Well, for all of the naysayers who thought we were going be "eaten raw" by the Ticats, that was very satisfying indeed.
While we still took some stupid penalties, the D held us in - that was vitally important for Adrian. And speaking of whom - how about that performance!!! Good mixture of run/pass, and clock managment. Way to go O!!! A great victory!!!
We have a star in the making. I am beyond stunned at how smooth and efficient Adrian was on a measly 5 practices after spending months on the shelf. Yes, he needs to work on his checkdown reads instead of always taking off with the football, and his deep passes need more accuracy, but man alive, he looked good out there. He sure throws a nice tight spiral too, with very effort: he just flicks his wrist and suddenly the ball is out there. It was probably an adjustment for the receivers too, as I'm sure they're not used to their QB overthrowing them on deep routes (due to age and arm strength, Calvillo tends to underthrow). 
Indeed, a great win by Montreal. Adrian Mcpherson. :thup:
(Trying to do Rocky Balboa accent.)
Yo, Adrian!
He is way better than the last time he started, last year against Winnipeg. I say that this is the quarterback on whom the future of the team can be hung. I hope that Trestman will give him more real game opportunities to polish him further.
What can I say?
Adrian was rusty....missed Richardson for a touchdown...was put into second and long with conservative play-calling...all game...and THIS was the result. "Managing the game" sure, I get it. If the defense hadn't stepped up so HUGE they would have managed McPherson right into a loss.
Still, give him a few starts in a row, a bit more play action and a few more long balls on 1st down (ala Kevin Glenn for instance) and watch him go!!! 3rd start EVER folks...ends up rushing for a QB team record!!!
I don't give a hoot if I and others have been touting McPherson as the second coming.
I'm just so happy for the guy...and seeing his whole family there...and Trestman giving him such a public show of confidence...changing the play-calls etc...WOW.
Way to go Adrian!
Not trying to be argumentative, but his last start was against Toronto…he threw 2 touchdowns and played a half and a bit before Leak stepped in. He was also hobbled by most of the starters sitting out after the first few series’.
In the Winnipeg game…the D was the HUGE difference in the 2 starts.
Bishop threw for over 500yds…massacred an Alouettes team that had clinched early and was un-motivated to say the least.
Adrian’s game was a bit better today…but still showed the rust you’d expect from a complete lack of reps
I’m just saying with McPherson: The best is yet to come
:P :P :PWith McPherson, the zone read is finally a dangerous play again. After three quarters of Adrian making plays with his legs, Cobourne 'magically' had more space in front of him when he got the ball. Almost like the defensive ends had to respect Adrian as a rushing threat. :lol:
The running really isn't what impressed me, though. We all knew he could run, no surprise there, though it's certainly fun to watch (especially when he pulls out the ol' Heismann and stiff-arms some poor bastard of a linebacker to the turf :lol: ). It's his poise in the pocket that really shone through today. Yes, he made some bad decisions, including throwing the Tisdale pick, and he did tend to lock into his primary read even when he had better checkdown options, but overall, he displayed astounding pocket presence for a young QB with barely any CFL experience under his belt. He was actually looking off the safety near the red zone. His short and intermediate passes were generally crisp, well-timed, and effortlessly thrown. He even audibled some protections at the LOS, and on at least one occasion, the play subsequently ran resulted in a first down.
What a relief heading into the Edmonton game. Trestman can make absolutely certain Calvillo is 100% by resting him without necessarily jeopardizing our ability to win games.
Yes it is and I think there will be much discussions in the off season as to how to begin the "transfer" at the QB position. It will be the last year of Adrian's contract and to convince him to extend, he will have to be convinced that this is the best option for him.
It would be great to see the team operate the same way as it did in Tracy Hamm's last season. This could work for the next two years if AC wants to accept being a mentor and sharing the load.
Depedning on AC's health and willingness to stick it out a little longer, I could well see (assuming AC agrees to come back next season), a kind of "platooning" arrangement. I know many fans don't like that, but I remember the Joe Barnes/Sonny Wade combo; they certainly helped the team and led us to a couple of GCs. My history here may be off, however.
I would certainly like to see AC break a few records, but for Adrian, Chris, or any QB to be effective, consistency is the key. The only way that can be done is to have several starts, and several in a row. This something the coaching staff is going to have to think about this season as well. Let's face it, they beat a very much improved Ticat team today. However the D was awesome and kept Glenn and co. on the run pretty much all day long.
No point in getting into this kind of dispute.
It’s like arguing over a woman’s posterior or her legs: either way…a thing of beauty
I just happen to be a leg-man 
I’ve ALWAYS admired what a running quarterback can do to give defenses fits.
But I’ve never had ANY doubts as to Adrian’s passing skills or pocket presence.
He showed me all I needed to know last year…and can only get better with experience…
But running ability isn’t something you can teach.
He’s the first Alouette QB to EVER run for more than 100 yards.
Considering how well respected the Ticat defense, and especially their linebackers are
This is a HUGE accomplishment.
I don’t have to remind anyone how much of a dual threat Damon Allen was.
He leads the league all time in BOTH
One compliments the other
And with the skills of a McPherson
Calvillo may not be the only Alouette to one day challenge the king
Hey, you are right. McPherson did start last year on the last regular-season game in the Skydome. And Montreal did win that game convincingly (42 - 17). Then why the TSN panel said yesterday and today that in recent time the Alouettes only won two games with persons other than Calvillo as the starting quarterback? BTW those QBs they mentioned were Marcus Brady and Jason Maas.
Probably for the same reason I was screaming that very question at my TV at that moment:
They dropped that ball on that one.
