Rogerio Barbosa/Montreal Alouettes
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Justin Dunk
Simmons Secures Start In Home Opener
Rookie offensive lineman Brian Simmons has drawn the assignment to protect Kevin Glenn’s blindside in the Ticats regular season and home opener.
“I was very excited, I have been doing a lot of work for this,” the 6-5, 300-plus pounder said on Thursday. “It means a lot to me. I looking forward to the opportunity and I know it will definitely be a learning experience for me.”
Simmons drew the starting nod after left tackle Belton Johnson suffered a minor injury in practice earlier this week and the coaching staff did not want to chance making Johnson’s injury worse by putting him in the opening day lineup.
“We feel like we have three starters at tackle, and that we’re not going to lose anything if we have an injury,” head coach Marcel Bellefeuille said. “If you’re going to play a young guy he needs all the reps at practice that week. You can’t change them after two days and that was the determining factor.”
The Oklahoma grad will have a stiff test in his first CFL start, likely seeing much of the Bombers best pass rusher, Odell Willis.
“I need to be on my best game. He’s very explosive, I’ve been watching the film him he gets off the ball very well,” Simmons said “The coaches will put me in some situations and some schemes that will set me up for the best opportunity to be successful.”
“He’s a playmaker, but I’m just looking forward for the opportunity to compete against him.”
Spending his collegiate career as a Sooner and regularly playing in front of huge sold out stadiums, Simmons makes no bones about how knowledgeable and loud the TigerTown fans can be.
“I’m used to playing around fans that are really passionate about the game. To be honest with you, I know some people find this hard to believe, but this felt like a 85,000-seat stadium in the pre-season,” Simmons explained. “The fans are so loud and they’re very into the game. I’m coming off the field and I have fans telling me I had a good block… how many fans do you know that actually watch what the offensive linemen do?”
In his effort to lock down a permanent starting role with the Black and Gold Simmons will approach it much like his southern laid back style.
“At the end of the day it’s football, you’re never going to have a perfect game, you’re always going to have mistakes, but try to limit them.”
Ticats Look To Make Bombers a One Trick Pony
“It all starts up front — we have to stop the running game. They have a good running back, he’s fast, he’s shifty, so we have to make them one dimensional,” linebacker Jamall Johnson said. “Once we do that then we get after Buck [Pierce] and make his job harder and make things easier for the guys on the back end.”
Defensively, the Ticats front seven will look to alleviate some of the pressure on the secondary, but the veterans believe in the fresh talent behind them.
“We do have a couple young guys in the secondary, but we have full confidence in them all,” Johnson said. “I like the guys we have here and I think we match up well against [the Bombers]. They have a couple taller receivers, but none of our DB’s are under six feet and our guys are physical, so I like our chances against their receiving core.”
Number 28 would like to see the Black and Gold get off to a blazing start on Canada Day.
“You always want to do that, especially when you’re at home, it’s the first game of the season,” Johnson said. “You want to get out play well, play fast and set a tone.”
Thomas Takes On One Of Leagues Best
Number four was the most consistent defensive halfback throughout training camp and the pre-season, so it’s no surprise to see Carlos Thomas in the starting lineup at boundary half for opening day.
“My coaches have taught me a lot of good techniques and all I have to do is be sound,” he said.
Thomas followed around number 82 on the Ticats scout team all week at practice. Terrence Edwards wears that number for the Bombers and he was a thorn in the side of the Tiger-Cats and many other teams last season, finishing second in the league in receiving yards with 1,372 — 423 of which came against Hamilton.
“He’s very explosive. He finds the ball in the air very well. You have to get a body on a body, but more importantly you have to get a safety near him as well, especially when you’re in man coverage,” Bellefeuille said of the pass catcher he coached for two years while they were in Montreal together.
“I don’t think personally, there’s any way of shutting a guy like that down, but you can slow him down and quiet him down,” Thomas said. “I respect him, but I don’t fear him.”
Thomas likes the progress the secondary has shown heading into the season and being callow in the defensive backfield can have many positives.
“We’re young and we’re starting to play within our technique and our scheme. Everybody is coming along together,” Thomas said. “We’re young and if something happens, we forget it and we’re on to the next play.”
Bellefeuille would like to help out his green secondary in Friday’s meeting with the Bombers.
“What are we going to do for them in the front seven. Can we get pressure on the quarterback and make them not have to cover as long?” he said. “To me is doesn’t matter what secondary you have, if you ask those guys to cover too long somebody is going to get open down the field.”
Further Investigation
Offensive Coordinator Khari Jones on Winnipeg’s defence:
“Very athletic unit, they all move, the defensive line gets off the ball really well. Linebackers cover space and there defensive backs, although not very big, they stay with their receivers.”
Linebacker Jamall Johnson on Winnipeg’s defence:
“They’ve got a good, balanced attack, they have a good quarterback, some good receivers, some tall and fast guys too. They have a good running back and they like to attack you in different spots on the field. They’ve got some explosive guys.”
