The Winnipeg Blue Bombers defeated the Montreal Alouettes by a score of 19-10 on Saturday afternoon in front of a sold-out crowd of 32,343 fans at Princess Auto Stadium. Below are my thoughts on the game.
Wilson gets his shot
Terry Wilson took the field following an early injury to Chris Streveler — more on that in a moment — and spent the rest of the afternoon at the controls of Winnipeg’s offence, completing 11-of-21 pass attempts for 79 yards and one interception, and rushing eight times for 30 yards and one touchdown.
The second-year quarterback threw a beautiful 22-yard pass to Jerreth Sterns on his first series, placing the ball accurately on a corner route to get Winnipeg into the red zone. He went back to Sterns on the following play and though the throw was a little high — forcing Sterns to expose his ribs to the defender — it was complete to secure a first down at Montreal’s three-yard line.
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Things mostly devolved from there. Wilson went back to Sterns again on the following play and the decision was good — the receiver was alone in the corner of the end zone — but Wilson badly under-threw the ball off his back foot, allowing Marc-Antoine Dequoy to make an easy interception.
Wilson was almost intercepted again by Dequoy before the first quarter was over. Late in the second quarter, Wilson fired the ball to the wide side of the field where it bounced off the chest of defensive back Kabion Ento. Had the defender made the interception, he would have almost certainly returned it for a touchdown.
Wilson led his first touchdown drive moments before halftime and needed only 19 yards thanks to a takeaway from his team’s defence. Most of the yardage was covered by a 14-yard scramble from Wilson on second-and-six, then he ran the ball in himself on a third crack from Montreal’s one-yard line.
Though he did a better job of protecting the football in the second half, Wilson was also unable to generate much production. Arguably his best throw of the game came on a corner route to Gavin Cobb with five minutes left in the game, though the receiver was unable to hang onto the ball. Montreal was initially flagged for pass interference, though the penalty was overturned.
If you go back and watch the Cobb drop, Wilson had a wide open receiver in front of him on a drag route that would have gone for a first down. It’s tough to criticize the play since Wilson threw such a good ball to Cobb, but sometimes it’s better to take the simpler throw.
The most positive part of Wilson’s performance was his elusiveness. The 27-year-old is relatively fast for a quarterback — he ran a 4.59-second forty-yard dash at his pro day in 2022 — and repeatedly made Alouettes defenders miss, which was helpful given how much pressure he faced from Montreal’s defensive front.
On the whole, however, this wasn’t the type of performance that will lead to a quarterback controversy in Bomberland. Wilson, a pending free agent, will probably be viewed as nothing more than a third-stringer whether he signs back with the Blue Bombers or ends up elsewhere in the CFL.
Holm is where the heart is
Evan Holm received Winnipeg’s nomination for Most Outstanding Defensive Player earlier this week and he lived up to that billing on Saturday.
The veteran defensive back made a nice knockdown on an early pass intended for Alexander Hollins, though his best play came late in the second quarter when he ripped the ball from Tyson Philpot, who scored the game-winning touchdown in the Grey Cup two years ago. The loose ball bounced along the turf before being recovered by Cam Allen, who returned it 42 yards into the red zone.
Holm got a handsome raise this past offseason and is set to become a free-agent again in February. Based on his performance this year, he’s due for another raise.
It was a good day overall for Winnipeg’s defence, though the Alouettes elected not to play franchise quarterback Davis Alexander (more on that in a moment).
The Blue Bombers allowed 10 points, 236 yards of net offence, and forced four takeaways, including an incredible interception from linebacker Tony Jones.
As for Alexander, he told the media this week that he’d been told he’d play the whole game, a sentiment echoed by head coach Jason Maas.
It’s unclear what changed — it may have been gamesmanship or Maas may simply have changed his mind — regardless, it was disappointing not to see Alexander on the field. There’s a reason he was named Montreal’s candidate for Most Outstanding Player despite starting only seven games this year.
Going down
Chris Streveler got the start for Winnipeg but threw only two pass attempts before leaving the game after suffering what appeared to be a non-contact lower-body injury. He left the field with assistance and received attention in the injury tent before heading to the locker room putting little if any weight on one of his legs.
Let’s address the elephant in the room: fans in Winnipeg have been clamouring to see Terry Wilson for weeks, particularly since Streveler’s miserable performance against the Ottawa Redblacks last month. However, it stinks that Streveler was forced to leave the game due to what appears to be a serious injury.
Nobody would say that Streveler’s played very well this season but he works his tail off, is the quintessential team player, and always makes time for the media. I’d hate to think him limping off the field in pain is the last image we’ll have of him in the CFL.
Pass rush
The Blue Bombers rested veteran defensive ends Willie Jefferson and James Vaughters, giving newcomers Kydran Jenkins and Matt Jaworski a chance to start. Both players joined the team earlier this month following collegiate careers at Purdue and Fordham, respectively, and remain young — Jenkins turned 23 during the summertime, while Jaworski will turn 23 in December.
Jenkins flashed first, beating right tackle Tiger Shanks for a sack in the fourth quarter. He also made a nice play near the start of the third quarter when he attacked with power, then whipped around to catch McLeod Bethel-Thompson from behind after he fled the pocket. The rookie defender wasn’t credited with a sack because Bethel-Thompson managed to get the ball away, though it fell incomplete. He had another two pressures on Montreal’s final drive, helping force a turnover on downs.
Jaworski also registered a sack in the fourth quarter, though it came after Jake Thomas got the initial pressure that forced Bethel-Thompson to step up in the pocket. The six-foot-five, 260-pound defender made a more impressive play when the Alouettes gambled on third down deep in their own territory, spinning off left tackle Des Holmes to crush Bethel-Thompson as he tried to leave the pocket, forcing a turnover on downs.
