Montreal Alouettes clinch playoff spot with victory over Redblacks

Photo: Neil Noonan/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

The Montreal Alouettes are postseason-bound, booking their ticket to the playoffs with a 32-15 win over the Ottawa Redblacks.

The Alouettes are the fourth franchise to clinch a postseason berth, joining the Toronto Argonauts, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and B.C. Lions. The Argos already secured the top seed and home-field advantage in the East Division with a win in Week 15, leaving Montreal to battle for second place.

A strong defensive performance pushed the Alouettes to victory, highlighted by a pick-six from safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy and a fumble recovery touchdown by defensive end Shawn Lemon. William Stanback and Tyson Philpot had the other scores as the visitors never lost control of the game.

This marks Montreal’s fourth straight season qualifying for the playoffs, a streak which began after a four-year absence. That was the longest postseason drought in franchise history, excluding the years between 1998 and 1995 when the franchise did not play.

At 8-7, the Alouettes have yet to lose a game to a team with a winning record. All seven of the team’s defeats have come against teams that have already clinched the playoffs.

The team will get a chance to cement that reputation in a rematch with the Redblacks (4-11), a victory in which would sweep the four-game season series.