Alouettes LB Levels guarantee victory against Tiger-Cats in Sunday’s playoff showdown

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Patrick Levels, somewhat predictable given his confidence and honesty, has guaranteed that the Alouettes will defeat Hamilton this Sunday in the Eastern Division semifinal.

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And while the veteran linebacker has potentially provided material on the Tiger-Cats bulletin board, Montreal head coach Khari Jones doesn’t seem overly concerned.

“We will win in Hamilton,” Levels said Monday. “Make it as big as you need to make it. Blacken. Let’s go. The Alouettes of Montreal. See you soon. I can not wait. The mood has not changed. I don’t care about the regular season anymore. Don’t ask me how we did it. It’s over. It is a new season. Everyone is 0-0. Get ready for a show.

“Now we are road warriors,” Levels added. “We go to everyone’s house and we will take care of their house. There is no other way to do it “.

The teams meet Sunday afternoon at Tim Hortons Field, where the Als defeated the Ticats in overtime on October 2, serving as the catalyst for a four-game winning streak, the highest of the season, though Montreal (7-7) still finished third in the division. Hamilton (8-6) finished second and won five of seven home games this season. The Als were 4-3 on the road.

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“Who is provoking Pat Levels?” Jones said, unable to suppress his laughter. “You know Pat. You could have him do that in every game. He will guarantee you a victory, and that’s fine. That’s what Pat is. If someone wants a good quote, a good thing, go to Pat and you will get a good thing. Whenever there is something like this, it is always the Levels (associated) name. That is what it is. I know that. You know it. I don’t worry about it. “

While the Als’ record could be considered commendable: Montreal won five of their last eight games, it cannot be forgotten that they lost at home, 19-18, to the last of the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday night, blowing 18-3. lead at halftime in the process.

While the Als’ defense has been stellar since early October, allowing more than 20 points just once in eight games, they couldn’t stop the Redblacks in the final three minutes. Rookie quarterback Caleb Evans engineered a 96-yard, 11-play drive in two minutes and 20 seconds, capped by a two-point conversion for the win.

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Momentum turned in the visitor’s favor after rookie Canadian running back Jeshrun Antwi fumbled the ball for the second time when Montreal appeared to be heading for at least one field goal that would have secured the win.

“Those kinds of plays take the air out of one team and bring the other to life,” Levels said. “They started at 14, but it wasn’t because of a punt. It was a sudden, unexpected change. We were a little lazy or lacked mental sharpness. They took advantage of it. They all participated in that drive. “

An Als win would have forced Hamilton to win at home against Saskatchewan on Saturday. While the pressure was removed from the Ticats, they still won easily, 24-3, although the Roughriders had already secured second place in the West Division.

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“We were competing for a position and we were not in control of our own destiny, no matter what happened,” Levels said.

While the sentiment across the Als organization is that the team did not perform well and should have had a better track record, given their penchant for self-destruction, that has little consequence going forward, unless it happens again. All teams now face elimination.

“The season is just beginning,” Levels said. “You go 1-0 every week and nobody will talk about the regular season. If Winnipeg doesn’t win the Gray Cup, nobody cares if they go 11-3.

“We went 7-7 and that’s an average record. But we build ourselves through those ups and downs. If you know how to fall and get back up, that’s much more valuable than being up and getting slapped when the playoffs come and you don’t know how to respond. “

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The Als should be healthy for the game. Offensive linemen Tony Washington, Philippe Gagnon and Eugene Lewis, the team’s leading receiver, should return. Even return specialist Mario Alford is eligible, as his time on the six-game disabled list is up.

Meanwhile, Gagnon and fellow offensive linemen Kristian Matte, Sean Jamieson and Landon Rice have signed new two-year contracts, the organization announced. All offers include signing bonuses of approximately $ 15,000.

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