It felt like watching an old movie when the Alouettes lost 28-22 to the Stampeders in Calgary. A performance marked by a lack of discipline and execution.
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Still, the Alouettes got off to a good start, taking a 14-3 lead in the opening moments of the second quarter. Then, after an interception by Vernon Adams Jr., the channel landed.
They fell flat. The players have lost their bearings, but above all their composure. The Alouettes’ indiscipline was an important factor in this first loss.
We have witnessed several deplorable acts that could have been avoided. For example, defensive end Antonio Simmons was ejected from the game after the Stampeders’ last touchdown. Then, players were caught responding to certain gestures of opposing players.
Then, in the fourth quarter, there were some shouting matches between players on the bench. They did not react well in the face of adversity. A good proof that the team spirit is not yet well cemented.
This is one of the first times that head coach Khari Jones got angry with his players in a game. He notably made his way of thinking to Simmons known as he returned to the bench.
“We have to be better in this area. We have to be smarter, especially in situations where we are trying to do justice to ourselves, he said after the match. We have to keep our cool.
“We have to learn a lesson from this game. When a team plays with a lot of emotion and intensity, they play on the line. We have gone beyond that line. We are going to talk to our players about it and we will make sure that this does not happen again in the future. “
Less pressure
In their first game, the Alouettes managed to disturb Trevor Harris in his protective pouch. They had made him uncomfortable.
Against quarterback Jake Meier, the scenario was very different. The defensive front was manhandled by the race from the first attacking streak. Subsequently, Meier was well protected in his protective pouch and was not jostled very often by the defensive line.
“Meier played well in his first game,” said Jones. He picked up pace and confidence by pulling off a few games.
“Maybe we gave him too much time to play. He took advantage of his opportunities. ”
If Antonio Simmons goes behind the line of scrimmage on a regular basis, the same can’t be said for Nick Usher. He is one of the disappointments after the first two games.
More fear than harm
In the second quarter, Vernon Adams Jr. was seen shaking his right arm between games. The Alouettes’ number 8 confirmed that there was nothing serious.
“I received a blow to the nerve in my elbow. My arm began to resonate for a few minutes, but nothing more, explained the Montreal pivot. Everything went back to normal afterwards.
“This little sore didn’t bother me the rest of the match.”
We repeat, but Adams Jr. doesn’t have the luxury of getting hurt. The Alouettes do not have a replacement worthy of the name. Matthew Schiltz’s progress seems to be stagnating and that’s worrying.
In fact, given that he’s on the bench, special teams coordinator Mickey Donovan should perhaps give him back the position of field keeper.
Friday night, we saw another situation where Pierre-Luc Caron, Joseph Zema and kicker David Côté were out of sync.
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