Features

Head-to-head CFL on CBC commentators Mark Lee and Chris Cuthbert breakdown the big game's combatants. Read The Numbers game: the 1-2-3 of the 91st Grey Cup Read The fans and the fanfare: Heroes, underdogs and last-minute shockers make the Grey Cup the most celebrated event in Canadian football. go to CBC's Archive Peacekeepers and pigskin: As it Happens talks to Canadian peacekeepers in Bosnia who will play their own football game in honour of the Grey Cup. Listen Grey Cup rivalry renewed Montreal and Edmonton clash for the ninth time. Read Small is beautiful John Avery may be small for the NFL, but he's put up some big numbers the CFL. Read Velcro hands Ben Cahoon's sticky hands have made him Anthony Calvillo's favourite target. Read

But capturing the Cup has been anything but a lark for the Alouettes.

"We've been favoured to be in the Grey Cup game, if not win it, for a number of years, so it's nothing new," Alouettes linebacker Stefen Reid said.

Enter Matthews, the winningest head coach in CFL history and, thus, someone who knows how not to lose.

Since their resurrection six years ago, the Alouettes have been both perennial Grey Cup favourites and abject failures.

WATCH:
Chris Cuthbert talks to Als coach Don Matthews

Despite an outstanding 83-42-1 regular-season record, they are a disappointing 5-6 in post-season play.

Included among those six playoff setbacks are a 28-26 loss to B.C. in the 2000 Grey Cup and three straight setbacks in the division final (1997-99).

But according to all-star quarterback Anthony Calvillo, any pressure brought to bear on the Alouettes is finally a thing of the past.

"This year, we can just relax and play the game," explained Calvillo, the East nominee for Most Outstanding Player.

"That's how Don Matthews does it. He doesn't let pressure get to him, which is crucial."

Maybe so, but the Alouettes still find their fans treading with trepidation.

"People favour us but, on the side, they're saying that most likely it won't happen because of the (playoff) history," Reid observed. "So in a sense, we're underdogs.

"People don't expect us to win the Grey Cup. In a way, that's how we'd rather have it, so we can prove people wrong."

The Alouettes had a chance to compete for the Grey Cup at Olympic Stadium last year, but blew it.

After cruising out to a 9-2 start, they closed out the campaign with eight consecutive losses, including a lacklustre 24-12 semifinal loss at Hamilton.

"Last year was the most pressure-packed with the Grey Cup being in Montreal," Alouettes offensive tackle Neal Fort admitted. "There was a lot of pressure from the community and the organization to get there, but it didn't work out.

Head coach Rod Rust wound up fired and replaced by Matthews, who promptly cleaned house.

"Ultimately, it's a matter of teams peaking at the right time," Alouettes centre Bryan Chiu figured. "We're an example of that in the past, when we peaked too early.

"This year is different in that we're playing good football. And coach Matthews has us united and confident.

"Don Matthews cures all. He's the winningest coach in CFL history and he won't let it happen to us."

So far, so good.

With Matthews at the helm, Montreal topped the overall standings at 13-5-0-1 and garnered all six East Division nominations for CFL Player Awards.

It also led the league with 7,170 total yards and 587 points scored while surrendering just 407 points, third fewest behind Saskatchewan (393) and B.C. (399).

Montreal then pounded out a 35-18 victory over the Toronto Argonauts before 57,125 fans at Olympic Stadium in the East Division Final.

"It shows what kind of talent and team Jim Popp has put together and coach Matthews has directed," Calvillo said. "You have to give a lot of credit from the top of our management straight to the coaching staff because those are the people who put all our game plans together and give us an opportunity to go out and compete at a high level."

Calvillo enjoyed his finest CFL campaign yet, completing 338 of 569 pass attempts for a franchise record 5,013 yards -- all career-highs -- and 27 touchdowns against a league-low 10 interceptions.

And it would have been more had he not sat out Montreal's meaningless regular-season finale to heal a minor hamstring injury.

Sure, Matthews created a stir by boldly pronouncing former NFL problem child Lawrence Phillips as his starting tailback over future Hall of Famer Mike Pringle.

But attitude aside, Phillips, for the most part, met Matthews' expectations, rushing 187 times for 1,022 yards -- a nifty 5.5-yard average -- and 13 TDs on a wonky knee.

"Lawrence just does his job and doesn't complain about anything," Calvillo observed. "And he's very responsible.

"He knows his all his blocking assignments and he'll do anything you tell him to do. It's been a pleasure working with him."

Ben Cahoon also blossomed into a bonafide CFL star with 75 receptions for 1,060 yards and six TDs.

Since his early beginnings with B.C., Matthews' forte has been defence.

And though it bears little resemblence to the daring, stylized "Livin' On The Edge" defence Matthews employed at Saskatchewan, Montreal's stoppers are as opportunistic as they are rugged.

Just ask the Argonauts.

Realizing the value of cohesiveness, Matthews reconstructed the offensive line into a unified unit, too.

All toll, the Alouettes starters -- Chiu, Fort, Scott Flory, Kevin Lefsrud and Uzooma Okeke -- have combined to play 26-plus seasons in Montreal.

"The old adage is that the game is won and lost in the trenches," Flory noted. "A team goes only as far as its offensive line."

"There are a lot of veterans on this line and leadership is the most important thing we bring," Okeke added. "We take a lot of the game on our backs."

The result? Montreal's second Grey Cup appearance in three years and yet another glorious chance to turn recent history on its head.

"The way I look at it is that each year is one opportunity to get to the Grey Cup," Calvillo said. "We've got a new head coach, a new system and what's happened in the past is not a big deal to us."

Mainly because Don Matthews has a reputation for making history, not repeating it.