Recap: Alouettes lose in B.C. on Saturday night
“We still believe that we’re the best team in the CFL, but we didn’t play like it. Today, we were very poor in all aspects of the game. We need to go back home, get some rest and figure some things out, and come back to play against a good Winnipeg team (next Saturday).”
Those were the comments uttered by middle linebacker Darnell Sankey on the Motorola Razr + Alouettes post-game show moments after the Als dropped a 27-3 decision in Vancouver. That quote perfectly describes the way the game went on Saturday night.
The Als got off to a slow start, and they were never able to climb their way back into the game. Penalties and an overall lack of execution hurt this team in their final road game of the regular season.
In fairness to the group, they still have the best record in the CFL and they’re still the reigning Grey Cup Champions, so they deserve the benefit of the doubt. But as Sankey mentioned, they must figure certain things out before the East Final on Nov. 9.
Red zone woes:
The Alouettes got inside the B.C. 10-yard line on three occasions, but only managed to come away with three points. They appeared to score a touchdown on a Davis Alexander quarterback sneak in the second half, but the play was called back because of a penalty. Instead of going for a touchdown on third down, head coach Jason Maas was forced to kick a field goal. That’s just the way things went on Saturday night.
To make matters worse, it appeared as though right tackle Josh Donovan suffered a serious injury. The team didn’t provide an update on his status after the game, but Donovan was helped off the field by his teammates before being carted back to the locker room in the first half.
Backup quarterback Dom Davis also exited the game and didn’t return.
Up & down defensively:
This was a tough game for every phase. The defence managed to create two interceptions (one by Wesley Sutton and one by Tyrice Beverette), but they didn’t play up to the standard that they’ve set dating back to last season.
“We came out flat and we didn’t have enough energy today,” Sutton said. “I think we kind of played the victim of our circumstances with it being a short week. We have to come to play. There’s a target on our back at all times. Whether it’s a bye week and we have 13 days to rest or we have five days of rest, there’s going to be a target on our backs.”
Give Vernon Adams Jr. credit because he played well, too. But even though the defence appeared to clamp down in the second half, they didn’t play a full 60 minutes.
Quick hitters:
Darnell Sankey had five defensive tackles against the Lions which puts him at 100 for the season. It’s the second time in his CFL career that he has hit the century mark in that category.
Canadian linebacker Tyrell Richards recorded his first career quarterback sack when he brought down Adams Jr. in the first half.
Rookie running back Stevie Scott III looked solid in his first career CFL game, as he finished with 33 yards on seven carries as well as 20 yards on two receptions.
What’s next?
The Als will play their final regular season game next Saturday at 3pm ET at Percival Molson Stadium. They’ll be taking on a Winnipeg Blue Bombers team that needs a win to clinch first place in the West Division. A Bombers loss and a Saskatchewan Roughriders win would result in the Riders winning the division.
