By Jack Bedell,
MontrealAlouettes.com
Hammond, LA – Despite all the debate heading into the Eastern and Western Division Finals last weekend over whether the bye week was friend or foe, both divisional champions came away with emphatic wins.
How the West was won
Behind an ultra-efficient performance by pivot Darian Durant, an eye-opening day by Saskatchewan’s solid receiving corps, and some nasty defence, the Riders dispatched the defending champion Calgary Stampeders 27-17.
Calgary’s defence simply had no answer for Durant’s pin-point passing and ability to escape pressure in the second half of the tilt. And the Stamps’ man coverage could not keep Canadian receivers Andy Fantuz, Rob Bagg, and Chris Getzlaf under wraps long enough to stay in the game.
Add to all that offensive firepower the pressure the Green Rider defence put on Henry Burris, forcing him into three turnovers and generally keeping him off his spot all game, and you get a hard-fought, but very-deserved trip to the Grey Cup for Saskatchewan.
Beat down at the Big O
In the Eastern Final, the Alouettes jumped fast and hard all over the BC Lions, excelling in all facets of the game and blasting their way to a 56-18 demolition of the Lions in front of a raucous home crowd at Olympic Stadium.
Sparked by early turnovers created by Shea Emry and Billy Parker, Anthony Calvillo and the Als’ offence got off to a furious start on their way to posting over 400 combined yards and five majors.
Calvillo could not have been sharper pushing the ball deep to Kerry Watkins, Brian Bratton and Jamel Richardson. Behind AC, the Als’ offence struck quickly and often to bury the Lions by half-time.
For its part, Montreal’s defence was simply stifling, holding BC’s rushing attack to 14 yards on the day and completely frustrating Casey Printers. Constant pressure and tight coverage kept Printers out of sorts and ineffective.
Across the board, Montreal played as dominant a game as I’ve seen in a CFL final. And they head into Calgary with as much momentum as a team could possibly have.
Strength against strength
So, the Grey Cup comes down to the best team in the East battling the best in the West for the trophy.
Saskatchewan and Montreal have played the most consistent, team-oriented football in the league this season. Both teams field excellent units in all aspects of the game.
You just couldn’t ask for a better match-up of dangerous offences, aggressive defences, and superb special teams. Neither team suffers any obvious shortcomings, nor do they have the tendency to self-destruct through lack of character or discipline.
What will the keys to victory be for the Alouettes?
Simply put, the Als need to “do what they do” to win the day and come home with the Cup.
Calvillo will need to continue his uncanny streak of error-free production. Bryan Chiu, Scott Flory, and the rest of the Als’ offensive line will need to stay sound on assignments to keep Calvillo upright and pushing the ball upfield against a very good Riders’ D. And Avon Cobourne has to make the most of each touch to keep drives going by taking advantage of the space created when Saskatchewan’s front seven rushes the passer.
On defence, Anwar Stewart, John Bowman, Keron Williams, and the rest of the Als’ D-linemen have to put the same kind of balanced pressure on Durant that they brought to bear on Printers last week. Chip Cox, Shea Emry, and Diamond Ferri have to play fast and flow to the ball to keep Wes Cates out of the mix. And the Als’ secondary has to make sure the Riders’ receivers don’t exploit holes in coverage for big YAC gains.
Then it’s up to Damon Duval and Larry Taylor to keep field position tilted the Alouettes’ way, putting up points every time they’re afforded opportunities.
If that all sounds difficult against a quality opponent like the Roughriders, that’s because it will be. But it’s exactly what the Montreal Alouettes have been doing all season.
How I think the game plays out
No matter what, this year’s Grey Cup is sure to be one of the most entertaining, well-played games in recent memory. These two squads are simply too talented, and too well-coached for the game to go any other way.
All things being equal on paper, though, I can’t help but feel the Als have the edge in terms of intangibles like drive, desire, and motivation to bring the championship home.
This is the team. It’s the right time to Win the Day.
