Even before Monday’s game against the Ottawa Rouge et Noir, the Montreal Alouettes were already assured of participating in the playoffs. But the team still wanted to send a clear message by winning 29-3.
There is no question for the Alouettes of slowing down. Their place in the fall waltz is assured, but the objective now is to finish second in the East division to play their playoff match against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at home.
Jason Maas’s men went about it the right way to achieve this. But the cold, the rain and the anemic attack from Ottawa offered a fairly static spectacle. The first quarter ended 1-0 in favor of the Alouettes. Nothing to excite the braves who went to Percival-Molson stadium.
The Rouge et Noir, practically eliminated from the playoff picture, arrived in Montreal without intention. Like vegetarians at Thanksgiving, visitors were completely overwhelmed by the events. They generated just 74 yards of offense in the first half. And they almost threw down the white flag afterwards.
“We were uncompromising,” said head coach Jason Maas at a press briefing.
The Alouettes took advantage of the opportunity to do what they have done best for 16 games: stand up on defense. And it is with this defensive intransigence that the Als begin their road to the playoffs.
The last time the Alouettes won a game by shutout was on August 7, 2009, against the Toronto Argonauts, a 25-0 victory.
Jason Maas’ men almost repeated the feat for the first time in 14 years, but a goal from the Rouge et Noir in the 53rd minute put an end to the troops’ hopes.
At the same time, this fantasy was only a detail. With the way the defense held up, once again, the players can rejoice a few weeks before the playoffs. ” There is no secret. It’s a combination of the players’ ambition and adhering to the mentality of the Montreal Alouettes,” said Marc-Antoine Dequoy, helmet in his hands.
Linebackers Tyrice Beverette and Reggie Stubblefield, like last week against the same Rouge et Noir, were sparkling. Beverette made a sack in addition to returning a fumble 36 yards to the end zone to score his team’s third touchdown. Fumble caused by Stubblefield.
“When I’m called upon to make a big play, I do it. I always try to put my team in a good position,” Beverette said on the field after the game.
“I just saw the ball and I ran. I know we have guys capable of making big plays. And if you run to the ball, great things can happen,” he said of his second touchdown of the season.
Beverette even drew praise from her coach. His impact on the pitch and in the locker room is a blessing, Maas revealed: “We name a Defensive Player of the Week every week, and it’s often been him! He is very consistent, it is difficult to block him, he tackles well. He has a lot of skills. »
The Alouettes made five sacks during the game. Such performance is encouraging. The effectiveness of the defensive unit is a commodity that the team could not do without.
“On offense, it takes the pressure off us, because we know we don’t need to score 50 points to win,” said quarterback Cody Fajardo. Plus, they make turnovers and score touchdowns. This helps us a lot! It was truly a team victory today. »
Although the receiver group has been the source of many questions regarding the team’s offensive load this season, one front group appears to be separating itself from the pack.
While Greg Ellingson’s effect is still awaited, and we have to believe that it will stay that way, Tyson Philpot, Tyler Snead and Austin Mack are capable of making the important plays. Philpot also scored his team’s first touchdown, on a long pass of 38 yards. It was his third success of the season.
The Alouettes scored 272 of their 389 passing yards, also thanks to the performance of Cody Fajardo with 28 completed passes in 32 attempts. If the offense can perform as consistently as the defense, this team’s balance could become its main weapon.
In return, the Rouge et Noir accumulated only 180 offensive yards.
Early in the third quarter, veteran Shawn Lemon became the 13th Canadian Football League player to reach 100 career sacks.
When he reached this plateau, the players on the Alouettes bench were excited. The 35-year-old American is on his seventh team in the CFL.
“I’ll take some credit,” Fajardo joked. I texted him regularly when he no longer had a team. We played for two other teams together before and I know what kind of quarterback hunter and leader he is. »
In the locker room, Lemon was the big star.
” I’m very grateful. I have faced a lot of adversity in my career. I already had a six-sack season and got cut. I was at 92 bags and I was cut. The important thing is to believe in yourself when no one else does,” the defensive end said.
As reporters arrived in the team’s locker room, Avery Ellis appeared out of nowhere yelling, “Lemon’s here, he’s in the corner,” waving his arms like a traffic cop.
Ellis then scribbled a “100” on a sheet of paper before hanging it above Lemon’s locker, before filming him during the journalistic melee.
“My mom and dad were in the stands today,” Lemon said. When I got my first scholarship in high school and we drove north to the University of Connecticut, they said to me: Make sure we’re not doing all this for nothing! And today I got my 100th quarterback sack. »
