We must not panic, recalled Tuesday the director general of the Alouettes, Danny Maciocia, about the situation of his team. Despite three consecutive defeats, a list of injured people lengthening and the use of a fourth quarter of a quarter in 10 games, the team prefers to remain optimistic. Even if, in fact, everything plays against her.
In the rich and glorious history of football, how many teams have been successful in the absence of a starting quarterrier, of the first two pass receivers, the main ball carrier, the center player, the booty turner and the best player in the rear field?
Not much.
No one in the larks seeks to find excuses. The injuries are part of this sport. Nevertheless, the spell seems to be on the Montrealers. During their last confrontation, in Vancouver, 10 of the 24 starting players of the opening match lacked the call.
At one point, we had 82 players in the locker room. There we are 73. And there are 65 who played at least one match. […] Of the 73, there are 8 which were not even at the training camp. This is a whole experience. There is adversity.
Danny Maciocia, Director General of Alouettes
Photo Robert Skinner, Archives La Presse
Danny Maciocia
The managing director still prefers to see the glass half full. Casually, the lark are only a victory for the Hamilton tiger-cats and the front row of the East division. In addition, after Thursday’s match against the Blue Bombers of Winnipeg, the larks will enjoy a week off. There will therefore be 15 days apart between the next two parts.
A truce that comes at the right time, believes the second Geoffrey Cantin-Arku. “More players have more games, including me. I have to play more on special units. We are more tired. These are not excuses, but it is a reality. »»
These two weeks without action could allow players like Tyson Philpot, Sean Thomas-Erlington and Marc-Antoine Dequoy, who trained moderately, to return to the game on the return of the break.
Place in Morgan
Before training, the Alouettes announced that the quarter-Arrière Caleb Evans would no longer play this season. Starting during the last meeting, against the Lions, Evans underwent a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament of the right knee. James Morgan ended the game. It is also he who will get the start against the Bombers, third in the West.
As is the case after each training, the 28-year-old quarterrier stayed 30 minutes more on the field after the departure of his teammates to launch more balloons.
Photo Darryl Dyck, Canadian Press Archives
Quarter James Morgan (16)
“This is a great opportunity to seize,” said the one who is expressed with a voice that carries as much as that of Guy Nadon on the boards. The best way to approach the situation is not to change anything to your usual routine. »»
During the last match, Morgan succeeded 20 of his 33 passes for 211 yards, a touchdown and an interception. “You see his physique, you see his arm, but you do not see his preparation,” said head coach Jason Maas. He entered the match by having not rehearsed with the first team in training in 10 weeks and he knew the match plan. He applied it to the best of his abilities. »»
Selected by New York Jets in the fourth round of the NFL draft in 2020, the American was part of an exceptional cuvée. Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, Jordan Love and Jalen Hurts were chosen before him.
The former of the International University of Florida then tried his luck with five other NFL training courses, without success. He then turned to the United States Football League (USFL) before getting along with Les Alouettes in January 2024. Thursday, he will finally have the chance to shine.
“This is what is special with being a professional athlete. You never know. You are preparing for something that remains conditional. Either you play or you don’t play. So, for me, it was a bit surreal to play in the last game, because I had been waiting for a long time. »»
Find the way to victory
Morgan did not believe he was getting departures this season. But since the first match, Davis Alexander (ischiojambier), McLeod Bethel-Thompson (elbow) and Caleb Evans (knee) have all injured themselves. This series of events proves that the depth of a team imports and that patience is sometimes rewarded.
“We must always focus on the present moment and never on the future or the past. This is what is most difficult. You shouldn’t have regrets. It was the biggest challenge for me. To constantly ask me what I can do to improve and focus on one day at a time, “added Morgan.
To find the way to victory, Maciocia is of the opinion that the attack, like the defense, will have to offer better performance. The team offered more than 400 attacks to its opponents twice during the last three games.
“We spend too much time on the field [en défense]. Too often, in attack, we get out of the field after two tests. Sequences of six, seven, eight, nine games are needed. You have to go and look for yards and touched. […] You have to be more productive and I think it will help our defensive team. »»
For Cantin-Arku, the fact that some players are forced to evolve in new positions explains part of the team’s failures. With the current workforce, difficult to find your bearings quickly. “Communication is more difficult. We do not play according to our standards. The guys are more tired, there is less effort in the ball. But I am confident that after the rain, we will see the sun again soon, “he concluded, like a Gaston Miron from modern times.
