Latest news with #Als'
Ottawa Citizen
5 days ago
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Davis Alexander era off to a good start for Alouettes
Now that Davis Alexander has reached a certain status level as the Alouettes' starting quarterback, he might want to eschew having to play exhibition games next season. Article content Alexander in general, and the Als' offence in particular, struggled mightily in the first half against Ottawa on May 24 in the teams' first exhibition game. Montreal failed to score a touchdown over the opening 30 minutes and even had trouble generating first downs that afternoon. Based on two weeks' of training camp workouts to that point, there was a modicum of reason to wonder — especially since Alexander and the starters didn't play the following week on the road against the Redblacks. Article content Wonder no more. Article content Article content While one game does not a season make, the early reviews on Alexander are positive. Despite starting only four games last season — all wins — the 26-year-old fourth-year veteran showed the moment wasn't too big for him on Friday night. Article content Alexander and his teammates delivered a beat-down on the Toronto Argonauts, handling the visitors with ease during this complete 28-10 victory at Molson Stadium in their regular-season opener before 21,480 Molson Stadium spectators. Article content The Argos might be the defending Grey Cup champions, but on this night they looked like chumps. Article content 'His mental toughness,' said receiver Tyson Philpot, who scored Montreal's first offensive touchdown on a 26-yard pass from Alexander late in the first quarter. 'He raises the level of competition. He demands excellence from all of us. As a receiving corps we know we have to show up for him. Article content Article content 'I think that's the start of the D.A. era right now.' Article content Article content Simply based on statistics, there was nothing spectacular about Alexander. He completed 19 of 26 passes for 205 yards along with the touchdown to Philpot, who suffered a freak season-ending foot injury last August against Hamilton. Alexander also was intercepted once in the third quarter, while underthrowing Philpot on a long attempt that was as good as a punt. Article content In the process, Alexander showed a quarterback need not throw for 300 yards to be effective. He was accurate with his passes and was able to find receivers while moving the pocket. Austin Mack was Montreal's leading receiver, catching five passes for 51 yards. Philpot had four receptions for 48 yards. Article content Alexander utilized seven different receivers. Article content 'I'm not going to say the pre-season doesn't mean anything to me,' Alexander said. 'You know I go out there and compete every single time. Maybe it was knocking a littler bit of rust off? Or just a different type of competitive juice. We've got playmakers everywhere. We had guys making crucial second-down conversions, and our run game was spectacular.
Montreal Gazette
5 days ago
- Sport
- Montreal Gazette
Davis Alexander era off to a good start for Alouettes
By Now that Davis Alexander has reached a certain status level as the Alouettes' starting quarterback, he might want to eschew having to play exhibition games next season. Alexander in general, and the Als' offence in particular, struggled mightily in the first half against Ottawa on May 24 in the teams' first exhibition game. Montreal failed to score a touchdown over the opening 30 minutes and even had trouble generating first downs that afternoon. Based on two weeks' of training camp workouts to that point, there was a modicum of reason to wonder — especially since Alexander and the starters didn't play the following week on the road against the Redblacks. Wonder no more. While one game does not a season make, the early reviews on Alexander are positive. Despite starting only four games last season — all wins — the 26-year-old fourth-year veteran showed the moment wasn't too big for him on Friday night. Alexander and his teammates delivered a beat-down on the Toronto Argonauts, handling the visitors with ease during this complete 28-10 victory at Molson Stadium in their regular-season opener before 21,480 Molson Stadium spectators. The Argos might be the defending Grey Cup champions, but on this night they looked like chumps. 'His mental toughness,' said receiver Tyson Philpot, who scored Montreal's first offensive touchdown on a 26-yard pass from Alexander late in the first quarter. 'He raises the level of competition. He demands excellence from all of us. As a receiving corps we know we have to show up for him. 'I think that's the start of the D.A. era right now.' Simply based on statistics, there was nothing spectacular about Alexander. He completed 19 of 26 passes for 205 yards along with the touchdown to Philpot, who suffered a freak season-ending foot injury last August against Hamilton. Alexander also was intercepted once in the third quarter, while underthrowing Philpot on a long attempt that was as good as a punt. In the process, Alexander showed a quarterback need not throw for 300 yards to be effective. He was accurate with his passes and was able to find receivers while moving the pocket. Austin Mack was Montreal's leading receiver, catching five passes for 51 yards. Philpot had four receptions for 48 yards. Alexander utilized seven different receivers. 'I'm not going to say the pre-season doesn't mean anything to me,' Alexander said. 'You know I go out there and compete every single time. Maybe it was knocking a littler bit of rust off? Or just a different type of competitive juice. We've got playmakers everywhere. We had guys making crucial second-down conversions, and our run game was spectacular. 