The Canadian Press
HELP!
That must be the word the Montreal Alouettes defence utters in their brain after every game and they’ve been doing it for the last couple of seasons.
The Alouettes defence continues to be one of the most stingy. They allow the second fewest points per game this season.
However, they find themselves losing games with an offence that scores less than 20 points. All three games this season, the Alouettes offence has failed to get 20 points on the board.
The biggest concern isn’t so much offence but missing out great opportunities to put some distance between themselves and the two teams yet to find a win in the East Division; Ottawa and Hamilton.
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BJ Cunningham has found some early-season sparkle with quarterback Darian Durant (CFL.ca)
With one win on the year, the Alouettes offence needs to find their stride because their defence has more than given them the opportunity to be 3-0 to start the year.
Two late game losses sting, but those two late game losses, as well as a late game victory over Saskatchewan shows that the Alouettes are one or two plays away per game.
When the Alouettes looked for help this off-season, they found a team willing to part ways with a winning quarterback in the CFL.
Darian Durant arrived to Montreal with the belief he would be the quarterback (to borrow an old cliché) put them over the top in their pursuit to get back to the glory days of Alouettes football, which were nearly annual trips to the Grey Cup for almost a decade.
Durant has not yet delivered but is it as much he as it is the system?
Maybe it’s time to cut it loose a little more for the former Riders pivot who once thought he could achieve 6,000 yards passing in a Jacques Chapdelaine system two years ago in Saskatchewan.
Chapdelaine is usually a pass heavy coordinator.
So far the Alouettes have run a far more balanced offence than the rest of the league with a 64-36 percent split between run a pass. While that has netted them the most running yards per game with Tyrell Sutton, it hasn’t resulted in points (fewest in the league per game) or wins (1-2).
The other off-season acquisition to help the passing game was Ernest Jackson. The reigning East Most Outstanding Player has all of seven catches for 67 yards. He had only eight games last season when he had fewer than 67-yards.
Alouette fans best not look at what former Alouettes S.J. Green is doing with Ricky Ray in Toronto.
There was some promise last week when Jackson caught four passes from Durant that maybe the two were starting to find some chemistry after Durant missed some time in training camp due to an injury.
Ernest Jackson celebrates a touchdown with Cunningham (The Canadian Press)
But the aerial attack needs to be better if the Alouettes are going to do any damage in the East Division.
It’s not like Durant isn’t capable of it and it’s not like they don’t have the weapons.
As much as Jackson’s production isn’t there, B.J. Cunningham has been a pleasant surprise. Tiquan Underwood appears to be a decent fourth option and you always have Tyrell Sutton to get you yards along the ground.
Wins need to come sooner, rather than later for this team to get over the hump and supply their defence with the help required to win some games.
Less than 20 points isn’t going to cut it… ever… in any football league. It’s not only the lack of points, it’s the last of control of possession where the Alouettes rank 8th . The defence can only hold off the offences for so long.
The players themselves can’t be impressed but this early in the season with some new faces in new places, there is some time to preach patience through the first three weeks of the season.
The schedule however is only going to get tougher and for the Alouettes when they start taking on their East Division rivals next week.
This week is a home date against the Calgary Stampeders and before you right them off for a loss, the Als have played tough against both BC and Edmonton.
And as for the importance of wins now, rather than later. Montreal missed the playoffs by a tiebreaker last season.
If you don’t learn from history, you’re more than likely going to repeat it.
