The previous time the Alouettes lost a football game, they completed their season with an eight-match winning streak, including the playoffs and Grey Cup.
Of course, that was with a healthy Cody Fajardo, Montreal’s starting quarterback.
Following five consecutive victories this season, the Als lost for the first time since last Sept. 15, drubbed 37-18 by Toronto on July 11, while losing Fajardo at the end of the first quarter with a hamstring injury.
Since returning to practice last Sunday following a bye week in the schedule, Fajardo hasn’t practised and won’t play Thursday night, when the Als host the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Molson Stadium.
The extent of Fajardo’s injury still hasn’t been disclosed. Nor has management placed him on either the one- or six-game injured lists although he’s expected to miss multiple games — perhaps the next five. James Morgan, the team’s fourth-string quarterback, was added from the practice to active roster last Friday.
While it’s highly unlikely the Als will capture lightning in a bottle and go on another eight-game winning streak — especially without Fajardo — head coach Jason Maas vowed his team will learn from its most-recent setback.
“The last time we lost a game we learned a lot from it,” he said. “I don’t expect it to be any different this time. Our guys can play better; I know that. We can prepare them better; I know that. I don’t want to make excuses. That distracts from the season. It distracts from what we are. Sometimes this result happens. You have to learn from it. That’s what we’ll do.
“We’ll learn from this, that’s what we do. We learn and we get better. Sometimes you have a setback. It propels you a couple of steps forward. That’s what we’ll look to have happen. We have to learn from it. If we do that, we’ll be a better team because of it.”
Fajardo’s absence will thrust Caleb Evans into the starting role, since Maas again appears reluctant to provide Davis Alexander with an opportunity.
Evans struggled against the Argos. He completed 12 of 22 passes for 127 yards. While he threw for two touchdowns, Evans also was intercepted twice. One, by Wynton McManis, was returned nine yards for a touchdown midway through the second quarter, providing the visitors with a 10-2 lead.
In Evans’s defence, the Als were playing their second game in five days, practised only once and Evans had limited scout team reps. Evans remained in Montreal during the bye week, knowing he would get the start against Saskatchewan.
Evans, 26, started two August games last season while Fajardo was injured. He completed eight of 13 passes for 149 yards along with a touchdown and interception in a 41-12 victory against the Riders. One week later, at Ottawa, he led the Als to a comeback 25-24 win, completing 24 of 36 passes for 333 yards and two touchdowns. Evans also was intercepted twice.
“I trust the guys we have behind (Fajardo) to go in there and do the job,” Maas said. “We won two games without him last year and that will be the plan this year if we have to play without him.
“Evans did some good stuff (against Toronto) and some stuff you want him to learn from. Not getting any reps, having to go in there and play the majority of the game, my hat’s off to him. That’s not easy.”
For the first time this season, the Als were thoroughly outclassed and beaten in all three phases by the Argos.
Defensively, they couldn’t stop the run. Toronto tailback Ka’Deem Carey gained 94 yards on 16 carries, while quarterback Cameron Dukes, a better runner than passer this early in his career, gained 46 yards on nine carries. The Argos gained 183 yards rushing.
The Als also struggled on special teams, allowing a 103-yard kickoff return by Janarion Grant just before halftime after a Tyson Philpot touchdown reduced Toronto’s lead to 17-15. Grant returned two kickoffs for 145 yards and five punts for 97 yards. Deonta McMahon returned a kickoff 44 yards.
Montreal also must forge ahead without Canadian receiver Kaion Julien-Grant. He was a late scratch against Toronto with a shoulder injury. The Als this week signed non-import receiver Nate Behar, a six-year CFL veteran who has played for Ottawa and Edmonton.
Safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy, who suffered a shoulder injury against the Argos, has returned to practice this week and is expected to start.