On a cold and rainy Saturday afternoon in Montreal, the Alouettes made their first appearance of 2025 by hosting the Ottawa Redblacks for a preseason contest.
This game won’t go in the history books, and neither will the Alouettes starters’ performance. Montreal lost 23-7, and the best part of the game ended up being a fan marriage proposal on the field.
Below are my thoughts on the game.
Shaky start for Alexander
There aren’t many legitimate battles at the Als’ camp, so the biggest story was Davis Alexander’s first steps as an anointed CFL starter. He wished he gave a better first impression to his fans, as he finished 11-for-18 passing for 69 yards in 30 minutes of action. During his time under centre, Montreal only managed to get four first downs.
“It was frustrating out there,” he said post-game. “These things happen. We’re a confident group. I know what we’re capable of; things just didn’t go our way. I will take the blame for it.”
Alexander missed Charleston Rambo on a throw that nearly sent him to the hospital. The receiver ran straight into the goalpost — his shoulder received the biggest impact, not his head, thankfully.
The quarterback also admitted to a missed deep throw to Rambo later in the quarter, which was one of the few passes he wanted back.
Alexander wasn’t concerned after the game, nor should fans be — at least not until June 6. The conditions got awful quickly; pouring rain started in the second quarter. Neither starting offence could get any rhythm. At halftime, the only points scored were from a punt return by Ottawa’s DeVonte Dedmon.
However, there are still major adjustments to be made offensively. Alexander saw the field relatively well but couldn’t connect with his receivers quickly enough. Walter Fletcher missed some blocks that led to more pressure on his quarterback.
The biggest question remains the biggest question
Last year as the season went on, there was an improvement in the offensive line’s general performance but not enough to say the unit was one of the team’s strengths.
It seems American Donny Ventrelli will get the nod at right guard, which would represent the only change from last season with guard Philippe Gagnon now in Saskatchewan.
The starting unit didn’t impress on Saturday afternoon, as Alexander faced a lot of pressure during his first drives. The starters allowed two sacks in the first half and took two holding penalties.
The biggest strength stays the biggest strength
It wasn’t a big surprise, but the starting defence stood up once again for the Als. They only played the first half, allowing no points to the Redblacks. The secondary had a strong outing, with many batted passes and tight coverage against Ottawa’s top receivers. Justin Hardy, Eugene Lewis and Bralon Addison couldn’t get any separation. Wesley Sutton and Marc-Antoine Dequoy also came close to intercepting Dru Brown.
“Our defence played shutout football,” head coach Jason Maas said post-game. “Anytime you’re doing that, it’s noticed. Our guys responded today. It’s good to see them play in midseason form.”
Najee Murray answers the bell
When Reggie Stubblefield signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, he left a big hole at the SAM linebacker position. Maciocia said back then that the solution could be Najee Murray. Since the beginning of camp, Murray has been playing in that position, and on Saturday, he erased most of the doubts people had about his effectiveness. His ball-tracking skills were on full display, and he offered tight coverage.
With his camp and performance on Saturday, he should be the SAM linebacker starter on June 6.
Byron Vaughns wins points, Jordan Veasy not a factor
My colleague JC Abbott selected four rookies to watch during the game, and two of them had opposite types of performances.
Projected defensive end starter Lwal Uguak didn’t dress, which left an opportunity for Byron Vaughns, who seized it. He constantly pressured Dru Brown and beat Ottawa’s left tackle multiple times. He will get a good grade for his performance and can still hope for a spot in the opening night lineup.
Jordan Veasy has been a standout at camp for the Als. At 29, he has a lot of experience and wants to prove his doubters wrong. However, with the Als’ depth at the position, it will be hard for him to crack the roster.
He didn’t have the game he was hoping for. He was only targeted once in the second half for 16 yards. He should have more opportunities next Friday in Ottawa, his last chance to impress the coaching staff.
The local hero gets his moment
Jonathan Senecal has been living a dream these past couple of weeks. Drafted in the seventh round out of Universite de Montreal, he saw the field for the first time in an Alouettes jersey in front of friends and family in the fourth quarter.
The roar when he stepped onto the field was probably the biggest of the entire game. He got a first down with his legs before seeing some of his five passes dropped by the receivers.
“The feeling was just unreal,” Senecal said. “Just to be able to walk on the field with this uniform means everything to me. There are a couple of reads that I missed; we will look at the tape, for sure. Overall, I’m just happy I got the opportunity to play. I wasn’t sure I was going to have some playing time, and I got chills when Maas called my name.”
Fans deserve some praise
The Alouettes usually make their fans vote for the player of the game, but considering the quality of Saturday’s contest, the crowd should take the award. Under rainy and cold conditions, fans stayed until the end, bringing some energy. We wouldn’t have seen this kind of crowd a couple of years ago, and it’s a good sign that fans will be numerous again in 2025.
What’s next?
The Montreal Alouettes will face the Ottawa Redblacks once again in the nation’s capital next Friday, May 30. The kickoff is scheduled at 7:30 p.m. EST.
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