Missed chances in 34-31 OT loss to Bombers
The Alouettes’ dressing room was closed for what seemed like an inordinate amount of time. That meant head coach Jacques Chapdelaine was running long in his post-game sermon to his players.
His message was simple, yet profound — don’t give up.
The Als might be 3-6 halfway through the Canadian Football League regular-schedule, but they showed heart, resiliency and determination on Thursday night before finally losing, 34-31, to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in double-overtime at Molson Stadium.
“I’m proud of the way we fought towards the end of the game. You couldn’t tell me at the end of the game we weren’t going to win that game. You couldn’t tell me that,” receiver B.J. Cunningham said. “We were poised at the end of the game, but we have to come out stronger at the beginning and execute.”
Only five days after their worst performance of the season at Toronto, the Als certainly demonstrated they have some pieces in place. But the sum isn’t always equal to the parts.
Montreal rebounded from a 10-0 first-quarter deficit against arguably the hottest team in the league. The Bombers’ victory was their fifth consecutive, improving their record to 7-2.
And then in the fourth quarter, trailing 23-13, it was the home team that launched a dramatic comeback.
With slightly more than five minutes remaining in regulation, quarterback Darian Durant drove his team 75 yards in only four plays, culminating in a 38-yard touchdown pass to Ernest Jackson at 11:37. The ball was underthrown, but Jackson did a good job of adjusting his body and coming back to it, beating cornerback Brandon Alexander on the play.
The Als got the ball back at their 46 with 1:45 remaining. Jackson was wide open on the second play of the drive and would have scored a touchdown, but the ball was underthrown, again, Alexander recording the knock-down.
Nonetheless, following a dramatic 13-yard run by Durant and a rarely called intentional grounding penalty against the veteran pivot, Boris Bede sent the game to overtime with a 48-yard field goal, into the wind, that barely cleared the upright at 14:51.
On the drive, slotback Nik Lewis caught a six-yard pass, his ninth of the game and the 1,030th of his career, making him the Canadian Football League’s career leader in receptions, surpassing Geroy Simon.
Lewis caught 10 passes on this night for 88 yards, including one that produced a 21-yard gain. But it was bittersweet for him. He plays the game for victories, not individual records, and there have been too few since he joined Montreal in 2015.
“A kid like me who never thought he’d play professional football, this is a pretty outstanding honour,” Lewis said. “I don’t play this game to break records, I play to win championships. We let another one slip through. We keep doing it.
“Different things are going on and we have to focus in,” he added. “We left too many points on the board. Every team does, but when you have a chance to win the game, you have to make the plays to win the game.
“I still think we can win 10 games this year,” Lewis claimed. “I truly believe that because of what we can do. We let them off the hook.”
The Bombers had the first possession in overtime, Matt Nichols connected with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Clarence Denmark, who beat Chip Cox on the play. Nichols then passed to Darvin Adams for the two-point convert.
But the Als answered on their opening series. Durant passed 15 yards to Cunningham for the score, then connected with Brandon Rutley on the two-point convert. Montreal had to scrimmage from the Winnipeg eight following a procedure penalty against Chris Greaves. Rutley made a nice over-the-shoulder catch.
The Als got the ball first in the second overtime. On the third play, Chris Randle intercepted Durant for the second time in the game. Durant also fumbled in the first quarter after being sacked and blindsided by linebacker Moe Leggett.
Winnipeg could then play it conservatively, realizing it required only a field goal to win the game. Justin Medlock did just that, connecting from 38 yards.
The Als should have had momentum to begin the second half after they produced an eightplay, 70-yard drive just before the intermission, capped by a 31-yard pass-and-run touchdown to rookie receiver George Johnson.
Montreal took the second-half kickoff and inexplicably, from their 51 on a third-and-three play, decided to run a faked punt — the direct snap going to linebacker Nicolas Boulay, who was held to no gain.
Chapdelaine seemed visibly upset with special teams coordinator Bruce Read following the play.
Three plays later, Nichols passed three yards to Julian Feoli-Gudino for a touchdown.
The Als, who have repeatedly struggled on offence, again left points on the board. They failed to score touchdowns from the Winnipeg 12 and 11 in the second and third quarters, respectively, settling for field goals.
“It’s just not enough,” said tailback Rutley, who was replacing the injured Tyrell Sutton, gaining 78 yards on 12 carries. “When we get in the red zone we have to score. I mean, we were down there a couple of times. We have got to execute.
“Once we execute, we’ll be fine. But we’re not executing like we need to. That’s why this same nonsense happens. You can’t get down there, near the goal-line, and not put (touchdowns) on the board. It’s just unacceptable. We have to be more sharp and more accountable in getting the job done.”
The Als will try to get it right, again, next Thursday at home against Ottawa — a game that will now have huge playoff implications.
I still think we can win 10 games this year. I truly believe that because of what we can do. We let them off the hook.