Montreal Alouettes’ backups outmatched again in preseason loss to Redblacks (& seven other thoughts)

Some good and some bad from Anthony Brown Jr.

With Davis Alexander and Dustin Crum confirmed as the team’s top two quarterbacks, head coach Jason Maas turned to Anthony Brown Jr. to lead the offence in the nation’s capital. Despite sustaining an injury in the first week of training camp, the coaching staff still sees him as a potential third-string option.

In 30 minutes of action, he completed 15 of 19 passes for 124 yards and one interception. There was some good — and some bad.

Let’s start with the positives. Brown Jr. showed his athleticism early, escaping the pocket and finding receivers on the move. This allowed him to extend drives and move the ball effectively against Ottawa’s Week 1 starting defence.

However, he couldn’t finish drives. On his first, he missed a throw in the end zone between Terique Owens and DeMeer Blankumsee, resulting in an interception by Ottawa’s defensive back Shakur Brown.

Then, early in the second quarter, he led another drive into the red zone, but it ended with Montreal’s only points of the game, a field goal.

All things considered, he should still be the third quarterback when the final roster is announced — not because he was particularly convincing, but because the others competing for the role did not impress either.

Not convincing enough

James Morgan and Arnaud Desjardins were both late additions to camp, but after Brown Jr.’s shaky start, they had an opportunity to make the coaching staff think twice before finalizing the roster. Neither appeared to do enough to earn that consideration.

Morgan was the most disappointing. Despite gaining CFL experience last year, he struggled to get the offence going. In more than a quarter of play, he completed just one of six passes and threw a pick-six.

Desjardins looked better in limited action, completing 10 passes for 60 yards and appearing comfortable overall. However, he needed an explosive play to truly stand out in a crowded quarterback room. He also missed a couple of open receivers, which did not help his case.

That said, Desjardins simply lacked time. Learning a new playbook and building chemistry with unfamiliar receivers in such a short span is no easy task. Given those circumstances, he still made a good impression.

Shomari Lawrence seizes his opportunity

With Stevie Scott III and Travis Theis not dressed, Shomari Lawrence was given a golden opportunity to make his case — likely for a practice roster spot — and he took full advantage.

He finished with 71 yards on 18 carries, facing Ottawa’s starting defence for nearly an entire half. He ran with confidence, displayed patience in finding running lanes, and was effective in pass protection — something Maas values highly.

If there’s one takeaway from this camp, it’s Montreal’s apparent commitment to running the football more. With Scott III, Theis, and potentially Lawrence, the Alouettes have the personnel to be effective on the ground. New play-caller Anthony Calvillo could lean more heavily on the run game in 2026.

A better start defensively

Defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe was likely dissatisfied with last week’s performance, but he should feel better about how his unit started this game.

The Als’ “B” defence held its own against Ottawa’s starting offence for the first 35 minutes. The defensive line won the battle at the line of scrimmage, disrupting the backfield and forcing quarterback Jake Maier into quick decisions under heavy blitz pressure.

Unlike the previous game, the secondary responded well and limited big plays. They also shut down running back Greg Bell, holding him to just five yards.

No worries… yet

Once again, the Alouettes’ training camp did not feature many battles for starting positions. Only a handful of roles were up for grabs, and most will likely be filled by returning players.

With that in mind, Montreal sent mostly backups to Ottawa. However, for the second straight game, they were clearly outplayed — even by Ottawa’s backups. There was little rhythm in the second half, and the Als ultimately lost the turnover battle 7–1.

At first look, it’s not overly concerning, as few of these players will see action in the season opener. However, over the course of a long season, injuries are inevitable. Depth players will need to be ready when called upon.

Two questionable decisions

I’ll leave my colleague Santino Filoso to fully break down Ottawa’s quarterback situation, but I was surprised to see head coach Ryan Dinwiddie name Jake Maier the Week 1 starter before Dru Brown had taken a single game snap.

I know Maier looked great last week in Montreal and has played in a similar system in Calgary and Saskatchewan, but I think Brown deserved to start the season as the number one. Last season, he was playing behind a struggling offensive line and put his body on the line when he had the chance to play.

Yes, he made some mistakes, but if there is one guy who can bounce back, it’s Brown. Dinwiddie led McLeod Bethel-Thompson and Nick Arbuckle to Grey Cups, and Chad Kelly played the best football of his career with him. I believe Brown has more potential to grow than Maier and that he’ll eventually take back the nod.

What’s next?

The Alouettes will head to Hamilton on Thursday night to open the 2026 CFL season against the Tiger-Cats. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. EDT.