Same story, different result as Alouettes escape with narrow win versus Ottawa (& six other thoughts)

Below are my thoughts on the game.

Story repeats itself

When the media entered the Alouettes’ locker room, there was a feeling not felt in a long time. Players were frustrated — even after a win. Some were more expressive than others, but the overall mood was far from celebratory as Montreal nearly let another game slip through its hands.

Once again, the pattern was the same: a strong start, a dreadful third quarter, and an explosive fourth quarter.

After building a 21–6 lead at halftime, Montreal allowed Jake Maier to march down the field twice in the third quarter, resulting in two Ottawa touchdowns. A missed two-point conversion and a missed convert by Brett Lauther saved the Als from a tie game.

Meanwhile, offensively, the Alouettes couldn’t get anything going and were forced to punt twice, managed 15 yards of net offence in the third quarter.

“We gotta finish,” linebacker Tyrice Beverette said post-game. “We came out, we played lights out in the first half. We came out in the second half, we put our guard down. That’s not our brand of football. We gotta learn how to play a full 60 minutes of football.”

Receiver Tyson Philpot had similar thoughts about his team’s second-half performance.

“When we watch the film, it’s not the win we want,” he said. “There is something about that third quarter we need to clean up. It pisses us off when we let teams back in and we know when we play championship teams, we’re not going to win games like that.”

“Against a good team, a team that’s battle-tested like us, it’s not gonna happen.”

The third quarter is becoming a recurring issue for the Als. Last week in Edmonton, they lost that frame 13–0, and this week it was a 12–0 deficit. Those stretches flipped both games, and had Ottawa been sharper, they could have taken the lead — and possibly the win.

It’s a good sign that players are publicly acknowledging what has been pointed out in media analyses for weeks. If it continues, even Jason Maas — who has remained largely positive about his team’s struggles to protect leads — may begin addressing it more directly.

It’s the first step toward a fix. Now that it’s out in the open, the Als will need to respond in two weeks against Calgary.

Response

Davis Alexander suffered his first regular-season loss last week in Edmonton. Although, he wasn’t the main reason for the defeat, all eyes were on his response Sunday night. He delivered once again, completing 22-of-30 passes for 345 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Like his team, he went quiet in the third quarter, but played his best football in the fourth when it mattered most — fighting through pain.

The 27-year-old QB displayed what can now be called “Davis Alexander football” and the best example came on the final drive. For one of the first times this season, he chose to run for a first down and took a hit from linebacker A.J. Allen. He was clearly limping afterward and struggled to get back to the huddle. Still, he stayed in the game and delivered a 46-yard strike that all but sealed the win for Montreal.

“It’s just the way I’m built, it’s the way I’m wired” Alexander said after the game. “The Grey Cup, I played on a torn hamstring and I threw the ball 65 yards to (Tyler) Snead. It doesn’t matter. If you’re out there and you can play, you better freaking play. It’s the standard here.”

Tyson Philpot shines again

Maas and Alexander were both asked where the Alouettes would be without Tyson Philpot. While they insisted the team would still find ways to win, it’s hard to imagine.

The Canadian receiver has been dominant to start the season, adding 198 yards on 12 catches Sunday night.

What’s most impressive is his timing. When Alexander is in trouble or the team needs a key drive, Philpot delivers — consistently beating coverage and moving the chains.

Strong start, slow finish

For a second straight week, the Als defence started fast. Noel Thorpe’s unit limited Maier and the Redblacks offence to six points in the first half, playing dominant football.

Maier struggled early, unable to find his receivers and was frequently pressured in the backfield. While he missed some throws and hesitated at times, Montreal’s defence played a big role in that.

The second half told a different story.

Maier looked far more comfortable, seeing the field better, staying composed under pressure, and leading efficient, methodical drives. His performance may have bought him more time before any quarterback decisions are made in Ottawa.

The Als defence, however, helped him find that rhythm with busted coverages, missed tackles, and inconsistent pressure. Opposing offences appear to be adjusting to Thorpe’s system more effectively this season — a potential concern moving forward.

While scoring is up across the league, facing what is arguably one of the CFL’s weakest offences, Montreal needed a more convincing showing.

Not so special teams

The Alouettes entered 2026 coming off an excellent year in punt and kick coverage, but they fell short of that standard Sunday night.

Kalil Pimpleton and Daniel Adeboboye combined for 350 return yards, with Pimpleton scoring a touchdown that nearly sparked an Ottawa comeback.

On the return side, Mario Alford has yet to consistently produce explosive plays.

We’ll see how this unit responds after the bye week.

QB drama in the nation’s capital

This feels like the right moment to weigh in on the Maier–Dru Brown situation in Ottawa.

When the trade happened, it came as a surprise. From a football perspective, it didn’t make much sense. Brown seemed like the quarterback most likely to turn things around in Ottawa, while Winnipeg appeared comfortable moving forward with Zach Collaros and their depth behind him, including Canadian Taylor Elgersma.

However, there have been reports about Brown’s issues as a teammate last season, including suggestions that he quit on his team. That reportedly wasn’t forgotten — though it raises the question as to why Ottawa didn’t move on from him earlier if he was seen as a distraction.

As for McLeod Bethel-Thompson, I don’t believe he’s the answer either — not now, and not in a few weeks. He struggled during his time with Montreal last season. While he and Ryan Dinwiddie did win a Grey Cup together, that was four years ago.

What’s next?

The Alouettes enter a bye week before returning to action on Saturday, July 11 against the Calgary Stampeders. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET.