Sitting at 8-0 on the Season At Percival Molson Stadium the Montreal Alouettes will attempt to go 9-0 at home this Sunday vs the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Kickoff is at 1pm). The Als are however coming off their third loss of the season to the same Blue Bombers team last week 41-24.
Alot of talk heading into this rematch game will be about the return of Anthony Calvillo into the line-up. Adrian McPherson will return to his second string duties. However the focus should squarely be on the defense. Who over the last two weeks have given up 79 points and hasn't registered a sack on the QB.
But good news for the Als Defense corps, Davis Sanchez, Shea Emry and Diamond Ferri should all be back in their usual positions. The defensive line will need to get to Michael Bishop for the rest of the defense to be effective. The DL hasn't had a slump like this all year. Look for a big game from their veteran Lineman Anwar Stewart who should apply some pressure. JOhn Bowman and Keron Williams will ahve to step up their game with Eric Wilson out of the Line-up and Jermain McElveen banged up.
Should Be a Nice day for the game forecast says 9'C and partly cloudy.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Flu for Chiu
Brian Chiu missed Thursday's Practice because of flu- like Symptoms. Normally not big news in the world of sport as everyone gets sick, even Athletes at some point. However in the world of the H1N1 Virus aka the Swine Flu it affects teams preparations and rosters.
In the past a player would would be isolated, within the locker room, on the bus but would still practice minimally and play. The Player would still be part of the game-time planning. But you see it more and more that players will be asked to stay at home for up to 3 or 4 days. You're seeing alot of this in the NHL as we speak.
Football is a sport where preparation is everything. You can almost guarantee if Chiu misses Friday's practice and Saturday's walk through that he wouldn't play. Even for a seasoned veteran like Brian Chiu it's not worth the risk after missing the week of game planning.
However with only 2 regular season games remaining, this is probably a very smart move on Coach Trestman's part. Especially if you consider how close Chiu and Anthony Calvillo work together. We'll see where he is tomorrow.
In the past a player would would be isolated, within the locker room, on the bus but would still practice minimally and play. The Player would still be part of the game-time planning. But you see it more and more that players will be asked to stay at home for up to 3 or 4 days. You're seeing alot of this in the NHL as we speak.
Football is a sport where preparation is everything. You can almost guarantee if Chiu misses Friday's practice and Saturday's walk through that he wouldn't play. Even for a seasoned veteran like Brian Chiu it's not worth the risk after missing the week of game planning.
However with only 2 regular season games remaining, this is probably a very smart move on Coach Trestman's part. Especially if you consider how close Chiu and Anthony Calvillo work together. We'll see where he is tomorrow.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Great read on Trestman
CBSsports.com's Clark Judge writes a great piece on Alouette's Head Coach Marc Trestman not getting a fair shake in the NFL.
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/12399910
http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/12399910
Radio Double Dip
Tonight it'll be 2 hours of Alouette and CFL talk on The TEAM 990. With the Als coming off their third loss of the season without Anthony Calvillo at the helm there is plenty to talk about.
At it's regular scheduled time Starting at 8pm The Rouge Radio Show with Myself, Offensive Lineman of the Alouettes Scott Flory and Jim Beauchamp will welcome special guest Quarterback Adrian McPherson into Studio.
At 9pm the Als this Week will air (as game one of the World Series will be broadcasted on Wednesday) I'll be joined by Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette and Ed Tait of the Winnipeg Free Press to discuss last weekends game and this weekends game between the two clubs.
You can listening in the Montreal Metropolitain Area at 990 on your AM dial
or online at www.team990.com
At it's regular scheduled time Starting at 8pm The Rouge Radio Show with Myself, Offensive Lineman of the Alouettes Scott Flory and Jim Beauchamp will welcome special guest Quarterback Adrian McPherson into Studio.
At 9pm the Als this Week will air (as game one of the World Series will be broadcasted on Wednesday) I'll be joined by Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette and Ed Tait of the Winnipeg Free Press to discuss last weekends game and this weekends game between the two clubs.
You can listening in the Montreal Metropolitain Area at 990 on your AM dial
or online at www.team990.com
Sunday, October 25, 2009
The Santos Factor
When Ricky Santos was traded to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, I had to think about it for a second or two. Why would the Blue Bombers trade two roster players for one of the Alouettes non-Roster Practice players? Yes I do understand, The Bombers QB situation at the time was a tad uneasy however it did make me think there was a little more to this trade than just the players involved.
The Alouettes acquired Riall Johnson and Shawn Mayne on September 21st for Santos. Both those players have dressed for the Als since and Santos never got that chance other than exhibition games. I think Blue Bombers head coach Mike Kelly saw an extra edge he could gain by adding Santos to his roster.
Ricky Santos practiced with the Als for the last year and a half under Marc Trestman. Santos has had first hand knowledge on how Coach Trestman wants his quarterbacks to play. Did it seem odd that The Winnipeg Blue Bombers seemed to read Adrian McPherson on most plays, I think so. I'm sure Mr Santos and Mr. Kelly have had a few conversations over the past few weeks in preparation for the home and home that the two teams are in the midst of.
