Defense is often said to win championships. It would obviously be fanciful to predict major honors for the Alouettes, but their defense will at least have won them a game.
Sunday night, in this case, when the Birds defeated the Calgary Stampeders by a score of 25 to 18.
In fact, fortunately the defensive players were there, because it was not the unit piloted by quarterback Cody Fajardo who took matters into their own hands. But we will come back to that.
Only one touchdown was scored in that game, and it went to cornerback Kabion Ento, following an interception. This former receiver was quick to gallop 53 yards into the end zone, unaware that it was the only time a team would score six points all night.
Did he remember ever scoring his team’s only touchdown in a win? “Maybe, actually I’m not sure, maybe in high school!” “, he launched after the meeting.
This success came at the right time for the one who had experienced a difficult exit against the Toronto Argonauts two weeks ago. On Sunday, he had also been inserted on the short side, he who had until then evolved on the other flank.
“I’m very proud of him,” head coach Jason Maas said after the game. I told him: you have a lot of chances to make key plays, but you haven’t made any yet. He made the biggest play of the match. »
Arguably the other “biggest play” is Kordell Rodgers, with less than two minutes to go. The defensive back also had an interception a few yards from his end zone.
The worst thing is that, despite this action, it was not until the very last action of the match, deep in the territory of the Birds, that the outcome of the match was sealed. The Canadian League will have “Canadian” league all the way.
“We knew what had to be done,” added veteran Shawn Lemon, for whom it was his first game in a Montreal uniform.
The local defense has, moreover, made three quarterback sacks, almost half of its chase (7) of the previous five games. Might as well say it was his night. Fortunately…
Because otherwise, the two kickers exchanged no less than 12 placements, very close to the Canadian League record (13). And to think that David Côté, of the Alouettes, missed a field goal attempt at the start of the second quarter. History could have been written before our eyes. It’s almost hard to write it without stopping shaking.
More seriously, even if Jason Maas praised the fact that his men generated six possessions resulting in points – even seven, counting the point inherited from a single – the Montreal attack is still looking for its bearings.
Cody Fajardo had his longest offering of the night with a 31-yard snap to Kaion Julien-Grant. He distributed the gifts to his receivers, without ever completing the paying game. He was limited to just 158 yards. In his first appearance of the season, Tyler Philpot was only targeted once – unsuccessfully.
On the ground, William Stanback set a career-high this season with 86 yards. He even added 18 by air. As in the last game, he showed signs of the dominant player he once was, including getting two first plays back-to-back late in the first quarter. However, the last time, these flashes were isolated, without any real impact on the course of the meeting.
Fajardo distributed the compliments nonetheless. At Stanback, “the Stan I like to see.” To David Côté, “one of the best kickers in the league”, who didn’t let two back-to-back errors get him down early in the evening. And to his offensive line, which has protected him much better than since the start of the campaign, allowing only one sack.
We could point out to him, more or less nastily, that the 26 sacks he had suffered in just five games were not an invention of the media, but let’s move on from that.
In Coach Maas’ eyes, the line had a “very solid” game. “It’s good to see things that you’re working on improve,” he added, proof that the shortcomings in protecting the quarterback may well be real.
On the absence of an offensive touchdown, a scenario already observed twice in six games, he notes that there will “obviously” be analyzes to be done. But he insisted on returning to the many placements: “When you put yourself in this position, at some point, it will go to the other side. » Read here: in six points instead of three.
“We’re close,” he predicted. It’s already a start.
