Als’ GM Maciocia: 'We've got something special on our hands'
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The Montreal Alouettes’ win over the Edmonton Elks last Sunday was their fifth straight, bringing their record to 10-1 on the season.
Quarterback Cody Fajardo returned from a four-game absence and threw for 336 yards and two touchdowns in the victory. However, it was the defence that led the charge in the comeback victory, shutting out the Elks in the second half and allowing the offence to get into rhythm as the team overcame a 17-6 halftime deficit.
Edmonton reached the red zone twice late in the game with a chance to take the lead, including a first-down opportunity on the Als’ 12-yard line with 1:24 to go, but were unable to find the end zone.
“[The defence] just answers the bell when it's crunch time. We just find a way to close out games,” Alouettes general manager Danny Maciocia said Tuesday on TSN Radio. “We have no reservations about them being out there to close out games. We feel strongly about our defence.
“It speaks volumes about the coaching staff that we have and the adjustments we were able to make between series and at halftime, the way our players take the coaching, and how they're able to execute it.
“We've got something special on our hands”
Through 11 games, the Alouettes’ defence has held opponents to a league-best 21.09 points per game. The club can clinch a playoff berth this week, despite being on bye, if the Ottawa Redblacks defeat the BC Lions on Saturday night.
The Alouettes are 18-1 in their past 19 games, the most successful 19-game stretch in modern CFL history dating back to the beginning of the East-West schedule in 1961, according to TSN Football Insider Dave Naylor.
Maciocia says the run of success sounds good but the team is only focused on what lies ahead as they try to win back-to-back Grey Cups.
"That doesn't speak to me, that doesn't say anything to me. It sounds good, like we're doing something right. We're winning football games,” said Maciocia. “It's not a sales pitch, it's not a cliché, but we're looking to get better. Our focus next week lies on the BC Lions and trying to be 1-0. That's how we function here. We don't get too high, we don't get too low. We just try to live in the moment."
In addition to the return of Fajardo, the 2023 Grey Cup Most Valuable Player, the Alouettes also saw the return of wide receiver Austin Mack, who signed a four-year contract extension with the club on Tuesday after being released by the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons on Aug. 12.
Mack led the Als with 78 catches and 1,154 yards last season and caught three passes for 32 yards in his season debut against the Elks on Saturday.
The league-leading Alouettes cannot fall lower than third place in the East Division and can only miss the playoffs by way of a crossover. The team will return to the field on Sept. 6 as they host the Lions at Molson Stadium.