Missed Field Goal moving to TSN 690

Hi All,

We are not abandoning the Alouettes blog MFG for the 2013 season.
It is just being moved to tsn690.ca as the "Als Report". We'll still have post-game Alservations and posts on all the hottest topics for The Montreal Alouettes

Plus tune into the Als This Week each Wednesday night on TSN690 with myself and Mitch Gallo. If you missed it it is always podcasted on tsn690.ca and iTunes.

look forward to seeing you there!

Sean

Alservations: Getting Burrised

After a couple of weeks of vacation MFG is back up with some Alservations from Week 4.
It was a tough week for the Als on the road with their 39-24 loss. Now things are tight up top the East standings.

-To get things started, Henry Burris was on fire. only 3 incompletions all game. I know I get on his case a lot but full kudos will go his way.

-I will still stress that the Alouettes defense have talent but they are not glued together, they got John Bowman back but give him another week to get their gears in order.

-Kyries Hebert was one of the bright spots individually on defense.

-Jamel Richardson looks injured. and if he's not bothered by an injury he needs to find a way to fight through the double teams. and cannot afford anymore drops.

-There isn't much that people dont like about Marc Trestman's offense but I still thin he abandons the run too early when the team gets off to a bad start.

-If I were coach I would find more playing time for Bo Bowling and less for Eric Deslauriers. He's had his chance, he's just not grabbing it. That would mean finding another Canadian starter somewhere.

-Brandon London was great this week, please note he was The Als This Week guest.

-AC is playing through pain, that is obvious but he is still performing. There is no need to start any talk about Adrian McPherson taking over.

-Penalties are killing the Alouettes DBs, Once they figure out what they can do and cant do, they will be fine.

-Chris Williams is a cocky talent and almost cost his team a TD (props to Ridgeway) but he's lucky he's got that talent. And I would have him on my team any day of the week.

That's it for this week, at 2-2 the Als still can grab control of the East division as they have games against Toronto and Winnipeg coming up.

Alservations: Is it Week 2 Yet?

It was a rough start to the season for the Alouettes in Calgary losing 38-10 in their opener. The offense struggled, the defense struggled and Special Teams did not get off the ground floor. Here are week one's Alservations:

-With the way the offense is set up 3 receptions for 2 yards is waaay too little for Brandon Whitaker, he needs to be an essential part of the passing game as well as the running game.

-Anthony Calvillo will be better in game 2, A couple of poor thrown balls could possibly be attributed to only playing 4 series in the pre-season.

-Jamel Richardson fumble in the first quarter changed the flow of the football game, to have the turnover so early on the road of a home opener was a killer. If the fumble changed the flow, Shea Emry's unnecessary roughness penalty on Drew Tate killed it.

-On Defense, the Alouettes have top end talent, I'm still not convinced they understand the new scheme under DC Jeff Reinbold. Reinbold has to figure out how to use his talents properly. Maybe he was adjusting too much with John Bowman out of the line-up.

-No wonder Jon Cornish had a strong day, the Als Defensive line only had 3 tackles combined all game long.

-Chip Cox made a game high 13 tackles, but his pass coverage was not where it was last season, (at least through one game).

-I am reserving the right to wait on Noel Devine and Trent Guy as returners, when you are new to the CFL field it does take time to adjust.

-Now that Eric Deslauriers is part of the 5 receiver set, he needs to be able to catch the contested balls as well as the easy ones.

-I think everyone can agree it was just good to see DB Jerald Brown on the field.

All in all, I think the Als were happy they were on the road for game one as that type of performance at home would have been a tough sell. They have the Bombers next on Friday, one can only expect Marc Trestman to have his crew ready to go.

5 Reasons to Follow the CFL in 2012

The 2012 CFL season approaches and there are plenty of reasons to watch. You may already be a fan of the Canadian game or you may not, but there are 5 compelling reasons why you should pay attention.

5.Quality of play

Over the last decade the CFL has had to compete against other secondary leagues to the NFL. From arena ball to NFL Europe to The XFL and to the UFL the CFL has stood tall and doesn't have to worry about teams folding mid-season, players cracking their skulls open on "coin-tosses" or 6 game seasons that are shortened. The CFL has proven the after the NFL it is the primary destination for Professional football players in North America.

4.Parody and competition

The phrase "only in the CFL" comes to mind when thinking of the 2012 season. The exodus of star QBs from the West to the East could mean a power shift in the league or it means that the next generation of QBs are ready to go. But before Kick-off on Friday all eight teams feel like they have a shot at the championship in Toronto come November. I know in a league of eight teams that is easy to say but even our friends at Bodog have the longest shot at the Grey Cup at 9 to 1 with Edmonton and Saskatchewan.

