Ford scores twice as Bombers keep playoff hopes alive with 34-27 win over Als

MONTREAL – Will Ford caught a touchdown pass and ran in another as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers kept their slim CFL playoff hopes alive with a 34-27 victory over the Montreal Alouettes on Monday afternoon.

Clarence Denmark and back-up quarterback Jason Boltus also had TDs and Sandro DeAngelis kicked two field goals for Winnipeg (3-12), which must win its last three regular season games and have Montreal lose its last three to make the post-season.

S.J. Green and Tyrell Sutton scored and Sean Whyte had four boots for Montreal (6-9), which had its two-game winning run ended.

The Bombers ended a four-game losing streak. Their second win in Montreal this season gave them a 2-1 edge in the three-game season series against the Alouettes.

It was a slow-moving, flag-filed game between two clubs that have struggled for most of the season.

A wet field led to eight first-half turnovers and a 17-17 score at the intermission.

Desia Dunn picked off a Josh Neiswander pass on Montreal’s first possession to set up a DeAngelis boot.

Late in the first quarter, Whyte fumbled the snap on a punt to turn over the ball on downs. On the next play, Max Hall hit Ford with a 17-yard TD pass.

Troy Smith replaced Neiswander in the second quarter and led a 60-yard TD drive capped by a 12-yard toss to Green.

But Smith was picked off on his next series, and Neiswander was back in. After Mike Edem recovered a Hall fumble, Neiswander hit Duron carter with a 40-toss to the Winnipeg one, where Sutton ran it in for a touchdown.

A partially-blocked punt gave Montreal the ball on the Bombers 12 and Whyte was good on the field goal, but Winnipeg marched back for Hall to connect on a 40-yard TD pass to Denmark to tie the score with nine seconds left in the half.

Between two third-quarter field goals for Montreal, Denmark made a tough 34-yard catch in traffic that led to a one-yard TD plunge by Boltus.

Another Whyte field goal early in the fourth was answered by Ford’s 69-yard run to the Montreal one. Ford then took it in himself for a five-point lead.

Whyte’ bid to go 5-for-5 failed when he missed right for a single with 2:37 left to play.