Post Game Alservations: Als Well that Ends Well

It is a day late, but yesterday was a travel day, so without further ado the final Post Game Alservations of the 2010 season

-Even in the chill of Edmonton, I don’t think many people thought it was going to be a 39 total point game.

-Congrats to Jamel Richardson, who not only made any catch coming his ay, bu the timing of his catches really earned him the MVP.

-It seemed that SJ Green took over the job of Kerry Watkins on Sunday, making space for #18.

-I bet if he had even just 1 TD pass, AC is your game MVP.

-The OL made great adjustments after the first half, after allowing a couple of sacks early.

-Only 12 touches from Wes Cates, I felt Ken Miller Abandoned him too early in the game.

-Darian Durant is 0-2 in Grey Cups, Well AC was once 1-5, He’ll get his, Durant is a quality QB.

-Despite a rollercoaster season, #17 Billy Parker played tight and aggressive against the Sask Recievers,

-the Whole secondary that was being attacked stepped up and held string throughout the game.

-If Als fans are wondering, Vancouver has more than one 5 star hotel for Grey Cup 99.

-It most possibly could have been Ben Cahoon’s final game in an Alouettes uniform, don’t be surprised if Matt Proulx played his final game the week before. ACL injuries are tough on Football players.

-If Marc Trestman were to live for the State of Minnesota in NCAA or NFL. I think that the Als would be well placed under Scott Milanovitch, who has been learning for the Best CFL coach or three years running.

-Now learning what AC has gone through this season, anybody want to change their Most outstanding vote?

-Avon’s 2 TDs gives him 6 TDs in 6 games as a starting RB in the playoffs.

-Damon Duval struggled for the second straight grey Cup and was sub-par by his own accord all season long. Finding a Kicker that can Kick and Punt is hard to do. The Als have to play this one right, but first thing should be to bring in competition for Training camp in June in 2011.

-Grey Cup Parade is on Wednesday, get those work excuses ready today.

-I wonder how gaudy the 2010 Grey Cup ring will be

Grey Cup Predictions

Predictions are fun, and if you get them wrong who cares...
But if you get them right, then it's gloating time!

Via Twitter:
@7chose 33-29 Als
@heymynameiswill 31-28 Riders
@kristinaashqar 39-36 Als
@sluuby 42-17 Als
@shrekness 34-24 Als

Mitch Gallo, CP & TEAM 990, 30-27 Riders
Conor McKenna, TEAM 990, 29-27 Als
Nick Murdocco, The Franchise, 38-29 Als
Nick Russo, CJLO, 38-35 Als
Moe Khan, Midnight Snack, 37-24 Als
Trex Griffin, Midnight Snack, 27-21 Als
Sara, my GF, 24-13 Als
Tony Marinaro, Montreal Forum, 28-27 Als
Crazy Pierre, he's nuts, 34-31 Als
Jack Bedell, proplayers.ca, 28-24 Als
Randy Tieman, CTV, 31-26 Als
Sean Campbell, MFG, 33-31 Riders

there you go ENJOY!

Grey Cup 98-Keys to Victory

It's been a rather tame week for the Alouettes and Roughriders heading to their Grey Cup match this evening. besides the Als claiming second class treatment but that has nothing to do with on field play.

That is where we will focus MFG's Keys to Victory for both sides

How the Alouettes will win the Grey Cup:

-Offense, They will need to convert most drives into Touchdowns. Field goals will help however, short Field goals from the redzone could come back and haunt them.

-No dropped balls from Jamel Richardson, I think everyone knows how explosive and strong #18 is, however is is prone to drop some balls on occasion, that cannot happen in this game, it will stall drives.

-get Avon Cobourne involved, Last week I thought the magic number for Avon against Toronto was 16 touches, On his 16th he scored his TD and went on to dominate the Argos Defence. Magic number today 14 touches. AC will need him in pass protection.

-Defensive stand early, an early two and in most games for the Alouettes defence amplifies their game the rest of the way, its been that way all season.

-Tackling Darian Durant, When an Alouettes defensive player as a hand on him, they cannot let him loose. He will make you pay.

-Minimum 2 turnovers, 1 may not be enough.

-Focus on the game not the crowd, the Alouettes have not been strong on the road all season long, just like last year the Rider fans travelled in droves, it will be 85% green in Edmonton.

