By Jack Bedell,
MontrealAlouettes.com
Hammond, LA – It seems like it’s really been a long time coming, but the Alouettes are finally set to kick off their first pre-season game. Wednesday night against the Toronto Argonauts, the Als will begin Year 2 under coach Marc Trestman with a ton of new talent on the roster and high hopes after last season’s Grey Cup run.
As much as I’d like the game to answer the laundry list of questions I’ve been chewing on all off-season, I’ve seen enough pre-season tilts to know I’ll most likely come out of the game with more questions than resolutions. Even so, getting a chance to watch all those issues sort themselves out before Week 1 comes around is the main reason I enjoy the pre-season so much.
Game plans might be vanilla, veterans might be making brief appearances or taking nights off, and the good look we get at several players might be the last look in many cases. But the next two games will offer a great gauge of the team’s depth, not to mention an early peek at its attitude and the chemistry being built in camp.
Here’s a quick look at a few other things I’ll be scoping out come game time this week.
TEMPO: Even though the Als are sure to be rotating personnel heavily, and there will no doubt be the normal spate of pre-season penalties to slug through, I’m very interested to see how fast the team is able to play on offence, defence, and special teams considering how little time they’ve had to digest all the information the coaches have been throwing at them.
QUARTERBACKING: With Anthony Calvillo showing up at camp in great shape and already looking set for opening day, the game will be a nice opportunity to see Adrian McPherson, Chris Leak, and Brad Banks in action. I’m sure all three pivots will get their chances to impress. The pre-season games will give them limited chances to earn roster spots, and I’m eager to see who grabs his chance.
SECONDARY PLAY: With Matthieu Proulx and Randee Drew nursing injuries, it’s going to be interesting to see how the personnel situation shakes out. It’ll be fun to see Étienne Boulay back in action this pre-season, for sure. I’m also intrigued by what newcomers like Blue Adams, Jerald Brown, and Jonathan Ordway will bring to the table.
LINE PLAY: Last season, Trestman singled out line play as one of the primary issues facing the team and the big guys responded with one of the best seasons in recent memory. I can’t wait to see how the offensive and defensive lines perform coming off such a successful year.
FULLBACKS IN ACTION: The Als have added some dynamic young athletes at fullback this off-season and I’m eager to see how Martin Bédard, Benoît Boulanger, and Michael Giffin complement Kerry Carter in the team’s attack.
Win or lose, the Als start their road to the 2009 Grey Cup when pre-season kicks off Wednesday night. And while no games count in the standings until July 1, there’s still a lot on the line. You can bet I’ll be hanging on every play.
The Alouettes will visit the Toronto Argonauts in pre-season action this Wednesday, June 17 @ 7 p.m. Click here to listen live on CJAD 800 AM.
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