Nye: Window is wide open for Alouettes in the East

Jamie Nye

CFL.ca

@jamienye

The surprise of the CFL season so far, the Montreal Alouettes, would love to shock the league with a run to the top of the East Division.

Montreal had many call them some unflattering things over the off-season. Many of them had to do with what type of fire they were. Tire? Dumpster?

Then they changed the coach right before the season and have since fired their general manager. The snickering from around Canada was deafening.

No one expected a three-game winning streak in the first third of the season or having the word contender floated around the Alouettes this early.

Head coach Khari Jones has pulled out all the stops on offence to show the creativity and to throw defences off-guard. William Stanback is being considered among the league’s best running backs. While Vernon Adams is definitely not a pure, pocket passer, but his athleticism tests defences.

William Stanback has become one of the top running backs in the CFL so far this season (MontrealAlouettes.com)

But overall, the turnaround early this season is more so on the defensive side of the ball. They’ve reduced the yards given up in every game from over 600 in Week 1 to just over 300 in Week 6. The defence gave up nine big plays in the first two losses of the season and have only given up three total during their three-game win streak.

It’s been a while since the Alouettes seemed to have a swagger. They appear to have one now and confidence is strong thing and a harder thing to kill.

The Alouettes are dictating the play as they head into Friday’s game against Ottawa.

Just three weeks ago, Adams threw for over 300 yards for the first time in his career and it was the beginning of the upswing of the Alouettes to a 3-2 record as they saw the REDBLACKS on their way down, with Ottawa now sitting at a 2-4 record.

Montreal has to be thinking about the team above them in the standings: Hamilton. The Alouettes have the opportunity to put more distance between themselves and the REDBLACKS for the race to at least hosting a home playoff game. That’s something the Alouettes haven’t done since 2014.

But with Jeremiah Masoli now out for Hamilton, there is no doubt Montreal should be more involved in the the conversation of who could take the East Division crown.

Again, I repeat: These are the Alouettes we’re talking about at the top of the East Division, right?

I feel because they’ve struggled for so many years lately and have missed the playoffs for four-straight years, many are wondering when the wheels will fall off again.

It’s easy to discount teams who have seen a historic low point for a franchise, but at some point things had to turn around and Khari Jones should be given a lot of credit for that.

Episode 169: Trouble in TigerTown? + Williams Stanback stops by

EPISODE OVERVIEW: With Jeremiah Masoli out for the season, are the Ticats still the team to beat in the east? And how much heat should Mike Reilly be taking for the Lion’s 1-6 record? Plus, William Stanback stops in to talk food and football in la belle province.

EPISODE RUNDOWN: What city would a rookie want to play in today? (1:00) Year of the backup/ can injury lead to job loss? (12:00); Who should the Argos start in Week 8? (18:00); Is Hamilton still the team to beat in the East? (23:00); Teeing up Riders/Ticats (28:30); How much blame should be put on Mike Reilly for Lions record? (35:00); RedBlacks decisions in Week 7 (38:00); What can the Lions do to address issues in bye week? (44:45); Ottawa/Montreal Preview (50:45); William Stanback Interview (55:00).

A veteran CFL coach, who has seen a lot of success. Jones helped Darian Durant find championship form in 2013 and was the coach of Jonathon Jennings in Jennings’ phenomenal rise in the CFL early in his career.

He has had a lot of respect from his players and it appears the Alouettes are buying in after apparently losing favour with former coach Mike Sherman.

So disregard the last four years of frustration in Montreal.

This is a new attitude of the Als with an improving defence and much more consistent offence.

Going back to 2014, the Alouettes offence has been in the bottom third of the league in net yards per game. So far this season they are in the top third.

OK, it’s early, I will concede that. And by no means am I predicting the Alouettes will be playing in the Grey Cup in Calgary.

However, if they can beat the REDBLACKS in back-to-back games, it pushes them to contender status and depending on what happens in Saskatchewan on Thursday night with the Tiger-Cats, they could be just a half game back of the Tiger-Cats for first place in the East Division.

So much for descriptions of dumpster or tire fires. The Alouettes are simply on fire and looking to make us want to burn our pre-season predictions.

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