By Canadian Press

Vernon Adams Jr. leads late drive as Alouettes stun Blue Bombers 38-37

Sep 21, 2019 | 5:42 PM

MONTREAL — A dramatic touchdown from Vernon Adams Jr. to Jake Wieneke with six seconds on the clock gave the Montreal Alouettes an improbable come-from-behind 38-37 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday evening at Percival Molson Stadium.

Adams completed 27-of-43 passes for 488 yards and four touchdowns and an interception as the Alouettes (7-5) came all the way back from down 34-10 to stun the Blue Bombers.

Adams also added a rushing TD. Chris Matthews caught two TDs.

Winnipeg QB Chris Streveler completed 19-of-22 passes for 180 yards, a touchdown and an interception for the Blue Bombers (9-4).

Embattled running back Andrew Harris, who returned from a two-game suspension after testing positive for an anabolic steroid, led the team in receiving yards with 112.

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Down 37-17 going into the fourth quarter, the Alouettes scored three unanswered touchdowns.

With 11:41 remaining in the game, Adams found former Blue Bombers receiver Matthews in the end zone to cut the deficit to 37-24.

The Als kept pushing with time winding down. A quick 83-yard drive that lasted 1:23 ended when Adams connected with DeVier Posey for a touchdown with 2:16 on the clock.

That led to the 95-yard game-winning drive with 1:02 left in the game. An acrobatic catch by Wieneke kept the drive alive deep in Montreal’s half. Then Adams threw a pass to Quan Bray for 60 yards. He capped it off with a 15-yard toss in the end zone to Wieneke.

A stunned Winnipeg, which was coming off a bye week, would have clinched a playoff spot with a victory.

It was a completely different story in the first half.

The Blue Bombers offence was unstoppable in the first half, scoring a touchdown on each of its first four possessions.

Winnipeg set the tone for the encounter with an 80-yard opening drive capped off by Streveler’s QB sneak from the one-yard line.

After Boris Bede kicked a field goal for Montreal, Streveler found Darvin Adams in the end zone from 13 yards out at 13:46 of the first to put Winnipeg up 14-3.

The early onslaught continued in the second quarter, with Streveler going 38 yards on the ground, untouched, for his second rushing TD of the game at 3:29.

A 32-yard kickoff return from Shaquille Murray-Lawrence gave Montreal good field position and led to a one-yard run by Adams, but Winnipeg answered right back.

A Bombers trick play saw receiver Darvin Adams turn quarterback as he found Harris downfield for the 74-yard catch and run. Streveler finished the drive, punching the ball in from the one to give the visitors a 28-10 lead.

Winnipeg’s defence got in on the scoring fun. Following a sack by Craig Roh at Montreal’s 22-yard-line, Kyrie Wilson scooped the ball up and returned it for a touchdown.

After Ciante Evans intercepted Streveler, Adams found the former Blue Bomber Matthews in the end zone to cut the lead to 34-17 at halftime.

Notes: There were 19,070 fans in attendance at Percival Molson Stadium.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 21, 2019.

Kelsey Patterson, The Canadian Press