Everybody's been on the defense for their uninspired performance last week
While it's justified...it's not exactly breaking news.
The Alouettes were torched for embarrassing yardage a few times in last two seasons...in fact going back to 2008 when Quinton Porter lit the Als up for 44 points. Weston Dressler had 171 YDS receiving for the Riders in Week 8 of last year. Kevin Glenn basically won his job back from Porter with a career high 506 YDS passing, and the week after Michael Bishop pulled a "Babe Ruth" and skied it for over 400 yards. And we all know what's been going on with the D this year...
My point is...half of the time, if the defense has an "off" game, the offense is there to pick them up. Calvillo and the Alouettes beat Dressler and the Riders in Week 8. Calvillo and McPherson combined to rob Glenn of the best game of his career. And if it hadn't been McPherson's first CFL start ever, they might have done the same to Michael Bishop the next week. Good teams have that going for them...an offense that can pick it up and perform when needed, a defense that can do the same.
And that's the story that hasn't been reported about the Calgary loss:
For the second week in three starts since he returned from injury, Anthony Calvillo's offense appeared weak and ineffectual.
The 3 touchdowns were OK...but less than needed to keep up. 17-33 (51%) and 227 yards passing...in a game billed as a battle between the two powerhouse offenses in the league...well...kind of pathetic, frankly.
We have to be impressed by the offensive output against Winnipeg. But even so...without a few bad calls the Alouettes would have lost that game as well. They'd be 1-2 since the Calvillo return (worse than when he was out). Even the win against a lowly Edmonton team was less than decisive. So before the next game against the Stamps...and I hope to God they can get their smeg together...or the "pick me ups" will have fallen below 50%...and that's a slippery slope....I ask:
So when do we start questioning the offense and their bad performance?
Je suppose que les amateurs ont compris que les Alouettes jouaient sans Watkins, et qu'ils ont perdu Lambert et Duval au cours de cette partie. Ce n'est rien pour aider une attaque à se déployer.
Maintenant, ils ont eu une semaine de pratique pour se préparer dans ces conditions, on va voir comment ils peuvent s'en tirer, mais cette attaque demeure hypthéquée.
Le vrai problème des Alouettes, c'est qu'à part Richardson et Green, leurs receveurs en santé sont des petites pointures à côté des demis des Stampeders. Calvillo a été forcé de mettre beaucoup de puissance dans plusieurs de ses passes parce que la couverture était très serrée. Cela a abouti en plusieurs passes échappées. Il faudra trouver la solution à ce problème.
I really don't care about excuses
Calvillo has managed to rip apart defenses his whole career
Excuses or no excuses
If he can't do it anymore, then he's not worth the space
Next Monday will be an interesting test
We'll get to see the character of this team
Offense and defense
If they don't perform under adversity
Then questions will continue to be asked...
With increasing urgency
That's the thing, we have 5 physical players in Emry, Cox, Ferri, Parker and Brown there is a sixth but we let him pine on the bench (Boulay) you let these guys play man. Estelle is not physical but he's a good cover guy and we need one or two of those on a D but for f.... sake LET THEM PLAY, LET THEM HIT SOMEONE.
When I hear we prefer Proux to Boulay because of his intelligence it just pisses me off to no end. I am sure Boulay can think and if the game plan requires a Doctorate to execute than we have the wrong plan.
Frankly I miss Chris Jones no nonsense physical defense and I'm sure there are quite a few of our guys who miss it too.
If they don't correct things before this season ends, not only are we not going to go any where come November but we are going to lose some good horses in the off season.
Agreed; too bad that when he was passed over for the HC spot he didn’t decide to stay on. . . with an offenisve genius in Trestman taking care of that side of the ball, having Jones to run the D would have been terrific.
The offense bailed the defense out against Winnipeg. It did not bail the defense out against Calgary. When you consider we were missing our top receiver (Watkins) and for most of the game, our placekicker and starting center, it's hard to pin blame on the offense.
Honestly, guys, the defense was embarrassing against the Stampeders. EVEN in a shootout, your defense needs to be able to make a play when you need them. Our defense was flat-out incapable of making a play. When a 10-yard slant turns into a HUNDRED EFFING YARD TD catch-and-run against your D, you know your problems are on the defensive side of the ball.
