'I feel terrible and it hurts': QB Bethel-Thompson's interception costs Alouettes game to Elks

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If it was the final pass of McLeod Bethel-Thompson’s career as an Alouette — if not the CFL — it seemed fitting that it was returned for a touchdown.

With the Als seemingly in control Friday night against Edmonton, leading 13-4 and with the ball at the Elks’ 28, Bethel-Thompson attempted a pass for Charleston Rambo. There might have been miscommunication on the play, and perhaps Rambo ran the wrong route, because he was nowhere near the ball.

The ball went directly to cornerback Tyrell Ford, who returned it 87 yards down the sideline, unimpeded, for a score with 10 seconds remaining in the first half. Instead of heading to the locker room with no worse than a 16-4 advantage, Montreal now had a precarious 13-11 lead.

Bethel-Thompson was benched for the second half, replaced by Caleb Evans, after completing 10 of 15 passes for only 79 yards.

While Evans was better than Bethel-Thompson, and got the Als into the end zone for the first time since 9:18 of the second quarter at Calgary on July 24, it wasn’t enough.

Edmonton had the CFL’s worst record at 1-6, and had yet to win on the road this season. But Cody Fajardo, Montreal’s former starting quarterback, led the Elks on a six-play, 63-yard drive in the final minute, capped by a 15-yard touchdown to Kaion Julien-Grant — another former Alouette — in the visitors’ dramatic 23-22 victory before 20,525 Molson Stadium spectators.

Although Bethel-Thompson had an ice pack on his right elbow in the second half, he clearly was benched and not removed because of an injury.

“I threw the ball to the other team and they scored a touchdown,” he said. “That can’t happen. I can’t throw that ball in that time and that space. I felt like I was good with the ball early, but that’s a decision that can’t be made. It cost the team.

“This team is going through stuff right now, and that’s hard,” the 37-year-old added. “I’ve got to be better. I can’t hurt the team with that pick-six. That’s potentially a 14-, and for sure 10-point, swing. The game’s over at that point if I don’t make that decision. I feel terrible and it hurts.”

In Bethel-Thompson’s defence, the Als are missing injured receivers Tyson Philpot and Austin Mack. But Bethel-Thompson also no longer moves well and continues making critical mistakes. On Montreal’s opening possession, he overthrew Cole Spieker in the end zone. And before the Ford interception, Tyler Snead was open in the end zone, only to be overthrown.

While he completed passes in coverage to Alexander Hollins and Rambo before the turnover, Montreal’s offence lacks imagination when Bethel-Thompson is on the field. The Als now have a 1-4 record with him as the starter after launching their season 3-0 behind Davis Alexander.

While sticking with Bethel-Thompson appeared to be a hill Als head coach Jason Maas was prepared to die on, he finally admitted he had seen enough.

“Obviously it wasn’t good enough in the first half and that’s why we made the move,” Maas said. “I think Bethel knows and everybody knows, after that performance, it wasn’t good enough. It’s not on one guy either. That game could have finished a number of different ways. It’s a team loss, bottom line.”

Indeed, the Als continually self-destructed against Edmonton while also losing tailback Sean Thomas Erlington with a suspected shoulder injury.

A Snead fumble on a field goal return in the fourth quarter deep in Montreal territory resulted in a short touchdown pass to Julien Grant at 4:36, making the score 19-17 for the Als. While Jose Maltos kicked three field goals, he also hit the upright following Evans’s 19-yard touchdown pass to Spieker late in the third quarter. That missed point proved costly.

On Montreal’s final kickoff before Edmonton’s game-winning drive, the Elks misplayed the return and would have scrimmaged from their 24. But the Als went offside on the kickoff and had to repeat the play. Given that reprieve, Edmonton scrimmaged from its 47.

And while the Als’ defence was superb for 59 minutes, sacking Fajardo six times, it couldn’t stop him and Edmonton with the game on the line.

Evans completed 14 of 18 passes for 113 yards and the touchdown. Maas said Evans is expected to start next Saturday night, when the Als travel to B.C. — a destination where they rarely win. Montreal then returns home against Winnipeg, Aug. 21, before enjoying a bye in the schedule.

While Alexander remains on the six-game injured list, having suffered a pulled hamstring for the second time this season, Maas gave no indication when he might return. The Als (5-4) remain second in the East Division halfway through the schedule, two points behind Hamilton (6-3), which lost at home to B.C. Thursday night. It’s conceivable the Als, 2-3 at home, will enter the bye week at 5-6.

As for Fajardo, traded last winter for Bethel-Thompson, he completed 27 of 38 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns — and undoubtedly got the last laugh on this night.

“I don’t think you can write a better story than that,” said Fajardo, who led the Als to the Grey Cup in 2023 and was named the championship game’s most valuable player. “I wanted the ball with the game on the line. We understood how much this game meant to us. We went out there and we finished. Hopefully this gets the momentum going for us. This one meant a little bit more. I wasn’t afraid to say it all week.”

Fajardo was asked by The Gazette whether the Als should have retained his services. “Next question,” he answered.