By Kevin Thompson
Tiger-Cats head coach spoke with Ticats.ca and answered some questions about last week’s win against Winnipeg and the team’s upcoming game against the Montreal Alouettes.
First off, give us your thoughts on Saturday’s game versus Winnipeg…
MB – “It was a tough football game, I thought we did a great job persevering, we overcame some adversity and we finished the game strong.”
The crowd at Ivor Wynne Stadium on Saturday was one of the loudest we’ve experienced in quite some time. Can you comment on the energy in the stadium?
MB – “The crowd really gave us a boost, especially in the fourth quarter when the game was still in the balance. It’s nice to have the crowd, that many people getting excited which really got the players excited and gave them that extra bit of energy at the end of the game.”
Talk about the decision to switch quarterbacks at halftime…
MB – “Quinton played well in the first half, we just hadn’t scored a lot of points and we gave Kevin an opportunity. He hadn’t had an opportunity to play yet this year so he was due for some playing time, he overcame some adversity as well and ended up finishing strong.”
Chris Davis had a huge game, tell us about his performance…
MB – “Chris did have a big game. It was kind of a break out game for him, he did a nice job of getting down the field vertically for us and catching the football so he was a difference maker.”
The defence played outstanding. What are your thoughts on their play as a unit?
MB – “The defence did a great job, they did a good job of keeping Winnipeg out of the end zone, limiting them to field goal opportunities and you’re always going to have a great opportunity to win anytime you can do that.”
The team was a whole was much more disciplined this week, only taking five penalties. You have to be pleased with that…
MB – “I feel like, for the last two games, we have done a good job in terms of penalties, staying more disciplined, playing smart football so obviously we didn’t do anything to hurt ourselves.”
Montreal has scored an average of 44 points per game this year. How do you plan on stopping that offence?
MB – “I don’t know if you can completely stop it but you have to slow it and you have to move the ball and score some points yourself to be successful against them.”
Percival Molson Stadium features a unique atmosphere… can you talk about what it’s like being a visiting team in Montreal?
MB – “It’s a lot of fun, the fans are really close to you in a compact stadium where everything is tucked in a bit of a bowl in the side of a mountain. It’s a fun place to play, I coached over there for two years and really enjoyed the stadium and the uniqueness of it. I think it’s fun for the players going over there and playing there on the road for the opportunity to be in that environment.”
As Montreal’s offensive coordinator, you had the opportunity to work closely with Anthony Calvillo. What’s been the key to his continual success in this league?
MB – “I think he takes care of his body and that is very important. He’s in very good shape and does a great job getting rid of the football, he prepares very well mentally for each game and has an understanding what to do for each team. I think that work ethic and preparation will keep him playing for some time.”
A former Alouette, Dave Stala, is coming off of a great game with a touchdown reception and now he’s heading back to Montreal to take on his old teammates. What has he brought to the team?
MB – “Dave’s been great for us. First of all being able to contribute something, playing well and being a very viable option as a receiver. Then secondly as a leader and someone who is helping with the young receivers, working with those guys and helping to develop them so he’s been great for us.”
Recently, the team signed linebacker Derrick Pope. What are your expectations for him?
MB – “We are going to make an evaluation on him, it’s a short week so we are going to have more scouts in this week, we’ll watch him play and make an evaluation on if he can help our football team.”