I'm not saying that there's ill will but surely no one could have missed the extra sauce on the touchdown spike Santos had on his 1 yard plunge. He ran with something to prove for a 3rd string QB accumulating 20 yards on 5 carries all on sneaks.
Talking to Anothony Calvillo about it, he said that the play names have stayed the same, even though Santops is on the other side. Well a 41-24 loss to a division rival could easily change that.
Bombers Issue the Alouettes their 3rd Loss
So The Montreal Alouettes fall to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for their third loss of the season. Not a big deal. This loss will help the Als in the long run, it keeps a team level when your stuck in the rut of always coming out on the winning end. It'll help the coaching staff look at issues that need to be addressed. Thoses issues:
-Adrian McPherson still needs fine tuning into the CFL Game
-The Secondary is capable of letting up big yards
-The defensive line looks tired
Let's Start with the big story of the game; Anthony Calvillo doesn't play, is relagated to the third string quarterback and Adrian McPherson gets his first CFL start. Let's say that again, first CFL start. Sure McPherson has been with the Als for the last two seasons but his playing time has been very minimal, his snaps in practice have been next to none with the first team, so yes there are going to be growing pains. However there is no doubt what kind of raw football talent the Florida native has.
Getting into the game, McPherson lacked pocket presence, holding his ground in the pocket a little too long on some occasions. Where you'd see Calvillo take a step forward to the left or right to give himself an extra half second to let the play develop, you did not see that with McPherson. Chalk that one up to experience. The offensive line didn't help, however it is a different style of quarterback behind center than they are used to and that means that pushing a defender to the outside or inside makes all the difference. In addition to all that, The Blue Bombers defense caused problems all day by playing it smart, by not allowing a young QB any time to read the defense, something Anthony Calvillo can do blindfolded and his shoelaces untied. So yes the Als probably should be concerned if something happens to Calvillo this season, but him tweaking his calf a month prior to the next game of substance is a blessing in disguise, Adrian McPherson can learn and move forward from the loss, which will teach him more than a 35-0 drubbing would have.
On the defensive side, over the last two games there is a little cause for panic. The last two starting QBs, Kevin Glenn and Michael Bishop, have thrown for a combined 917 yards. That is one ugly number. However it is the CFL and the Als defense were putting up record numbers for points allowed prior to the last two games. I suppose percentages state that the Als were due for a couple of poor performances. No Davis Sanchez in the line up and after watching D'Audra Dix get burned on the very first play for Winnipeg yesterday, it seems that Sanchez is as much as a priority for the Als to get healthy as Calvillo. Billy Parker who has been a stud defensively all season long along with Jerald Brown, probably the two biggest surprises all year, has had a tough couple of games, even though he's been paired up against the oppositions top receivers. It's a trend I don't see continuing next week. Parker has tons off one on one expertise and in the CFL if you give the QB time to throw he'll get you no matter how good you are. That's where the defensive line comes in.
Thirty-eight sacks through 14 games, impressive for the Alouettes, 38 sacks through 16 games, a tad worrisome. It indicates that the Defensive line is tired and it did not help yesterday that Eric Wilson went down in the first half with a knee injury. It gives the DL one less guy to work through the rotation. However the Als have just given a ton of confidence to two QBs that they may face in the East Final. Michael Bishop hasn't looked as good as he did yesterday in a long, long time. Sure the Bombers kept their backs in to help block on most plays, but it seems that with the early success of the Als defensive line that they have given up on blitzing. They will rely on the individual skill of Keron Williams, Anwar Stewart and John Bowman. I felt that the moment Wilson goes down you gotta bring the linebackers. However the Als could have been hesitant because of the injuries to Diamond Ferri and Shea Emry, who did not play.
These are a few issues that should concern the Alouettes however it is not all bad. They remain at 13-3, Anthony Calvillo expects to play in the rematch against Winnipeg and it's back at Percival Molson Stadium where the Als are 8-0 on the season. Oh and they get to scrimmage against the Argos on Nov 7th in a meaningless game prior to the East Final. All the loss proves is that the Als are indeed a regular football team, coming back to earth for a quick wake up call prior to the playoffs absolutely hurt no one.
-Adrian McPherson still needs fine tuning into the CFL Game
-The Secondary is capable of letting up big yards
-The defensive line looks tired
Let's Start with the big story of the game; Anthony Calvillo doesn't play, is relagated to the third string quarterback and Adrian McPherson gets his first CFL start. Let's say that again, first CFL start. Sure McPherson has been with the Als for the last two seasons but his playing time has been very minimal, his snaps in practice have been next to none with the first team, so yes there are going to be growing pains. However there is no doubt what kind of raw football talent the Florida native has.
