Rash of accidents will put stout Alouettes' defence to the check
Montreal’s high unit might be lacking linebackers Najee Murray, Avery Williams and defensive-back Dionté Ruffin towards the Tiger-Cats this week.
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The Alouettes have performed six video games this season and never surrendered a landing in three of them. Within the usually high-scoring CFL, that’s nothing in need of phenomenal.
“It’s fairly spectacular,” security Marc-Antoine Dequoy admitted after the Als practised on Wednesday. “It’s simply arduous work, dedication and likewise believing within the system. Each time we go on the sphere we’re not pondering allow them to have one landing. We all the time have the mentality of stopping them each single play.
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“To truly do it, that’s extra rewarding. That’s the psychological focus you could have. Generally you may slip up or let your guard down on one play. There’s circumstances for this.”
The newest Als’ sufferer unable to seek out the top zone was Calgary final Sunday. The Stampeders settled for six Rene Paredes discipline targets in a 25-18 defeat. The guests’ final possession ended on the Montreal 10-yard line, unable to transform on third down and three with 11.8 seconds remaining.
“It simply speaks about our defence,” Dequoy stated. “We confirmed we had been capable of make a cease. We misplaced some nice gamers, ones which have a key impression.”
The Als got here out of Sunday’s recreation battered and bruised on each side of the ball and face a formidable process in Saturday evening’s recreation at Hamilton — a group Montreal already defeated as soon as in week three whereas holding the Tiger-Cats to 4 discipline targets.
The Als might be lacking linebackers Najee Murray and Avery Williams, defensive-back Dionté Ruffin and Canadian receiver Kaion Julien-Grant this week. Murray’s season is over resulting from a torn pectoral muscle, whereas Julien-Grant, the group’s second-leading receiver, with 31 catches for 486 yards, has a suspected fractured hand. All 4 gamers are anticipated to be positioned on the six-game injured listing.
Highway to the Cup
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The group on Wednesday signed defensive-back Randall Evans, who hung out with Ottawa, linebacker Brody Buck and receiver Ronnie Blackmon. Evans, a sixth-round decide of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015, began eight video games at boundary halfback for the Redblacks in 2022. The earlier season with Ottawa, he had 82 tackles, 4 quarterback sacks, two interceptions and two compelled fumbles.
Canadian Tyson Philpot, final season’s East Division nominee as excellent rookie, made his 2023 debut towards Calgary, having recovered from an damage, however performed sparingly and was thrown to solely as soon as. Nonetheless, as soon as he rounds into mid-season kind, Philpot is greater than able to changing Julien-Grant.
“You simply hope the following man’s ready,” Dequoy stated. “One of many issues about being a backup is you all the time must know all of your stuff. It’s a tough place. Generally guys can go to sleep on that and never be motivated. However we noticed on Sunday the following man up was prepared they usually performed their ass off. That’s what it’s all about to be a soccer participant … seeing these guys on the goal-line holding Calgary with no landing in a essential a part of the sport. That was huge time on them.”
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Coming off a bye week within the schedule, defensive co-ordinator Noel Thorpe added a brand new dimension to his unit, going with solely three-down linemen on about 50 per cent of the performs. One thing clearly clicked. The Als’ defence, which had solely seven sacks coming into the sport, dropped quarterback Jake Maier thrice. Als cornerback Kabion Ento returned an interception 52 yards for a landing, Kordell Rodgers additionally intercepted a move, whereas Wesley Sutton might have pilfered a 3rd ball.
“We’ve bought a particular group of men that completely consider in that mindset and have that mentality and put together themselves each day for that kind of consequence,” Thorpe stated. “It’s not all the time going to occur, however what you do see is resiliency. These guys are shopping for in. They perceive, in the event that they do it the precise means, they make it straightforward on themselves.
“I believe these guys, when their backs are towards the wall, we’re going to make it tougher for offences.”
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