The Alouettes remain undefeated this season, a feat the Argonauts can no longer boast of. The Sparrows had the upper hand by a score of 30 to 20 in the Queen City. They obtain a ninth consecutive victory in the regular season for the first time in their history.
If revenge is a dish best served cold, perhaps the same is true of defending a title of Eastern champions. Rather than entering the clash like lions, as was the case during the previous victory against the Ottawa Rouge et Noir, the Alouettes were patient. Methodical. Incisors. All this to bring down their swarm slowly, but surely on the Argonauts who are short of answers.
The duel began in the analysis. The opponents, known for their tight defenses, were giving each other little. To the point where the Argos scored their first field goal. The Alouettes were then behind for the first time in their season.
Toronto completely blocked the deep zones, as well as the center. Even the ground games ended in a fishtail.
Short of alternatives, Montreal therefore began to take the sides, with short passes, straight to goal. Conservative passes that took us back a half to the early 2010s, to the era of the Trestman-Calvillo tandem.
Then there was creativity. A particularly striking creativity when the Alouettes found themselves in trouble, in the middle of the third quarter, with a second try and 20 yards. Feigning a long play, quarterback Cody Fajardo gave it a short pass to Jeshrun Antwi. The latter kicked the ball, which he caught two yards further, allowing the Alouettes to benefit from a first down.
It all ended a few plays later with Cole Spieker’s touchdown. The Alouettes’ other touchdowns were scored by Tyson Philpot and Caleb Evans.
Scared for Fajardo
The Alouettes feared the worst at the start of the second half, when Cody Fajardo temporarily left the game, hit by two opponents. His head having hit the ground, one might have thought he had suffered a concussion.
The quarterback finally returned to the game a little later, to have a good game. By amassing 284 passing yards, he crossed the 16,000-yard plateau, a feat achieved by only 49 quarterbacks in the history of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
We’ll see how I feel tomorrow, adrenaline is a hell of a drug. I’m happy I was able to finish the game and be there for the guys.
Cody Fajardo, quarterback of the Montreal Alouettes
The Argonauts will have two more chances to get revenge before the end of the regular season, including in Montreal on July 11. The Alouettes, meanwhile, will face the Calgary Stampeders on Saturday, July 6.