Follow the Eastern final between the Argonauts and the Alouettes on Saturday at 3 p.m. with RDS and RDS.ca.
Pre-match Argonauts v. Larks
MONTREAL – With the powerful offense of the Toronto Argonauts arriving in Montreal for the Eastern final, all scenarios must be considered by the Alouettes including having to turn to Davis Alexander during the game.
Of course, this is not the plan desired by the coaches of the Montreal club. After all, Cody Fajardo has had some very solid performances at the helm of the offense this season.
Fajardo also led CFL starters in pass completion percentage (73.6%). His touchdown to interception ratio (16 to 7) is also among the elite.
That said, the veteran did not display the same confidence upon returning from his injury. Consequently, the Montreal unit was not able to maintain the desired pace throughout the season, which somewhat eroded the confidence of certain fans even though the Alouettes led the CFL with a 12- 5-1.
Last year, the context was very different. The defense orchestrated an irresistible push by the Alouettes at the end of the year and Fajardo especially had to shine during the Gray Cup.
This time, to reach the consecration match in Vancouver, we presume that Fajardo will have to be able to respond to the Argos’ blows.
Even if we suspected that head coach Jason Maas was not going to like being asked this question, it was legitimate. “In the event that the Argonauts took a sizable lead and your offense wasn’t clicking, how much patience would you have with Fajardo? »
“Such a decision will always be made according to my impression during the game. Cody is a very solid quarterback in big games, he has a lot of experience on that side. His performances haven’t always been great, but I have great confidence in him and our team as well. If we were to make a change, I am also very confident in Davis. Cody is our man and we would like him to continue to lead us to the next step,” replied Maas, who has probably already thought about this possibility.
In order to avoid an offensive slump against Toronto, Fajardo spared no time. He even watched the Rouge et Noir’s three games against Toronto as Ottawa amassed 41, 31 and 38 points against the Argos.
“But football is a fascinating sport because the styles of the teams influence the shape of the games,” he recalled.
“Our mentality is different, we are a physical team that likes to control the ball and score when it is necessary. We have a very good defense and the same goes for the special teams. We’ve never been involved in a game where we have to score 50 or 60 points. In short, it’s difficult to compare apples and oranges. We can still draw inspiration from certain things accomplished by Ottawa except that their attack is completely different from ours,” said Fajardo.
While the interviews were being conducted, Davis Alexander did not leave the field. He took the opportunity to get more reps.
Alexander is aware that reality has changed since the 2023 East Final. With his inspired performances, he has proven to coaches that he can be an attractive option if the offense stagnates. But he assures that his preparation remains the same.
« Same old, same oldhe noted to say that he maintains his good habits.
“I’m trying to help Cody, Coach Maas and Coach (Anthony) Calvillo the best way I can. Whether by instilling energy or through strategic commentary. Of course, I will be ready for the match having understood the plan,” continued the number 10.
Alexander doesn’t plan so much for an emergency replacement since he doesn’t imagine his defense allowing 58 points (like Ottawa’s) to the Argonauts.
“Our defense has often proven that it is the best. Our special units are doing a very good job too and I think they have reached their optimal altitude, which is good to see,” said Alexander.
“In attack, we find a balance between not forcing things too much and remaining an explosive unit. We will face a big attack so we know that we will have to respond at a certain point,” explained the right-hander who could become a free agent during the off-season.
As for the argument, often heard, that the brilliance of the defense alleviates the pressure on the attack, he made this point.
“Yeah, but you don’t want to rely on that because your defense can end up spending 40 minutes on the field. We must protect them by doing our job,” said Alexander.
It’s hard to forget that Fajardo’s performance took off last year from his fiery speech in the run-up to the Gray Cup. He will surely get back into this state of mind, a week earlier, to eliminate Toronto for a second consecutive year.