3.Canadian rivalries

Taking pride in your city means alot in Canada, most Montrealers hate anything Toronto does. Ask a Calgarian what they think of Edmonton. Winnipeg and Saskatchewan may be stuck in the middle of Canada together but it doesn't mean they like each other. Rivalries are great and within the CFL they are easily created as you play each team up to possibly 4 times a season, Before playoffs. You may not like your local CFL team, but you can easily hate the others.


2.Players that you can relate to

The CFL is full of hard working blue-collar guys. Players that need to have other interests other than football, not other interests as in hobbies, other interests as in jobs. Fans appreciate players they can relate to, but understand that these CFL players also relate to the fans and appreciate the support more so then any other professional sport. Most of these players are on second chances in their football careers and love the game so much that they will work 6 months of the year to support their families so that the other 6 months they can earn $45000 getting their bodies beat up for the pleasure of their fan base.

1. Accessible and affordable

As professional sports go, is there a more affordable product? Is there a more accessible game? Each game is televised on TSN, Each stadium has it's own flavor and ticket, concession and parking prices are more than reasonable in any of the 8 Canadian cities. If you want to see a game, you can, anyone can. You just have to take the time.

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Since it's my first post of 2012 and the season starts tomorrow, I guess I'll put it all on the line with some predictions. I'll blame the vertigo medication I'm on when I'm wrong.


WEST:
BC 13-5
Cal 11-7
Sask 10-8
Edm 4-14


East:
Ham 11-7
Mtl 10-8
Tor 8-10
Win 8-10

Grey Cup BC over Mtl

The Watch List: Keeping Pace

The Montreal Alouettes look to stay within reach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers atop the East Division as The Blue and Gold beat the Ti-Cats last night. The Als are in Calgary today for a big battle after the bye week. Here's what to watch.

-Perry Floyd will be making his Montreal debut at the KR postition as Tim Maypray is still recovering from his ankle injury. I'm sure Coach Trestman will have ashort lease when it comes to fumbles. If it becomes an issue look for Brian Bratton and brandon Whitaker to start receiving kicks.

-Diamond Ferri's agressiveness will be missed, but Greg Laybourn enthusiam should be able to fill the void as he'll make his Als debut at Linebacker.

-Jermaine McElveen is still not ready to go with his knee but JP Bekasiak is healthy and another canadian returns to the line-up. The pass attack will be lead by Moton Hopkins and John Bowman as they are thriving to get to Henry Burris.

-Ont the road it'll be vital to get Whitaker his touches early so that the Stampeders blitzes will have to watch #2 throughout the game.

-That Blitz will want to occupy Whitaker in blocking and not allow him to get into the flats for a pass reception. Whitaker has become Calvillo's safety.

-Calvillo had 10 TD passes in the first 3 weeks, he only has 4 in his last 4 weeks.

-The Als DB's will be tested on their tackling ability today, especially with Nik Lewis. He's tough and strong and hard to bring down.

-it'll be warm and pretty much no wind in calgary look for points to be put up on the board.

As for predictions, I'll go with the hometown cowboys in the Stamps as they have already lost 2 at McMahon Stadium. But I expect close and fun ballgame with the over 42-38 Calgary.

Post game Alservations: Deeing it Up

The Montreal Alouettes relied on the defensive side of the ball in their 27-4 victory past the Edmonton Eskimoes. Here are this week's Alservations...

- Chip Cox may still be behind some other contenders but is making his claim as one of the top defensive players in the game. He had 4 tackles, 2 sack and a pair of forced fumbles.

- Moton Hopkins making his Als debut sacked Ricky Ray a pair of times himself, The Als in all had 6 sacks... None by John Bowman.

- The Als Dominance in run defence continued as the Esks had 7 carries for minus 1 yard. Jerome Messum was a non-factor on the ground.

- Speaking of the ground, not only did the Als Sack Ray 6 times, they hit him 10 more times.

- Another Milestone or two for AC. Calvillo now has 400 career touchdown passes and over 70 000 passing.

- The pass protection on AC wasn't as strong as Coach Trestman would like. he was sacked 3 times and was rushed out of the pocket more than he normally is.

- Calvillo still has never thrown for 3 TDs in 18 head to head match-ups with Ricky Ray. He had two tosses both to Jamel Richardson.

- Ramon Guzman's hit on Jerome Messum will make the plays of the year.

-Kicking wise Sean Whyte has hit 19 straight FGs on the season with 4 in the game, But he punted and kicked off better than he has all season long. Maybe he was trying to prove something to Damon Duval making his return to Montreal.

