Nov 17, 2021
Home field, winning record on the line for Jones and the Alouettes
Time is running out on the 2021 CFL regular season but the Montreal Alouettes still have some unfinished business.
TSN.ca Staff

Time is running out on the 2021 CFL regular season but the Montreal Alouettes still have some unfinished business.
The Alouettes were able to keep their chances of hosting the East Division semifinal alive by defeating the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 28-14 on Saturday. That result set the table for a Week 16 battle for positioning between the Alouettes and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Alouettes head coach Khari Jones joined TSN 960 Montreal to discuss what his team can take away from their victory over the Blue Bombers leading into their season finale, and how important it is to finish with a winning record.
“That was probably our most complete game of the season with offence, defence, and special teams,” said Jones. “You hear that Winnipeg wasn’t playing certain people, but we didn’t worry about that. Our biggest worry was to worry about the things that we were going to do.”
One of the biggest takeaways from the Alouettes’ victory was the team’s play in the fourth quarter. Going into Saturday’s game the Blue Bombers had outscored their opponents 116-6 in fourth quarters throughout the regular season.
The Alouettes were able win the frame 11-7.
“My big thing was the time of possession,” explained Jones. “We really controlled the clock, we had a 15-play drive, and we took about nine minutes off the clock. [All that] just puts pressure on the other team.”
Finishing the year with a winning record was a primary goal for the Alouettes coming into this season. Going into their final regular-season game, the Als have an opportunity to cement that goal, while putting pressure on the Tiger-Cats.
“While that isn’t the ultimate goal, it’s very important,” said Jones. “We came into this season with very high expectations, and it took a while for us to hit our stride. [It’s just] one more thing to play for.”
Standing in the Alouettes' way are the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday night. A victory over the Redblacks and a Tiger-Cats loss to the Saskatchewan Roughers will give the Alouettes the playoff home date.
The Redblacks are out of the playoff picture with a 2-11-0 record, but Jones knows that his team can’t sit back.
“Anybody who suits up at the professional level, you know they have talent,” said Jones. “On any given day they can play well [so] we have to prepare for that.
“We have to take care of business first and then see what happens after that. So, hopefully we can do what we need to do, and Saskatchewan can help us out.”
Should the Alouettes successfully gain that home playoff date, Jones relishes the thought of having a full house at Molson Stadium.
“It’s really unique because the fans get so into the game,” explained Jones. “Opposing offences can’t hear and it’s really a home-field advantage.”