Can QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson win two straight for the Alouettes?
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No such luxury exists for a 37-year-old veteran — especially McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who's with a new team and must build confidence with his Alouettes teammates and management.
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Bethel-Thompson won a Grey Cup with Toronto in 2022, but when he led Montreal to a comeback victory last Thursday at Calgary, it might have been among the most important triumphs of his CFL career.
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Now, he must attempt to do it again Saturday night, when the Als host Saskatchewan at Molson Stadium (7 p.m., TSN1, TSN3, RDS, TSN Radio-690, 98.5 FM). The Roughriders (6-1) have the league's best record. Both Saskatchewan and Montreal (5-2) are on two-game winning streaks, while the visitors have yet to lose on the road this season in three games.
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'It felt really good to be part of a winning effort and get over that hump,' Bethel-Thompson said. 'Where I'm at in my life, I'm so proud of the work I'm doing, on and off the field. It shows what I'm doing is paying off and I can still do it at a high level. The exciting part is there's more to get better at. It's only going to be up from here. I want to be the best quarterback I can be for this team.'
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Following losses at Hamilton and against B.C., Bethel-Thompson completed 30 of 40 passes for 280 yards and one touchdown against the Stampeders. In three games, he has thrown for 752 yards and four touchdowns while being intercepted three times. And he'll remain the Alouettes' starter for the immediate future with Davis Alexander remaining on the six-game injured list while recovering from a pulled hamstring.
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'Do I expect to go out there and lose two games in a row? Not at all,' said Bethel-Thompson, acquired from Edmonton last December in a trade for Cody Fajardo. 'Do I expect to play at that level? No. I know what my expectations are. I don't worry about what anybody else says. I've been around long enough. There's so much noise. The only noise that matters is the noise you make within your own body.'
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While the confidence Jason Maas has displayed in Bethel-Thompson never has wavered, the Als' head coach — a former CFL quarterback — realizes that cacophony would have reached a crescendo had Montreal's second-string pivot not defeated Calgary. That's simply the nature of the beast.
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'I think it's just confidence and growth,' Maas said. 'You could see it in practice this week. The way he's commanding the huddle. The way the ball is coming out. The communication with everybody. You could just tell it was a breath of fresh air for him … a monkey off his back, whatever you want to call it. It was.
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Toronto Sun
4 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Zurkowsky: Outmatched Alouettes suffer embarrassing defeat to CFL-leading Roughriders
QB McLeod Bethel-Thompson continues to struggle for Montreal in lopsided 34-6 loss. Published Aug 03, 2025 • Last updated 2 days ago • 4 minute read Saskatchewan Roughriders' A.J. Ouellette, left, gets by Alouettes' Wesley Sutton (37) during first half CFL football action in Montreal on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press The slaughter on Pins Ave. began with a 46-yard kickoff return by Dohnte Meyers — and got progressively worse from there. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account It would be easy to pile on the Alouettes, and criticize them extensively, following Saturday night's humbling 34-6 defeat to the Saskatchewan Roughriders before 21,654 Molson Stadium spectators, who endured an approximate 25-minute delay at halftime because of lightning in the area, not to mention the ensuing downpour. There are plenty of holes to fill on the Alouettes, and plenty of blame to mete out, following this embarrassing performance. And while Montreal clearly isn't in the same class as the Roughriders, who have a CFL-best 7-1 record as the regular season is about to reach the halfway mark, the Als' roster, which was already decimated by injuries, took a major hit on this night. Cornerback Kabion Ento, who has a team-leading three interceptions, was a last-minute scratch with a calf injury. Early in the first quarter, the Alouettes lost safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy with what appeared to be an injury to his left shoulder. And the team already was missing linebacker Najee Murray. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Offensively, it appears the Als will be without centre Justin Lawrence for the conceivable future. He was injured in the second quarter and was seen on crutches post-game. Montreal already is without starting quarterback Davis Alexander (hamstring) and two starting receivers — Tyson Philpot (knee) and Austin Mack (ankle). Alexander is already on the six-game injured list and it appears the frequently injured Mack is headed there as well. He has a walking boot on his left ankle and must manoeuvre on crutches. While pro football teams will never use injuries as an excuse, and head coach Jason Maas always has adopted a next-man-up mentality, it's hard to believe the Alouettes can remain competitive with so many players sidelined. