Alouettes are ready for East final against Winnipeg Blue Bombers – no matter who starts at QB

Jason Maas isn’t losing sleep over who starts at quarterback for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday.

Whether it’s Zach Collaros or Dru Brown under centre, the Montreal Alouettes head coach insists his team will be ready for Saturday’s East Division final at Percival Molson Stadium.

“What do I make of it? I mean, I don’t think too much into it,” Maas said of Winnipeg’s apparent QB mind games. “I know what (Collaros) has done for that franchise, and I think if there’s an ounce that he could play, he’s going to be listed as the starter.

“We’ll be ready to play their offence. I can assure you that.”

Collaros sat atop Winnipeg’s quarterback depth chart in Friday’s roster release, but he remained a game-time decision after suffering a rib injury late in the season.

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The veteran pivot was initially supposed to ride solo as Winnipeg’s “starting quarterback” at a pre-game press conference, but Brown ultimately joined him on the podium.

“We’ll see how tomorrow goes, how the rest of the day goes,” Collaros said. “I would love to be out there, so if they give the opportunity, they ask me, I’m sure I would say I’m ready to go no matter how I feel.”

Collaros was injured in Winnipeg’s 34-10 win over the B.C. Lions on Oct. 23 and has barely practiced since. The 38-year-old American was limited during a closed practice Wednesday before sitting out Thursday’s session for what he described as a “maintenance kind of thing.”

All signs point to Brown getting the start Saturday afternoon, although Bombers’ head coach Mike O’Shea has until 30 minutes before kickoff to make a call.

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And he intends to keep Montreal guessing until the last second.

“This is the way we’ve operated for a long time,” O’Shea said at Olympic Stadium. “You give a veteran player, especially of that calibre, every opportunity to play until he says he can’t.”

Alouettes defensive lineman Isaac Adeyemi-Berglund said the Bombers’ quarterback uncertainty was of little concern, whether O’Shea is setting a smokescreen or genuinely keeping his options open.

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“We don’t care,” said the 30-year-old from Dartmouth, N.S. “You still gotta win the game. Dru’s won them two really tough games. Both playoff games, when you think about it.

“It’s just outside noise. That’s for them. For us, we’re just focusing on playing Montreal Alouettes football.”

Though he threw two interceptions, Brown led the Bombers to a 25-22 comeback win over the Toronto Argonauts in last week’s East Division semifinal, connecting with Nic Demski for a 23-yard touchdown with 44 seconds remaining.

The former Ottawa Redblacks starter is now waiting to find out whether he’ll have a chance to help Winnipeg, which finished fourth in the West, become the first crossover team in CFL history to reach the Grey Cup.

“A football game duration is like three, three and a half hours, roughly, and the only difference is I don’t know if I’ll play or not,” he said impassively. “As long as you’re consistent in the way you prepare, whether you play or not, that helps me sleep well.”

No matter who starts under centre, Montreal has plenty of reasons to feel confident. The Alouettes led the CFL standings at 14-4 — including an undefeated 9-0 record at home — and most sportsbooks list them as 8.5-point favourites.

Quarterback Davis Alexander and receiver Tyson Philpot won the league’s outstanding player and outstanding Canadian awards, respectively, after leading an offence that topped the CFL in yardage. On defence, Montreal surrendered the second-fewest points per game (25.4).

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Winnipeg, meanwhile, finished 9-9, scoring the third-fewest points in the league (26.5) while allowing the fifth-most (27.3) in a middling campaign.

Star Canadian running back Brady Oliveira even suggested the Bombers are playing with house money and pinned the pressure on the Alouettes — something Alexander was happy to accept.

“We’ve been the favourite in every single game all year besides one in B.C.,” Alexander said. “If that’s what pressure is, we will take on pressure.”

Maas echoed those words and then some.

“I could care less what Brady… I honestly couldn’t care less what they think,” the fiery coach said. “Our expectation is to go out and win. We have to play extremely well to do that. We know it’s going to be a dogfight, so I couldn’t care less what other people think.

“All the pressure’s on you. Good, put it on us. We put it on ourselves all year.”

Maas and the Alouettes have some East final demons to exorcise at home. In 2024, Montreal also clinched an early bye to the division final, but fell to visiting Toronto after committing six turnovers.

The Bombers have proven they can beat the Alouettes, handing Montreal its first loss of the season on Aug. 28 when Collaros threw for 324 yards and two touchdowns in a 44-28 home win.

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Montreal responded with a 37-10 rout at Percival Molson Stadium on Oct. 3 as Brown completed 11 of 16 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown.

The Alouettes don’t know who they’ll face Saturday afternoon, but they’re prepared for either scenario.