By Canadian Press

Alouettes end Stampeders’ win streak; Calgary falls short of record

Oct 30, 2016 | 1:00 PM

MONTREAL — At this point in the season the Montreal Alouettes aren’t playing for wins, they’re playing for their careers.

Montreal stunned the league-best Stampeders 17-8 at Stade Percival Molson on Sunday, snapping Calgary’s 14-game winning streak in the process. Cato came into the game in the third quarter after starter Vernon Adams went down with a left-thigh injury. He threw for 113 yards and a touchdown and ran for another 75 yards in relief.

“Our job is on the line,” said Cato, who did not start for the Als last week in Saskatchewan. “Every game we go out there we understand that, even if we’re not in the playoffs, there’s something up for grabs. We’re playing for our jobs for next season and we’re trying to showcase our talent across the league.

“We have to give everything we got.”

Adams got hurt two plays into the third quarter after being tackled by Calgary defensive back Brandon Smith. Adams, who made his CFL debut last week against the Roughriders, was writhing on the field and could not continue.

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Head coach Jacques Chapdelaine said Adams’ injury was not serious, but he could not guarantee the young QB would be available for Montreal’s season finale in Hamilton next week.

Cato came into the game and scored a touchdown on his first drive to make it 14-5. He found Tiquan Underwood in extremely tight coverage in the end zone for a 37-yard touchdown — Underwood’s first TD of the season.

“Hats off to the offensive line,” said Underwood, who finished with 77 receiving yards. “They did a great job giving Cato time and he threw a perfect pass. I didn’t have to do much. He put it in a perfect pass where they couldn’t make a play.”

The Alouettes (6-11-0), which were eliminated from playoff contention last week, got back-to-back wins for the first time this season.

The Stampeders (15-2-1), meanwhile, who hadn’t lost since June 25, failed to tie the single-season CFL wins record. QB Drew Tate started in relief of Bo Levi Mitchell and went 22 for 37 for 218 yards and two interceptions for Calgary.

Tate blamed himself for his team’s loss.

“I wish I could have done better,” he said. “There were a lot of throws I wish I had back. I get the ball every play, so I make the throws and have to make the decisions. And it just didn’t work out today.”

The start was Tate’s first since the final game of the 2015 CFL season. Mitchell got the day off with the Stamps having already clinched a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the West Division final.

“We play for rings, not records,” said Tate of the failed attempt to tie the 1989 Edmonton Eskimos’ 16-win season. “We don’t get paid off records, we get paid when we win.”

Montreal scored an abysmal minus-six yards of offence in the first quarter but the home side turned things around in the second.

The Als put together a 95-yard drive capped off by a two-yard touchdown run by Brandon Rutley to go up 7-5. The drive was highlighted by a 27-yard reception by Underwood, two big catches by Nik Lewis and 29 yards rushing by Adams.

Down 17-8, Calgary attempted to mount a comeback late in the fourth but gave the ball away on downs at Montreal’s nine-yard line.

This is the first time this season the Stamps failed to score a touchdown in a game.

With 94 receiving yards on Sunday, Lewis reached 13,000 career yards. He also recorded his first 1,000-yard season since 2012.

“I put a lot of work in this,” said the 34-year-old Lewis. “Personally it feels really good. I’m so motivated by these young guys. Until I’m done, I want to be better.”

Notes: Attendance at Stade Percival Molson was 20,562. … Calgary has a bye week next week. … The Stamps lead the CFL in both points for (586) and points against (369).

Kelsey Patterson, The Canadian Press