The Montreal Alouettes headed to Winnipeg, not knowing whether they would have a shot at first place in the East. Once it became known they didn’t, they played an uninspired game on offence with McLeod Bethel-Thompson as the quarterback to lose 19-10 and set up a rematch with the Bombers in the East Semi-Final.
Below are my thoughts on the game.
Leaving the door open
Because of Hamilton’s win on Friday, the Als game against Winnipeg was a meaningless one standings-wise. However, with a win, they could have guaranteed a match-up with the Blue Bombers in the East Semi next week. By losing, they briefly opened the door to a possible B.C. Lions visit. All that was needed was a Saskatchewan Roughriders win on Saturday night, which thankfully didn’t happen.
Although no one in the organization will admit it, the best matchup for the Als is Winnipeg, without a doubt. It won’t be an easy game against Zach Collaros and co., but the Lions are arguably the hottest team in the CFL right now and have had a lot of success against Montreal recently.
In fact, Jason Maas has never beaten the Lions since joining the team, and Noel Thorpe has not been able to stop the Lions’ offence, no matter who the starting quarterback is.
Why not Shea?
Jason Maas changed his mind before the game. After stating earlier this week that he was going to give Davis Alexander the playing time because he “needs” it, it was finally McLeod Bethel-Thompson who got the nod under centre for the last game of the 2025 regular season.
Let’s simply and politely say that MBT’s performance won’t go down in the history books. He finished 17-of-34 for 182 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception.
It was a tough watch for the majority of the game. Bethel-Thompson might still be bothered by his elbow injury, but his performance was far from being enough against a B-team Bombers defence. He didn’t reassure anybody that he can do the job if Alexander goes down during the playoffs.
Shea Patterson should have gotten a shot when the offence wasn’t going anywhere in the middle of the third quarter. He has previous CFL experience and has been with the team long enough to get some game reps doing something other than short-yardage.
Injury concerns
When the Als took the field on Saturday, they hoped for only one thing: to head back home with all the soldiers healthy. It didn’t happen as defensive tackle Mustafa Johnson, defensive end Lwal Uguak, offensive lineman Jesse Gibson, and running back Stevie Scott III all had to leave with apparent injuries.
These four players are key contributors to the Als, and if they miss the East Semi-Final, it could change things completely.
Winnipeg has a dominant and rested running back in Brady Oliveira. The Als’ run defence is already their biggest flaw and could have a tough afternoon next week. Fans at Percival-Molson will have to be the X-factor to disrupt the Bombers’ run game.
When it comes to Montreal running the ball, Travis Theis doesn’t seem to be ready to play yet. If Stevie Scott III were to miss the East Semi-Final, it would see Tiyon Evans Jr., a rookie, get the start in the backfield for the very first time.
Bad game management decisions
This game meant nothing, so the coaches’ focus was on game management. Mine was too. The Alouettes want to be ready physically, but also mentally, for the playoffs. Last year, multiple mental mistakes led the Als to a loss in the Eastern Final after dominating the regular season.
Two decisions early in the game surely gave the coaching staff some headaches. Against the wind in the first quarter, Marc-Antoine Dequoy intercepted Bombers’ QB Terry Wilson in the end zone. Instead of kneeling down and taking the ball at the 25-yard line, he decided to take it out of the end zone, and the Als started their next drive at the five-yard line.
Then, a couple of minutes later, Bombers’ kicker Sergio Castillo missed a 58-yard field goal that was caught in the end zone by Charleston Rambo. Rambo, not a natural returner, decided to take it out and put his team deep in his zone when nothing was working offensively. A point allowed wouldn’t have mattered at this time. Montreal ended up driving the field, but a decision like this one could have been costly in the playoffs.
Mental errors on special teams
The Als’ special teams have now had two outings with major miscues in a row. After a missed trick play and an onside recovery allowed last week, Byron Archaumbault’s unit had two mental mistakes this week.
First, Shawn Oakman had an offside penalty on third-and-five when Winnipeg was punting. This led the Bombers to a field goal against the wind.
Then, on the ensuing Winnipeg drive, the Als had the same situation, this time on third-and-three. Montreal had too many men on the field. Jason Maas had to call a timeout to avoid the penalty.
Special teams will be crucial in the playoffs for the Als. With returner James Letcher Jr.’s possible return next week, big plays are needed. At the bare minimum, the unit must not hurt the team.
Dequoy is back
I’ve been critical of safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy’s game a couple of times this season. However, he has officially turned things around in impressive fashion.
Saturday afternoon, he was everywhere for the Als. It started with an interception and a knockdown that could have been another pick. He even added a sack. Then, he showed his physical abilities by pushing Keric Wheatfall out of bounds and stopping returner Peyton Logan with authority.
I went back to watch the tape of his game against the Roughriders in Saskatchewan earlier this year. The biggest improvement is the timing he is showing when tackling opponents. He doesn’t come in too early or too late anymore.
Dequoy deserves a lot of credit for turning things around. The Alouettes will need him along the way.
Heartbreaking finish
It seems Winnipeg backup quarterback Chris Streveler’s season is over with an apparent knee injury. You have to feel for a player who has given everything he has for the Bombers, on and off the field.
He will be missed next week, as he is a real threat on quarterback sneaks and specialty packages.
What’s next?
The Alouettes will host the East Semi-Final next Saturday, November 1, against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. EDT.
Pablo is an Alouettes and CFL reporter based in Montreal.
