Fraser Caldwell
Ticats.ca
Anthony Calvillo and his high-powered offence cast a sizeable shadow, and the Alouettes defence is often thrown under it.
But the Ticats attackers insist that they will not overlook the men across the line of scrimmage when Hamilton and Montreal reunite for a third meeting on Friday.
“Of course, everybody talks about their offence, but they wouldn’t be winning if it wasn’t for their defence and the type of plays they’ve been making,” said quarterback Henry Burris.
The Alouettes have developed a deserved reputation for their physical play on defence, and Burris believes that his team will have to be aware of Montreal’s pressure at all times.
“These guys play with reckless abandon,” said the quarterback of his next opponents.
“They bring so many different blitzes. We’re going to have to be keyed in for what type of rushes they’re bringing and where they’re coming and be able to pick it up in protection.”
Keeping the pressure at bay and the Alouettes linebackers off balance will require that the Ticats establish a running threat on Friday.
“We’re going to have to create holes with the running game,” Burris confirmed. “With a linebacker like Shea Emry or (Kenny) Ingram, with their athletic ability it’s tough to find holes.”
“You’ve got to mix it up. That’s just the state of the league. There are some great defences and Montreal fits right in there.”
Every defence has tendencies that are unique – or at least more common – to it.
Ticat offensive tackle Brian Simmons suggests that in the case of the Alouettes, that wrinkle may be found along their defensive line.
Montreal will frequently use a fifth defender in the “down” position on the line, forcing the opposition in the trenches to battle them man-to-man.
“I notice that they like to have a lot of linemen down, more than most teams do,” says Simmons of the Alouettes. “They usually go with a five-man front.”
“What it does is it makes your linemen play. A centre might be used to sliding in and filling out, but now it’s one-on-one battles for all of us. Each guy’s got to do his job.”
Ticat Head Coach George Cortez cautions that all is not what it appears on Montreal’s defensive line from play to play.
While the Alouettes will often commit five men, they will just as often peel from the ends once the pre-snap illusion has been given.
“If there’s a free player, you can double-team all the time and if they bring five on the linemen, you can’t,” says Cortez of the offensive line’s responsibilities in that situation.
“They give you that appearance a lot and they do it a fair amount. That’s been a trend in the league, at least in the first half of the year. They give you the look of it but can drop the end guys into coverage.”
Getting the best of Montreal’s defence will not come easily, but the Ticats appear to have entered their preparation with the proper mindset.
Rather than become mired in their most recent result, the team has embraced another week of training with positivity and focus.
“It’s good to see that the guys are out here working hard and showing the drive to get better instead of focusing on stuff that happened in the past,” said Burris.
“To take those frustrations and turn them into focused, positive energy is what’s happening here.”
“That’s the stuff that champions do. I’ve been on teams that I’ve won Grey Cups with that have been through situations like this.”
Simmons indicated that a short memory should be a constant feature of any football player, whether their most recent experience is a glorious win or a crushing defeat.
“Even when we beat Edmonton 51-8, we came in the next day as if it didn’t happen,” said the lineman. “That’s the way you’ve got to be in football.”
“If I give up a sack or Hank throws a pick or something, we’ve got to have amnesia.”
“You have to move on.”
The Ticats seemingly have done just that this week, and have set their sights squarely on the task of bettering the Alouettes on Friday.
