Although it’s been a short week for Jacques Chapdelaine’s troops, at least it wasn’t quite as difficult as it’s been for the Ottawa REDBLACKS, who after a tough loss in Edmonton Friday night, had to take a late flight home. That should give our Alouettes, invigorated by last week’s victory against the Stampeders, an advantage over their opponents. When time for physical preparation is brief, it’s mental toughness that makes the difference. This week’s objective was therefore to find a perfect balance between recuperation and preparation, and to ensure that the team’s moral remained high.
Here’s what to watch out for Wednesday night in the match-up against the defending Grey Cup champions:
Action Jackson returns to familiar territory
You know who caught the winning pass at last year’s Grey Cup, don’t you? It was Ernest Jackson, of course! The talented receiver – – correction, OUR talented receiver – – certainly found his rhythm last week at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium and it was great to see! The man who caught four Durant passes for 118 yards against Calgary will be playing his first game in a Montreal uniform in front of the crowd that cheered his every move in 2015 and 2016. Strong emotions are in the forecast!
The rhythm of the offence
It’s been said, to rebuild a winning team from (almost) scratch is the Chapdelaine-Reed tandem’s number one challenge/priority this year. And July 14’s win gave us an indication of the enormous potential of our new Alouettes. The offence was organized and confident. Ernest Jackson said as much: “It takes time to develop chemistry with the quarterback. Now that we have been playing together for four weeks, we have gotten to know each other better and we’re starting to jell.” What will be the key to success against Ottawa for the offence, according to receivers coach Justin Chapdelaine? The speed with which plays are executed. The team has found its rhythm. They have to maintain it. And if our remarkably consistent B.J. Cunningham continues to give us brilliant performances, we’re not going to be disappointed.
Brandon Rutley as the ball carrier
Speaking of speed, the Als are still ahead of the pack in terms of rushing yards, courtesy of the one and only Tyrell Sutton! The bruising ball carrier will be taking a well-deserved break this week, ceding his starting spot to Brandon Rutley, who is being pressed into action to continue the team’s success in the ground game. And the timing is perfect considering that the REDBLACKS have allowed the most rushing yards so far this year. Rutley, whose style of play differs from his teammate Sutton’s, will no doubt be anxious to find some holes in Ottawa’s shaky defensive front.
The return of the beast of the secondary!
The big news of the week is the return of the incomparable defensive back Jonathon Mincy! His aggressiveness combined with the reaction skills of Chip Cox should help stop Trevor Harris and his prime targets Greg Ellingson and Brad Sinopoli, who are enjoying strong seasons even with their team’s winless start. We’re anticipating a secondary that’s stronger than ever and, as we have come to see, linebackers who are unafraid to bare their fangs. Interesting fact: Chip Cox will be assuming the role of DB while Branden Dozier will be linking up with linebackers Hébert and Tovell.
Our defensive line also has a good opportunity to exploit weaknesses in Ottawa’s offensive line (and the REDBLACKS’ record shows they have more than a few) to rattle Harris.
Three units. One goal.
Winning in enemy territory is never an easy thing to do. Even though the REDBLACKS are winless so far this season, the losses they’ve suffered have been by narrow margins. But if the Als can maintain their discipline, and perform as a cohesive unit, victory is within reach. Each unit has to lay the foundations for the next one to succeed. In order for Durant to execute the plays the way he’ll want to, his offensive line will need to hold the fort (which is exactly what they’ve been doing, having allowed only one quarterback sack in four games). The players are going to have to support one another. Good news is, we know they have the passion and the willingness to do exactly that.
Kickoff is Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m., on TSN television and TSN 690 radio… or in the stands in Ottawa for those fortunate enough to be part of the Fan Trip! However / wherever you’ll be watching or listening, get ready for another convincing performance by our Alouettes!