-Tim Maypray tweeted this morning that he only has an ankle sprain and nothing will keep him down. he was finally able to break a big run on Duval's MFG.

- Scott Flory said he may wrestle a Bear or "A Coyot" on his Bye Week

The Als don't play until August 27th in Calgary as they will get a coming days off. We'll break down the first unofficial half of the season this coming Tuesday on The Als This Week on The TEAM 990 www.team990.com at 7pm eastern.

The Watch List: Marquee Match-Up

The Alouettes return home to face top team in the west the Edmonton Eskimoes. Here is what to watch in tonights game.

-RB Jerome Messum should see a lot carries early on, Kavis Reed will want the Als to concentrate on the run game to give Ricky Ray more time in the pocket later in the game.

-To counter the Als injuries on the Defensive Line (McElveen and Bekasiak), look for Ferri and Emry to get more blitzes than normal.

-John Bowman had 4 sacks in his first 3 games, none in the last 3 weeks. He is too good not to hit Ray at least once tonight.

-Look for shorter and quicker passes form Ray throughout the game as Fred Stamps and Adarius Bowman will not play. Marcus Henry will see more balls. Take the over of 6 balls to Jason Barnes at slotback.

-For the Als, success goes through Brandon Whitaker, he’ll need to catch 3-5 balls to go with over ten carries for an Alouette win.

-Anthony Calvillo only has 2 TD passes in his last 3 games. He’ll have at least 2 tonight.

-If Damon Duval misses just 1 FG, he will hear it from the Alouette faithful.

Here are some interesting numbers heading into tonights game, The Eskimoes have lost their last 3 games at Percival Molson Stadium. The average margin of victory for Montreal has been 29 points. Montreal also holds a 10 point playoff win over Edmonton at the Olympic Stadium in 2008.

The spread is 6 and a half, so it is tempting to take the Alouettes by a TD. But I like the way that Kavis Reed has his team thinking let alone playing. In an exciting tight game I’ll take the Alouettes by a late Sean Whyte FG 38-36.

Watch List: AC vs AC

The Montreal Alouettes head into Hamilton to face Avon Cobourne for the first time. Cobourne will want to impress his former mates as the Tiger-Cats look for their 3rd win in a row.
Montreal will have their own AC in the line-up, as Calvillo is good to go after leaving last week with blurred vision.
Sorry for no Watch List last week, but alas it is back for week 5

-Look for AC to find Kerry Watkins within his first 3 throws.

-Brandon Whitaker will be used more this week, as he was stuck in the backfield helping Jeraill McCuller block for the most part last week against Saskatchewan.

-Brandon London may see less balls thrown his way but he still remains a threat downfield. So look for any throws his way 20plus yards.

-Avon Cobourne will at some point in this game will be jawing with Shea Emry

-Kevin Glenn will look to go deep down the middle with Jeff Hecht starting at Safety in place of Etienne Boulay. Marcel Bellefeuille will be testing him early.

-Dwight Anderson and Billy Parker will have their hands full with rookie WR Chris Williams he has looked great in the 1st few weeks.

Prediction time, The Alouettes dont lose twice in a row that often. It is on the road so I expect this to stay close. Big games from Calvillo and Whitaker will carry the team. Montreal 30, Hamilton 28.

Post- Game Alservations: Put it in the Record books

Well it was going to happen for Anthony Calvillo sooner or later, he just decided on sooner. AC hit Eric Deslauriers in the 1st quarter to break the CFL's all-time TD mark as the Als trumped the Argos 40-17.

-This game wasn't all AC, RB Brandon Whitaker played a huge role with 27 touches and 214 total yards. The fact that Whitaker caught 11 passes means that the Argos DBs were doing their job.

-It did seem however, that Jim Barker did not implement a game plan for the one they call B-Whit. He showed a tremondous ammount of vision on numerous run plays finding not one or two holes but sometimes three.

-Back to AC, he's thrown 2 INTs this year, both started in the hands of his own receiver (Jamel Richardson and Eric Deslauriers).

-Chip Cox set a CFL record of his own with his 108 Fumble return. The previous mark was that of Ottawa Roughrider Al Washington in 1984 of 104 yards.

-Including special teams Chip Cox played 69 plays total in this game, He also had a pic and 7 tackles.

-Chad Kackert was washing dishes before the game and forgot to dry off his hands before playing, 2 fumbles at critical points in the game.

-Decent night for the Alouettes D line, 4, hurries, 4 hits and 2 sacks on Cleo Lemon.