'I refer to it as cowboy football,' he added. 'If things break down it's on me as a quarterback to make something happen.' This might have been the Alouettes' most-balanced offensive attack since Jason Maas became head coach in 2023. Canadian tailback Sean Thomas-Erlington gained 86 yards on 17 carries. Alexander had four carries for 50 yards, while American rookie Travis Theis chipped in with three carries for 22 yards. The Als had 163 yards rushing. Montreal generated 22 first downs along with 354 yards' net offence while running 55 plays and controlling the ball for 34 minutes. 'He (Alexander) showed me a little bit of everything,' Maas said. 'He did some really good things throwing the ball down the field, did a lot of great things with his legs. Some toughness and leading us on offence. I thought he did a tremendous job of making really good decisions and didn't put the ball in harm's way. 'We still have to look at the film and get better; I know that.' The teams were meeting for the first time since last November's East Division final, when the Alouettes committed six turnovers and lost 30-28 at home, denying themselves the opportunity of defending their CFL title. If Montreal was seeking revenge on Friday night, it succeeded. 'I'd be lying if I didn't say that a big part of that came from that sour taste we had in our mouth from that game,' said linebacker Tyrice Beverette, last season's division finalist as outstanding defensive player. 'We know we left something on the field. We know we were the better team that (day), but didn't come out to play. We wanted to show the world tonight who was the better team.' Toronto quarterback Nick Arbuckle might have been the Grey Cup's most valuable player last season, but Montreal's' defence made his life miserable. While Arbuckle passed for 273 yards and a touchdown, he also was intercepted twice — a trademark that has dogged him throughout his inconsistent career. Arbuckle also fumbled just before halftime when under duress from defensive-tackle Shawn Oakman. Rush-end Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund recovered the ball, returning it 17 yards for a touchdown. Short-yardage quarterback Caleb Evans scored the Alouettes' other touchdown on a one-yard run in the third quarter after James Letcher Jr. returned the opening second-half kickoff 67 yards. Jose Maltos added two field goals and a single. Montreal's next three games are on the road beginning next Friday at Ottawa.
Ottawa Citizen
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Alouettes' Walter Fletcher took fumble in Eastern final to heart
Article content ST-JÉRÔME — Sleep never comes easily to Walter Fletcher after a game. Article content Article content So, understandably, it was a particularly restless night for the Alouettes tailback after November's East Division final loss to the Toronto Argonauts at Molson Stadium. Article content 'After every game, I'm always up because I have that adrenalin from the game,' Fletcher said Monday after the Als' training camp practice at Centre sportif Claude-Beaulieu. 'My whole family came out to see me play, especially after the year before (when) I didn't play as much and didn't get to play in the Grey Cup. Article content Article content 'When you have the opportunity, you want to take advantage. Just unfortunately, it didn't work out that way, but it's also a blessing because you learn from it. I'm blessed to have the opportunity to come back this season, have a chance to compete in camp and work for another opportunity. But it was definitely a learning experience.' Article content Article content Fletcher wasn't the only reason why Montreal lost 30-28 to Toronto, which went on to defeat Winnipeg the next week for the CFL championship. But like many of his teammates, Fletcher contributed to the loss. Article content The Als committed six turnovers that day, including four fumbles — one by Fletcher early in the game at the Toronto 35 after a 14-yard gain. Had Montreal scored a touchdown on the drive, the game might have taken a different turn. Article content A pass in the same quarter also deflected off Fletcher's hands and was intercepted by Benjie Franklin, who returned it 23 yards for the game's opening touchdown. But it wasn't all bad. Fletcher scored a late fourth-quarter touchdown on a 22-yard pass from Cody Fajardo, pulling the Als to within two points. However, they were unsuccessful on the subsequent two-point convert. Article content Article content 'Every play matters,' Fletcher said. 'It came down to that last play, that two-point conversion. If I didn't make those mistakes, the game could have gone a different way. You take full responsibility. I'm here today to get better and learn from it. Article content 'It took me a few months to get over that game.' Article content Fletcher had a productive season nonetheless, rushing for 764 yards and four touchdowns. He also caught 71 passes for 682 yards and three scores. It was the 5-foot-9, 202-pounder's debut as the Als' starter, and he was productive enough that management signed him in December to a two-year contract extension. Article content But nothing's guaranteed in pro sports, and Fletcher could be in a fight to crack the team's roster despite his veteran status. Article content He was held to four yards on two carries in the opening half of Saturday's 23-7 exhibition loss to Ottawa before being replaced. Like most of his fellow vets, Fletcher isn't expected to play Friday night, when the teams meet again at TD Place. Stevie Scott, who spent most of last season on the practice roster, had three carries for 30 yards on Saturday.