How the Roughriders will win the Grey Cup:

-Scoring, the Als will score, so Saskatchewan will have to be able to go shot for shot with them, just like they did in the Week one thriller.

-Keep Kerry Watkins under wraps, his sideline and deep play opens up the middle of the field for Jamel Richardson, if he has 4 or less catches, The Riders will be pleased.

-Wes Cates, He is a double threat just like Cobourne, With the pressure that will be forced on Durant look for Draw and Screen dump offs. If he turns them into first downs, it'll be a long day for the Als D. He Needs a Minimum of 17 touches in the
cold.

-Hit Anthony Calvillo, it may not be a sack and it may be a penalty but its cold and AC likes his comfort, they need to make him uncomfortable, look for the rushes to come on the left side of the line.

-Patience, the Alouettes drives may be quicker and shorter, but Durant may want to take his time down the field and keep AC cold on the sidelines.

Either way it I think we are in for another treat from these two teams, I would be pretty shocked if one team blew out the other. If there is going to be a blowout, I can only see the Als putting their foot down. For the Riders their victory will have a flare for the dramatics.
Predictions, coming next!

It's a Rematch... I think the CFL can sell this game

Post Game Alservations: AL-berta Bound

Well the Alouettes are back on top of the football world after taking the last month off. Big victory 48-17 over the Argos, I'd like to say I told youso but I predicted 47-16, maybe next time.

On to the Alservations...

-3 straight 2 and outs on defence, a 53 yard bomb for a TD and an 85 yard Punt return for A TD is one hell of a way to get 58 021 fans into a game quickly.

- Avon Cobourne is a playoff performer, check the numbers: in 5 playoff games as a starting RB he has 89 touches for 609 yards and 4 TDs.

-AC looked rested after a couple of weeks off, dont't you think.

-John Bowman and Chip Cox both showed why they are the leaders on this team defensively, Cox led the team intackles with 8 and Bowman had 2 sacks.

-Both Matt Proulx and Mark Estelle were injured in this game, Looks like a knee injury for Proulx, more to come tomorrow.

-Eric Wilson said it best after the game 'If you really want to talk you better show up, Montreal is a team that can back it up and we found out today that Toronto is not'

-Cleo Lemon looked lost and thats a props to Tim Burke and his defensive game plan.

-Kerry Watkins brings a different dynamic to this Als line-up, he's a guy that opens lanes up for himself and his teammates.

-I don't think Hamilton would have faired any better.

-Toronto's Defence got AC to the turf three times in the Als first two drives, which is what they wanted to do, however they trailed 10-0.

-Cory Boyd may have played his last game in the CFL' not because he was hurt, but because he is NFL good.

-At least Duval didn't miss a FG, he only had it blocked...

-And good for Tim Maypray, alot of eyes were focused in on him... except Toronto's Punt cover team...

-Despite all speculation to the contrary, Paul Lambert is going to The Grey Cup to cheer on his teammates.

the Alouettes leave on Tuesday for Edmonton, still not sure if MFG is hitting Alberta this year, nonetheless we will have it covered for you.

Press Box Predictions

Alouettes and Argos

Who is taking who...

Mitch Gallo, Team 990 & CP, 33-13 Alouettes
Randy Tieman, CTV & TEAM 990, 44-12 Alouettes
Arash Madani, Sportsnet, 18-16 Argos
Steve McCormick The Score, 45-14 Alouettes
Mark Lidbetter, The Suburban, 27-14 Alouettes
HerbZ, The Gazette, 30-23 Alouettes (accrding to www.alsinsideout.com)
Moe Khan, TEAM 990, 38-17, Alouettes
Sean Campbell, Myself, 47-16 Alouettes

Enjoy the game, Here's hoping for excitement throughout the afternoon.

How They will Win the East Final

Well Kick-off is a short time away I guess it's time to see why or how each team could win this game.