-It was OL Scott Flory's 35th birthday, He was forced to play tackle when Josh Bourke got hurt. He hasn't done so since 2005. He prefers Guard as he was called for a holding penalty in the tackle position.

-Great to see Brandon London improve his game for the 3rd straight game. game 1: 1 reception, game 2: 3 receptions and game 3: 6 receptions. Anthony Calvillo is developing confidence with the wideout.

-What would have happened if Jamel Richardson and Kerry Watkins were in the line-up?

-It was a nice ceremony for Ben Cahoon, it is always great to see him in Montreal. But I have always believed if its a no-brainer to retire an athletes number, then there is no reason to wait. Just do it right away.

The Alouettes now have a long week of rest a recuperation as the host Saskatechewan next next Saunday evening a Percival Molson Stadium.

The Watch List- Keeping an Eye on History

The Montreal Alouettes host the Toronto Argonauts in an east division battle. With a Win the Als will be all alone in top spot as an Argos win would create a three-way tie with Winnipeg. Here's what to look for tonight.

- It's all about the Alouettes first series as Anthony Calvillo will break the tie with Damon Allen for top spot on the CFL all-time TD passing list. AC and Trestman would love to get it over with so they could just concentrate on football.

- If the Als aim for the endzone early on a bomb, look for SJ Green or Brandon London to be on the other end of it.

- If the Als march up the field and get into the Redzone, look for either Brandon Whitaker or Brian Bratton to notch the historic TD much like their last week TD receptions.

- #80 Eric Deslauriers will get his first start of the Season with the offense, He better catch the first few to him, or AC may never look at him for the rest of the game.

- The Alouettes Special teams coverage which has been an issue this year will have their hands full with former WR/KR Chad Owens. He may score the Only TD for the Boatmen.

- Look for Montreal's front four to concentrate a little more on Cleo Lemon than Chad Kackert. With no Cory Boyd it frees up for more pass rushing plays other then playing run defense against one of the leagues best.

- Don't Miss Ben Cahoon being honored at halftime, he deserves your attention, even though he doesn't want it.

-It's week 3, Dwight Anderson, Billy Parker or Mark Estelle would like to nab the Alouettes 1st INT of the season. It'll happen, give me Parker.

Prediction time: if you know me, You know I will not go against the Alouettes at home with Anthony Calvillo at the helm. I do not like the Argos Chances without Cory Boyd, their one true offensive star. The Argos defense will focus on Ac as he is missing some receivers. But I expect 5 plus receptions from Bratton, Green, Whitaker and London. Montreal 35, Toronto 15.

Post- Game Alservations: AC tops Darian and Damon

The Montreal Alouettes went into Mosaic Stadium and put the hammer down with a 39-25 road victory over the Roughriders. Here’s this week Alservations:

-Anthony Calvillo throws for 5 TDs for only (yup only) the 3rd time in his career. He ties Damon Allen for the most TD passes in CFL history with 394. Maybe he’ll hit number 400 next week.

-Great game for WR Brian Bratton, the 5 receptions, 76 yards and 2 TDs doesn’t tell the whole story. His key catch set-up Whitaker’s TD and he laid out a great WR block as S Green scored. Plus on more than one occasion Bratton was pass protecting for AC.

-Very rough game for some of the Alouette stars on Saturday. On separate occasions, Jamel Richardson, Mark Estelle, John Bowman, Brandon Whitaker and SJ Green all had to be tended to and helped off the field. Whitaker did not return and according to HerbZ of Alsinsideout has a concussion but hasn’t been ruled out for Friday at home against Toronto.

-But it was great to see Whitaker on the sidelines late in the fourth signally in plays to Dahrren Diedrick.

-Loved Dwight Anderson’s aggressiveness and ability to close the gap on Dressler on numerous occasions.

-Ever wonder why Chip Cox plays special teams when he’s an all-star on defence. Well watching him chase down returner Tristan Jackson, should answer that.

-All the pushing a shoving after the whistles makes me want to skip week three against Toronto and to invite Saskatchewan to town now. The Riders are easily the Als best rivalry in the west.

-After the game Darian Durant said he sees Anthony Calvillo as the greatest QB ever in the CFL. He only ever ‘heard’ of Doug Flutie.

-Speaking of Durant, I thought he looked a lot better than last week. He didn’t turn over the ball and put together a couple of very nice looking drives. He just doesn’t have the arsenal of receivers that he had to play with last season.

-The Riders Coaching staff did not get Wes Cates the ball enough he only had 9 touches overall in the game

-All three of Brandon London’s catches were for first downs

-With 419 passing yards, AC is now only 3490 yards away from passing Allen on the All-time passing yards list.

