Ticats respect top-rated Alouettes defence but have confidence in their own attack

Combining 10 different metrics, the CFL ranked the Montréal Alouettes’ defence as the best in the entire league over the regular season.

A couple of other teams might have a little something to say about that, but there is no doubt that the Als’ defence is not only good, they’re creatively schemed by coordinator Noel Thorpe, one of the best defensive minds in the Canadian game.

On the cusp of the Eastern Final here Saturday afternoon that Als’ strength, of course, is somewhat mitigated by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats possessing one of the most dangerous offences in the league—with Most Outstanding Player finalist Bo Levi Mitchell leading the CFL in passing yardage and running back Greg Bell surging into prominence over the final seven weeks. That rise started graphically when the Ticats beat the Alouettes 26-9 at Molson Stadium on an annoyingly drizzly Sept. 6 afternoon when Bell rushed for a career-high 156 yards on 20 carries and caught five short passes for another 34 yards.

The Alouettes placed five All-CFL East players on defence although just one—linebacker Tyrice Beverette, last season’s most outstanding defensive player in the East—advanced to win the all-league vote-off.

He and Darnell Sankey, who had 101 tackles and four sacks, are rock-hard in the middle tier of the Alouettes’ defence.

The Als tied for the league lead in sacks, were the best at limiting 30-plus-yard plays, held opposition offences to the fewest yards per game, and tied for the top spot in forcing fumbles with their pursuit to the ball. They are, in short, a force to be reckoned with.

“I think they’ve got a lot of great players on their team,” acknowledges Ticats’ All-CFL left guard Brandon Revenberg, the fourth-time finalist for the league’s top offensive lineman award.

“It’s a vicious defence. They try to bring pressure, they’ll get at it. There’s a lot of mix and match in what they can do for sure.

“The way their defence operates, they’re doing some pressures that I don’t think other teams necessarily are, the way their defence operates. It’s definitely something different and you have to game-plan differently for it.”

But, as the oft-repeated Hamilton motto goes, the Ticats concentrate far more on what they’re trying to do than on the ability the opposing team brings to the table, no matter how impressive.

“They have some star-studded players out there for sure but I think it’s just a matter of trying to pick it up,” Revenberg continued. “A lot of focus has to be on self. You have to be in the right mindset, you have to be prepared and you have to know what you’re going to do and you have to play to the best of your abilities.

“In saying that, you also have to watch film on your opponent too, to know what they’re going to do, how to react to it, how to pick it up. So, I think it’s a delicate balance between the two.”

Collectively, the Als are among the most sure-tackling defences in the league and they’ve got notables like Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund (11 sacks), Dylan Wynn, safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy, defensive backs Wesley Sutton and Kabion Ento, who’ve had experience, and success (2023 Grey Cup) together. And that’s without Mustafa Johnson who missed Montréal’s 42-33 semi-final victory over Winnipeg in last weekend.

“A great defence,” Bell says. “They move around a lot, try to confuse you. They’re a good group all around, good tacklers. They’re definitely physical. I’ve just got to make sure I’m maneuvering my body in different ways so they’re not getting clean shots on me and I should be fine.”

Establishing the run with Bell, and advertising that Mitchell is ready to take off himself if needed, are among the keys to keeping the Montréal defence manageable. And of course Revenberg and his linemates have to protect the quarterback long enough for Mitchell to find a receiving corps which can make life miserable for opposing secondaries when it’s clicking.

“I see a defence that is well-coached,” says No.1 Ticat receiver Kenny Lawler. “They’re good tacklers. they have a lot of takeaways. They’re strong to the ball, they’re fast to the ball.”

Lawler was targeted 18 times in the two wins over Montreal and had only four receptions in each game but those were worth 79 important yards in the September victory. In both games against the Als, Mitchell leaned on the run because that’s what was available: in the first game, which Bell missed with injury, Johnny Augustine stepped up to rush for 49 yards and take three passes for another 63 yards.

“Noel is a smart guy,” Bo Levi Mitchell says of the Als’ defensive coordinator. “He’s been in the league for so long and has had so many successes. He’s had a lot of those guys in that room for a while; they all understand the way he thinks. He’s done a great job of the chess match, which is all those formations of personnel and what they want to do versus what we want to do.”

Just that back and forth.

“Obviously we’ve done a great job the last couple of times in terms of being able to run the football, being able to be smart with the football. That’s the formula of any playoff football, and weather. Do what you have to do to keep the ball out of their hands. The last time we played them, it was pouring rain so it was going to be a turnover thing. We made sure we kept the ball out of their hands, our defence went and got the ball, so it helps create wins.

“Be prepared for anything, but we’re going to go out there and attack and play great football.”

The summary: Be ready for surprises, establish the run, take what the defence advertises it’s going to give you, then find Lawler, or Tim White or Kiondré Smith or Shemar Bridges or Tyler Ternowski or Brendan O’Leary-Orange or Jevoni Robinson when they are what that defence is giving you. And do it for 60 minutes against a relentless, physical defence which has lots of big-game experience.

“It’s playoff ball so the intensity picks up,” says O’Leary-Orange, who relishes the prospect of a very physical afternoon. “We’ll just have to come out there and play our best game. Try not to think about it any differently than any other game and try to trust the process and keep it the same.”