The Montreal Alouettes’ defence was ready for the East Semi-Final against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Saturday afternoon as the unit held the opposition to field goals all game long, leading the way for a 27-12 win at Percival Molson Stadium. Below are my thoughts on the game.
Danny Maciocia special
The general manager rarely comes to mind immediately after a big playoff win, but a lot of credit should go to Danny Maciocia and his staff as the team’s newcomers led the way in this crucial game.
Defensive ends Lwal Uguak and Shawn Lemon consistently pressured Matthew Shiltz, who never looked comfortable in the pocket.
Uguak knocked down two passes and recorded five tackles as his long arms continue to pose problems for opposing quarterbacks. The rookie first-round pick will be an important piece next week against Chad Kelly and the Toronto Argonauts. Lemon, meanwhile, did what he does best as he recorded two sacks. The second one was the most critical as he backed the Ticats up 15 yards and forced them to punt in the fourth quarter.
Middle linebacker Darnell Sankey also showed once again why the Als acquired him following his stint in the XFL. He made eight tackles, two sacks, and one interception off a deflection with the pick giving the Als a chance to score a touchdown before halftime.
Before the Als started their now six-game winning streak, Sankey told the media the Alouettes wouldn’t have any more losses this season. As crazy as that statement sounded at the time, he’s two wins away from being proven right.
The last newcomer that made a significant impact was Jake Harty. After Kaion Julien-Grant got injured, the former second-round draft pick took his starting spot and hasn’t been targeted a lot.
On Saturday afternoon, he sealed the game with a catch-and-run touchdown as he snuck out of the formation alone and Cody Fajardo found him for the score. Austin Mack made a key block and Harty reached the end zone.
The veteran receiver, who overcame two ACL tears prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, was also important in protection as he made a number of blocks for his quarterback. Head coach Jason Maas complimented Harty’s work ethic all season long and he capitalized on his moment to shine.
Defensive showcase
Defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe gave a lot of credit to his defensive line after the game as they tipped a number of balls and adjusted to Hamilton’s rushing attack. After a couple of drives, star running back James Butler looked like he could take over the game, but the Als adjusted well to limit him to 83 yards along the ground.
As a unit, the defence shut the door all afternoon. They recorded five sacks, two interceptions, and one fumble recovery. Indeed, it was an inspired performance.
Matthew Shiltz, the lone member of the Tiger-Cats who spoke in the postgame press conference, gave Thorpe’s unit a lot of credit. He couldn’t use his legs how we wanted to and was under pressure all game.
Bo Levi Mitchell didn’t have better luck against the Als’ defence as he was intercepted in what may have been his final game for the Tiger-Cats.
Offence manages
With the quality of Montreal’s defensive performance, the club’s offence only had to manage the game and score points when possible, which is exactly what Cody Fajardo did. The veteran quarterback finished the game with 212 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. When he needed to step up, he did.
At the end of the first half, he delivered a touchdown pass to Austin Mack after a turnover. Then, after throwing an interception in the red zone, he led the next drive until the end, capping it off with a pass to Jake Harty that put the nail in Hamilton’s coffin.
He also used his legs to gain 62 yards on the ground, something we’ve not seen a lot from him this year.
William Stanback didn’t have his best game of the season, but he delivered big runs when it mattered most. He told me after the game that sticking to the run made Hamilton’s defensive line tired, and it paid off in the end and the Als were able to run out the clock.
Austin Mack’s crazy touchdown
It went almost unnoticed, but Austin Mack headed to the Alouettes’ locker room early in the game after receiving a big hit in the middle of the field. When he made his way back onto the field, he went straight to the huddle, Fajardo told the media.
Who else but Austin Mack?
The Alouettes have the first TD of the CFL playoffs.#CFL #Alouettes #AlsMTL #GCPlayoffs
pic.twitter.com/YpSxDiWM0L— 3DownNation (@3DownNation) November 4, 2023
Mack was still bleeding a little bit, and the team’s next play wasn’t originally called for him. However, Fajardo told Mack that if he got the read he wanted, he would throw him the ball. The receiver made a nice move to get free at the line of scrimmage and the rest is history as Mack scored his first playoff touchdown.
Chaotic finish
After one of the last plays of the game, Hamilton strong-side linebacker Chris Edwards threw Jake Harty to the ground and punched him, causing Montreal running back Jeshrun Antwi to leave the bench in defence of his teammate. Both benches cleared, and a number of misconducts were called.
Edwards got ejected and it’s not the first time he’s reacted negatively to a loss. At the beginning of the season, he pushed Austin Mack when he went for a handshake. In 2021, Edwards was suspended three games for attacking a fan after the East Final while he was still a member of the Toronto Argonauts.
In the meantime, Montreal fans sang along to John Lennon and used the flashlights on their phones to create an intriguing atmosphere. The 20,127 fans were loud for the majority of the game. The attendance was slightly lower than last year’s East Final but the crowd was certainly still a factor.
What’s next?
The Alouettes will hit the road to face the Toronto Argonauts in next week’s East Final with a trip to the Grey Cup on the line. Toronto swept the three-game season series between the two teams during the regular season.
