Montreal Alouettes flip the script, crush Blue Bombers to clinch East Division (& eight other thoughts)

Photo courtesy: Montreal Alouettes

The Montreal Alouettes hosted the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday night following their third and final bye week of the season. After getting blown up in Winnipeg back in Week 13, the Als flipped the script with a 37-10 win at home.

Below are my thoughts on the game.

Picture-perfect night in the 514

Saturday night, the Alouettes celebrated their 80th anniversary with some of the biggest names in franchise history in attendance. Mike Pringle, Ben Cahoon, Jamel Richardson, Marc Trestman, Jim Popp, and many others made the trip and were honoured at halftime.

On the field, the Alouettes had a chance to avenge their loss in Winnipeg and clinch first place in the East. Tyson Philpot was also on the verge of breaking multiple CFL records. Every one of those objectives was accomplished in impressive fashion.

The fans answered the call with the first sellout crowd of the season. Having attended almost every game at Percival-Molson Stadium since 2019, I can confidently say it was one of the best atmospheres in recent years. There was a different energy in the building from the moment I walked through the gates.

Philpot in the history books (times three)

The biggest question surrounding Tyson Philpot entering this year was his ability to stay healthy for a full season. Nobody doubted his talent, but injuries had always gotten in the way.

October 3, 2026, will forever be a special day for him because he now owns one Alouettes record and two CFL records for a Canadian receiver.

First, he became the Alouettes’ all-time single-season receptions leader, surpassing Ben Cahoon and Jamel Richardson, who each finished with 112 catches. On the same 46-yard reception, he also broke Terry Evanshen’s record for the most receiving yards by a Canadian player in a CFL season.

Later in the game, Philpot hauled in his 117th catch of the year, passing Brad Sinopoli for the most single-season receptions by a Canadian receiver in CFL history. He finished the game with 11 catches for 207 yards.

“It’s an amazing accomplishment to do it in front of them (Cahoon and Richardson),” Philpot said post-game. “I got to meet them a couple of days ago at the gala. Every night I went to sleep, I envisioned this moment. Davis (Alexander) gave me great opportunities and the coaches called great plays.”

Revenge on his mind

Davis Alexander acknowledged after the previous meeting between the Alouettes and Blue Bombers that he let his emotions get the best of him. He was unavailable to the media following the game and later admitted he likely would have gotten himself into trouble had he spoken immediately afterward.

Saturday night, however, was a different story.

Alexander looked composed, focused, and determined. He completed 30-of-40 passes for 440 yards and a touchdown, clearly motivated by what had happened in Winnipeg.

“There was more to it than just a win,” Alexander said post-game. “They handled us last time. I said it all week, they kicked our a**. It definitely meant a lot to us.”

His first two drives were surgical. On the opening possession, he completed a 52-yard strike to Philpot that set up Rohan Jones’ first touchdown as an Alouette. On the next drive, with help from Stevie Scott III, he orchestrated a methodical 10-play, 64-yard march to answer Winnipeg’s lone touchdown.

The Alouettes scored on each of their first three drives, with four of their first seven possessions ending in touchdowns. It was about as close to a perfect offensive performance as they could have asked for.

Starting with a bang

The last time these teams met, Winnipeg played one of its most complete games in recent memory and opened with a touchdown drive. Mike O’Shea’s club appeared ready to follow a similar script after winning the coin toss, but the Alouettes flipped the narrative immediately.

Montreal’s defence stuffed Brady Oliveira on first down and quickly forced a two-and-out. Alexander responded with an explosive five-play, 90-yard touchdown drive to open the scoring.

The (only) response

Dru Brown was making his second consecutive start at quarterback for the Blue Bombers.

After a quiet opening series, he answered Montreal’s touchdown with a beautiful scoring pass to Ontaria Wilson. Unfortunately for Winnipeg, that drive proved to be the exception rather than the rule.

The Bombers finished with 13 first downs compared to Montreal’s 30, and a great deal of credit belongs to Noel Thorpe’s defence, which clearly learned from the August defeat in Winnipeg.

It started with Oliveira, who was limited to just 44 rushing yards. As the Alouettes built a comfortable lead, Winnipeg was forced to lean more heavily on the passing game, but Montreal had already established the tone.

Aside from Wilson’s touchdown, the Alouettes’ defensive backs held firm and consistently allowed the pass rush to affect Brown, who never looked comfortable in the pocket. Montreal registered two sacks and controlled the game from start to finish.

Warming up

Defensive lineman Lwal Uguak hasn’t enjoyed the smoothest season of his career. He has spent time both in and out of the lineup and has primarily played defensive tackle.

Lately, however, his game has begun trending in the right direction, and he is starting to resemble the player who helped Montreal win the 2023 Grey Cup. His solo tackle for loss on Oliveira drew immediate memories of the stop he made against the same running back in that championship victory.

“I feel very confident right now,” Uguak said. “I’m glad to be back on the field because I haven’t played a lot. On the back end of the season, the goal is to finish this thing.”

Similar context, different team

Two years ago, the Alouettes also clinched first place in the East Division and earned the right to host the East Final. The Toronto Argonauts won the East Semi-Final before travelling to Montreal and ending the Alouettes’ Grey Cup hopes.

On November 7, the Argonauts could once again arrive in Montreal with the same objective.

The Alouettes’ core remains largely intact, and many players believe the lessons learned from the past two postseasons will prove valuable this time around.

“We’ve got scars now,” Uguak said. “In 2023, more than half of these guys didn’t know what it was like to win a Grey Cup. There was probably a little bit of that feeling that we could do it right away. Sometimes in this game, you get complacent. Sometimes you need scars. Maybe it was their time, but I feel like we’re heading in the right direction. I believe it’s our year.”

Special teams need improvement

If there is one area the Alouettes will look to improve despite the convincing victory, it is the return game.

Trey Vaval piled up 165 return yards and, if not for a couple of penalties, could have finished with even more. He routinely provided Winnipeg with excellent field position, although the offence failed to fully capitalize.

Meanwhile, Mekhi Mews had a quieter night. He struggled to find running lanes and absorbed several hard hits throughout the game.

There is still no official timeline for DeVonte Dedmon’s return, but seeing him leave the stadium on crutches after the game does not inspire much optimism in the short term. If the Alouettes want to make a deep playoff run, they will need more from their return units.

What’s next?

The Alouettes will host the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Thanksgiving Day, Monday, October 12, at Percival-Molson Stadium.

Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET.