Photo courtesy: Graham Hughes/CFL.
The Montreal Alouettes hosted the Calgary Stampeders following the team’s first bye week of the 2026 CFL season. After a hard-fought battle, the Als finished strong to secure a 37-30 victory.
Here are my thoughts on the game.
Perales the hero
David Perales made his first CFL start on Saturday night and let’s just say he left a very positive impression on the coaching staff.
After recording his first sack, he came up with the game-winning play, knocking down Calgary’s third-down attempt late in the fourth quarter.
Perales fractured his left hand during training camp, but the Alouettes liked what they saw from him and decided to keep him around. That decision paid off.
“All glory to God, three years in the making,” he told the media in Montreal. “These last few years, I put so much work in to get back out there after knee surgery when I was with the Steelers. I broke my hand in training camp and thought my dream was over.”
He compared this game to a job interview.
Montreal can exhale
The French expression “plus de peur que de mal” (more fear than harm) perfectly describes what happened to Davis Alexander on Saturday night at Percival Molson Stadium.
While escaping pressure, Alexander made a move that Alouettes fans have seen before, he grabbed his quad, his left one this time, before throwing the ball out of bounds. The 27-year-old went to the sidelines and eventually headed to the locker room.
Backup Dustin Crum began warming up and suddenly the mood around the stadium shifted. Before the next drive started, Crum had already stepped onto the field when Alexander came out of nowhere and reclaimed his spot under centre. He never missed a play.
After the game, Alexander reassured reporters that, although he felt some tightness early in the game, he was fine and expects to play next week in Calgary.
Once again, he was explosive and showcased his mobility more than in previous weeks. He finished 22-of-30 for 301 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions while providing his team with his usual spark and energy.
Overall, it was another strong outing from the Alouettes’ quarterback.
Another fast start
Starting on time hasn’t been an issue for the Alouettes this season, and Saturday was no exception.
On the opening possession, Alexander marched his team down the field with 19-yard completions to Tyson Philpot and Tyler Snead. Although, he missed Alexander Hollins wide open in the end zone later in the drive, Jose Maltos opened the scoring with a field goal.
The defence was even better. After forcing a quick two-and-out, Najee Murray stripped Vernon Adams Jr. and gave the offence excellent field position.
Anthony Calvillo’s unit took advantage, scoring the game’s first touchdown thanks to excellent play-calling and a sneaky trick play near the goal line.
Back and forth
Unlike Montreal’s previous opponents, the Stampeders came ready to play. Adams Jr. responded with a long drive that ended with a beautiful touchdown pass to Dejon Brissett. On Calgary’s next possession, he led the offence back into field-goal range, allowing Jude McAtamney to tie the game shortly afterward.
It felt like déjà vu for the Alouettes as momentum slowly began to shift. This time, however, Jason Maas’ team responded.
Alexander and the offence answered with a quick, explosive touchdown drive. Tyson Philpot was once again the catalyst, hauling in a 21-yard reception to spark the march downfield.
Travis Theis management
With starting running back Stevie Scott III placed on the six-game injured list and Shomari Lawrence sidelined, it was interesting to see how offensive coordinator Anthony Calvillo would manage Travis Theis’ workload, especially considering his injury history.
Calvillo placed the game in Alexander’s hands early, reducing the pressure on Theis.
Alexander consistently threatened Calgary’s secondary, forcing the Stampeders to dedicate more defenders to coverage. That created lighter boxes for Theis, who took advantage.
Theis carried the ball 13 times but still accumulated 94 rushing yards and one TD.
Much better third quarter
Most of Jason Maas’ players headed into the bye week frustrated by how the team had performed in recent third quarters. The Alouettes surrendered leads against Toronto, Edmonton, and Ottawa, escaping with victories in two of those contests.
As a result, all eyes were on Montreal when the second half began. This time, however, the Alouettes were ready on both sides of the ball.
Montreal played Calgary to a 10-10 draw in the third quarter. Considering the Alouettes entered halftime with a 24-13 lead, that was more than enough.
“We’re taking steps, baby steps,” Najee Murray said after the game. “It won’t happen overnight like everybody wants, especially because we have high expectations.”
Special against one of the best
Special teams coordinator Byron Archambault admitted earlier in the week that he hadn’t slept very well after the Alouettes allowed a kickoff-return touchdown to Ottawa’s Kalil Pimpleton before the bye week. His unit faced another dangerous return specialist on Saturday night.
Tyreik McAllister entered the game with two return touchdowns already this season. He didn’t get a third. Montreal limited him effectively, allowing only one significant return. Safe to say Archambault will sleep a little better this week.
When ‘Moose’ wakes up, entire defensive line follows
Mustafa Johnson was arguably the CFL’s best defensive lineman in 2024 before suffering a serious knee injury that cost him the playoffs and a significant portion of the 2025 season. He returned healthy this year but had yet to make a major impact. The entire defensive line had also struggled to consistently pressure opposing quarterbacks.
That changed on Saturday night.
Not only did Johnson register a sack, but he was disruptive throughout the game, creating opportunities for his teammates and helping the defensive front enjoy one of its best performances of the season.
“He is an unbelievable guy,” Jason Maas said after the game. “He put so much work in to get back last year. We eased him into training camp to make sure he was ready for the season. He’s been getting better and better every single day. It’s good to see him getting closer to the ‘Moose’ we all know.”
Attendance
I’ve attended more Alouettes games than I can count since 2016 and watched this franchise endure some very difficult years both on the field and in the stands.
Since 2019, the organization has steadily improved, reaching the playoffs every season, and now boasts one of the CFL’s most exciting offences with Davis Alexander leading the way.
Yet, attendance has declined this season. An announced crowd of 18,046 was on hand Saturday, following two consecutive home games that drew crowds in the 17,000 range. Given the quality of football being played in Montreal, I find the trend difficult to understand.
There is always competition with other events around the city, but with great weather and an entertaining product on the field, I expected attendance to be closer to 20,000. We’ll see how things evolve over the next few games, but I am sure Alouettes upper management is watching the situation closely.
What’s Next?
The Alouettes and Stampeders meet again on Saturday, July 18, this time in Calgary. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.
