Alouettes grind out fifth straight win on Saturday

It wasn’t pretty or perfect, but the Alouettes found a way to take down the Ottawa Redblacks, 39-28, at TD Place on Saturday afternoon.
This was the Alouettes’ 11th consecutive victory over the Redblacks, and their 12th win in a row at TD Place.
The Als have now won five games in a row, and they are tied with Hamilton for first in the East Division at 10-7-0. For Montreal to finish first though they’ll need the Redblacks to beat the Ticats next weekend and they’ll have to beat the Blue Bombers on Saturday in Winnipeg.

Dodging a bullet:

Early in the first quarter on Saturday, Alouettes fans held their collective breath when quarterback Davis Alexander was hit by Redblacks linebacker Davion Taylor. Alexander was slow to get up but managed to stay in the game.
The Als quarterback grinded through the rest of the game. At times, it was clear that he was in discomfort. But he found a way to get the job done, again. He finished the night 21-for-31 for 328 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Alexander extends his streak to 11-0-0 as a starter.

Najee Murray creates turnovers:

You have to feel good for veteran Najee Murray, who finished the game with two picks, and they came at critical times. Murray’s interception came at the Montreal goal line, which erased at least three potential points for the Redblacks.
His second interception came on the first Redblacks drive of the second half, when he made a play on a deflected ball. At that point in time, the Als had a slim six-point lead. The team kicked a field goal on the ensuing drive to extend their lead to nine.
“I think [the defence] feels pretty locked in right now,” Murray said after the game. “But honestly this wasn’t our best effort. Last week, we gave up 10 points, and this week we allowed 28. That’s too much for us. We have to look in the mirror, and we need to finish (off games) and play all four quarters. A win is a win though.”
Murray has been a mainstay on the Als defence. He’s been on the team since 2018 and has overcome injury adversity throughout his pro career. During the team’s run to the Grey Cup in 2023, Murray was sidelined with an injury. You know winning it all would mean a lot to him.

Bubba’s successful debut:

The Alouettes made one change to their lineup going into this game, as they subbed out American rookie Caleb Johnson for fellow firsts-year linebacker Bubba Bolden.
Bolden didn’t wait long to have a major impact in the CFL. In the third quarter, he managed to block a punt which continued to swing momentum the Alouettes’ way.

Austin Mack heating up at right time:

Austin Mack has elevated his game at the right time. In these two games against the Redblacks, he finished with 87 yards and a touchdown and 108 yards and a major. In two games played at TD Place this year, Mack has gone over 100 yards both times (he also had 103 yards back on June 13).
“I’m super happy for him,” Alexander said of Mack. “He’s been working his tail off to get back on the field. He seems to find the right spot in the right zone all the time, and he makes plays. I owe him one because I have to throw him a better corner ball (in the end zone).

Incredible support:

If you were in the building for Saturday’s game, it was impossible to ignore the support that the visitors received from their fans. So many Als supporters flocked to TD Place for the third and final matchup of the season between these two teams.
Alouettes organization filled seven buses with fans that made the trip from Montreal to Ottawa. Many others throughout Quebec made the drive down to the Nation’s Capital on their own. It was incredible to see.
“With the fan turnout we got today, we honestly feel like we’re at home,” linebacker Alex Gagne said. “It’s so fun to see and we appreciate the fans a lot. That’s why we’re all on the field after the game interacting with the fans because there aren’t many fans in this league that travel like they do.”

What’s next?

This is it. The Als will play their final regular season game next Saturday in Winnipeg. Whether or not the game means anything in the standings remains to be seen because they’ll have to wait for the result between the Redblacks and Tiger-Cats on Friday night.