By Jack Bedell,
MontrealAlouettes.com
Hammond, LA – This Sunday’s East Semi-Final pits the BC Lions against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, marking the second time in as many years that a team from the West Division has crossed over into the East for the divisional semi.
Coming off a tough loss in the last week of the season to Edmonton that saw all three of the Lions’ pivots leave the field due to injury, BC heads into Hamilton to face a Ticats squad that finished the year on a bit of a roll behind resurgent quarterback in Kevin Glenn.
Since taking over as starter, Glenn has been on a tear, earning the nod as the Offensive Player of the Month for October. With weapons like Arland Bruce III, Prechae Rodriguez, and DeAndra’ Cobb, not to mention the phenomenal protection he’s received from a solid O-line, Glenn has posted some of the best numbers of his career down the stretch this season.
Hamilton’s defence has also rounded into an aggressive, ball-hawking unit paced by linebackers Otis Floyd and Jamall Johnson.
For their part, the Lions will be riding the coattails of former Ticat Casey Printers, who’s shown flashes of his 2004 MOP form since finding the field late in the season in relief of injured pivots Buck Pierce and Travis Lulay.
Printers has an excellent receiving corps led by Geroy Simon and Paris Jackson at his disposal, as well as a dangerous run game behind CFL Most Outstanding Rookie candidate Martell Mallett.
HAM on the run
Defending the run, however, has been a sore spot for the Lions’ defence. After being gashed by the Eskimos’ Arkee Whitock last week, the Lions will have their hands full containing Cobb and a suddenly-mobile Kevin Glenn out of the backfield.
In addition to all the threats the Ticats pose on the field for BC, history has not exactly been kind to crossovers. Of all the teams entering the playoffs outside their own division, only last year’s Edmonton Eskimos have managed to come away with a win – before losing the division final to Montreal a week later.
Aside from the obvious difficulty of a fourth-place team competing against a second-place, non-division opponent in their own stadium, the crossover also poses travel and time zone issues, particularly for a team coming all the way east from the West Coast to play an early kickoff.
So, looking down the road to the East Final on Nov. 22, what’s in store for the Alouettes?
If the Ticats Win…
The Als managed a three-game season sweep of the Ticats this year, but it certainly wasn’t an easy matchup for Montreal.
Defending Glenn and the Ticats’ passing attack presents many of the same problems teams face against Anthony Calvillo and the Als’ offence.
Glenn makes quick decisions and gets the ball out on time, throwing to receivers like Bruce, Rodriguez, and Marquay McDaniel who know what to do with the ball when it comes their way. Hamilton can also do damage on the ground with Cobb who’s shown the ability to break games open with his speed.
On defence, the Tiger-Cats have aggressive playmakers in Floyd and Johnson, not to mention all the players in the secondary with a nose for the ball like Jykine Bradley and Geoff Tisdale.
Hamilton entered the playoffs with a roll on, and it’s always difficult to face a team playing their best ball come playoff time.
The Alouettes, though, have the perfect personnel on defence to get pressure on Glenn up the middle from defensive tackles Keron Williams and Jermaine McElveen and off the edge from John Bowman and Anwar Stewart. The defence also has more than enough team speed to contain Cobb.
On offence, the Als’ quick passing game puts pressure on any defence, particularly with Calvillo playing some of the most efficient ball in the league. One key will be to find enough touches for Avon Cobourne to keep Hamilton’s linebackers honest and off balance.
If the Lions Win…
With a healthy Casey Printers at the helm, the Lions field a threatening offence. Printers has the experience and mobility necessary to keep plays alive long enough to push the ball up the field to Simon and Jackson regardless of pressure.
BC can also pound the ball on the ground with Mallett, who’ll be spelled in the post-season by former-Alouette Ian Smart. Both runners hit holes decisively and have plenty speed to get outside defenders.
The Alouettes split the season series with BC in 2009, losing on the road to a dominant rushing attack, but winning at home by containing the Lions’ offence on all fronts and scoring points off a superb performance by Calvillo.
Neither of those games were against Printers, though.
Should the Lions make it through to the Eastern Final, the Als’ defence will have to set the edge to make sure Printers stays in the pocket, and the secondary will have to keep proper depth to avoid big plays over the top to Simon and Jackson.
And considering the trouble BC’s had defending the run, Avon Cobourne might just be what the doctor ordered to get the Als back to the Grey Cup.
No matter how it turns out, Sunday’s Eastern Semi-final should be an entertaining tilt. I can hardly wait to see which team makes it to the final to face the Als…
