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Regardless of trailing 17-6 at halftime, the Als rebounded following intermission and held on to win 21-17 over the Edmonton Elks.
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We’d wish to recommend it was the halftime speech, however Alouettes head coach Jason Maas swore he didn’t have any pearls of knowledge for his struggling workforce. At the very least none he was keen to share.
“We don’t ever quit nothing and we simply be taught,” Maas mentioned. “I feel our guys did an excellent job of staying regular at halftime, cool-headed, and allowed us to teach. Our guys absorbed the knowledge. We simply exit and proceed to play. We all know it’s a 60-minute recreation, it doesn’t matter what the rating says at halftime. It’s a must to play for 60 minutes on this league and end video games. We do an unbelievable job of doing that.”
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On an evening when the group honoured members of the 1974 Gray Cup-champion workforce, it appeared — not less than by means of half-hour — it was these 70-plus-year-olds who had been on the sector at Molson Stadium.
Regardless of trailing Edmonton 17-6 at halftime, the Als rebounded following intermission and held on for a 21-17 victory over the Elks Sunday evening earlier than 19,048 spectators. Montreal improved its CFL-leading report to 10-1 and has gained 18 of 19 video games, together with playoffs and the Gray Cup, relationship again to final September. And whereas the Elks (3-8) stay final within the West Division, Edmonton carried a three-game successful streak into the competition.
How unhealthy was Montreal by means of half-hour? The Als had been held to seven first downs, 129 yards of web offence and ran solely 23 offensive performs whereas controlling the ball just for 12:36. Quarterback Cody Fajardo, in his return from a hamstring damage that sidelined him for six weeks, handed for 109 yards and was intercepted as soon as. Tailback Walter Fletcher gained 21 yards on six carries whereas the Als’ main receiver was Canadian Nate Behar, an unlikely supply.
Highway to the Cup
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Defensively, the Als weren’t a lot better, particularly their run defence. Their secondary appeared confused by quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who handed for 2 touchdowns — one to former Alouette Eugene Lewis, enjoying his first recreation in Montreal after signing with the Elks final season as a free agent.
Every little thing modified within the second half.
The Als scored touchdowns on two of their opening three possessions, each to Cole Spieker, on passes of 33 and 22 yards. That propelled Montreal into an 18-17 lead, a bonus that will have been better had the workforce not twice unsuccessfully tried two-point converts.
Defensively, the Als began to use extra strain on Bethel-Thompson, did a greater job of containing the run and eradicated huge performs. Edmonton failed to provide a primary down within the third quarter.
“I feel we made nice changes at halftime,” mentioned Fajardo, who accomplished 22 of 34 passes for 336 yards. “I felt prefer it gave me time to recoup. I got here out (originally of the sport) a bit rusty. I felt extra assured within the second half.”
Not solely was Fajardo working behind a makeshift offensive line lacking beginning guards Philippe Gagnon and Pierre-Olivier Lestage — Gagnon was scratched through the pre-game warmup, whereas Lestage injured his shoulder on the opening play — the Als performed many of the recreation with out iPads after the guests misplaced their Wi-Fi connection early within the recreation, so each groups had been compelled to function on equitable footing.
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“Halftime allowed us to take a deep breath and perceive what was happening,” Fajardo mentioned. “I really feel banged up proper now however am extraordinarily pleased with this workforce: the grittiness and the way in which we discover methods to win when it’s not all the time fairly. That’s what good soccer groups do.
“I have to be higher. I have to be extra assured within the pocket, however I needed to make use of my legs due to how a lot zone they gave us. I used to be in a position to prolong drives due to it.”
If the Als did simply sufficient offensively to salvage this victory, Montreal’s defence produced a stellar effort over the ultimate half-hour. Not solely did the Als maintain Edmonton and not using a level, they twice stopped the Elks late within the fourth quarter from deep in Montreal territory. The Elks’ longest passing play coated 25 yards, to Tevin Jones, an Als’ free-agent final winter who was launched at coaching camp in favour of Charleston Rambo.
With 89 seconds remaining and confronted with third-and-10 on the Montreal 12, linebacker Tyrice Beverette held Lewis to a six-yard acquire, the Elks turning the ball over on downs. Beverette, arguably the CFL’s high defensive participant, had a team-leading 10 defensive tackles.
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The Elks had yet one more possession, working from the Montreal 46 with 47.1 seconds remaining. The guests superior to the Montreal 19 earlier than Bethel-Thompson threw a pair of incompletions and time expired. Security Marc-Antoine Dequoy was the closest defender to Kurleigh Gittens Jr. on the ultimate play and bought his fingertips on the go.
“We had time on our benefit,” Dequoy mentioned. “We knew if we performed our defence … simply giving up the quick s–t, we all know we had it. We simply needed to execute it. Make huge performs at huge moments, and we did. Simply earlier than the final play I mentioned, ‘We’re going to win this’ in my head.”
The Als now take pleasure in their second bye week of the regular-season earlier than internet hosting B.C. Sept. 6. Edmonton, extremely, now has an 0-7 report in one-score video games — the distinction between successful and shedding is that slim within the CFL. However Montreal’s a great workforce, and good groups invariably discover methods to win.
hzurkowsky@postmedia.com
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