Video: Alouettes’ fake field goal/onside kick was an brilliant, unconventional move

A notable element of the CFL is how coaches are sometimes willing to think outside the box and try unusual strategies. That was certainly the case with a fake field goal play Montreal ran Saturday against B.C., and it worked out perfectly. On your typical fake field goal, the holder will pick up the snap and throw a pass; the Alouettes opted to break that mould, instead having kicker Sean Whyte boot the ball 10 yards while Kyries Hebert and Chip Cox raced towards it from onside positions. Whyte hit the ball perfectly, giving it just enough air time for Hebert to get under it, and the Montreal safety (who's becoming known for making highlight-reel plays) did well to get there and haul it in before Lions' defenders could reach him. Here's video of how the Alouettes pulled this off:

A disadvantage of going this route instead of the traditional thrown fake field goal is that your players going after the ball have to be level with or behind the kicker in order to be considered onside, so they have to break off from the line earlier, which can give the plan away. B.C.'s defenders quickly reacted to Hebert and Cox and almost managed to get to the ball in time. Also, the ball has to go at least 10 yards or be touched by an opponent before the kicking team can recover it, which adds difficulty; on a fake field goal that switches to a pass play, the holder can throw the ball five yards or so and the receiver can pick up the required distance for a first down after the catch. Thus, this is a highly unusual play, and one that wouldn't even be legal in the NFL (which requires onside kicks to be on kickoffs or free kicks after a safety).

There are a few advantages to this approach as well, though. For example, if the ball hits a player on the kicking team and goes out of bounds, the kicking team gets the ball back. If that happened on a pass, it would just be an incomplete pass and a turnover on downs. Furthermore, even if the Lions recovered instead of the Alouettes, they'd start from where they got the ball, behind where they would have received it if a turnover on downs had resulted from an incomplete pass. The unexpected nature of this also can make it more difficult for defenders, as if you're expecting a low thrown pass, it can be tough to adjust to a high kick.

Overall, this was a terrific call from Montreal, and the superb execution of their players is what made it work. Cox and Hebert peeled off at just the right time and were onside, then used their speed to get down the field quickly, while Whyte directed the ball perfectly and put it right where Hebert could reach it. It would be tough for the Alouettes to use this tactic again any time soon, as you can bet upcoming opponents will plan ways to stop it, but that's a victory in itself. If other teams are practicing ways to stop this kind of trick play, that's less time for them to prepare for everything else Montreal can do. Oddly enough, this (well, and a few first-quarter plays) was about all the Alouettes did well in Saturday's 43-10 loss to the Lions. They'll have to find a way to bring this level of precision to the rest of their game if they want to be successful this year.