By Richard Obrand,
MontrealAlouettes.com
Montreal – As the final whistle blew two weeks ago at Rogers Centre, the Als said goodbye to the regular season and began to look towards Nov. 22 at the Big O when they will host the BC Lions in the Eastern Final in hopes of reaching their second straight Grey Cup.
Here’s a look at the Als’ offence in 2009…
Sometimes in life certain things go together so well that to the casual observer it almost seems natural. If you’ve been a fan of the Montreal Alouettes throughout the past decade, you’d know that being an offensive juggernaut comes with the territory and players like quarterback Anthony Calvillo, slotback Ben Cahoon and centre Bryan Chiu don’t take that lightly.
For 12 seasons now, the three staples of the Montreal offence have hung together, watching more than their fair share of talent walk through the locker room at Percival Molson Stadium.
Since the trio first came together in 1998, they have seen seven coaching changes, scored over 6,000 points and have inscribed their names in the league and franchise’s record books on several occasions.
But that success aside, since Marc Trestman’s arrival last season, the Als have instilled a new style of play for on offence that is the most balanced of any of the trio’s careers. Instead of hedging the attack on Calvillo’s arm as was the case from roughly 2002-2007 or the running backs’ legs as was the case in the Mike Pringle era of roughly 1997-2001, the offence uses a blend of passing and running to keep opponents guessing.
Trestman’s new system has been working wonders for two-time CFL Most Outstanding Player Calvillo. Prior to joining forces with Trestman, Calvillo hadn’t had a passer rating over 100 since 2000. Last season, the California native broke his seven-year drought by finishing the year with a 107.2 rating and topped that number by capping off 2009 with a rating of 108.4.
His completion percentage has also dramatically risen. His percentage of 72 is a career-high, topping his previous high of 69.2, set in 2008. In essence, his passes are well-timed and effective. And when there’s nowhere to put the ball in the air, Calvillo can rely on a balanced running game headed up by first-time 1,000-yard rusher Avon Cobourne.
What that in mind, it is fairly remarkable that receivers Kerry Watkins, Jamel Richardson and Cahoon all eclipsed the millennium mark in 2009, making the Alouettes the only team to feature three 1,000-yard plus receivers.
Cahoon’s 89 receptions were a league best; Watkins’ 1,243 yards were second, and Richardson’s nine touchdowns were third. And while you may not see Cobourne’s name at the top of the receiving list, it is well known that the tailback contributes in that part of the game as well as he racked up 56 receptions for 458 yards and two scores, leading all running backs in receiving categories.
His field of expertise, however, is no doubt on the ground. His 13 touchdowns were tops in the league and his 1,214 yards marked a career-high despite missing two games due to injury.
Cobourne’s numbers alone dictate just how diverse of an attack the Alouettes posses whether it’s through the air or on the ground. And you can be sure that the numbers 13, 86 and 68 will have a big impact whichever way the ball goes.