Still…they finally did a good job highlighting AD…
Dunigan seems to really be pulling for the kid
And he knows his stuff…especially when it comes to running quarterbacks
Adrian McPherson demonstrated his good ability today and, I believe the Als should include him in the offense for the rest of the season. With his running especially, when AC has one of his cold spells McPherson should be brought in to refocus the offense. I would like to see him as a participant in all future games. He is our future QB and, should now begin his participation in the offense. I especially like his strength. In his running he goes through and, around the defenders.AM is a real double threat at QB. His only need is for more game experience. He throws a nice ball although there was a tendency to just over throw his receivers and, this will develop the more he plays. Actually I thought Adrian looked better with the pass last season but, his inactivity this year is most likely the reason for his not connecting with the long ball. He does have a learning curve and, in future will develop the ability to spot secondary receivers and, polish his obvious talent. The Als deficit today was their impotence in the red zone- too many FGs and, poor play calling allowed the TiCats to be in the game until fairly late in the e4th quarter. Who did the play calling?
I don't think Adrian should be used when Calvillo slumps. That's guaranteed to piss Anthony off and puts too much pressure on Adrian besides. What I'd do is work up a set of packages solely for Adrian which Trestman and Milanovich will remain committed to running every game at some point. And let's get creative here. Wildcat, option shovel plays, maybe even letting Adrian unleash the deep ball like Bellefeuille did with Porter on 2nd and inches. As he works his way into the offense, Adrian should be considered not an in-game replacement for Anthony so much as a change of pace, i.e. the leftie you bring in to strike out the right-handed slugger. This way, we get to see what Adrian can do on a level playing field, instead of throwing him into situations where the team is likely in a hole because Calvillo is in a slump.
Good question.
Last year’s red zone production was not exactly stellar either. Remembering that Duval set a single-season points record largely for that very reason. It’s something that’s going to need some looking at for next season (or sooner).
He showed me quite a bit last year, but it was just that … last year. 
Porter looked like a million bucks in 2008, then like manure in 2009.
It’s not that I don’t admire a running QB. I loved watching Adrian pick up 10+ yards a scamper and drill Hamilton defenders to the turf with those tree-trunks he calls arms. 
But this offense is a pass-first timing offense. If Adrian was going to have any success, he needed to show that he could run the passing game efficiently. I think he answered the bell today, did everything asked of him and a whole lot more.
But running ability isn't something you can teach. He's the first Alouette QB to EVER run for more than 100 yards. Considering how well respected the Ticat defense, and especially their linebackers are This is a HUGE accomplishment.I don’t have to remind anyone how much of a dual threat Damon Allen was.
He leads the league all time in BOTH
One compliments the other
And with the skills of a McPherson Calvillo may not be the only Alouette to one day challenge the kingAgain, way too soon for this kind of talk IMO. I'd rather applaud Adrian for what he is now, and for what he may become in the future, without burdening him with comparisons to league hall of famers.
Play that sticks in my mind is when he faked Otis Floyd and poor Otis right half went one way and the left side of his body went the other way. I'm SURE Otis is pretty wobbly tonight...
Agreed, there was lots to like today.
But he's really got to work on his accuracy in terms of intermediate and long passes. . . that was lacking today.
Adrian can get the accuracy down on the longer balls with experience. Strong, excited, unproven QBs almost always overthrow deep balls at first. But he developed into being pretty accurate with 40 yard bombs in the tiny confines of AFL, so he can definitely do it. Not that I wish to rush AC out. Good for Adrian though. He's a nice comeback story in the making. Can you even imagine having your dreams crushed by a stuffed animal?
How difficult is it to understand how a running quarterback who's a dual threat, can use the running and scrambling ability to set up the pass...and vice versa?
Anyone who's watched the CFL for the last few decades knows they can be complementary...and have served some of the greatest quarterbacks in CFL history...Flutie, Clements, Holloway, Allen, Dunigan and our own Tracy Ham...to name but a few
I'm not saying this ability is essential to the position in this league...but history at least has shown that it can lead to greatness.
Defenses that HAVE to worry about contain simply won't rush as much....if they do...the QB escapes for 30 yards (like AD did late in the 4th quarter...yet again).
If they back off the rush...a QB has till Christmas to make his reads and throw the ball.
The reason I bring up Damon Allen is I'm old enough to remember people saying they needed to MAKE him throw the ball...ie contain first, keep him in the pocket and not worry about sacking him. He ended up passing for more yards than anyone in history.
As defenses get to watch more and more tape on McPherson, they're definitely going to attempt this kind of strategy....I'm sure Hamilton thought they'd rattle him into making bad throws into coverage.
It remains to be seen if Adrian will respond in kind...but once again we'd not even be having this discussion but for a botched call on the SJ Green touchdown (if a defender knocks a receiver out of bounds in the air....it's a touchdown. Careful examination of the play shows conclusively that Green's leg and consequently his foot were knocked out out by the defender), a drop by Richardson down the right sidelines (he tapped himself on the head "my bad") a missed communication on the Richardson endzone throw (result of VERY little practice time and less game-reps)...
McPherson ran AND threw brilliantly...and I dare anyone to compare his performance to any other QB in the CFL after 3 starts (maybe Ricky Ray)...so yah...I feel completely justified in EVERY claim I've made as to the future. I've been right about him so far...and I'm convinced he'll be everything his supporters hope he will.
As to putting extra pressure on him....bollocks...like he reads these blogs :roll:
And people have been saying all of this since he won Mr. Football AND Mr. Basketball in high school.
His head got inflated once...and he paid BIG TIME
I'm certain THAT at least will NEVER happen again
Funny...his high school basketball coach is still his agent. You have to be pretty special to win that kind of long-term loyalty.
With Trestman declaring he NEVER wants Adrian to leave the Alouettes, it looks good for negotiations that are ongoing between Elliot Washington and Jim Popp....hopefully a looooong term contract will be announced soon...
...whether some people want it or not.