Short-handed Alouettes nearly steal one in Saskatchewan (& seven other thoughts)

Photo: Tanner Piper/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

The Montreal Alouettes headed to Saskatchewan without their biggest offensive weapons for a rematch of last week’s Thanksgiving Day game on Saturday.

This was a must-win game for the Roughriders and it took everything for them to come from behind and record the 16-12 victory. Below are my thoughts on the game.

Thumbs up strategy

With the East Final already secured, all eyes are on how the Alouettes are managing their players ahead of November 7.

I liked how Jason Maas decided to build his roster for the trip to Regina. By resting Davis Alexander, Tyson Philpot, Stevie Scott III, and Tyler Snead — the team’s star offensive players — he protected his most valuable assets while also giving backup quarterback Dustin Crum his first real opportunity to throw the ball this season.

The next step for Montreal would be to presumably rest their star defensive players next week in Toronto while giving playing time to the offensive stars.

Mixed bag

Crum hadn’t played a meaningful game in almost a year and that was apparent right from the start.

He was hesitant with his reads and needed to use his legs to escape pressure. His offensive line didn’t do enough to help him at times, but Crum still missed some opportunities.

However, we also saw some positives as he connected multiple times with Alexander Hollins, including once for a touchdown.

In the end, he finished 20-of-26 for 185 yards and a touchdown. The 27-year-old wasn’t overly consistent in the passing game, which was his main goal coming into the contest.

Everybody is aware of his mobility, but Crum just couldn’t connect enough for explosive gains with his receivers. His most notable miss came on the flea-flicker in the fourth quarter. He overthrew a wide-open Kaseem Ferdinand on a play that could have put the Riders in serious trouble.

Hats off to the D

Despite the loss, the Als defence did what it needed to do and showed playoff readiness. Noel Thorpe’s unit might have gotten a little more help than expected, but needless to say, they were ready for the challenge.

They embraced it and limited Trevor Harris and his offence to 111 net yards in the first half while giving the Als the advantage in time of possession. Wesley Sutton even added an interception.

The Riders committed multiple mistakes, but a lot of credit needs to go to Montreal.

Geoffrey Cantin-Arku put his signature on this game. He was everywhere, making key tackles, especially against A.J. Ouellette. He set the tone for his teammates, who also answered with physical play. Faion Hicks and Najee Murray, among others, punished Riders receivers on multiple occasions.

I’m sure the unit won’t be happy with Saskatchewan’s last drive, but besides a third-down conversion that seemed way too easy, a lot of credit needs to go to Trevor Harris, who saved the Riders with a run and a perfect touchdown throw.

Fired up

Two years ago, the Als were in a similar situation with first place wrapped up very early. The team took its foot off the gas and paid for it in the East Final.

Last week, I started to believe this edition of the Alouettes was different, and Saturday’s game gave me even more reassurance.

Beyond the score, the Als showed genuine emotion when mistakes were made. Anthony Calvillo was particularly fired up after a delay-of-game penalty was called against his offence, and the following play resulted in a long third-down situation.

Jason Maas also didn’t like how the Als were penalized on a field goal attempt, which forced a punt, and he made sure everybody knew it.

When things are going well, that’s when you should be even more demanding of your players. Maas seems to embrace that philosophy very well.

Injuries stack up

The Alouettes wanted to leave Saskatchewan without too many injuries, but that’s one thing they didn’t accomplish.

On the very first play of the game, defensive lineman Dylan Wynn left with an apparent head injury and never returned.

Later, it was Faion Hicks’ turn to leave with a leg injury and, a few minutes afterward, José Maltos Díaz joined him after suffering a left arm injury and leaving the field on a cart.

There was some hope provided by RDS reporter Didier Orméjuste after the game when he reported that Díaz told Maas he could have kicked if the game had gone to overtime.

We’ll see how everything evolves, but I don’t expect any of those players to suit up next week in Toronto.

Shomari Lawrence keeps delivering

I don’t know if Travis Theis will play again this season, but if he doesn’t, Shomari Lawrence has seemingly earned himself a spot on the roster for the East Final.

On Saturday afternoon, he accumulated 109 rushing yards and punished opponents along the way. He showed patience, bounced outside when needed, and consistently beat linebackers to the edge.

Do you really want it?

With the Winnipeg Blue Bombers losing on Friday, the Riders knew that a win would clinch a playoff berth. However, based on their play, it didn’t seem like they knew that for most of the game.

I’ve watched every Riders game this season and I’ve rarely seen such a lack of urgency from the home team.

The Als offence looked comfortable despite starting a backup quarterback and a third-string running back, while the Riders offence couldn’t get going, largely because of costly drops.

The Riders can say thank you to Harris who stepped up big time and delivered a massive run and a perfect touchdown pass to KeeSean Johnson.

What’s next?

The Alouettes will head to Toronto next Friday for their regular-season finale at BMO Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET.