Troy Smith and the Alouettes can take encouragement from Friday’s win over Toronto

Friday night's clash between the Montreal Alouettes and Toronto Argonauts may have been the final regular-season game for each team, but they approached it very differently. While the game didn't matter in terms of either club's finish in the final standings, the Alouettes saw it as a chance to give recently-anointed starter Troy Smith more work with the first-team offence, while the Argos elected to rest Ricky Ray and most of their starters to keep them healthy for the postseason. Thus, Montreal's 23-20 win shouldn't be seen as evidence that Toronto's doomed in the postseason, as it was a game without any significant stakes. It could have notable meaning, though, as the play of Smith and the Alouettes suggests they might be a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs.

This wasn't a perfect game from Smith, to be sure. He completed just 14 of 27 passes (51.9 per cent) for 197 yards and threw an interception. However, he did toss three touchdowns on the day, and he remained cool under pressure down the stretch to lead Montreal to victory. Many of the other Alouettes also shone; running back Tyrell Sutton collected 59 yards on nine carries (6.6 yards per carry), wide receiver Duron Carter had three catches for 93 yards and a touchdown and wide receiver Arland Bruce III caught six balls for 77 yards and a touchdown. The Montreal defence also had a solid night, recording six sacks (two from their top defensive player nominee, linebacker Chip Cox) and holding Toronto to 210 passing yards. The Alouettes will have to shore up the rushing defence, as Jerious Norwood collected 102 yards on just eight carries (12.8 yards per carry), but it was still a promising showing overall and one that suggests this team might make some postseason noise.

Of course, the road ahead won't be easy for Montreal. Even with the win Friday, the Alouettes finished this season just 8-10 and wound up in third, meaning they'd have to win two road games just to get to the Grey Cup. That record also shows how many flaws they've displayed; their offence in particular has been ineffective for much of the season. Still, there are some reasons to believe in this team, including their impressive defence (which might be the best in the league at rushing the passer) and their remarkable collection of receivers. If they can continue to get strong showings out of recent acquisitions like Smith and Sutton, they'll be a tough opponent for Hamilton next week, and potentially for the Argos the week after. No one should assume that Montreal will win a hypothetical matchup with Toronto based solely on this game, of course, as the Argos were using this more to evaluate their backups than really try for a win, but the Alouettes' performance may suggest they can't be counted out. They were smart to go for the win here and see what Smith and Sutton can do in this lineup, and the results are promising enough that they'll be interesting to watch in the postseason.