Resilient Montreal Alouettes Force 19-19 Tie Against Calgary Stampeders
The 2024 CFL season has been wild, but it rose to a whole new level with the league's second tie of the season. The Montreal Alouettes and the Calgary Stampeders finished deadlocked at 19-19 on Saturday night.
Montreal's offense looked slow throughout the contest for the second straight week, averaging only 292 yards. Cody Fajardo threw for 204 yards, while his running back Walter Fletcher had 90 yards on the ground, 55 of which came on one run. Kicker Jose Maltos was the game star as he hit clutch kick after clutch kick, finishing 4-of-4 in field goals with a long of 53 yards.
Calgary built a 10-point lead in the first quarter and had shots at putting the game away. Back-to-back 15-yard penalties on the final offensive drive forced a tough 52-yard field goal for Rene Paredes, who missed for the second time of the night. This led to Maltos hitting his field goal to force overtime. Multiple drop passes in overtime didn't help Calgary as the team was forced to hit two field goals.
The Alouettes held strong, picking up a point in the standings to stay in the lead for the East Division at 10-2-1. Calgary inches closer to Edmonton in the West standings, as the Stampeders are 4-8-1. This is the first time there has been more than one tie in a CFL season since 2007.
3 Takeaways from Montreal-Calgary Tie
1. Bigger Trouble in Little Montreal
The last two games have been scary for Montreal, as the offense looks like a different unit. Injuries to Austin Mack and Tyson Philpot have damaged the consistency of the passing game, but they have also hurt the big-play potential, with Charleston Rambo being the only one with that trait. Fajardo hasn't looked bad, but the offense cannot move the ball down the field like it could at the beginning of the season. Who is going to step up at receiver to give Fajardo the number-one man he is missing?
2. Dedrick Mills Returns to Form
it was a nice return to form for Dedrick Mills, who didn't play for over a month in August, as he finished with 122 yards on 21 carries, which is his second-best performance of the season. More was asked of Mills as the quarterback position has been a struggle, and he answered the call. As Calgary tries to get back into the playoff picture, he will continue to pick up more production. The Stampeders are better with a consistent run game.
3. Both Defenses Carried Their Teams
It's good to see both defenses bounce back after awful showings a week ago. Both Calgary and Montreal's offenses were penalized, which helped and hurt the defensive units. Each defense had two fumble recoveries, and Calgary sacked Fajardo three times. Neither offense was able to convert more than 50% of their second downs. Getting the tie only shows that the defense was on the main stage for the game and each earned the point in the standings.
Up Next
Saskatchewan Roughriders at Calgary Stampeders (Friday, Sept. 20 at 9:30 pm EST)
Montreal Alouettes at Ottawa Redblacks (Saturday, Sept. 21 at 3:00 pm EST)
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ANTHONY MILLER