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“Never in my wildest dreams did I think we’d be in this predicament,” GM Danny Maciocia says of potentially missing 11 starters when Montreal hosts Winnipeg on Thursday night.
Author of the article:
Montreal Gazette
Montreal Gazette
Herb Zurkowsky
Published Aug 19, 2025 • Last updated 15 minutes ago • 3 minute read
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Montreal Alouettes quarterback James Morgan takes a snap during the first half against the B.C. Lions in Vancouver on Aug. 16, 2025. Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press
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Down to their fourth quarterback and potentially missing as many as 11 starters this week, things look bleak for the Alouettes.
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Nonetheless, general manager Danny Maciocia isn’t seeking any sympathy and knows none will be forthcoming from the team’s opponents. With injuries mounting, Maciocia said 68 players have dressed at least once this season.
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“Never in my wildest dreams did I think we’d be in this predicament when it comes to injuries,” Maciocia said Tuesday morning. “At the end of the day, this is the predicament we’re in.
“We’re not going to look for any excuses to get out of this,” he continued. “We’re not going to feel sorry for ourselves. We’re not going to sit there and say, ‘poor us’ and we can justify losing the last three because we’re down to our fourth quarterback. This team isn’t built on excuses. We just have to find solutions and we’re in a solution mode right now (not) a feel-sorry mode.”
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If it’s not bad enough that the Als (5-5) have lost three consecutive games — yet remain second in the East Division, four points ahead of Ottawa and six clear of Toronto — they have to prepare for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Thursday night at Molson Stadium on a short week after falling to B.C. Saturday night.
While the Bombers (5-4) are third in the West Division, they’ve encountered difficulties protecting leads. That might work in Montreal’s favour, as the team has generally played from behind of late. Winnipeg is 1-3 on the road.
The Als held only one outdoor practice last week before flying to Vancouver and conducted their only workout this week on Tuesday at Stade Hébert.
Montreal Alouettes quarterback Caleb Evans sits on the sideline after suffering a season-ending torn ACL during the first half against the B.C. Lions in Vancouver on Aug. 16, 2025.
James Morgan will start at quarterback for the Als and is the fourth player they’ve used this season at the position. He replaced Caleb Evans (knee) in the second quarter against B.C. Evans was replacing McLeod Bethel-Thompson (elbow), who was replacing original starter Davis Alexander (hamstring). The team said Tuesday that Evans suffered a season-ending torn ACL against the Lions. It marks the second consecutive year he’s suffered a serious knee injury.
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While there’s no timetable for Alexander’s return, Maciocia said the first-string pivot will be back this season. Former Toronto quarterback Cameron Dukes was signed last week and the Als on Tuesday announced the signing of QB Shea Patterson, who spent two seasons with Saskatchewan, but began his CFL career with Montreal in 2021, dressing for six games.
At this point, the Als must hope most, if not all, of their starters return later in the season, providing them with their strongest possible roster heading into the playoffs — assuming Montreal qualifies.
Facing adversity is nothing new for Maciocia, who was uncertain the Als would field a team in 2023 after the league temporarily assumed ownership of the franchise and the GM had limited funds at his disposal to sign free agents. That led to an exodus of players, including quarterback Trevor Harris to Saskatchewan. Harris was the Als’ starter in 2022.
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“Some people want to look at this as a challenge,” Maciocia said. “Some people want to look at this as an opportunity. We’re only going to get out of this if we collectively push together and see it through until some of our other players come back. You can easily fall into the feel-sorry state or you can say this is a challenge and an opportunity.
“With a little bit of adversity, we’re going to learn a lot about ourselves, personally and professionally, how we manage all this. When fatigue sets in and this is happening to you, you lose sight of certain things. This is a great opportunity for us. Tough times don’t last and good times don’t last.”
While the Als have 24 sacks — second in the league — the defence is starting to show flaws as it spends more time on the field because of an ineffective offence. The Als have allowed 25 offensive touchdowns compared with Calgary’s league-low 13.
“Overall, our defence has played fairly well,” Maciocia said. “We need to help our defence by having our offence stay on the field. We can’t have too many two-and-outs. We have to sustain drives and keep them off the field.”
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