Montreal Gazette
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Montreal Gazette
Alouettes' Walter Fletcher took fumble in Eastern final to heart
ST-JÉRÔME — Sleep never comes easily to Walter Fletcher after a game. So, understandably, it was a particularly restless night for the Alouettes tailback after November's East Division final loss to the Toronto Argonauts at Molson Stadium. 'After every game, I'm always up because I have that adrenalin from the game,' Fletcher said Monday after the Als' training camp practice at Centre sportif Claude-Beaulieu. 'My whole family came out to see me play, especially after the year before (when) I didn't play as much and didn't get to play in the Grey Cup. 'When you have the opportunity, you want to take advantage. Just unfortunately, it didn't work out that way, but it's also a blessing because you learn from it. I'm blessed to have the opportunity to come back this season, have a chance to compete in camp and work for another opportunity. But it was definitely a learning experience.' Fletcher wasn't the only reason why Montreal lost 30-28 to Toronto, which went on to defeat Winnipeg the next week for the CFL championship. But like many of his teammates, Fletcher contributed to the loss. The Als committed six turnovers that day, including four fumbles — one by Fletcher early in the game at the Toronto 35 after a 14-yard gain. Had Montreal scored a touchdown on the drive, the game might have taken a different turn. A pass in the same quarter also deflected off Fletcher's hands and was intercepted by Benjie Franklin, who returned it 23 yards for the game's opening touchdown. But it wasn't all bad. Fletcher scored a late fourth-quarter touchdown on a 22-yard pass from Cody Fajardo, pulling the Als to within two points. However, they were unsuccessful on the subsequent two-point convert. 'Every play matters,' Fletcher said. 'It came down to that last play, that two-point conversion. If I didn't make those mistakes, the game could have gone a different way. You take full responsibility. I'm here today to get better and learn from it. 'It took me a few months to get over that game.' Fletcher had a productive season nonetheless, rushing for 764 yards and four touchdowns. He also caught 71 passes for 682 yards and three scores. It was the 5-foot-9, 202-pounder's debut as the Als' starter, and he was productive enough that management signed him in December to a two-year contract extension. But nothing's guaranteed in pro sports, and Fletcher could be in a fight to crack the team's roster despite his veteran status. He was held to four yards on two carries in the opening half of Saturday's 23-7 exhibition loss to Ottawa before being replaced. Like most of his fellow vets, Fletcher isn't expected to play Friday night, when the teams meet again at TD Place. Stevie Scott, who spent most of last season on the practice roster, had three carries for 30 yards on Saturday. 'I've been here for three years ... and we have some young running backs,' Fletcher said. 'Stevie Scott has been playing well and they do a heck of a job of scouting as well. It crosses your mind at times, but I feel like I've put a lot of good things on tape. You have to make the best of your opportunities. I wish I could have done more in the run game last game. Even with those two carries, I could have been more patient or let things develop more. 'It's a strong competition. Nothing's guaranteed. Montreal's known for playing young guys,' added the 28-year-old. 'I know as a vet my job is never guaranteed. Every day, I have to prove myself and win this job.' Scott left Monday's practice with an injury and was fitted with a brace on his left knee, although it didn't prevent him from running on an auxiliary field. General manager Danny Maciocia believes Scott will be able to practise on Tuesday. 'We have another pre-season game,' Maciocia said. 'We're going to wait for that game to take place, come back on Saturday. Then we have a body of work with training camp, the first pre-season game. We also have data based on what we know from last year. We'll accumulate all that information and make a decision.' Another tailback in the mix who will play Friday is Travis Theis. He ran for 1,172 yards at the University of South Dakota last season while scoring 19 touchdowns and departed as the Coyotes' all-time leading rusher. Theis, 5-foot-11 and 215 pounds, joined the Als after attending rookie mini-camp with the Denver Broncos. Note — Starting quarterback Davis Alexander, who wasn't scheduled to play this week, left practice early with an injury to his left hamstring that isn't considered serious. This story was originally published May 26, 2025 at 2:35 PM.