Boulay is a great hit man- why not play him full time at safety? Estelle is the fastest of the defense and, Dix has improved over last year. The half backs are a mystery to me- they can be super in one game then horrible the next. On defense, it is the system that needs changing!
On offense Calvillo is great at giving the Als a quick TD but, his productivity decreases thereafter. I believe the team is robbing itself of great potential by not using McPherson. He could be a real change agent for a team that does need some change. Looking at the last Grey Cup game to the present time, Calvillo seems not to be productive through 4 quarters. I believe McPherson would give added strength at QB! Why not use him? Cobourne functions most at blocking, and taking the odd screen pass. Last year I can recall him taking passes deeper. I believe Cobourne is not utilized as efficiently as he should be. We have just signed a big receiver out of the nfl. Change has thus begun- lets hope that this is the beginning of additional change.
You gotta laugh…you really do.
For all my being accused of obsession with McPherson, it’s all there in B&W:
Don’t diss my quarterback…don’t touch my Calvillo.
No one’s saying the defense hasn’t stunk things up periodically
No one’s saying that the offense hasn’t bailed out the defense quite a few times over the past few years.
It’s exactly what I’m saying.
But if they stop being able to pull a huge offensive performance out of their rears when it’s needed…this Alouettes team is really going nowhere.
I was willing to admit that AC’s performance against Edmonton had a lot to do with rust after a long injury/recovery. But 2 games down the road and Calvillo doesn’t do better than ~220YDS? In an important game that’s meant to be a preview of the Grey Cup? I just don’t buy all the excuses. Watkins has been and will be more than adequately replaced by Bratton, Green and Hawkins. Lambert’s loss didn’t suddenly open a floodgate of sacks…and in fact little AC had a decent game running the ball (for a change). Even Duval’s loss wasn’t really missed…because AC put up so few yards, led so few effective drives…the Alouettes uncharacteristically simply didn’t have to try a fieldgoal.
Now you guys know this team. Is it normal to spend that much time without a fieldgoal try?
I wasn’t going to mention McPherson, but he put together a pretty impressive drive in junk time…until SJ Green head butted an interception to the Stamps.
I’ll say it again: No one has any problem coming down on the whole defense when they have a bad game. But when they do and the offense doesn’t step up better than they did…I’m seriously flummoxed by the complete silence about it.
Who’s been paying some of you guys off to be his press agents? Hell…now he’s one guy with the money to do it.
Maybe he should stop thinking about all those records…and start thinking about the team…present AND future.
If Calvillo has the same kind of game, and the Alouettes don’t pull him…even if only to shake him up a bit…a lot of people are going to go from grumbling…to giving up on this team.
We did?
Who?
I see no mention of it in the Gazette on line
Or Als Inside/Out
If you’re referring to Jason Armstead…his stats over the last few years have been less than stellar:
He’s been with 5 different teams since 2007, including the Alouettes.
The Alouettes, with all their problems, have the MOST depth at receiver
So naturally they go out and get one that’s been cut more times than a deck of cards.
Senior, I don't know why you have to get nasty and personal and insulting whenever the subject of Calvillo comes up. I honestly don't. And I'm not interested in getting into it with you. If you can't express yourself in a courteous fashion, I'm not going to bother to respond.
Fact is, the subject of Calvillo did NOT come up in your post d&p. Senior chose to read into it in a rather outlandish fashion. He said “it’s all there in B&W”, whereas in fact it isn’t there AT ALL. Only someone with an obsession would react the way he did.
Senior, sometimes you post very insightful posts which I enjoy reading. You are a knowledgeble football fan, and I"m glad to know another fellow Als’ fan, and I like the creativity of your handle in here. But you’re starting to get kind of weird now. . . like that Bishop=loving fan we used to have here, who at first was sort of amusing in his irrational love for a mediocre qb (not suggesting that your hero is mediocre, mind you), but then morphed into something really freaky.
I don’t give a hoot about all that touchy feely nonsense
The Alouettes are in trouble…and discussing this is the only thing of interest to me
If that’s weird then maybe you’d be more interested in a knitting circle blog or something. This is football over here.
So when someone posts,
"When a 10-yard slant turns into a HUNDRED EFFING YARD TD catch-and-run against your D, you know your problems are on the defensive side of the ball"
...in a thread that's asserts that an anemic offense might be worth a look...and some thought...on a team that has historically run up and down the field at will...well then I feel it's my duty to defend my position and hope someone has the sense to see past their puppy love.
