Montreal cruise past Argos, but Alouettes’ biggest gamble still pending (& seven other thoughts)

The decision

The biggest decision surrounding this football game came on Thursday, when head coach Jason Maas and his staff decided once again to rest their trio of offensive stars. By the time Alexander, Philpot, and Snead see the field again, they will have spent 26 days without game action. That’s a lot.

Maas said earlier this week that Alexander is built differently and that the seven practices he will get will be extremely valuable in getting him ready for the playoffs.

However, it needs to be said: this is a very bold and risky decision by the team. The playoffs are a different beast; only one game decides it all. Alexander might be the best quarterback the Als have had since Anthony Calvillo, but he is human. If things go sideways offensively on November 7 and the Als lose, all the heat will be on the coaching staff.

I don’t agree with the decision. I would have given Alexander and the starters at least a quarter. I understand the injury concern, especially after seeing Chad Kelly go down last week, but I feel this is overprotective. There is a possibility the Als’ offence will be rusty in some way, and it could cost them their season.

Injuries are part of the game, and I’m a firm believer in rhythm. I only ask to be proven wrong in two weeks.

Stevie Scott III answers Shomari Lawrence

Last week, running back Shomari Lawrence might have earned himself a spot in the Eastern Final lineup with a 109-yard rushing performance against the Roughriders.

Stevie Scott III made sure to remind everyone why he is still the starter, with a solid 68 yards on 10 carries despite limited repetitions. Lawrence also had his share of runs and continued to be productive, finishing with 56 yards on 11 carries.

Both running backs faced the Argos’ B-team defence, but they ran with authority and broke one-on-one tackles. That’s the type of performance that helps build momentum heading into the playoffs.

Dustin Crum gives more answers

Last week, I wrote that I wanted to see more from Dustin Crum in the passing game, and he answered the call on Friday.

We all know he can escape pressure and run, but could he fit into Maas’ and Calvillo’s schemes if Alexander goes down? He showed progress with the quality of his reads against zone coverage. He finished 17-of-20 for 153 yards in 30 minutes of action.

He found Jerreth Sterns and Alexander Hollins multiple times against zone looks, showing patience in the pocket. Crum added a rushing touchdown to close out the first half and put a bow on his performance.

Not convincing enough

Kicker Lewis Ward was brought in this week to replace Jose Maltos Diaz, who is recovering from a left wrist injury. The Mexican kicker should start kicking again next week and is expected to play in the East Final in two weeks.

However, if plans change, Ward wasn’t convincing enough on Friday. He missed a routine field goal and didn’t seem to have his full power. Even punter Joseph Zema was given the chance to kick an extra point, which he missed.

Maltos Diaz has been steady for the last two seasons, and there is no doubt he will be key to the Als’ success in the playoffs.

Encouraging signs

I’m a firm believer that to win a championship, even your weakest unit or player needs to make at least one impactful play along the way.

The Als don’t have many flaws, but the return game with Mekhi Mews hasn’t been dangerous enough… until Friday night.

Even if the Als were facing backups, Mews finally found some space and used his speed to produce explosive returns, one after a missed field goal and another on a punt return.

We’ll see if the schemes can be replicated in the playoffs, but that type of performance will certainly carry some momentum.

Mixed bag

Caleb Evans played the second half for the Als, and we saw some good and some bad. His two touchdown passes came in the fourth quarter, but he had all sorts of trouble in the third, including a late pass that was intercepted. He finished 11-of-14 for 82 yards and two touchdowns.

Evans didn’t build his case to move up the quarterback depth chart, but he proved he can be effective in certain packages. He also got the chance to test his legs after suffering a major knee injury last year.

Will the Argos come to Montreal?

Nick Arbuckle had the night off Friday, so I would expect him to start the East Semi-Final next week. Chad Kelly could still play, but I don’t see why head coach Mike Miller wouldn’t give his backup a chance to get valuable reps unless he felt that the injury concern was too great.

Toronto will host either the Riders or the Bombers with the objective of booking a rematch with the Alouettes on November 7.

I’m still not convinced by their defence, which wasn’t able to stop rookie Bryson Barnes last week and struggled against Crum and Evans on Friday, especially in zone coverage.

Offensively, I’m not too worried about point production, whether Kelly or Arbuckle plays. The biggest concern with the Argos is the number of turnovers they commit, which has been way too high this season.

If the Riders come to Toronto, I give them the advantage. But if it’s Winnipeg, I give the advantage to Toronto. Time will tell.

What’s next?

The Alouettes will have a bye week before hosting the East Final on November 7. Kickoff is slated for 1:00 p.m. EDT.