An “opportunistic” defense. The Tiger-Cats tended more towards the kitten than the tiger. The Alouettes never had to worry. They flew easily to a 33-23 victory.
This edition of the Alouettes is so exceptional that it does not need to be every night to beat its opponents. This is even more the case when it faces an opponent in difficulty.
The two teams faced off in Hamilton a little over a week ago. On Saturday, with 1:23 left to play, the two games were a copy-paste affair. The score was 33-16, identical to the final result of the last game.
Like the previous game, Davis Alexander had a clumsy, hesitant start. And once again, he picked up the pace as the game progressed.
The Alouettes quarterback finally reached his receivers 17 times in 27 attempts for 247 yards and a touchdown.
“We left some points on the table, especially in the first quarter,” said Alexander, who was making his second career CFL start. “Thank God I didn’t fumble or throw any interceptions this time,” he said with a laugh.
PHOTO PETER MCCABE, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Davis Alexander was the starting quarterback for the Alouettes.
“We should have scored one or two more touchdowns. In the first half, we were average in the end zone,” commented Alouettes head coach Jason Maas.
There are things that[Alexander] could have done differently […]but he protected the ball well, he gave us a chance to win in every sequence.
Jason Maas, Alouettes head coach
Tiger and wet muddles
After causing discord at the National Bank Open, the remains of the storm Debby invited themselves to Percival Molson Stadium. The 22,137 fans gathered, most of whom had not anticipated the event, were victims. Some took refuge under the stands, while others used whatever objects they could to protect themselves from the downpour.
But it was on the field that the remnants of the storm caused the most damage, especially for the Tiger-Cats. If Montreal lacked opportunism in the first half, Hamilton presented a veritable comedy of errors.
PHOTO PETER MCCABE, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Avery Ellis hits quarterback Taylor Powell for a safety.
The comedy began with a fumbled ball recovered by defensive lineman Avery Ellis.
Then, when linebacker Darnell Sankey intercepted a completely botched pass from Hamilton starting quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell. He was taken out of the game shortly after. But his backup, Taylor Powell, couldn’t catch the snap from his center, who was covered by the Alouettes in their own end for a safety.
The Tiger-Cats capped off the symphony of blunders with a missed 36-yard field goal. An attempt that fell right off the left post, as did Hamilton’s hopes of getting on the scoreboard in the first quarter.
” [La pluie]”It was ideal for us,” said a mischievous Marc-Antoine Dequoy. “Defensively, when it rains, you know the ball is going to be harder to handle.”
Challenge accepted
The rain stopped shortly after the first quarter, revealing a beautiful rainbow across the Percival Molson Stadium landscape. Or rather, a Rambo.
PHOTO JEAN-MYCHEL GUIMOND, THE PRESS
A beautiful rainbow enhanced the spectacle on the field.
With star receiver Tyson Philpot gone – more on that later – Charleston Rambo stepped up to the plate with flying colors. The receiver threw two touchdowns, ran for 124 yards and caught six of eight passes thrown his way. All on his 25th birthday.e birthday.
“I really have to thank Alexander,” the main person concerned responded humbly. “He made excellent plays.”
“One of the passes he didn’t catch was a crappy pass,” Alexander said. “He’ll probably tell you he could have caught it, but I assure you it was a crappy pass.”
Rambo’s second touchdown, which came late in the fourth quarter, was particularly impressive. He caught the ball in the corner of the touchdown zone, despite heavy pressure from the opposition. The validity of the play was doubtful until the last second, as the reception was so close.
“He really made some incredible catches tonight,” coach Jason Maas said. “He’s been incredible for us all year, but he’s come into his own even more these days. He brings the spark that we need.”
Another one in the shed
The Alouettes needed a spark after receiver Tyson Philpot went down in the first quarter. He caught a short pass before being tackled in the knees by defensive back Richard Leonard.
He was not seen again for the rest of the evening. In the locker room, Philpot was seen walking with an orthopedic boot.
It’s a precaution for now. We’ll have to look at the imaging, and we’ll see what comes out of it.
Jason Maas on Tyson Philpot’s Injury
“It’s hard, but you can’t overreact, you have to stay calm, pray that it’s not too serious,” shared a visibly affected Davis Alexander. “He’s my brother, my best friend.”
Should Philpot miss another game, he would be added to the Alouettes’ long list of injured players, led by starting quarterback Cody Fajardo. Backup Caleb Evans is also on the list, as are receivers Tyler Snead and Kaion Julien-Grant.
Next Friday, the Alouettes will visit the Roughriders in Regina, Saskatchewan. Montreal narrowly won at home in the last game between the two teams. The team benefited from the entry of quarterback Alexander in the second half to win 20-16.