The Montreal Alouettes have re-entered the chat.

With Friday’s convincing 38-20 win over Calgary, the Als have won three straight and have all but secured an East Division playoff spot. They’re also once again resembling the group that looked dominant after a 3-0 start.

And the biggest thing this recent run has in common with that impressive start: a healthy starting quarterback. After more than two months on the shelf with a hamstring injury, Davis Alexander returned Friday to deliver a sparkling performance.

RELATED
» Stamps acquire Lorenzo Mauldin IV in trade with REDBLACKS
» Patterson’s hat trick leads Alouettes to win over Stampeders
» 3 stats that defined Montreal’s Week 17 win over Calgary
» Lions take down Argonauts to claim third straight win
» Sign up and watch CFL games on CFL+ in the U.S. and Internationally

 

In his first start since July 17, Alexander threw for 350 yards and one touchdown while putting Montreal in position for three additional Shea Patterson rushing majors. It was exactly the type of effort Alexander was delivering prior to missing time. And there’s no reason the Alouettes shouldn’t expect the same high level from Alexander the rest of the way.

In five starts this season, Alexander has thrown for 1,456 yards and seven touchdowns while completing 72.6 per cent of his passes and posting an impressive 108.1 passer rating. Furthermore, Alexander owned the third best rating from Pro Football Focus entering Week 17, behind only BC’s Nathan Rourke and Saskatchewan’s Trevor Harris.

Oh, and with a 5-0 record as a starter this season, you may have seen this, too: Alexander has now made CFL history by winning his first nine games as a starting quarterback. The guy who owned the previous record? That’s just Canadian Football Hall of Famer Danny McManus, who went 8-0 to start his career in the early 1990’s.

But Alexander’s stellar work isn’t the only thing of note here.

 

Even while Montreal was struggling with five straight losses in August and early September, they were subtly doing a lot of good things on defence. Despite needing a three-game run to get back above the .500 mark, Montreal is a top three team in numerous defensive categories including both points and yards against.

Individually, linebacker Tyrice Beverette continues to make a strong case for Most Outstanding Defensive Player. After a stellar night on Friday, Beverette’s statline now reads 71 defensive tackles, six sacks, three interceptions, and four forced fumbles. Beverette impacts the game in so many different ways, which is why he’s been PFF’s top linebacker all season long.

Beyond Beverette, fellow linebacker Darnell Sankey sits third overall with 79 defensive tackles. Corner tandem Kabion Ento and Lorenzo Burns have a combined six interceptions and are both ranked in PFF’s top five at the position. And only one player in the league has more sacks than defensive end Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund’s 11, and that’s league leader Mathieu Betts of the Lions.

It’s safe to say many were sleeping on Montreal when they dropped to 5-7 in Week 12. But three straight quality wins has the rest of the league taking notice once again. And with the roster the Alouettes boast, including many holdovers from their 110th Grey Cup triumph in 2023, counting them out come November seems like a silly move.

A CRUCIAL ADDITION

With the trade deadline looming on Wednesday, the Stampeders have made a massive move. Suddenly in a heated battle for a West Division playoff spot thanks to a three-game skid, Calgary emphatically filled a major need by acquiring Lorenzo Mauldin IV in a trade with the Ottawa REDBLACKS.

Sending a 2026 fourth-round pick the other way, the Stamps have added one of the league’s best defensive ends over the last four seasons. And while this year’s counting numbers of two sacks and 26 defensive tackles don’t jump off the page, PFF still had Mauldin IV ranked as a top 10 edge rusher entering Week 17.

With 32 sacks combined over the last four years, including this season, Mauldin IV fills a hole created when Folarin Orimolade went down with an Achilles injury earlier this month. It was a major loss for Calgary, as Orimolade was having another stellar season as one of the league’s most devastating rush ends.

Since losing Orimolade, the Stamps have been noticeably less effective at the point of attack, with Clarence Hicks and Jaylon Hutchings taking on far more attention as a result. Adding Mauldin IV to the front four gives opposing offensive lines another dangerous option to account for, which should do nothing but help Calgary in their quest to lock up second in the West.

As a result of their recent slide, the 8-6 Stampeders have just a half-game lead on BC and Winnipeg who both sit at 8-7. To make matters more interesting, Calgary visits the Lions on Saturday after dropping a 52-23 decision to them a couple weeks ago.

The Stampeders looked comfortably in line to earn a home playoff date only a few weeks ago, which shows you how quickly things can change in this league. Adding Mauldin IV to the fold ahead of this week’s deadline could very well swiftly swing things back in Calgary’s favour.