Rematch Watch List

Week two for the Alouettes is an afternoon Grey Cup rematch with the Saskatechwan Roughriders. As per usual there is alot to focus on.

-Marc Trestman is 6-2 against The Riders with Ken Miller as Head Coach, letès see how Greg Marshall prepares for the Alouettes.

-The Riders DBs had a tough time with Eskimoe tall WRs Bowman and Barnes in week one. It only gets tougher with Jamel Richardson and SJ Green

-The Riders gave up 42 points and 294 yards in the air as the could get any sustained pressure on Ricky Ray. Anthony Calvillo doesn't need time but if you give it to him then he'll rip the DBs apart.

-Wes Cates will be tough to defend and should get upwards of 20 touches between receiving and running. The Riders don't have the depth at WR like they have seen in years past.

-De'Audra Dix returns to the Als as a starter, how long will it last? if there are any more injuries on to the DBs they'll really have to search for replacements.

-Can Brandon Whitaker bring his A game on the road. The Als only have 1 win in 3 years when visiting Regina.

Prediction time.
I like the Als, pretty much on the basis of how the Riders played against Edmonton last week. If I didn't watch the game I'd probably pick Saskatechwan at home as they have not lost more than 3 games at Mosiac Staidium in any of their last 5 seasons.
The Als DBs will be tested and I'd probably go with the over.
Alouettes 42, Roughriders 37

Post Game Alservations: Win it for Brown

The Alouettes season is one game deep, and they are on the road to BC with the 30-26 win over the Lions. Here are tonight's Alservations.

-NorthEast stands empty. 2011 is Sell out streak over 22 317 fans. How much did ticket prices go up... Not the number Ray Lalonde wanted to start his tenure with

-First series first touchdown SJ Green lines up outside, Ben Cahoon never did that 51yards

-Jeff Hecht gets thrown into the fire with the Brown injury, Billy Parker moves back to DHB.

-Chip Cox may be a linebacker but he still has DB speed, but after a drop of a sure pic in the 3rd quarter he’s probably better off where he is playing.

-Huge block by Jeff Hecht on Lions OL John Hameister-Ries on the Missed Field goal return by Tim Maypray, You’ll see it in the highlight packages for a bit.

-Jamel Richardson is ready to make his mark on the CFL in 2011, TDs of 40 and 46 yards, one displaying his speed, the other showing off his strength. He finished with 9 rec and 162 yards.

-Rough game for OL Jeff Perrett, gave up a sack and a holding call

-Special teams coverage still needs to be addressed, lanes were open right up the middle on the Tim Brown return

-The Alouettes lost a little luster when they turned to the run game in the 3rd quarter, its not like it didn’t work, but it couldn’t counter the Lions quick pace because ethey were down by so much.

-Travis Lulay took awhile to get going, but he can put a nice drive together in a time of need. He does run when he is in trouble, good thing he’s young.

-Nice to see the Alouettes hang Jerald Brown’s #39 jersey hang in the middle of the locker room after the game, Trestman says he’ll have surgery tomorrow and is likely done for the year

The Watch List: BC vs Montreal

Game one is finally here and finally there will be real football to talk about. Time to look forward and focus on the in-game play.

The Watch-List is a series of pre-game notes for the upcoming game. A football game is a wonderfully complicated game and certain games there will be things that I will be looking at/for throughout the game at hand

Montreal vs BC
Campbell’s Watch list:

-Brandon Whitaker’s pass protection, I don’t expect Whitaker to get anymore than 10 carries barring a blow-out. Let’s see how he reads BC’s defense for 60 minutes.

-Alouette route running, SJ Green in the slot, and newcomers Brandon London and Dallas Baker will be the focal points. Will they zig left instead of right? Will they be able to read AC’s hot reads as quickly as Ben did?

-Travis Lulay, Wally Buono Loves him, should say enough, Theis could be a name that will be in the CFL for a long time. It’s his first season as a full-time starter, can he make the most of it. He’ll need to show experience because without Geroy Simon there isn’t any on the WR core.

-Billy Parker and Dwight Anderson, it’s new position for Parker on the outside and it’s the first real long look at Anderson for Alouette fans.

Final Score:

Montreal 37, BC 34.

I really like BC this year, but I liked them last season, so who knows. However, the Alouettes are the Champs for a reason, mainly is that they win at home. They were 7-2 at Percival Molson Stadium last season and both losses Anthony Calvillo did not play. Look for 80-90 total yards for Whitaker and a great day from Alouette receivers. For BC Lulay may struggle in the passing game with his young receivers but Jamal Robertson may be able to run a little tonight, maybe for a couple of TDs. We will also see how the Alouettes special teams have adjusted since their weak performance in Hamilton last week.

