Alouettes' Maas excited for back-to-back vs. Argos: 'We have to win'

The Montreal Alouettes suffered a disappointing 34-25 loss to the BC Lions on Saturday - where they turned the ball over twice and settled for three field goal tries in the red zone. 

Now the Als have to prepare for two straight games against the top team in the CFL, the Toronto Argonauts, in the next two weeks.  

Alouettes head coach Jason Maas joined The Morning Show on TSN690 on Wednesday to discuss the loss and the crucial upcoming doubleheader.

"The frustration is with turning the ball over in the red zone personally for me because those are opportunities you cannot let go," said Maas. "We've won a game without scoring [an offensive] touchdown, David Cote kicked six field goals for us and we won the game."

The Alouettes beat the Calgary Stampeders 25-18 on July 30, when Kabion Ento scored a defensive touchdown on a 50-yard interception return and Cote kicked six field goals. Maas is confident the team can win games like that as long as they don't make costly mistakes in the red zone. 

"This year we've been bit a number of times. We've thrown interceptions, we've missed a couple of close kicks," said Maas. "We're not going to make all of them but those errors always seem to catch up with us in a tie game."

"I place blame on us [the coaches] first because we're the ones coming up with the plays," he said. "But then it does come down to execution ... we need make sure that the players are doing their jobs as well."

The Alouettes outgained the Lions offensively on Saturday, 533 yards against just 428 for BC, but turnovers and lack of red zone scoring were the deciding factors. 

To make matters worse, the Alouettes now visit the 9-1 Argonauts on Saturday, Sept. 9 for the first game in a doubleheader with major playoff implications in the East Division. 

"Their ability to win, their ability to score points, ability to shut down the other team - they're an all-three phase team, they're playing well in all phases," said Maas. 

"You have to be at your best to beat them and that's what we're setting out to do."

Toronto topped Montreal 35-27 earlier this season, with the Alouettes committing three turnovers in the loss. The Argonauts will take the season series and hold the head-to-head tiebreaker for playoff qualification purposes if they win either game of the upcoming doubleheader. 

"We're one and two in the standings [in the East Division], and in order to go up, we have to win," said Maas. 

 "Very excited about this one, I think all of our guys are itching for the opportunity, but we have to focus on what [we're doing] today: and that's getting better."  

 Maas knows the team is in a good spot right now - they're two games up on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for the second spot in the East - but he's focused on correcting the issues holding the team back from reaching that next tier in the CFL.

"We are a good football team, and that's the last step towards making us great: scoring in the f***ing red zone - pardon my French," he said. "We're going to start scoring in the red zone and that will turn the tides in these close games."