Montreal Alouettes take care of business, dominate Tiger-Cats (& six other thoughts)

Photo: Bob Butrym/RFB Sport Photography / 3DownNation. All rights reserved.

The Montreal Alouettes arrived in Hamilton on a short week with vengeance on their minds, wanting to wash away that ugly loss in Vancouver. They did so in dominant fashion, as the Als dismantled the Tiger-Cats 37-25.

Below are my thoughts on the game.

Almost all business

Montreal went to Hamilton and handled business. Nothing seemed to bother the Als at any point in the game, even when the home side clawed back late. Tyler Richards’ booming tackle on Isaiah Wooden Sr. perfectly represented how the game unfolded: pure domination.

All three phases remained composed and, most importantly, showed no signs of frustration. It allowed the Als to build a 34-3 lead in the fourth quarter after playing a virtually flawless game up to that point. RDS colour analyst Pierre Vercheval beautifully summarized the situation when he jokingly wondered if the Alouettes’ support staff had put chamomile in the players’ Gatorade to calm them down. It was a great line.

Some might be concerned about the 22 points allowed late in the game, but on a short week, against a rested team, and with a massive lead, it was a very human outcome. Although head coach Jason Maas won’t like the way his team finished, there is no reason for concern.

Methodical offence, but…

The Tiger-Cats showed earlier this season that they wanted to eliminate explosive plays from Davis Alexander and force him to take what was available underneath. Defensive coordinator Brett Monson didn’t deviate from that approach, and the Als were ready for it. Alexander completed 15-of-17 passes for 147 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.

Although he finished with only 218 passing yards, Montreal scored 34 points and didn’t need much more from the quarterback. Unlike his previous performance against the Tiger-Cats, he took advantage of everything the defence gave him underneath.

However, I still would have liked to see the Als test the secondary more often, especially in the first half when everything was working. Montreal will face this type of defence again, and it’s important to find ways to generate explosive plays. Having receivers like Charleston Rambo and Tyson Philpot attacking opposite deep areas could help stretch the defence and create more favourable one-on-one matchups.

Defence responds

I know Hamilton’s offence is not on the same level as the B.C. Lions without Bo Levi Mitchell, but it was a welcome sight for Alouettes fans to watch their defence take over a game the way it did in the first half.

Harrison Frost never looked comfortable. He missed some throws, as the pressure constantly affected him and forced him into rushed decisions. In the end, he threw four interceptions while the Tiger-Cats’ offence committed six turnovers.

The biggest play of the game came in the second quarter when linebacker Geoffrey Cantin-Arku stuffed Jake Dolegala on third-and-short, forcing a fumble that was recovered by safety Nate Beauchemin and returned for a touchdown. At that point, with Montreal leading 17-0, it felt like the game was essentially over.

Noel Thorpe’s unit may not be among the CFL’s elite defences this season, but it is still capable of swinging games in Montreal’s favour with extended stretches of dominant football. That is exactly what happened Friday night in Hamilton.

Big men deliver the first two punches

Defences now need to know where Donny Ventrelli is lining up at all times. For the second time in three games, he caught a pass, this time for a touchdown. Once again, he showed impressive explosiveness on his way to the end zone.

The play was executed perfectly. The design allowed Alexander to escape the pocket, while Reggie Stubblefield was caught between the quarterback and Ventrelli. The indecision opened the door for Montreal’s first touchdown of the night.

Then, on Hamilton’s ensuing possession, defensive tackle Lwal Uguak recorded an interception on a leaping catch. I’m still not sure how Harrison Frost didn’t see him, but while it was certainly a poor throw, it was also an outstanding play by the Alouettes defender. Uguak, who hasn’t quite played at his 2023 Grey Cup level this season, should benefit greatly from a confidence-building moment like that. Montreal added a field goal on the ensuing drive.

Scott III is warming up

Midway through the season, all eyes were on Travis Theis, and for good reason. He was the perfect complement to Alexander and the passing attack, bringing a physical element while consistently moving the chains.

The success of the run-pass option game made life easier for Alexander and made the offence even more dangerous.

With Theis sidelined, the Als turned to Stevie Scott III last week, even though he had not played since June. He showed encouraging signs then, but on Friday night he looked like the running back who helped Montreal reach the Grey Cup last season.

Scott rushed for 108 yards and delivered several punishing runs on second down. He helped Montreal sustain drives and took pressure off Alexander, who was barely touched throughout the evening.

Can we get some rest, please?

With just over five minutes remaining and the Alouettes holding a commanding lead, I would have preferred to see Jason Maas give Alexander and Scott III some rest. Montreal simply can’t afford to lose either player, and an injury could completely alter the trajectory of the season.

I understand the bye week provides extra recovery time, but Dustin Crum and Shomari Lawrence could have benefited from meaningful reps, especially the quarterback.

Crum has attempted only 10 passes this season for 66 yards. He needs game repetitions in case Alexander gets hurt later in the year, especially considering this is his first season in Maas’ system. It was a perfect opportunity to let him air it out and gain some valuable experience.

From Grey Cup contenders to this…

Tiger-Cats fans entered the season with high expectations. There was a legitimate argument that Hamilton possessed a Grey Cup-calibre roster capable of challenging the Alouettes for East Division supremacy.

Bo Levi Mitchell’s injury derailed those ambitions, but with a stronger contingency plan, the collapse might have been avoidable.

Jake Dolegala, Tre Ford, and Harrison Frost have all failed to keep the ship afloat. Barring a miracle, we won’t see Mitchell again this season.

A backup quarterback doesn’t have to be a star. He just needs to win roughly half of the games he starts to keep his team in contention. Had Hamilton’s quarterbacks managed that, the Tiger-Cats would still be battling Toronto for second place in the East, instead of slipping out of the race.

What’s next?

The Alouettes will enjoy a bye week before returning to action on Saturday, October 3, when they host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EDT.