Enjoy the game.

2011 CFL Kick-Off Predictions

I love making predictions, mainly for the “I told you so” factor, but mostly cause its all in good fun. The season starts tonight and I just wanted to put a couple random prognostications out there before things got started.

2011 Standings
East-
Montreal- 12-6
Hamilton- 12-6
Toronto- 8-10
Winnipeg- 7-11

West-
Calgary- 14-4
B.C.- 11-7
Saskatchewan- 9-8-1
Edmonton- 4-13-1

League Predictions:
Most Passing TDs: Mtl Anthony Calvillo
Most Passing Yards: Sask Darian Durant
Most Rushing Yards: Tor Cory Boyd
Most Ints: BC Ryan Phillips
Most Sacks: Tor Kevin Huntley
Most TDs: Cal Joffrey Reynolds

Alouette Predictions:
Most Rec yards: SJ Green
Most Rec TDs: Jamel Richardson
Most Rush yards: Brandon Whitaker
Most Rush TDs: Brandon Whitaker
Most Sacks: John Bowman
Most Ints: Jerald Brown
Most Tackles: Shea Emry
ROY nominee: Brandon London

Random Predictions:
-When will AC break Damon Allen’s CFL Passing yardage record? -Week 13 in Edmonton
-First player in 2011 to be fined by CFL because of Twitter: Avon Cobourne
-How many different QBs will start a game for The Blue Bombers? 3
-Which Head Coach will be fired in 2011? None
-Will Andy Fantuz play in for Saskatchewan by season’s end? Yes by week 10


Game Predictions:
-Hamilton 35, Calgary 29 Touchdown Atlantic in Moncton Sept 25th
-BC 32, Mtl 30 at the 99th Grey Cup 2011

Ten Reasons to watch the 2011 CFL Season

The CFL season approaches and there are many things to look forward to. The League has grown coast to coast in the last five years and has started to really gain the country’s attention. Here are ten things that should spark your attention in 2011.

10-Road Warriors: The Winnipeg Blue Bombers will be looking for a road win this season. In 2010 The Bombers went 4-14 and that included 0-9 away from Canada Inns Stadium. I don’t think I’ll throw in the Campbell guarantee, but Week four in Toronto could be the ice-breaker.

9-BC Bound: The West Coast province hosts the Grey Cup at season’s end and expectations are as high as they were to start 2010 with Travis Lulay. Wally Buono will give the ball to Lulay as long as he’s healthy. It’s what he does with it. The Lions 2011 season rests in his hands.

8- Four for Four: Can Marc Trestman make it four Grey Cups appearances in four seasons? If he does, the NFL has to take notice, no matter what the outcome is. It could be the end of a very short era.

7- The Return: (Including the pre-season) The Ti-Cats host the Alouettes three times before making a trip to Percival Molson Stadium. But Avon Cobourne will want to prove something to the Alouettes in their building. There will be a lot of Montreal fans that are excited for the Cobourne return on September 11th. Expect Avon to bring his best game in Montreal, just to prove a point to Jim Popp.

6-The Next Level: For the two top passers last season, Darian Durant and Kevin Glenn, its time to pick up their game. Durant needs to prove he can win the big game. As for Glenn, he needs to perform his best when facing the Alouettes and be a force that has to be contended with. They have proven it with numbers, now its time to prove it in games that will get their franchise to the next level.

5- TV Timeout: After watching HBO’s 24/7 with Pittsburgh and Washington and of course The NY Jets and Hard Knocks I’m excited for TSN’s the Extra Yard with the Toronto Argonauts. Sports live documentaries are the way to go. It’s a 4-part series that goes form now until Labour Day and is scheduled to start on Sunday July 3rd.

4-Touchdown Atlantic: It may just seem to be a meaningless mid-season regular season game in Moncton on September 25th between Calgary and Hamilton but TD Atlantic is a whole lot more. It’s an experience like no other that many CFL fans feel is a must go. It actually has a grey Cup feel and breaks the season up in two.

3-Rush to the Top: To me it’s a three horse race for the rushing crown; Fred Reid vs Joffery Reynolds vs Cory Boyd. Avon Cobourne could make a run but I’m not sure he’ll get enough carries in Hamilton, a problem he saw in Montreal. These top backs will attempt to power through many defenses and put a show on a weekly basis.

