r/CFL • u/Baggio105 • 11h ago
ALOUETTES Montreal’s House of Dominance: Als Go 9-0 at Home with 44-24 Win.
The Montreal Alouettes welcomed the visiting Saskatchewan Roughriders, the defending Grey Cup champions, in front of a sellout crowd of 23,035 at Molson Stadium. The fans were electric and played a major role in supporting their team, truly becoming the 13th man on the field. This was Montreal's last home game and it was on Thanksgiving Monday.
The game was filled with historic moments and significant implications for both teams. Saskatchewan entered the match up fighting to secure a playoff spot, making every game critical to its postseason hopes. Montreal, meanwhile, had already secured its place in the playoffs and had November 7 circled on its calendar for the East Final. The Alouettes still had to wait to find out which opponent they would face.
Montreal's opening drive showed promise as quarterback Davis Alexander spotted an opening in the middle of the field and scrambled to midfield. However, on the next play, Alexander took a deep shot to wide receiver Tyler Snead, only to have the pass intercepted by Marcus Sales. It was just Alexander's fourth interception of the season.
Despite the turnover, Saskatchewan failed to capitalize on the opportunity, managing only a field goal. Montreal's defence limited the damage and kept the game within reach.
Much of the pregame attention focused on wide receiver Tyson Philpot, who entered the contest just 179 yards away from breaking the Alouettes' franchise record for receiving yards, held by Hall of Famer Hal Patterson at 1,914 yards. The Roughriders understood the threat Philpot posed and frequently assigned double coverage to limit his impact.
However, concentrating so much attention on Philpot meant Saskatchewan had to account for Montreal's other offensive weapons.
Tyler Snead, who had also surpassed 1,400 receiving yards on the season, remained a significant deep threat. The Roughriders could not afford to focus exclusively on Philpot, and Montreal took advantage of the defensive attention.
On the Alouettes' second possession, Jerreth Sterns stepped up with several important catches, moving the ball effectively downfield. Montreal finished the drive with a clever play that featured a fake handoff to running back Stevie Scott III before Alexander delivered a quick touchdown pass to Snead in the end zone.
The Alouettes had demonstrated that even when one of their biggest offensive threats was being closely watched, they had plenty of other playmakers capable of making Saskatchewan pay.
Montreal's offence was beginning to click, and the Roughriders were struggling to find answers.
In the second quarter, Alexander delivered one of the game's most entertaining plays. Appearing to be on the verge of being sacked, he somehow managed to get the ball away with a spectacular, highlight-reel falling pass to Scott III.
On the very next play, Alexander found an open Charleston Rambo for a 45-yard touchdown. It was another example of Montreal's ability to turn a difficult situation into a big play.
For Saskatchewan's defenders, getting to Alexander was becoming increasingly frustrating. Even when the pressure appeared to be closing in, the Montreal quarterback continued to find ways to extend plays and move the offence downfield.
Later in the quarter, Alexander spotted Philpot open downfield and delivered a difficult pass, but the receiver was unable to make the catch. Despite that missed opportunity, Montreal continued to find success through its balanced passing attack.
The Alouettes' defence also did its part, helping keep Saskatchewan from pulling away while giving the offence opportunities to build its lead. Alexander spread the ball around effectively, connecting with seven different receivers throughout the game.
At halftime, Montreal held a 17-13 lead. Saskatchewan had done a respectable job limiting Philpot's production, holding him to just 13 receiving yards through the first half. However, the Roughriders were still trailing, and Montreal had plenty of offensive momentum heading into the break.
Montreal came out of halftime looking to maintain its momentum, and it did not take long for Alexander to find Philpot.
The two connected on a 46-yard touchdown pass that sent the sellout crowd into a frenzy and extended Montreal's lead to 24-16. After keeping Philpot relatively quiet in the first half, Saskatchewan was reminded just how dangerous he could be when given an opportunity.
The touchdown appeared to swing the momentum firmly in Montreal's favour. From that point forward, the Alouettes took control of the game, with Alexander throwing three touchdown passes in the second half alone.
Alexander finished the afternoon completing 26 of 43 passes for 403 yards. His performance could have been even bigger, but he was replaced by backup quarterback Dustin Crum late in the game as Montreal's lead grew comfortable.
The afternoon was also significant for Alexander personally, as he reached the 5,000-yard passing mark for the season. It was a major milestone, putting him in the company of Montreal quarterback legend Anthony Calvillo, who last reached that mark for the Alouettes.
Another impressive piece of history came with Alexander's five-touchdown performance. The last time an Alouettes quarterback threw five touchdown passes in a game was Kevin Glenn. For Montreal fans, it was another reason to appreciate just how productive the offence has become.
While Alexander and the offence received plenty of attention, Montreal's defence was equally determined to make an impact.
Newcomer Julian Howsare made his Alouettes debut after previously playing for Hamilton. Geoffrey Cantin-Arku recorded Montreal's lone interception, while Don Callis forced a Saskatchewan fumble, giving the defence important contributions at key moments.
Cornerback Lorenzo Burns also deserves recognition. Although he does not always receive the credit he deserves around the league, Burns has proven to be one of Montreal's toughest defensive backs to beat. Saskatchewan tested him throughout the game, but Burns held his ground and nearly came away with an interception of his own.
Linebacker Tyrice Beverette once again delivered a strong performance. He gave Alouettes fans a scare in the second quarter when he went down with a knee injury. Fortunately, Beverette was able to return to the game, providing a welcome boost to Montreal's defence.
Saskatchewan also entered the matchup dealing with injuries of its own, including wide receivers KeeSean Johnson and Sam Emilus, as well as left tackle Payton Collins. Those absences presented additional challenges for the defending Grey Cup champions against a Montreal team playing with confidence on both sides of the ball.
Once again, Montreal demonstrated the importance of performing across all three phases of the game: offence, defence and special teams.
The offence produced points and explosive plays, the defence created turnovers and limited Saskatchewan's opportunities, and the special teams helped Montreal maintain control. When a team can consistently deliver in all three phases, it gives itself an excellent chance of winning football games.
Montreal has dealt with significant injuries of its own throughout the season, but other players have continued to step up when called upon. The Alouettes remain without wide receiver Cole Spieker, running back Travis Theis, All-Star defensive back Kabion Ento, long snapper Louis-Philippe Bourassa and kick returner Dvonte Dedmon, who may be out for the remainder of the season.
Despite those absences, Montreal continues to find ways to win. That depth could prove especially important as the playoffs approach and the competition becomes even tougher.
If the Alouettes continue playing at this level through the remainder of the season, Montreal fans may well find themselves celebrating another Grey Cup parade. Of course, the familiar saying still applies: one game at a time.
Montreal will now prepare for its third back-to-back meeting with the same opponent this season as the Alouettes travel to Saskatchewan for a rematch this Saturday at 3 p.m.
The stakes will be considerably higher for the Roughriders, who need a victory to keep their playoff hopes alive. After losing 44-22 in Montreal, Saskatchewan will be looking for a response on home turf.
For the Alouettes, the priorities are straightforward: stay healthy, maintain their momentum and continue building toward the postseason.
With a perfect 9-0 record at home and an offence capable of putting up points against a quality opponent, Montreal is giving its fans plenty of reasons to be optimistic.
The Alouettes have made their home field a fortress. Now, they will look to carry that confidence into Saskatchewan thsi coming Saturday at 3 P.M and take another step toward their ultimate goal; The Grey Cup!
NOTE: only three times the Alouettes have not lost at home. They were perfect in 1954,2009, 2026
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