HAMILTON | The Alouettes were full of good intentions when they showed up to the Tim Hortons Field for the Eastern Section semi-final. However, they have not been able to walk the talk.
Despite a respectable start, they suffered a 23-12 loss to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Sunday afternoon in front of a crowd of 21,892.
We can summarize this setback in one word: turnarounds. The Montrealers fell victim to three in seven minutes in the second quarter and that’s what changed the pace of the game.
These gave 13 points on a silver platter to the locals who had not produced anything since the start of the meeting. The turnaround that hurt the most is the first.
The Tiger-Cats forced a fumble at the expense of Trevor Harris who was brought back to the zone net by Julian Howsare. Moments later, quarterback Jeremiah Masoli joined Brandon Banks in the end zone. The quick receiver again caused headaches for the Montreal defense.
From that point on, the Alouettes dropped to one knee. They tried to get up in the second half, but it was too little too late.
However, it had started well for the visitors. The first offensive streak was impressive, but it ended with a goal for David Côté.
Harris manhandled
If there is one bright spot, it’s the performance of quarterback Trevor Harris. He completed 28 of his 44 passes for gains of 364 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Dominic Chan / QMI Agency
The 35-year-old veteran tried to recreate his magic in the playoffs, but to no avail. He was solid handing the ball to seven different receivers. Despite everything, he failed to create opportunities in the paid zone.
On the other hand, he was not helped by his offensive line which had a difficult game when it was the victim of six sacks. A day when Harris surely needed a few bags of ice when he left the field.
On the defensive end, the Alouettes were not bad, but they were not a determining factor in the outcome of the game. The defensive line was unable to threaten Jeremiah Masoli from behind his line of scrimmage.