2- Record Breakers: CFL history could be made by some of the all-time greats still in the game. B.C.’s Geroy Simon needs only 1155 receiving yards to jump into #2 spot behind Milt Stegall. Montreal’s Anthony Calvillo can become Pro-Football’s all-time passing leader if he surpasses 4220 yards. If he manages to stay healthy it should be an accomplishable feat. He’d eclipse Warren Moon, Brett Favre and Damon Allen in doing so.

1-Special players: The CFL kick-returners are a special breed and the crop hasn’t been better with the Als Tim Maypray, Calgary’s Larry Taylor, Toronto’s Chad Owens and Hamilton’s Marcus Thigpen. Each one of them except Taylor, who did not play enough in 2010, had two MFG returns last season alone. Any kick, any time, start counting the TDs.

Als DC Tim Tibesar on The TEAM 990

I was hosting The Tieman Show today on The TEAM 990 for Randy Tieman and had a chance to catch up with the Alouettes new Defensive Coordinator Tim Tibesar. Tibesar joined me after the Als wrapped up training camp in Sherbrooke.

Tim and I spoke about numerous topics and players. Not that he gave away any trade secrets, but look forward to the linebackers being more involved with the defense then they already were.

The Full interview can be found here.
http://tinyurl.com/273fe9w

Tibesar also spoke of Shea Emry Leadership, Anwar Stewarts Role this season, what the addition of Dwight Anderson means and his relationship with Marc Trestman.

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The TEAM 990 Alouettes Programming notes:

Well it looks like we have found our date and time.
Tuesdays at 7pm on The TEAM 990 www.team990.com, The Als this Week returns.

Myself and Mitch Gallo will continue with our weekly one hour show, breaking down the CFL and Alouettes. Stay posted for list of potential special and weekly guests to the program.

And on a personal note, I will be hosting The Tieman Show again next Monday June 27th from 1-3pm. Plus on June 22nd, 23rd and 24th I'll be up in the morning with Elliott Price and The Morning Show from 6-10am

Post Game Alservations: Remember the Receivers

Well that’s pre-season CFL football, I promise it gets better. 27-15 final for the Alouettes over the Bombers.

Here’s what I noticed

-Only 1 quarter of play for Adrian Mcpherson, But ran the ship like it was his. There are many CFL coaches that wish he was the man calling the shots on their team.

-Rough go-around for Brandon Whitaker only three carries for minus 2 yards. However, twice he was met in the backfield by a Bomber defender that beat Ryan Bomben who was replacing Scott Flory, who had the night off.

-On a pass blocking note, Whitaker didn’t miss an assignment, which is the good news.

-Eesh the ghosts of Duval at Percival Molson already? Whyte’s 1st FG attempt wide right from 38 yards out.

-My players to watch showed up early and often. Brandon London started with a huge contested grab on the 2nd play of scrimmage for 47 yards he finished with 8 catches and 145 yards, and Bo Bowling had the 9 yard TD catch to kick things off then his final numbers were 7 for 67.

-De’Audra Dix looked primed, took some chances ball-hawking but its pre-season and I can appreciate that. He knows he’s competing for playing time.

-The sack on Ricky Santos in the 2nd quarter, went right through Kristian Matte and Chris Pino.

-Bo Bowling reminds me of Ben Cahoon…. On the field.

-Avon Cobourne was paying attention to the game he tweeted his well wishes: @AvonCobourne: ALS looking for a running back and they have 8 carries going to in to the 4th. Good luck fellas.

- Speaking of Twitter, you can follow the games star Brandon London @yourboyBLONDON

-The B squad on Defense played and looked like a B squad, The Alouettes better stay healthy on that side of the ball.

-I liked Tad Crawford’s speed versus Boulay’s, this battle for the safety position should continue into the first few weeks of the season.

-Eric Deslauriers had the highlight of the night, with a great contested grab for 44yards in the 2nd quarter, It set up the 2nd TD by Emmanuel Marc

-DL Kitwana Jones looks like he’s here to stay, expect a lot more time on Special teams than Defense.

-Great to see the Alouettes organization finally put their retired numbers in a markee position under the second deck on the south side. Press row has a great view of #56 Trawick, #92 Etcheverry, #75 Patterson, #28 Dixon, #63 Desjardins, #74 Dalla Riva, #77 #Ah You and #27 Pringle.

-Walter Spencer left the game with an elbow injury, Trestman deems it precautionary

-Trestman felt they were forced to pass the ball early and abandon the run because Winnipeg kept putting 8 in the box. He wanted to run more

The Als will head back to Bishop’s university to continue Training Camp over the weekend, they expect to get some bodies back on the field. We can also expect some cuts to be made after tonights game. The Als next play in Hamilton next Wednesday, It’ll be AC time!

