Clutch when it matters: Montreal Alouettes win fourth straight (& seven other thoughts)

The fighting spirit vs. the missed opportunities

The Alouettes have yet to lose a game in regulation and are now perfect when the outcome is decided in the final three minutes. That sums up a 6-1 start in which the team has consistently found ways to get the job done.

It was no different on Sunday night as the Als made huge plays to close out what had been a messy game to that point. What the team has accomplished in those moments is impressive and is a trait that can be extremely valuable come playoff time.

However, missed opportunities can also prove costly in the playoffs. The Als still haven’t played a statement game — one where they dominate from start to finish, as they are capable of doing. This was the perfect opportunity to do so against a team without its starting quarterback, but they struggled to fully capitalize on the situation.

The reason in this game? Turnovers on drives that looked destined to produce points.

It started with a Hamilton stop on third-and-short midway through the second quarter. The Als were driving the field and were in position to at least come away with a field goal. Then, Davis Alexander threw an interception late in the same quarter while trying to push the ball downfield. That was another missed scoring opportunity.

In the fourth quarter, Tyler Snead fumbled while the Als were again in Hamilton territory. Those mistakes added up, and Montreal found itself trailing by two points with just three minutes remaining.

On one hand, what the Als have accomplished in crunch time since the start of the season is impressive. On the other, those avoidable mistakes could become problematic against a stronger opponent.

Davis Alexander’s calm night (ft. the end of his streak)

If this is the worst version of Davis Alexander that Alouettes fans see, they are in good hands for a long time. The quarterback had his toughest outing of the season, but still finished 21-of-29 for 187 yards and one interception.

Let’s start with the positives. Alexander and the offence were able to move the ball effectively through screens and runs. Hamilton had no answer for the quick screens to the outside — what I call the “Jason Maas special.” Travis Theis took care of the rest (more on him later).

However, the Gig Harbor, Wash., native struggled with the deep ball, arguably his greatest strength. He tested Hamilton early in the game, but the Tiger-Cats’ defensive backs were up to the task.

His streak of passes without an interception came to an end in the second quarter when defensive back Devodric Bynum made a great play along the sideline. After 356 consecutive pass attempts without a pick, Alexander was intercepted.

Hamilton defensive coordinator Brent Monson clearly wanted to eliminate the deep passing game and dedicated significant resources to doing so. Even then, there were one-on-one opportunities that the Als probably should have capitalized on.

Overall, Alexander didn’t have his usual swagger. His throws weren’t as crisp or sharp as they normally are, but the receiving corps didn’t do much to help him either.

“Offensively, in the second half, we weren’t very good,” Alexander said after the game. “We didn’t help them (the defence) at all. They helped us; they kind of saved the game for us.”

The play-calling

One of my favourite post-game topics is analyzing the offensive play-calling. Unlike many observers, I liked Anthony Calvillo’s game plan early on. He wanted to test Hamilton’s defensive backs with aggressive downfield shots.

It didn’t work, and Calvillo pivoted back to the Jason Maas special and the running game, which worked extremely well.

That said, I think he could have become a little more aggressive again in the second half. Hamilton’s coverage was solid, but I’m not sure its secondary was tested enough, especially after Montreal’s success on the ground forced Monson’s defence to adjust.

Short-yardage issues

The Als aren’t just chasing a winning record right now — they’re chasing a championship. To get there, every detail matters, including short-yardage situations. In last year’s Grey Cup, Shea Patterson’s fumble in that exact scenario delivered the final blow to Montreal.

So far this season, the Als have used quarterbacks Dustin Crum and Terry Wilson, as well as running back Travis Theis, in those situations. Last week, Theis got stopped. This time, Wilson was the one who came up short.

In the CFL, teams should convert those plays 90 to 95 percent of the time considering the distance between the lines. The Als simply haven’t been good enough in that area and need to find a solution.

Personally, I would pick one player and stick with him long enough to establish consistency before the most important games of the year arrive.

The league on notice

Two weeks ago against Calgary, offensive coordinator Anthony Calvillo appeared to protect Travis Theis by limiting his workload while Stevie Scott III and Shomari Lawrence were sidelined with injuries.

Neither player has returned, but newly signed Rushawn Baker did enough to earn a spot on the active roster Sunday and receive some playing time. That allowed Calvillo to unleash Theis against a Hamilton defence that has been solid against the run. Theis responded with 156 rushing yards and a touchdown.

As mentioned earlier, Hamilton committed a lot of resources to slowing down Montreal’s deep passing game. It opened up space for Theis, but what he accomplished was still impressive, especially the way he did it. He broke multiple tackles and consistently extended drives throughout the night.

His touchdown on the final carry of the game was a perfect summary of his performance and should put the rest of the league on notice.

“He is a stud. He comes ready to work every single day,” Alexander said after the game. “He wants the football in his hands, and he doesn’t go down on first contact. He perfectly fits the mould of this team.”

The first leak

The Als’ punt coverage unit has struggled at times this season and suffered its first major breakdown on Sunday. Isaiah Wooden Sr., one of the CFL’s most dangerous returners, took advantage of missed tackles and found his way to the end zone.

Credit goes to Wooden for an outstanding return. He forced several Alouettes defenders to miss on his way to the score. The response from Montreal was strong, however, as the coverage unit contained him for the remainder of the game.

“It was one play that slipped away,” special teams coordinator Byron Archambault said afterward. “The most important thing is how you respond, and we answered very well. Our guys are warriors. They showed it tonight.”

Dedmon leaves no doubt

DeVonte Dedmon was Montreal’s biggest offseason addition, but a hamstring injury suffered during training camp had kept him out of the lineup until Sunday.

Let’s just say that in one game, he looked more explosive than all of the Alouettes’ other returners combined this season.

He made a strong first impression on his opening kickoff return, bringing the ball back near the 40-yard line with quick cuts and broken tackles. He added another big return on the Als’ first possession of the second half, reassuring the coaching staff that he remains capable of making game-changing plays.

In the last three minutes, he delivered another impressive return that helped set up an important field goal.

What’s next?

The Alouettes will face the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday, July 31, at TD Place Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EDT.