Dominick Gravel/Montreal Alouettes
The CFL Playoffs kick off Nov. 13 and while the Alouettes will not be in contention for the 104th Grey Cup Championship, CFL.ca’s Marshall Ferguson says there’s reason for optimism for the Alouettes in 2017:
1. Record vs. West
Despite the way 2016 began for road teams, the East has not fared well against the West for the majority of 2016. Montreal was no different from its East division counterparts but might actually finish as the most successful East Division team against the staunch West this season.
If Ottawa loses to Winnipeg Friday, the Alouettes will finish with four wins against the West while Toronto and Hamilton each have two and Ottawa would finish with three cross-division wins.
Granted, the fourth Montreal win against the west came against a ‘starter resting’ Stampeders squad but a win is a win. Those Calgary players are playing for jobs and depth opportunities on any roster in the league. Not to mention the Alouettes were fighting with similar motivation.
The downside of the Alouettes ‘positive’ record against the West is their struggles in the East knocked Montreal from playoff contention as early as anyone in 2016. I still believe there is something to be said for beating teams your contemporaries could not.
2. Nik Lewis
Thick Nik continues to amaze. I have to admit, when he made the move from Calgary to Montreal it seemed like Jerry Rice heading to the Seahawks or Terrell Owens closing up shop with the Bills, but this is far from that.
Nik had no intentions of closing up shop. He has had yet another incredible statistical season with a team-leading 98 catches and 1,069 yards, which helped him into fourth all-time in CFL receiving yards.
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Nik Lewis has looked rejuvenated with the Als in 2016 (Johany Jutras/CFL.ca)
The most impressive stat to me is yards after catch. Lewis has 586 yards after the catch in 2016 which is double any of his Montreal teammates. He also averages 10.9 yards per catch which ranks sixth on the team.
Simply put, Nik is a work horse and has grinded out a frustrating season in a way that screams *leader*.
3. No Calvillo.. for now.
Anthony Calvillo does not need to be rushed into a prominent role. No true fan of the CFL should want to see one of the all-time greats thrown to the wolves with a developing roster. What Montreal needs to do is feature his play-calling and human management skills to the point where you are hiring a solid, confident lead man rather than promoting some guy with name recognition.
According to many recent reports from those on the ground in Montreal, Calvillo is a long-term option, not an immediate patch job. This is the right call and Montreal will be better off for waiting.
4. Bear Woods
The guy is a monster. Middle linebacker in the CFL can come in many forms. Typically the man in the middle is a hammer head who plays between the tackles while the weak side linebacker is the sideline to sideline superstar and the strong side linebacker is essentially a sixth defensive back.
Woods combines aspects of all three positions while commanding respect in the heart of Noel Thorpe’s pressure defence.
On the season, Woods has a whopping 123 tackles, two interceptions, five sacks and three forced fumbles. Woods will likely finish the season first in tackles or a close second to BC Lions star Solomon Elimimian. It’s a special season from the Alouettes’ Most Outstanding Defensive Player award winner.
5. Revived fan base
When Jim Popp stepped down as head coach and Jacques Chapdelaine was appointed interim bench boss, I really thought the fans would throw in the white towel and wait for training camp.
To my amazement, the next game seemed – on television – to be the most raucous of the season.
The crowd I saw in Week 4 when Hamilton travelled East was not as large as some I saw around the rest of the league this season but was as loud as any. Alouettes fans are starving for an established quarterback and a coaching staff which won’t change year-to-year. Once they get that I would be very interested to see what the next generation of Alouettes fandom looks like.
6. Front seven pressure
Noel Thorpe is relentless. He lines up blitzers, shows his hand and doesn’t care what you think. Against every team this season, Thorpe and his vicious front seven came from all angles on all downs and distances.
Thorpe’s blitz package is deep and varied but what impresses me the most is that everyone knows what the Alouettes are going to do — yet it still finds a way to work.
The Alouettes’ defensive front has been very active under Noel Thorpe (Jason Halstead/CFL.ca)
Against the Tiger-Cats this season, I saw Zach Collaros simulate a snap count, see the blitz, check into another play to counter the blitz at which time Montreal changed its play. By that time, the play clock had under five seconds remaining and Collaros had essentially checked into a play with little chance of working. The pass would fall incomplete.
That is what makes Montreal’s defence tough to beat: it’s a constant mind game and over time wears down quarterbacks to the point where one mistake can be a game changer.
7. Quarterbacks
Hear me out. I know Kevin Glenn wasn’t the answer. I understand why Shane Carden was brought in mid-season. I get Alouettes fans’ frustration with Rakeem Cato’s inconsistency and I agree with those who question trading a first round pick to BC for an unproven and now injured Vernon Adams Jr.
However, what that all means to me is that the door is open for a free agent or a fresh start. The Alouettes’ management and coaching staff could literally clean house in the QB department and bring in new options with no repercussions from the fan base.
That’s rare and gives the team enough flexibility to find an answer or maybe two without judgement.
8. Development
Quebec football is special. Its youth programs are among the best in the country; its teams are perennial contenders at the Canada Cup; and facing any team from RSEQ Conference Football is a daunting task for any team in the OUA, AUS or Can West to overcome.
Currently, 11 players on the Alouettes’ 45-man dress roster come from Quebec schools, a trend which is put on display at the draft every year as the Alouettes reach deep into CEGEP and U Sports rosters in order to find their national depth.
Development might be the most important part of the Alouettes looking to turn their season around and the culture of Quebec football certainly produces the talent required.
9. Aligning management
Jacques Chapdelaine has guided the Alouettes to a 3-2 record since taking over (MontrealAlouettes.com)
Having Jim Popp as both head coach and general manager is not easy. The politics of decision-making get cloudy and lead to frustration.
The Alouettes are doing the right thing moving forward by creating a division of duties and clear chain of command for which everyone will have to answer. It’s essential to an effective organizational structure and on-field success.
10. Commitment to offensive line
It’s no secret that national depth is consistently a game-changer in the Canadian Football League. The Alouettes have shown a commitment to drafting and developing among the most crucial positions, offensive line.
The Alouettes took Kristian Matte seventh overall six years ago and he has rewarded them by starting all 18 regular season games in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Jacob Ruby has been a mainstay on the Alouettes’ offensive line since being taken eighth overall in the 2015 CFL Draft and the most recent addition has been everything Montreal hoped he would be in the form of second overall pick Philipe Gagnon.
Some teams look for skill position players and figure out national lineman depth later. Montreal makes its a priority which bodes well for the future.