The Alouettes:
-Need to revert back to the competive team that they are and play like they played all season long (in games that mattered) the last three have been less than ordinary.
-Revert back to only one RB in protection and send out the 5-6 recievers each play for AC.
-Quick short passes no need to bomb it out against a strong Toronto defence, No need to create more 2nd and longs than necessary
-Run defence, it's been the Als bread and butter all season long, force Cleo Lemon to throw.
-Ball possession, Toronto will look for fumbles since AC doesn't throw many INTs.
-Avon Cobourne should touch the ball minimum 16 times via the run or pass
-Find Kerry Watkins in the end-zone he scores then everyone else becomes open.
-almost perfect kicking game, I think Duval will have enough room to miss one, but he shouldn't

The Argos:
-A TD from all three facettes of the game, at least one from Offence, Defence and Special teams.
-Cleo Lemon needs to manage the game, not win it, He should go Trent Dilfer style.
-Cory Boyd to hit the Century mark, when he runs rampant it helps Lemon ten-fold.
-minimum 2 Turnovers from the Als offence.
-perfect kicking game, The Argos will need every point they can get.

Predictions are coming....

Taylor Tough Fit for Team

The Alouettes released Kick-returner Larry Taylor yesterday. The news was somewhat surprising but did spark up some twitter talk on my long bus ride to Baie Comeau.

Larry Taylor of course is the reigning special teams player of the year, turning his 2009 season into an NFL opportunity with the New York Jets.

That is where the Alouettes lost Taylor this year, knowing that there was a chance they could get him back mid-seaosn the Als gave little-known returner Tim Maypray a chance. Maypray looked great returning Missed Field goals however hs punt returns were less than spectacular. So then Taylor was released but he took his time looking for another NFL job before coming back up north. he played 1 quarter had a hip-pointer injury then left the team for family reasons and that was it.

could the Alouettes have used Taylor this Sunday in the East final, absolutely, but was he the key componant to a victory, not even close. His time away from the team really hurt his ability to know the kick coverages which in the first place has been spotty at best. Coach Trestman did leave the door open for the 2011 season, somehting the Als would like very much I suppose to have Taylor around for a complete 18 game schedule.

East West Semi Predictions

I like making predictions, not because of the 'I told you so' factor, more because it's just fun in general, Plus we Are dealing with the CFL, Where anything can happen any week.

Toronto at Hamilton:
What Toronto needs to do to win: Run, Run, Run. The Argos do not have a passing offence. Cory boyd will need to throttle the Argos on the road. Toronto's Defence and Special teams are more than capable of outplaying their counterparts, However They will need t score more than twenty to win, I'm not sure that they can.

What Hamilton needs to do to win: Score, Which means they need Kevin Glenn's 'A' game. Glenn showed this season that he's turning in an elite QB, it's time to shine in the Playoffs. Plus All 4 of The Ti-Cats East Nominees need to bring it as well, Markeith Knowlton on defence, and Marwan Hage, Dave Stala and Marcus Thigpen offensively.

Result: It'll be tight, it'll be hard fought, it'll be Hamilton 22-19 over their provincial rivals.

BC at Saskatchewan
What BC needs to do to win: They needs everything that has happened in the last three weeks to continue, they needs the Riders to suck and they need Travis Lulay playing like an experience QB in the CFL. The Lions won out to get in, they need to make sure that just getting into the playoffs wasn't enough.

What Saskatchewan needs to do to win: Remember the the 2009 Grey Cup. Just like the Alouettes, the Riders did not have much turnover, many of these players suffered that devastating loss to the Als in Calgary last Novemeber. They played Game 1 of the season angry and they beat The Champs in a thriller they need to remember that they are a good team, because they haven't shown it in the last month of the season.

result: The Saskatchewan fans will make them rememeber, And Darian Durant will look like the QB Riderville loves, Saskatchewan 42-28 over the Lions

Als this Week Programming Note

For the Next Couple of Weeks, we'll be airing at 8pm on Wednesday.
It'll be our Playoff version.

Tonight We'll hit the Season in review and touch on the Als players nominated for Awards and All-Stars.

Plus The Herb Awards with Herb Zurkowsky from Alsinsideout.com and The Montreal Gazette.

8pm wednesday!

A Week to Reflect a Year

The Montreal Alouettes get this week off, before returning to work on Saturday in preparation for the East Final on Sunday November 21st at the Big O.

The Als will be able to sit back and watch The Hamilton Ti-cats host The Toronto Argonauts, hopefully for them in a tight, hard-fought, Gruelling affair.

However, The Als will have to look back at the 2010 with mixed feelings
-a 12-6 record (losing 2 of the 3 meaningless ga,mes at season's end).
-475 points against only 5th best in a league of 8, Both Toronto and Hamilton gave up less.
-A 5-4 road record which has only one convincing road win in Winnipeg.

