'We feel we can overcome any adversity,' defiant Als GM Maciocia says

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And this is why they play the game.

The Alouettes went into Calgary last Thursday on a wing and a prayer. They were without starting quarterback Davis Alexander, Canadian receiver Tyson Philpot and returner James Letcher Jr. In the pre-game warm-up, linebacker Najee Murray was scratched with a hamstring injury and they already were missing defensive-tackle Dylan Wynn.

But McLeod Bethel-Thompson won his first game as Alexander’s replacement, and Jose Maltos kicked three field goals in the fourth quarter — including a career-long 58-yarder with 70 seconds remaining — and the Als prevailed, 23-21.

“We went there and never felt we couldn’t win the game, although we knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” general manager Danny Maciocia told The Gazette. “I’ll talk about it until I’m blue in the face. Unless you’re witnessing it and you’re living it first-hand internally, it’s hard to explain. There’s such a strong bond and belief; the culture internally. We never feel like we’re playing short-handed. We feel so strong about the people that are here. We feel we can overcome any adversity. We feel we have the elements in place.

“And,” Maciocia added emphatically, “we don’t give a rat’s ass what people think.”

While it didn’t hurt Montreal’s cause when Stampeders starting quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. suffered an apparent head injury at the end of the third quarter, it didn’t appear he would single-handedly win this game. While he completed 15 of 25 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown, Adams also missed seven consecutive passes to close out the first half.

And the Als went into the intermission nursing a 14-13 lead following Maltos’s 36-yard field goal on the final play of the half after trailing 13-3 earlier in the second quarter.

“V.A. is an outstanding quarterback,” Maciocia said of the former Alouette. “Obviously when he went down — it’s no different than when a lot of other starting quarterbacks go down. There’s a significant drop-off. With some others, there’s a little one. Good teams find a way. Good teams rally around those types of situations. That’s what we did.”

Making his third start with Montreal, Bethel-Thompson managed the game effectively. He completed 30 of 40 passes for 280 yards and a touchdown while being intercepted once. His longest completion was to seldom-used Régis Cibasu. Instead, it was backup Caleb Evans, off a flea-flicker, who completed a 42-yarder to Tyler Snead. Snead was the Als’ leading receiver, with seven catches for 103 yards.

“He made some big throws at the end,” Maciocia said of Bethel-Thompson. “We converted some second downs, kept them off balance with quick throws and flip screens, and had our run game going. We took a couple of shots downfield. We kept them on their heels, and that’s what we wanted.”

Maltos is now in his third season with the Als after launching his CFL career with Ottawa. While he became Montreal’s starting place-kicking specialist this season, following the retirement of David Côté, the latter missed much of last season with an injury, solidifying Maltos’s hold on the position.

At 5-foot-9 and 212 pounds, Maltos is hardly a physical specimen. But his right leg is strong. And accurate. He kicked five field goals against Calgary.

While the global initiative launched by former CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie compels teams to include at least one such player on its active roster — the Als have two, including Australian punter Joseph Zema — both he and Maltos have justified their participation with the value they bring.

No matter how the Als accomplished their result, they got the win and improved their road record to 3-1 and 5-2 overall. It was a character-building win as the team heads into potentially their most difficult stretch of the schedule, with five consecutive games against West Division opponents. Montreal entertains league-leading Saskatchewan (6-1) Saturday night at Molson Stadium.

“That was as big of a character win as you’re going to come across,” Maciocia said.

Following team meetings on Monday, the Als returned to practice Tuesday at Stade Hébert. Alexander (hamstring), who is on the six-game injured list, and Philpot (knee) didn’t participate. Rush-end Shawn Lemon, having served his two-game suspension after being reinstated by the CFL, is eligible to return against the Roughriders. Lincoln Victor, who replaced Letcher against Calgary, has been released. Victor fumbled twice and was replaced late in the game by Snead.

Meanwhile, receiver Austin Mack appears to be injured again and wasn’t at practice.