Fajardo Leads Montreal Comeback, Takes Down Edmonton

Quarterback Cody Fajardo’s return to the Montreal Alouettes lineup paid off as they came back from 11 down to beat the Edmonton Elks on Sunday night.

Jun 14, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Montreal Alouettes quarterback Cody Fajardo (7) throws a pass during the first half against the Edmonton Elks at Commonwealth Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports / Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

The anticipated return of quarterback Cody Fajardo came to a head as the Montreal Alouettes signal caller led a comeback to lift his team to a 21-17 victory over the Edmonton Elks on Sunday night.

Fajardo finished with 334 yards and two touchdowns to one interception, with both majors going to Cole Spieker, who had 107 receiving yards. Montreal scored two touchdowns in the red zone, while Edmonton failed to score a major within 20 yards of the end zone. The defense held its own, allowing 329 yards of offense and only 200 yards passing.

Edmonton quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson started in place of Tre Ford as he threw two touchdowns with no interceptions. Running back Kevin Brown’s return was one of his best games of the season with 105 yards rushing on 16 carries. The Elks failed to score any points in the second half.

The Alouettes improve to 10-1 on the season and maintain the best record in the CFL. Edmonton’s record drops to 3-8.

3 Takeaways from Montreal’s Comeback Win

Fajardo Returns to Form

Nov 19, 2023; Hamilton, Ontario, CAN; Montreal Alouettes quarterback Cody Fajardo (7) against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers during the second quarter of the 110th Grey Cup game at Tim Hortons Field. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports / John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

CFL fans were happy to see Fajardo return to the field as he completed 65% of his passes and threw for over 300 yards. After the opening drive, Montreal had a slow rest of the half, but Fajardo picked it up in the second half with some strong throws and great poise in the pocket. The Alouettes always find ways to win, but it helps when their star quarterback looks like the best quarterback in the CFL.

Edmonton’s Second-Half Collapse

Jun 14, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Elks defensive back Loucheiz Purifoy (0) knocks down a pass intended for Montreal Alouettes wide receiver Kaion Julien-Grant (11) during the first half at Commonwealth Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports / Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

After a promising start to the first half, the Elks fell apart, starting with three straight two-and-outs and Boris Bede missing a 41-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. The offense never got back into the flow of the game despite the defense putting up an impressive performance against the high-flying Alouettes offense. This was a much different-looking Elks offense without Ford at quarterback, even if the running game was still solid for Edmonton.

How Much Blame is On Bethel-Thompson for Loss?

Jun 14, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Elks quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson (10) throws a pass during the first half against the Montreal Alouettes at Commonwealth Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports / Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

Plenty of miscues and missed opportunities from Edmonton could have put the team in a position to pull off the upset. Bethel-Thompson doesn’t deserve all the blame for the loss, but he didn’t put the Elks in a position to win in the second half, either. That’s been the problem all season with Bethel-Thompson starting. The losses aren’t on him, but part of the quarterback’s job is to set the team up to win, and that hasn’t happened for a good portion of the year.

Up Next

Edmonton Elks at Calgary Stampeders (Monday, Sept. 2 at 6:00 pm EST)

BC Lions at Montreal Alouettes (Friday, Sept. 6 at 7:30 pm EST)

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