(Montreal) With six games to play, watchers and fans alike are wondering which version of the Montreal Alouettes they’ll see by the end of the schedule: the one that convincingly defeated the BC Lions 31-10 on Friday or the one that lost 38-24 to the Ottawa Redblacks last week?
Posted at 2:08 p.m.
Danny Maciocia’s squad made sure to spend their last week off of the season in pleasant fashion by leaving with Friday’s victory. But with a 5-7 record, nothing is decided yet. Above all, the inconstancy of his game has not been resolved.
“Our pride was hit last week. We were all angry, not just the defence, Maciocia admitted after Friday’s duel. Until the last quarter (against Ottawa), we only allowed 15 points. Normally, by awarding only 15 points, you should win. We worked hard this week, that’s what I’m most proud of. »
Above all, the Alouettes didn’t shoot themselves in the foot, as they often did this season.
Friday, we saw the team I know, the players I like. It’s a good football team. Now, I often repeat: we are our own worst enemy. If we can get rid of this opponent, I won’t say we’re going to beat every team soundly, that would be disrespectful to the other clubs in the league, but this team, in my humble opinion, can beat anyone. which team in the league.
Danny Maciocia, Head Coach and General Manager of the Alouettes
The defense particularly stood out against the Lions after having had a very difficult outing against the Rouge et Noir.
“We played at our level and we saw what happened, noted safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy. We say that we want to work on certain things; what is beautiful is that there, we did it. We focused on that in training and we saw the result (Friday). »
“I hope that the team we saw tonight, we will continue to see it in the coming weeks, added Maciocia. Seamlessly, the defense dominated, but I wasn’t happy with the offense in the second half. But the defense kept playing and they were able to get turnovers. »
The attack was possibly the only aspect of the Alouettes’ game that was half-hearted in this victory. If the ground game was quite effective (120 yards on 21 carries for Walter Fletcher and Jeshrun Antwi), the aerial game was rather ordinary with 163 yards on 16 completed passes on 23 attempts.
PHOTO PETER MCCABE, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Alouettes quarterback Trevor Harris
“We have to put the pedal to the metal and have more of a killer instinct,” said quarterback Trevor Harris, who was the victim of an interception.
“In the second half, we have to make sure we have better offensive thrusts,” he continued. We have to play the whole match with the same energy, the same desire. I think we have one of the best offenses in the league, but for people to believe me, we have to be able to have good games every week.
“There are six weeks left: it’s about us playing our best six games and making sure we are among the best teams. It’s the time of the season when the cream has to rise to the top. »
It remains to be seen whether his teammates will get the message. The Alouettes are back in action in two weeks against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.