Getting into the game, McPherson lacked pocket presence, holding his ground in the pocket a little too long on some occasions. Where you'd see Calvillo take a step forward to the left or right to give himself an extra half second to let the play develop, you did not see that with McPherson. Chalk that one up to experience. The offensive line didn't help, however it is a different style of quarterback behind center than they are used to and that means that pushing a defender to the outside or inside makes all the difference. In addition to all that, The Blue Bombers defense caused problems all day by playing it smart, by not allowing a young QB any time to read the defense, something Anthony Calvillo can do blindfolded and his shoelaces untied. So yes the Als probably should be concerned if something happens to Calvillo this season, but him tweaking his calf a month prior to the next game of substance is a blessing in disguise, Adrian McPherson can learn and move forward from the loss, which will teach him more than a 35-0 drubbing would have.
On the defensive side, over the last two games there is a little cause for panic. The last two starting QBs, Kevin Glenn and Michael Bishop, have thrown for a combined 917 yards. That is one ugly number. However it is the CFL and the Als defense were putting up record numbers for points allowed prior to the last two games. I suppose percentages state that the Als were due for a couple of poor performances. No Davis Sanchez in the line up and after watching D'Audra Dix get burned on the very first play for Winnipeg yesterday, it seems that Sanchez is as much as a priority for the Als to get healthy as Calvillo. Billy Parker who has been a stud defensively all season long along with Jerald Brown, probably the two biggest surprises all year, has had a tough couple of games, even though he's been paired up against the oppositions top receivers. It's a trend I don't see continuing next week. Parker has tons off one on one expertise and in the CFL if you give the QB time to throw he'll get you no matter how good you are. That's where the defensive line comes in.
Thirty-eight sacks through 14 games, impressive for the Alouettes, 38 sacks through 16 games, a tad worrisome. It indicates that the Defensive line is tired and it did not help yesterday that Eric Wilson went down in the first half with a knee injury. It gives the DL one less guy to work through the rotation. However the Als have just given a ton of confidence to two QBs that they may face in the East Final. Michael Bishop hasn't looked as good as he did yesterday in a long, long time. Sure the Bombers kept their backs in to help block on most plays, but it seems that with the early success of the Als defensive line that they have given up on blitzing. They will rely on the individual skill of Keron Williams, Anwar Stewart and John Bowman. I felt that the moment Wilson goes down you gotta bring the linebackers. However the Als could have been hesitant because of the injuries to Diamond Ferri and Shea Emry, who did not play.
These are a few issues that should concern the Alouettes however it is not all bad. They remain at 13-3, Anthony Calvillo expects to play in the rematch against Winnipeg and it's back at Percival Molson Stadium where the Als are 8-0 on the season. Oh and they get to scrimmage against the Argos on Nov 7th in a meaningless game prior to the East Final. All the loss proves is that the Als are indeed a regular football team, coming back to earth for a quick wake up call prior to the playoffs absolutely hurt no one.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Als Blogging Begins
I guess it’s about time I start writing about the Montreal Alouettes instead of just yaking about them on the air. So let me be clear I’m a talking not a writer.
It’s a good time to take a look at the Alouettes as they have just dropped their 3rd of the season in an ugly fashion against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Als are the front runner for the Grey Cup in Calgary as no one in the West has really taken hold of that division and may just beat themselves up prior to November 29th.
The Als main concern right now is that they are giving some confidence to a couple of their potential opponents in the East Final with a slim 41-38 over Hamilton and the 41-24 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers over the last two weeks. The Als are dealing with some injuries on defense (Davis Sanchez, Shea Emry, Diamond Ferri) and of course Anthony Calvillo on the offence. Excuses, Sure. The players will say no but I have no problem saying the Als aren’t the same team with AC in the line-up.
I’ll get to the loss against Winnipeg later on tonight but I will say only positive things can come from it. Losing a game without your starting QB that doesn’t matter in the league Standings a month prior to your next meaningful game. You think if the Als fall in the East Final that the issue will be the Loss in Winnipeg on October 24th? No, me neither. It’s a non- issue. Even though there are issues to be addressed looking at the last two games.
We’ll tackle those issues in the Game Wrap-up
It’s a good time to take a look at the Alouettes as they have just dropped their 3rd of the season in an ugly fashion against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Als are the front runner for the Grey Cup in Calgary as no one in the West has really taken hold of that division and may just beat themselves up prior to November 29th.
The Als main concern right now is that they are giving some confidence to a couple of their potential opponents in the East Final with a slim 41-38 over Hamilton and the 41-24 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers over the last two weeks. The Als are dealing with some injuries on defense (Davis Sanchez, Shea Emry, Diamond Ferri) and of course Anthony Calvillo on the offence. Excuses, Sure. The players will say no but I have no problem saying the Als aren’t the same team with AC in the line-up.
I’ll get to the loss against Winnipeg later on tonight but I will say only positive things can come from it. Losing a game without your starting QB that doesn’t matter in the league Standings a month prior to your next meaningful game. You think if the Als fall in the East Final that the issue will be the Loss in Winnipeg on October 24th? No, me neither. It’s a non- issue. Even though there are issues to be addressed looking at the last two games.
We’ll tackle those issues in the Game Wrap-up
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