“The only people focused on the win streak is the media and the fans,” says QB Cody Fajardo.
Then, just as quickly, he realized the two games at least were at home — a small consolation in the wacky CFL.
“I know there’s going to be weeks like that during our season,” Maas said Wednesday at Olympic Stadium. “Our guys are used to it and we’re used to it as coaches. We’ve tried to figure out a formula that works for us, and I feel like we have. Is it ideal? No. Football’s not meant to be played with five days’ rest. I don’t believe it is. But that’s what we’re scheduled to do. I don’t think it benefits anybody, to be quite honest.
“It does help to be home for both.”
The key during a short week, according to Maas, is to mentally prepare while limiting the physical exertion. Obviously he trusts his players to handle what’s required and knows they’ll be ready.
“We give our guys a lot of time off here, and it’s for a reason,” he explained. “Mentally we want them to be ready. Physically we want them to be ready. We always want them to be excited to be in the building, too. When there’s five days between games and you’re tired and struggling to be in meetings, the extra day off is helpful. The guys get better sleep, better nutrition and come in here ready to play.”
Nonetheless, Montreal twice overcame 14-point deficits, rallying for a 30-26 victory while outscoring Calgary 15-0 in the fourth quarter.
“We understand if we don’t turn the ball over, we don’t put our defence in a tough situation and we don’t put our offence in a bad situation. Protecting the ball leads to wins.
“There were some uncharacteristic things, but what we got most out of that game is something you only get if you’re in those types of games. When you’re down, when the chips are stacked against you, you see how you answer the call. For us to be in that game, we learned and got a lot more experience than if we won by double digits.”
A Montreal win on Thursday would increase its lead in the East Division to eight points over both Toronto and Ottawa; the latter plays at Edmonton Sunday night. It would also give the Als the season series against the Argos. Montreal is on a 13-game winning streak, including the playoffs and Grey Cup, and hasn’t lost since Sept. 15.
“The only people focused on the win streak is the media and the fans,” Fajardo said. “For us in this locker room, we hit the reset button each and every week. Our whole goal is to try and find a way to win. Sometimes we’re going to have issues and adversity. This team can win a bunch of different ways. ”