While it’s only two games into the CFL season, Davis Alexander leads all quarterbacks, with 777 yards passing. Tyson Philpot is the leading receiver, with 269 yards and three touchdowns.
And yet, while the Alouettes (2-0) are undefeated, work remains to polish many aspects of their game.
“You obviously want to win games, no matter what, and we’ve accomplished that,” head coach Jason Maas said. “But you want to be perfect on every play. When you’re not, you correct them and learn from them. There’s lots of learning that needs to be done. There have been plenty of plays the last couple of games; if you make those plays, the game doesn’t come down to what it does.
“You still have to make the plays that are there to win the game — and we’re doing that.”
While the Als’ statistics are slightly misleading — they’re one of the three teams that have played two games; the rest, only one — there’s no disputing the career-high 441 yards Alexander passed for in at Molson Stadium. Alexander’s previous high was 350 yards against Calgary last September.
Alexander improved his career regular-season record to 13-0 in the process. And his total would have been higher had not had a pass deflect off his helmet when he was open in the end zone. On another occasion, Alexander overthrew an open Snead, who nonetheless caught five passes for 62 yards.
Alouettes receiver Jerreth Sterns is tackled by Toronto Argonauts defensive-back Benjie Franklin during second half in Montreal on Friday. Evan Buhler / Montreal Gazette
“I have great chemistry with (Alexander), and you guys see that,” Philpot said. “This is me speaking, but I trust Davis every time. We’re going to make that (undefeated) record untouchable. We know who’s the best (quarterback) in the league. He proves it day in and day out. There’s nobody else I’d rather play for.”
Philpot caught nine passes for an incredible 193 yards against the Argonauts while scoring two touchdowns. He continually beat cornerback Tarvarus McFadden on single coverage and also wrestled the ball from safety Robert Priester on a second-down pass, resulting in a 23-yard gain.
“I’ll say (I beat McFadden) easily. ,” Philpot said. “We were prepared for man coverage. We feel, as a receiving corps, if you play man coverage, you have to win (the battle). You have a quarterback like (Alexander) who’s going to sit in the pocket and throw the ball 80 yards. An offensive line that’s going to protect like that. All we have to do is our 1/12th. And the example’s on the field.”
Along with Philpot’s game for the ages, , a free agent addition from Winnipeg, caught nine passes for 114 yards against Toronto.
“I think a lot of people slept on (Sterns), considering who we lost,” Philpot said. “Who’s going to step up for us? We feel like we have the best receiving corps in the league. In man coverage, everyone’s going to find a way to win. Week in and week out, someone’s going to make a play. We know that.”
Nonetheless, for the second consecutive game, the Als had to come from behind to win. And their defence is allowing far too many yards.
Toronto quarterback Chad Kelly, playing for the first time in 581 days after suffering a gruesome leg and ankle fracture in the 2024 East Division final, passed for 445 yards and three touchdowns — albeit one TD came with only six seconds left in regulation time to make the final score more respectable.
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To its credit, Montreal’s defence did a thorough job of stopping the Argos during the fourth quarter — when the game remained close — forcing a pair of two-and-out series along with a turnover on downs.
“We had plenty of injuries to deal with,” Maas said. “I thought they got pressure on (Kelly) throughout the game. … Ultimately, we want to get better as a unit. More than anything, we talk about being physical. I thought we were. We’ll get better from this.
“There’s not one guy on that sideline that doesn’t believe, until the clock (hits) zero, that we’re not going to win the game no matter what the score is. No matter what time of the game it is. There’s just a big, strong belief.”
Meanwhile, the Als signed former Ottawa placekicker Lewis Ward, leading to speculation that Jose Maltos-Diaz — who wasn’t at practice on Tuesday — suffered an injury against Toronto. Montreal also released returner and receiver Phillip Brooks. Brooks fumbled on a fourth-quarter punt return against Toronto.
hzurkowsky@postmedia.com