Kemari Munier-Bailey, the second overall pick in the 2025 CFL Global Draft, saw the field a fair amount and generated a nice pressure late in the second quarter that forced McLeod Bethel-Thompson to throw an errant pass, which ended a Montreal drive. He also came close to blocking a punt in the fourth quarter.
Winnipeg demoted defensive end Jay Person to the practice roster this week, which was somewhat of a surprise. The rookie dressed for 13 regular-season games this year in a depth role, recording four defensive tackles, one sack, and one touchdown. One would think that if the Blue Bombers were really high on Person, he would have started this week — not been removed from the roster altogether.
As long as Jordan Younger is in charge of Winnipeg’s defence, the unit will always be at or near the bottom of the league in sacks. The former defensive back often rushes only three players and drops nine into coverage, forcing the opposing quarterback to navigate tight windows downfield. It’s a good scheme — the Blue Bombers will finish the season ranked first in offensive points allowed — but it’s not one that generates a lot of pressure.
Resting up
If you needed a program to keep track of Winnipeg’s players on Saturday, nobody would blame you. The team sat eight key starters, including Zach Collaros, Brady Oliveira, Ontaria Wilson, Stanley Bryant, Willie Jefferson, James Vaughters, Redha Kramdi, and Trey Vaval, leaving plenty of opportunity for less-proven options to enter the lineup.
Matthew Peterson ran 17 times for 80 yards in place of Oliveira, though he lost a fumble late in the third quarter when he was stripped by Geoffrey Cantin-Arku. Michael Chris-Ike, who has vastly improved as a fullback this season, took over at running back late in the game and recorded the play of the day, breaking through the line for a 65-yard run in the fourth quarter.
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Cam Echols made two catches for nine yards in place of Wilson, though he didn’t have many opportunities to make plays. The 30-year-old journeyman was open deep down the field early in the second quarter but the ball was under-thrown, allowing Dionté Ruffin to knock the pass away.
Missed kicks
Sergio Castillo had a less-than-stellar day kicking the ball, finishing the game four-of-six on field goal attempts, though two of his misses came from long range.
The veteran specialist saw a 58-yard attempt fall short of the uprights late in the first quarter, which was a surprise given that he had a solid breeze at his back. Castillo has made multiple field goals from 60 yards or more during his tenure in Winnipeg, so we know he has the leg to hit from that type of distance.
Castillo also doinked a 50-yard attempt off the uprights late in the third quarter, which was kicked against the wind.
The 34-year-old has finished the season 48-of-56 (85.7 percent) on his field goal attempts — a solid number considering how frequently he was asked to kick from long distances.
Playoff picture
With the win, the playoff picture has become simple for the Blue Bombers.
If the B.C. Lions beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Saturday night, Winnipeg will visit the Montreal Alouettes in next week’s East Semi-Final. If the Lions lose to the Roughriders, the Blue Bombers will visit the Calgary Stampeders in next week’s West Semi-Final.
Honestly, it’s tough to say which option would be more advantageous for Winnipeg. The team lost to Calgary three times over the first ten weeks of the season, though the Stampeders weren’t as sharp of the second half of the year. The Blue Bombers swept two meetings against Montreal, though the Alouettes didn’t have Davis Alexander in the starting lineup for either game.
Sold out
The Blue Bombers succeeded in selling out the entire 2025 regular-season, something they’d never previously done in franchise history. I believe this is also the first time a CFL team has sold out its entire season with stadium capacity of 30,000 or more, though this remains unconfirmed.
This topic has already been discussed at length, so there’s no reason to belabour the point. Needless to say, it’s a tremendous accomplishment for the team and its staff.
There was some chatter online about the prevalence of empty seats at Princess Auto Stadium on Saturday and I’d suggest there were more than normal — particularly in some sections of the upper level on the east side, which had decent bald spots — but the concourses were as loaded as ever.
Winning ways
Saturday’s matchup felt like a preseason game and the result didn’t particularly matter, though one thing Winnipeg’s victory accomplished was clinching a nine-straight winning season, which is unofficially a new franchise record.
Mother Nature
Many people in Manitoba are unaware of this, but most places in the world have a season between summer and winter, which is generally referred to as “fall.”
We tend to skip fall on the prairies but Saturday was as beautiful as one could reasonably expect at this time of year. The sun was shining, there was a crisp northward breeze, it was 13 degrees at kickoff, and the temperature rose gently to 16 degrees by the fourth quarter.
With the Grey Cup still three weeks away, it seems highly unlikely that this weather will hold out that long. Knock on wood, but here’s hoping it’s not 30 degrees colder the next time CFL football is played at Princess Auto Stadium.
Honoured
The Blue Bombers announced during the first quarter that Carol Barrott will be the recipient of this year’s Jane Mawby Tribute Award, which is recognizes a “highly-valued, yet too often unsung, current employee at the club or league level.”
Barrott has worked for the team for 20 years, currently serving as an account executive in ticketing and fan services, though she has been a season ticket holder since 1970. If you’ve ever called the Blue Bombers or visited the team store, you’ve probably encountered Barrott and noticed how kind and hard-working she is. She’s the perfect fit for this award.
Next up
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers (10-8) will visit either the Montreal Alouettes in the East Semi-Final or the Calgary Stampeders (11-7) in the West Semi-Final on Saturday, November 1.
If the Blue Bombers head east, it will mark the first time they’re the CFL’s crossover team, though the club spent 21 seasons over three separate stints in the East Division, so it’s hardly unprecedented for them to try to reach the Grey Cup on that half of the bracket.
Regardless of where Winnipeg ends up playing, be sure to stay tuned to 3DownNation for all the latest of the CFL as we head into the playoffs.