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Injuries are part of the season, part of the game,' a remarkably calm Maas said. 'Obviously, at times, they're harder to overcome than others. I thought our guys kept fighting and dealing with them. Obviously, you never want to start a game losing a guy, then losing a couple of extra guys. That's hard. No one has that depth. At the end of the day, you've got to keep playing and find a way. We just didn't do that tonight. There's never going to be an excuse. No question it's never easy and makes it more difficult.' As Maas, a former CFL quarterback, went to bed Saturday night, he undoubtedly contemplated a dilemma his team has at that most important position without Alexander. Namely, can this team win with veteran McLeod Bethel-Thompson? It might be a moot point for now, since there doesn't appear to be a viable alternative. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. After finally winning his first start in three games last week at Calgary, the 37-year-old took a huge step backward against Saskatchewan. Bethel-Thompson completed 15 of 26 passes for 126 yards. He was intercepted once, should have been pilfered at least once more, and fumbled after being sacked by defensive-end Shane Ray. Looking for a change in momentum, Bethel-Thompson was temporarily benched in the third quarter following the turnover, replaced by an ineffective Caleb Evans, only to return with less than 10 minutes remaining in the fourth period. While the quarterback always will receive too much credit, or blame when necessary, he's now 1-3 with Montreal after going 3-10 with Edmonton last season. 'That was a tough one,' Bethel-Thompson said. 'I can't remember a time that we felt that out of rhythm on offence and I felt that out of rhythm. We just didn't execute and that was a really, really disappointing performance. We definitely kicked ourselves in the shin, over and over again. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It was crazy. Unexplainable and unacceptable to come out and have that performance. That was one of the worst performances I've been a part of. Definitely got to be better.' Forget for a moment the Alouettes were held to two long Jose Maltos field goals — from 56 and 54 yards. Their deepest penetration was to the Saskatchewan 46 early in the third quarter. Montreal was held to 12 first downs and 169 yards' net offence. The Als ran only 48 offensive plays and controlled the ball barely more than 23 minutes. Bethel-Thompson was sacked twice. While Tyler Snead was the Montreal's leading receiver, catching seven passes for 88 yards, the team's longest offensive play was an 18-yard pass to him. Charleston Rambo, arguably Montreal's fastest receiver, didn't have a pass thrown his way. Alexander Hollins, replacing Mack, was targeted only once and didn't have a reception. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Alouettes failed to score an offensive touchdown for the first time since last Oct. 19, at B.C. Defensively, not even the return of suspended veteran rush-end Shawn Lemon for the first time in a year could galvanize the Als. Trevor Harris passed for 289 yards and two touchdowns. Meyers caught five passes for 136 yards, while tailbacks A.J. Ouellette and Mario Anderson combined for 122 yards. The Riders had 22 first downs and 418 yards' net offence. With a 5-3 record, Montreal is in no immediate danger and sit second in the East Division, two points behind Hamilton (6-2), who defeated Edmonton earlier Saturday. The Alouettes entertain the Elks on Friday night. The game marks the return of former Montreal starting quarterback Cody Fajardo, who was named the Grey Cup's most valuable player in 2023. Fajardo was traded last winter for Bethel-Thompson. Canada World Toronto Maple Leafs Other Sports Opinion
Toronto Star
4 hours ago
- Toronto Star
Jefferson, Harris, Riders' O-line get top marks in CFL's Week 9 honour roll
TORONTO - Winnipeg defensive lineman Willie Jefferson, Saskatchewan quarterback Trevor Harris and the Roughriders' offensive line earned top marks on the CFL's Week 9 honour roll. Jefferson earned a grade of 99.3 in the Blue Bombers' 40-31 win over visiting Toronto on Friday after posting a career-high four pass knockdowns along with a defensive tackle, a forced fumble and a strip sack resulting in a Bombers touchdown.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Jefferson, Harris, Riders' O-line get top marks in CFL's Week 9 honour roll
TORONTO – Winnipeg defensive lineman Willie Jefferson, Saskatchewan quarterback Trevor Harris and the Roughriders' offensive line earned top marks on the CFL's Week 9 honour roll. Jefferson earned a grade of 99.3 in the Blue Bombers' 40-31 win over visiting Toronto on Friday after posting a career-high four pass knockdowns along with a defensive tackle, a forced fumble and a strip sack resulting in a Bombers touchdown. Harris completed 70.4 per cent of his passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns as league-leading Saskatchewan beat the Alouettes 34-6 in Montreal on Saturday, earning the top offensive grade of 87.7. The Roughriders' offensive line combined for a score of 75.1 after limiting the Alouettes to one sack while protecting Harris and opening the way for the Riders to rush for 137 yards and a touchdown. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. The CFL honour roll highlights players in nine positions based on data points registered and compiled by Pro Football Focus, an American sports analytics company. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 5, 2025.