These are numbers sure, but the fact is the Alouettes were not playing convincing football for the past month. To look on the opposite side of that, the Alouettes are veteran group with veteran leaders which means two things: 1- they know how to win
2-they know they don't have much time left to win again.

So I do believe that the mentality of the 2010 edition of the Als means alot in their off week. They need to realise they are in the driver's seat, be it Toronto or Hamilton that comes to Olympic Stadium in a couple of weeks. They are favored, they haven't lost at home with AC under centre since 2008.

With all the negative that has been flyign around, there is some positive. I'm sure Head Coach Marc trestman is aware of that when he gets things ready for a thourough week of practice

MFG- CFL Pick'em Win'em Final

Congrats the The Franchise’s Gary Whitaker for winning it in Style with a 3-1 record.

Way to go Moe, too little too late.
It was fun and I want to thank everyone.
Enjoy the Playoffs!

1-Gary Whitaker-Franchise (44-28)- Cal, BC, Sask, Mtl (3-1)
2-Mitch Gallo-4 Aces (43-29)- Cal, Bc, Edm, Mtl (2-2)
3-Moe Khan- Snack (42-32) –Cal, BC, Sask, Tor (4-0)
4-Nick Murdocco-Franchise- (41-31)-Cal, Ham, Sask, Tor (3-1)
4-Joey Alfieri- NHALL Tonight (41-31)-Win, Bc, Sask, Mtl (2-2)
4-Jack Bedell- ProPlayers (41-31)-Win, BC, Sask, Tor (2-2)
7-Conor McKenna- Playoff Push (40-32)- Cal, BC, Edm, Tor*(2-2)
7-Sean Campbell-Midday (40-32)- Win, Ham, Sask, Tor (2-2)
9-Trex Griffin- Snack- (39-33)- Cal, BC, Edm, Tor*(2-2)
10-Crazy Pierre- He's Nuts (38-34)-Cal, ham, Sask, Mtl (1-3)
11-Shaun Starr- Mornings (37-35)- Cal, BC, Edm, Tor*(2-2)
12-Cam E2- In front of Press Box (32-40)- Cal, BC, Edm, Tor*(2-2)

*Cal, BC, Edm, Tor*-Road teams

Making sense of Nothing

The alouettes practice roster faces the Toronto argonauts in a game where neither team will care about the outcome of the game.

Why are we here?
What do we watch?

I'm not exactly sure, it will be very difficult to evaluate anything or anyone on this afternoon's season finale.

I guess Adrian McPherson will be priority number 1 to watch, however he won't have any of AC's targets to play with and if he does it won't be for long.
Second to look at I would see how Mr. Damon Duval is kicking.
Thirdly, Special teams coverage. keep an eye on that.

For Toronto, well does it really matter.

Let's make it exciting, 35-32 OT!

AC Out, AD In

It comes to no surprise here at MFG that, according to reports, Anthony Calvillo will not play versus the Argos at home on Sunday.
Adrian McPherson will start the game in his stead.

I didn't think AC should have played the second half of the last game, but I guess the competition got to Head Coach Marc Trestman.
The only thing that this affects really is anyone foolish to put money down on a meaningless CFL game or for those in MFG's CFL Pick'em Win'em with the bragging rights on the line.

If you are betting, Just remember the Als haven't lost at home with AC under centre. Their one loss was to BC when Chris Leak got the start.

This news is good news for Als fans.

Als This Week Tonight 2/11

7pm www.team990.com
Guests include:
#69 of the Montreal Alouettes DT Eric Wilson
Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette
Plus we'll discuss 'The PLAY' and look at what match-up favors the Als the best in the East Final Toronto or Hamilton
And Reebok gear Giveaways!

MFG's first annual Pick'em Win'em is drawing to an end. Here are the standings heading into the final week---

Mitch Gallo-4 Aces (41-27)-
Gary Whitaker-Franchise (41-27)-)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Joey Alfieri- NHALL Tonight (39-29)-
Jack Bedell- ProPlayers (39-29)-
Conor McKenna- Playoff Push (38-30)-
Nick Murdocco-Franchise- (38-30)-
Sean Campbell-Midday (38-30)-)
Moe Khan- Snack (38-30) –
Trex Griffin- Snack- (37-31)-)
Crazy Pierre- He's Nuts (37-31)-)
E-Shaun Starr- Mornings (35-33)-
E-Cam E2- In front of Press Box (30-38)-