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Struggling Davis Alexander's three picks, along with Als' first red-zone fumble in 23 games, end hopes for second CFL title in three years.
Published Nov 17, 2025 • Last updated 10 minutes ago • 4 minute read
Alouettes' Stevie Scott III is upended by Saskatchewan Roughriders' Micah Johnson during first half at the Grey Cup in Winnipeg on Sunday night.
Alouettes' Stevie Scott III is upended by Saskatchewan Roughriders' Micah Johnson during first half at the Grey Cup in Winnipeg on Sunday night. Photo by DARRYL DYCK /THE CANADIAN PRESS
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The Alouettes kicked too many field goals this season and didn’t score enough touchdowns.
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But despite their inability to find the end zone at times, the one thing they never did was turn the ball over when they were in the red zone — until fewer than three minutes remained in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s Grey Cup game against Saskatchewan with Montreal trailing by eight points.
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Faced with second and two at the Roughriders’ three-yard line, head coach Jason Maas inserted short-yardage quarterback Shea Patterson into the game. The normally reliable Patterson, who scored on a one-yard run in the first quarter, fumbled after being hit by Tevaughn Campbell. The ball was recovered in the end zone by Marcus Sayles.
That was as close as the Als would come to potentially tying the game in a 25-17 loss at Winnipeg’s Princess Auto Stadium. Montreal was denied its second Grey Cup in three seasons and the ninth in franchise history.
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“It’s the first time our offence has turned over the ball in the red zone all year,” Maas told the media in Winnipeg Sunday night. “That’s 23 games (including exhibitions) we’ve never turned the ball over … and we do it on second-and-two from the three-yard line. I never saw that coming. The expectation was to get the first down and score, go for the two-point (convert) and tie it up. That was the whole expectation.
“What do you tell (Patterson)? We’re not afraid to say it — we need to win the turnover margin every week. We know when we do that, we win. The last two playoff games we’ve lost, I think we’re minus-nine in the turnover margin. Yet both those games came down to last plays. I know that’s how strong our team is but … you can’t turn over the ball. I know (Patterson) will feel bad about it. I told him, ‘keep your head up’ because there was still game left. Even though that happened, we could have got a stop, went down there and scored and tied it back up. You’ve got to keep playing. I know it’ll be tough on him. You’ve got six months to think about it. It happened.”
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The Als committed six turnovers — including a failed two-point convert that was intercepted — during their 2024 East Division final loss at home against Toronto. Maas implored his players to ‘chin-it’ this season so that wouldn’t happen again. Patterson, who signed with Montreal on Aug. 19 after injuries to Davis Alexander, McLeod Bethel-Thompson and Caleb Evans, obviously didn’t get the memo.
So many things could have gone the Als’ way during the game, but didn’t.
Cornerback Kabion Ento dropped an early interception that would have been returned for a touchdown. Montreal had to settle for a 23-yard Jose Maltos field goal midway through the fourth quarter when it failed to score a touchdown from the Saskatchewan 10.
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Alouettes quarterback Davis Alexander is pursued by Roughriders' Tyrell Richards during second half of Grey Cup, in Winnipeg on Sunday night.
Alouettes quarterback Davis Alexander is pursued by Roughriders’ Tyrell Richards during second half of Grey Cup, in Winnipeg on Sunday night. Photo by DARRYL DYCK /THE CANADIAN PRESS
But the biggest factor working against the Als was Alexander’s health. He lost for the first time in 14 starts. And Montreal could have won had his left hamstring been 100 per cent.
“He battled. I’ll tell you that much,” Maas said. “He gave everything he had until the very end. That’s what I’m proud of. I know it was a tough week to prepare to even play. He put it all on the line. He’ll get better from this game; there’s no doubt in my mind. I can’t imagine the amount of work he’ll put in this off-season to be at his best for training camp next year.
“This is just one of those games. It’s not going to define him. It’s going to make him better.”
While Alexander completed 22 of 34 passes for 284 yards, he was intercepted three times for the first time in his career. He clearly wasn’t at his best — underthrowing open receivers — and was reluctant to run until late in the first half, when he had a 10-yard rush. He didn’t run again until the Als’ final possession in the last minute of regulation time. After his four-yard gain, he grabbed the back of his left leg.
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“I didn’t play well enough to win this game,” Alexander said in Winnipeg. “I did a couple of things I didn’t do during the year. I turned the ball over three times. When you get outplayed at the quarterback position, you put your team in a deficit right away. Our guys battled out there. Our guys battled for me. They kept me in it. They gave us a chance.
“Ultimately, I have to do better for this organization in the biggest moment of my life. In the biggest game of my life.”
While the Als turned the ball over four times, they needed a big play from their defence to change the tide, but didn’t get it. Quarterback Trevor Harris, the game’s most valuable player, passed for 302 yards and wasn’t sacked. Receiver Sam Emilus, a Montreal native, caught 10 passes for 108 yards and was named the outstanding Canadian. Tailback A.J. Ouellette gained 83 yards on 17 carries — 54 alone in the first half. The Riders scored 24 unanswered points through the second and third quarters.
hzurkowsky@postmedia.com
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[Shea Patterson (#7) of the Montreal Alouettes fumbles the ball at the goal line in the 112th Grey Cup, between the Alouettes and Saskatchewan Roughriders at Winnipeg's Princess Auto Stadium on November 16, 2025.
Zurkowsky: Shea Patterson's late-game fumble ends Alouettes' Grey Cup hopes against Saskatchewan](https://montrealgazette.com/sports/football/montreal-alouettes/montreal-alouettes-2025-grey-cup)
2. [Alouettes head coach Marc Trestman hoists Grey Cup during celebration with his players after the team's victory parade in Montreal on Dec. 1, 2010.
Inside the CFL: Alouettes, Riders have rich history of Grey Cup thrillers](https://montrealgazette.com/sports/football/montreal-alouettes/inside-the-cfl-former-als-head-coach-trestman-reflects-on-two-memorable-grey-cup-wins-against-saskatchewan)
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