Defensive and special teams takeover (ft. the spark)
Everybody around the league is aware of the potential explosiveness of the Alouettes’ offence. Davis Alexander and Tyson Philpot have been rolling over opposing defences, but in this one, neither needed to be the hero.
That honour went to the defence and special teams. The two units combined for five turnovers and completely shut down Ottawa’s hopes of staying competitive in this game.
It all started with a Nate Beauchemin interception in the front corner of the end zone, which prevented a 14-0 deficit and provided the spark Montreal needed down seven.
The special teams followed with a turnover on a Redblacks field goal attempt. The defence then added a fumble recovery and two more interceptions, including a pick-six. Even DeVonte Dedmon contributed with several explosive returns against his former team.
“A performance like this answers the questions people may have been asking,” linebacker Geoffrey Cantin-Arku said after the game. “Some people say we’re too fast, too good, but at the end of the day, every week we show up, and we’re better than the week before.”
Before the last three games, there were legitimate questions surrounding the defence and special teams. Since then, both units have answered the call with a series of impressive performances.
Davis Alexander’s quiet but effective night
On his bobblehead night, Davis Alexander didn’t need to be extraordinary to win the game, but his efficiency was outstanding, especially after turnovers.
He may have missed his first pass of the evening, but he was nearly flawless afterward, finishing 20-of-22 for 260 yards and two touchdowns in just over three quarters of action. He was even able to get some rest, as Dustin Crum took over in the fourth quarter.
“In our organization, we think it’s best-on-best,” Alexander told reporters after the game. “Our best offence is our best defence, and that’s what the Montreal Alouettes are about. We’re starting to click.”
Even after a 30-point victory, Alexander was not completely satisfied with his team’s performance.
“The standards were not met tonight,” he said. “Way too many penalties. We know it, and it’ll be talked about. We still have a lot of work to do.”
Costly mistakes
Speaking of penalties, if there was one negative takeaway from this win, it was the number of them Montreal took. The Als finished the night with 12 infractions for 120 yards. That’s simply too much.
It was a heated game from the start. There was plenty of trash talk before kickoff, so some fireworks were to be expected. However, the Als need to remain calmer in those situations and avoid taking unnecessary penalties.
“We’re aggressive; it’s what makes us so special. We’ve got the most forced fumbles in the league, so it’s give and take. But obviously we can’t have five or six personal fouls,” Alexander said.
Head coach Jason Maas was pleased with the result, noting how difficult it is to win in the CFL. However, he agreed with his quarterback regarding the biggest concern coming out of the game.
“We don’t want to take any penalties, let alone emotional ones,” Maas said. “URs are URs. They’re called unnecessary for a reason. They don’t need to happen, and we need to be better. There’s a saying in our building: ‘Nothing they say, nothing they do can get you a 15-yard penalty.’”
The Redblacks scored two touchdowns following unnecessary penalties, making this a topic that will need to be addressed. It has not been a trend for Montreal, but with their sights now set on securing home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, these are precisely the types of details they must clean up.
The Als are playing with swagger right now; a perfect blend of confidence and arrogance. The challenge will be ensuring it remains that way and doesn’t drift too far towards the latter, which can become dangerous over the long run.
A one-off
The typical rust associated with a bye week was evident during Ottawa’s opening drive. For the first time in a long time, the Alouettes simply didn’t seem ready for kickoff.
The Redblacks took advantage immediately, marching down the field for a touchdown on their first possession.
Noel Thorpe’s defence appeared out of sync early. There was very little pressure on Jake Maier, allowing him to progress through his reads comfortably and find open receivers against mostly zone coverage.
The drive eventually reached the one-yard line, and after three unsuccessful short-yardage attempts, Bryson Barnes finally crossed the goal line.
The response wasn’t much better. Davis Alexander underthrew an open Tyler Snead, and even the ensuing punt was illegally kicked out of bounds.
Fortunately for Montreal, that was about all the adversity they faced before waking up and taking complete control of the game.
From bad to horrible
I honestly don’t know what to say about the Ottawa Redblacks anymore. This is a team that keeps finding ways to lose week after week.
More often than not, they’re competitive until one mistake completely derails them. On Thursday night, it was Maier’s interception.
From there, Noah Gettman fumbled the snap on a field goal attempt before Maier added a pick-six to cap off a nightmare evening in La Belle Province. In the blink of an eye, it was 22-7 for Montreal, and the mountain became far too steep to climb.
That’s the difference between a good team and a bad one. Bad teams allow one mistake to snowball into several others. Good teams stay composed and wait for opportunities to get back into the game.
The Redblacks don’t have a terrible roster on paper, but there seems to be a lack of cohesion throughout the organization. When one unit makes a mistake, another unit has to step up and stop the bleeding. Ottawa has not been able to do that, and it’s been the story of their season.
What’s next?
The Alouettes will travel to Winnipeg next Friday to take on the Blue Bombers. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EDT.
