Grey Cup-bound: Montreal Alouettes win East Final with strong finish (& nine other thoughts)

Photo courtesy: Vincent Ethier/3DownNation. All rights reserved.

The Montreal Alouettes got they wanted: a home playoff game with a spot in the Grey Cup on the line. The ending might have been closer than they wanted, but the team found a way to win 33-23. Below are my thoughts on the game.

Finding a way

The Alouettes might not have looked like themselves at moments in the game, but when it mattered most, they played their best football.

After seeing their lead shrink to 26-23, Tyrice Beverette forced a fumble on Zach Collaros after getting around Nic Demski. He also recovered it, and the Als took full advantage.

Stevie Scott III had his best runs of the night to set up the game-winning touchdown from Davis Alexander to Tyler Snead. On the play, Alexander got rid of the ball just in time, and Snead made a sensational catch to ice the game.

This is what Montreal has been all about this season. It might not always be pretty, but they find ways to win. Saturday afternoon was no different.

“We had a similar moment in Hamilton last year,” defensive lineman Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund said postgame. “We got together and we promised each other that we weren’t losing that game. We had the same thing this year. I had it this date on my phone for months.”

He did it again

Alexander might not have had the best game of his career, but when it mattered most, he answered the bell.

The quarterback finished 23-of-35 for 373 yards and two touchdowns. Uncharacteristically, he was satisfied with his performance.

On the biggest stage, with everything on the line, Alexander delivered a great throw to Snead to seal the game. It showed why he’s the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player.

Winnipeg played well defensively, forcing Alexander to move around the pocket and use his legs more than usual. He finished with 25 rushing yards on five carries.

Most importantly, the quarterback didn’t injure himself, and will be fully healthy in Calgary after hobbling during last year’s Grey Cup.

Rusty start, then bang!

Jason Maas challenged the media when he was asked about the rest Davis Alexander, Tyson Philpot, and Tyler Snead were given over the final two weeks of the season.

“Let them second guess,” he said.

26 days had passed between Alexander’s previous pass attempt and his first one of the East Final, a completion to Kaseem Ferdinand. Although the offence started with great field position, the Als had to settle for a field goal.

Combined with a two-and-out on the second drive, the start wasn’t up to the team’s usual offensive standard. Whatever you want to call it — rust or something else — it wasn’t a good start.

Alexander went through his reads but couldn’t connect with his primary targets. He was forced to scramble and rely on his checkdowns.

But that was it.

On the ensuing drive, Alexander connected with Tyler Snead before Charleston Rambo beat the Blue Bombers’ coverage for a long gain, setting up Stevie Scott III’s first touchdown of the game.

Dominant start by the defence

The Blue Bombers made the bold decision to give Zach Collaros the start. For the Als, the defensive game plan became even clearer: bring as much heat as possible and make him uncomfortable in the pocket.

That’s exactly how Noel Thorpe approached it, and except for a couple of Brady Oliveira runs, Winnipeg’s offence went nowhere. Najee Murray and Neil Campbell delivered a couple of solid hits on Tommy Nield that helped stop two drives. The key was to limit Winnipeg’s yardage on first down, and that’s exactly what Montreal did.

Then, on the Bombers’ third drive, Mustafa Johnson forced a fumble on Oliveira, which set up a field goal from Jose Maltos Diaz a couple of plays later. At that point, Montreal had built a 13-0 lead.

Coming out of the shadows

Najee Murray has been a solid contributor to the Als’ defence for many years now. On Saturday afternoon, he might have delivered the best performance of his career.

In the first half alone, he recorded five tackles, including two really strong ones, one sack, and one fumble recovery.

Although he usually operates in the shadow of Geoffrey Cantin-Arku and Tyrice Beverette, he proved once again why the Als gave him that role two years ago.

“I’m older, I got kids at home. I never know when my last game is going to be,” he said postgame. “I’m playing every day like it’s win or go home. That was my mentality tonight. We’ve got unfinished business.”

Barely covered

The Als were in full control of the game, but Trey Vaval woke up the Blue Bombers. More on him in a moment.

Although he is one of the best returners in the CFL, the Als gave him way too much space. The punts often seemed too long for the coverage, sometimes giving Vaval nearly 10 yards before the first Montreal player reached him.

No matter who the Als play in the Grey Cup, this needs to be addressed. At this stage of the season, a championship can be won or lost on one special teams play.

Ventrilli on the loose

The Als have shown it many times this season: they can get creative on offence.

Offensive lineman Donny Ventrilli scored another touchdown after lining up as a tight end.

The first read appeared to be Tyler Snead, but he fell down and Ventrilli called for the football. He showed a great burst and made an impressive catch for the score.

Sold out

In Montreal, unless you are the Canadiens, you need to put together a winning team for the city to answer.

Montreal did exactly that, as it was a sold-out crowd of 23,035. Tickets were all gone 19 days prior to the game, and the atmosphere was electric.

There was a line to enter the stadium two hours prior to kickoff, something I have never seen in my four years covering the team.

I’m not sure how many fans will make the trip to Calgary, but the players will surely try to channel that energy for their biggest challenge.

What’s next?

The Alouettes will head to Calgary to play in the 113th Grey Cup next Sunday. Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. ET. The opponent will be either the B.C. Lions or the Edmonton Elks.