THE CANADIAN PRESS
By Kevin Thompson
Obviously last week’s game wasn’t what you were looking for from your team… can you take any positives away from the loss to Montreal?
MB – “There were some individual performances that were good, there were some good things we did on the field and then the other positive is that it was a wake-up call so we better bring our ‘A’ game every week to give ourselves a chance to compete. I think our players understand that you can ride the confidence wave as much as you can but you have to be focused and determined week in and week out.”
Explain the challenge of a head coach to rally his team after a disappointing loss…
MB – “It’s always tough because there is always going to be a mourning period and you have to go through that. The players go through that and the coaches go through it. The toughest challenge is getting back up and building your confidence back because obviously everything around a loss like that is negative. So getting the players confidence back in their abilities and opportunities going on the road against a very good team is always a challenge.”
Lamont Reid is coming off of the first start of his career at cornerback. How would you evaluate his performance?
MB – “Lamont did a good job, he was pressed into action and he did some good things for us. He’s been here all year and was just waiting for his opportunity. He played well on special teams as well.”
Jordan Matechuk has taken over the long snapper’s role on special teams over the past eight games in the absence of Matt Robichaud. What are your thoughts on his ability to step up in that critical position?
MB – “He’s done a good job and most importantly he’s been consistent. He does a good job in the protection as well, not just snapping the football. Every game he’s getting more confident in his abilities and his consistency has been good.”
Going into Calgary this weekend, how important is it for the team to bounce back with a strong effort against the Stampeders?
MB – “It’s important that we get playing well again. When you come off a loss like that and your playing if not the best team, then the second best team in the league… the competition level is still very high. We have to come out and play well just to get our confidence back and get us going in the right direction.”
Your team has defeated Calgary once already this season… what does the team need to do out west to be successful this time around?
MB – “We have to eliminate the mistakes we made in that game, it’s difficult to play a perfect game but you have to be as close as you can. We have to come out of that game with no turnovers, make some plays and avoid any major breakdowns on defence and special teams to give yourself an opportunity.”
A few regulars on the injured list are back practicing this week (DL Darrell Adams, DL Garrett McIntyre, WR Prechae Rodriguez, DB Geoff Tisdale and OL Peter Dyakowski) Can we expect to see any of them in the line up this Saturday?
MB – “We will probably see some of them, maybe not all of them but definitely some of them. We will continue with the evaluation process this week before making any decisions.”
The projected weather forecast for Calgary on Saturday is calling for a high of 4 degrees and a mix of rain and snow. Will this affect the game plan?
MB – “It makes it challenging for us but we practice and play in different weather. We had that situation out in Saskatchewan so it’s not totally new to us but the nice thing is we have all week to talk about it and get prepared for it.”
