Tuesday Morning QB (CFL Week 5)
Heading into the new season there was one team that everyone was looking to as the team with no chance this year.
The Montreal Alouettes have been so bad for so long that it almost became a given that they were going to struggle.
One of the biggest questions of the preseason was about how bad they were going to struggle and things certainly didn’t start well.
The team looked to have found their quarterback at least for the immediate future but when Johnny Manziel was removed from the league for violating his agreement they were left with another question at the most important position.
Antonio Pipkin won the job in training camp somewhat solidifying the team until Kavis Reed fired head coach Mike Sherman just after training camp.
The team with the most questions heading into the season had even more just before the season was set to start.
In stepped Khari Jones who had been named the offensive coordinator a year earlier but would take on his first head coaching gig with less than a week to go in the season.
The questions only continued to build for the team as the first week of the season saw Pipkin go down with an injury leaving the Als to look to their back up as their leader.
Vernon Adams Jr. took over under centre but the damage seemed to be done for yet another season.
Among all of this was the impending sale of the team as Bob Wettenhall was forced into a difficult situation without a buyer to take over as he was no longer able to manage a team continuously losing money.
The league took over ownership of the team and since have been looking for another owner with rumours of the Lenkov Brothers, who are originally from Montreal and currently live and work in Hollywood, showing interest.
It was just another season for the Alouettes, a franchise that was once the picture of consistency in the CFL, where struggles off and on the field were going to lead to a lost season.
It was setting up for a pretty poor season and it was not the best timing as they were set to rebrand bringing a brand new attitude to the team.
It all looked like they were going to have too much to deal with to get anywhere close to the playoffs and that translated to the beginning of the season.
Their first two games were routs by Edmonton and Hamilton leaving most to believe that they were going to fight with Toronto to try not to be the worst team in the league.
It was all headed in the direction that everyone thought and not much was expected when they took on the Ti-Cats in the second leg of a home-and-home.
Out of nowhere came William Stanback though as he ran for 203 yards against a usually stout Hamilton defence.
It was a great performance that helped the Als get their first win of the season in convincing fashion.
Not only did they beat the team everyone thought was a shoo-in for first in the east but possibly a Grey Cup contender but they beat them 36-29.
It wasn’t even close but it was still one game and didn’t mean a lot when it comes to a season with 17 more games.
A record of 1-1 was better than some thought at this point in the season but it was still on the way to a bad year.
Then in Week 5, it was Adams’ turn to show what he had to offer as they took on the other team thought to be competing for first place in Ottawa.
Adams had the best game of his career throwing for 327 yards and two touchdowns to overcome the REDBLACKS 36-19.
After struggling to get anything going in their first two games on offence they were able to put up 36 points in each of their final two games.
It is still a small sample size but the fact that the Als now have two wins over the two most competitive teams in the east is a boost for the rest of their season.
Things might only be getting started as Stanback ran for 100 yards this week showing that he can lead the rushing attack.
If Adams can continue his strong performance even if he doesn’t touch 300+ yards again that could give them a passing attack.
If Khari Jones is just beginning to get the team where he wants it the Als may have found a combination to give them some success and begin turning this thing around.
There are still a lot of questions and nobody really knows what Als team is going to show up for the rest of the season.
They are now 2-2 with two convincing wins and two blowout losses leading to a lot of confusion.
The signs are there though, the Alouettes are on to something and even if they continue to struggle they have something to build on after five weeks.
Fourth Down
Still Strange Days
Despite the recent success of the Alouettes on the field, the changes are still plentiful in Montreal. Just days after winning their second game of the season the Alouettes announced that Kavis Reed would no longer be with the team. The reasoning was not given making things even stranger as the Als seemed to be headed in the right direction so changing the GM right now is a questionable decision. Some believe that there may be some motivation with potential new owners coming into town and others believe there may have been an attitude clash within the team. The true reason may never be found but the fact is that despite the great play over the last two weeks the organization is still a work in progress.
Another One in the Fold
Throughout the offseason, Randy Ambrosie flew around the world meeting with international football associations and signing deals that could help both the CFL and national federations. The goal was to help spread the CFL as the true global brand of football while providing more opportunity for international players to play professionally. Multiple federations signed including Austria, Germany and Mexico who were all a part of the first international draft and combine. This week another federation joined the growing group with the British American Football Association signing on and becoming the latest country to join in with the CFL.
Canada Cup Champions
Saskatchewan has always been the centre of the football world in Canada with some of the most passionate fans for Canadian football throughout the country. The Riders remain one of the biggest franchises so it only makes sense that the sport is a major part of the sports landscape in the province. That has been proven time and time again with the success they have had in the Football Canada Cup. For five years they have won at least a medal including the 2018 gold medal. This year they were back in the finals against another major hotbed for football in Quebec. Unlike two years ago they were able to finish the job taking home their second straight gold and staying on top of amateur football in Canada.
The Sport Addiction 