The Montreal Alouettes may have suffered four straight losses heading into Saturday’s game against the Stampeders in Calgary, but the trend is rising.
First of all, I took a lot of positives away from last week’s 23-20 loss to the Toronto Argonauts in Montreal. After Calgary, head coach Jason Maas’ team will face the Ottawa Rouge et Noir twice and then the Edmonton Eskimos until mid-October.
• Also read: A close duel between the Alouettes and the Stampeders is in sight
Like an athlete preparing for the Olympics, it is important for a football team to reach its full potential at the right time. As for the Alouettes, I think they will peak both offensively and defensively in time for the playoffs.
The mood is rising for the Alouettes, as is the enthusiasm of the fans. There was a moment in the game against the Argonauts when the sound in Percival Molson Stadium was amazing. It reminded me of the time when I was playing for the Stampeders and we were playing against Anthony Calvillo and his teammates in Montreal.
Last Friday, especially in the third quarter, was crazy! Everyone stood at Percival Molson Stadium to cheer on the Alouettes.
Physical play
The Montreal club has proven that it can play a very physical game. Defensively, the return of Avery Williams is just as important as the arrival of Darnell Sankey.
We are also feeling good progress in the offensive system. Without being particularly flashy, quarterback Cody Fajardo stays in control, and pass catcher Austin Mack never seems intimidated, regardless of the opponent.
After a slump in recent weeks, all conditions are now in place for the flood to rise. I would even say that a tsunami may be brewing.
Be one step ahead of the Tiger-Cats
In the short term, the Alouettes, with a record of 6-7, need to make sure they win their share of games between now and the end of the season to gain home-field advantage in the East semifinals, possibly even against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (6-7).
In addition to the duel between Montreal and Calgary in the afternoon, the Tiger-Cats and the Argonauts will meet on Saturday evening.
Hats off, Benjamin!
To conclude this column, I would like to draw attention to a Quebecer who plays in the NFL, Benjamin St-Juste of the Washington Commanders. Last Sunday, St-Juste made a game-ending play that gave his team a 35-33 win over the Denver Broncos.
The opponent tried to bring about the draw by scoring a two-pointer, but it was the Quebecer who intervened to prevent the game from happening. Quebec can be proud of Benjamin!
Comments collected by Benoît Rioux