If you want to be argumentative and contrary, it’s a bit silly to cry foul and complain when you get exactly what you asked for.
I certainly understand and respect standing by Calvillo and his offense, up until that loyalty starts to hurt the team. But as usual, I’m insulted and called “weird” if I even begin to ask questions about it.
Well get used to it.
If Calvillo doesn’t start to pull his thing together…I’m certainly going to hold his feet to the fire. With a spectacular backup waiting in the wings…a lackluster performance like last weeks simply will not do…and deserves every Alouettes fan’s attention and commentary.
I also have been commenting on getting Leroy Vann a decent shot at returner…and think that after a mediocre season where Maypray, despite having by far more returns than anyone else in the league is way down in the pack in most significant catagories…I find it mystifying that Vann gets the axe after a couple of soso games…he barely got a shot…against incredible coverage.
I guess it’s weird that I’m promoting Leroy Vann too…or that I’ve been so impressed by Chip Cox.
Let’s see…what do Leroy Vann, Adrian McPherson, Chip Cox…oh ya and Andrew Hawkins has been one of my favourites…what do they all have in common…aside from being Montreal Alouettes? Can you guess? Can you?
Right on!!! They’re spectacularly talented football players that can help our Alouettes go all the way. Some might say that’s something to get excited about.
Being one myself, I guess I can say it: Anglos simply can’t handle passion. You saw that when Chris Leak exploded with emotion…the comments were pretty telling all over the board…and anyone who doubts that might want to watch a “soccer” match for clues on how to properly express one’s joy. Maybe a trip to Europe might loosen up some “nether muscles” around here. I’ll leave that to your discretion.
Me…I’m waiting for that Calgary game with more than a little trepidation.
And speaking of Calvillo...I wonder if anyone can hazard a guess why his good friend Ben Cahoon has been virtually abandoned this year? If you've been paying attention, you'll have noticed that Adrian McPherson goes to Cahoon as much if not more than any other receiver.
And why not? He may not be the fastest guy on the field....never was. But that image of Ben flying through the air to nail a "rocket pass" has got to impress a young quarterback trying to make a name in this league. He may have had a few moments of "attention deficit" this year. Who can blame him the way he's been ignored? But he still has those magic velcro hands.
Anybody that figures the "real" reason that Ben has been left in the dust gets a shiny silver star on his/her notebook.
Come on...there has to be an explanation. Hint...it's the same reason Avon Cobourne has barely touched the ball on the ground this year...the same reason McPherson is left rotting on the sidelines.
D’après moi, la principale raison est que les équipes adverses savent que Cahoon est à la course du record de Vaughn et savent donc que tôt ou tard, le ballon va lui être lancé. Ce faisant, il est plus couvert que d’autres. L’autre point, c’est que puisque Watkins est absent, le synchronisme des routes longues et intermédiaires n’est pas parfait, ce qui facilite la couverture de Cahoon.
Lorsque Ben en aura attrapé sa 1 007ème passe, la situation reviendra à la normale.
I've tried to give you the benefit of the doubt multiple times here. Every time I try, I get burned. You aren't capable of discussing football like a civil human being. It's not enough for you to disagree with me; no, you have to attack me personally and attribute motives to me that aren't mine. Clearly, respect for your fellow members is not something you care about. Well and good. I wish you joy posting here. But you sir, go my virtual ignore list from today forward.
Never again to have to suffer that unmitigated audacity of being patted on the back for writing what you consider to be a well thought out comment...or the almost McCarthystic gall of being told what not to post. I will continue to read your comments with interest...but always with an eye to the aforementioned (what I consider to be) negative tendencies.
Stick to football...and for God's sake don't be so contrary.
For my two cents' worth, I enjoy viewing other posters' comments and some posters are indeed well informed. I look at this forum as a way of enjoying my favourite sport and sharing thoughts with others of like mind.
I have posted things with which other posters are not in agreement. That is perfectly OK! However, in so doing there is a certain civility and decorum to be respected here. There is absolutely no reason to go on the defensive nor to "lash out" if another poster disagrees with a certain post. Let's be mindful that everything posted here is available for all to see. I am not interested in viewing ongoing disputes between individuals, personal vendettas...etc. This forum is about discussing football - the Als in particular. So let's stick to that script, shall we?