Get your Programs Ready

The Als 2011 season kicks off tonight at Percival Molson with a Pre-season tilt against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. If you are at the Stadium or at home watching on TSN or RDS, you may need some help figuring out who to pay attention too.

I've decided to lend a helping hand and list off some players to key in on for tonight's game.

#14 WR Brandon London may get significant playing time. There has been alot of injuries to the recieving core and he has impressed the coaching staff and his teammates at Bishop's

#0 WR Bo Bowling A year remove from Oklahoma State, Bowling has an interesting background to say the least, but the talent is there. Kinda has that inside slot Cahoon type of feeling.

#94 DL Jermaine McGhee: Big body looking to play some football. The DL will be tough to crack for any newcomers, but the Alouettes should be giving him a deep look. He moves very well for 257lbs.

#33 DB Dwight Anderson, Sure he's been around the league awhile but he'll want to impress the Als fans early in his stay. Don't know how long he'll play but he's a ball-hawk.

#26 RB Yvenson Bernard, Looking for a full time gig in The CFL, formerly in the Bombers organization. He may want to prove himself against his old team. Short but stocky, and quick, very quick.

#51 OT Kristian Matte and #53 OT Chris Pino, I'm curious who will be the back-up tackle behind Perrett and Bourke.

It should be fun, and hopefully both teams will keep it close until the end of the game. Since it doesn't mean anything at least make it fun.

Alservations: From Training Camp

Have no fear, Alservations is back for the 2011 season. Anytime I am able to escape the Radio studio and head to a football field, there will be Alservations. I Headed off to Sherbrooke today to catch up with our Local Canadian Football team, here are a few things I did notice:

-Despite not playing on Thursday, Anthony Calvillo wants to get in his reps during practice. Even though he didn’t toss the ball around, he still participated in the RB drills handing off primarily to Brandon Whitaker

-Brandon Whitaker’s attitude has changed along with his status with the team. In the post practice interview he did not sound or act like the practice roster player I talked to at the end of last year.

-WR Brandon London is trying to make his mark. As far as offensive players go, he definitely stood out more than anyone, making numerous tough hard catches that he had to compete for in the air with the DBs.

-Bo Bowling was probably the receiver with the most catches.

-Prechae Rodriguez looked out of sorts on a few plays, turning right when the ball went left and dropping at least one that was right in his hands. He has missed a couple of days because of injury.

-RB Yvenson Bernard’s legs are fast; when he gets into the open, watch out!

-DB Billy Parker looked good at CB, because of injuries and Dwight Anderson slated to be at Defensive HB, Parker has been on the Outside of the defence. Making him match up well will the taller outside receivers

-Despite not practicing due to a ‘rest day’ from Marc Trestman John Bowman participated in every DL drill, coaching and motivating his teammates.

-As for Kickers, looks like Sandro DeAngelis prefers the 2 different cleats style, whereas Sean Whyte likes to match.

-WR Eric Deslauriers looks to play a bigger role in the offence with Ben Cahoon moving on. Well his voice was at least heard. He was by far the Alouette with the most energy on the field. I’m pretty sure some teammates appreciated his liveliness and others just shook their head.

-And have no worries Marc Trestman still runs the show; on numerous occasions calling out players that lagged behind between drills. One can only assume this is a daily occurrence.

- Brian Bratton realises that Cahoon is gone and that Kerry Watkins has yet to arrive and with Jamel Richardson on the sidelines he was the elder statesman for receivers today. He relished the role and felt that SJ Green also played a leadership role too.

As for the upcoming pre-season game Thursday night at Percival Molson Stadium vs Winnipeg, here are a few line-up notes:

Out- Jamel Richardson (Hip Flexor), Danny Deriveaux (knee), Mark Estelle (shoulder)
Anthony Calvillo (vet Status), Scott Flory (vet Status), Jermaine McElveen(personal), De’Andra Cobb (Hamstring)

Questionable- Jerald Brown, Eric Wilson, John Bowman, RB Emmanuel Marc

Sean Whyte will kick for the first 2-3 quarters, then Sandro DeAngelis. It’ll be either Ricky Santos or Marc-Olivier Brouillette as holder.

Adrian McPherson will start, then the hometown fans will see Ricky Santos and the game will wrap up with Josh Neiswander.

Most of the RBs will get touches, starting with Whitaker, but then Yvenson Bernard, Emmanuel Marc (if he can go) and Rashad Slaughter. Dahrran Diedrick is in the mix too.

Trestman finished up by saying the goal is to get most of the ‘new’ guys time in a game situation. Don’t expect the vets to be in their for long, so don’t be late.