched with a quick drive before halftime.

Next up

The Alouettes have reached the Grey Cup for the second time in three years. After upsetting the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Hamilton in 2023, the team will now look to knock off the B.C. Lions or Saskatchewan Roughriders at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg on Sunday, November 16.