By Richard Obrand,
MontrealAlouettes.com
Montreal – Don’t let the disparity in records fool you, whenever Ricky Ray and the Edmonton Eskimos square off against the Alouettes things don’t usually pan out as they should.
Sunday afternoon’s matchup at McGill (4 pm EST, RDSHD, TSNHD, NRJ, CJAD) will mark the final encounter between the Als and Eskimos this season.
Things have certainly changed since the last time they met nine weeks ago on Jul. 11 during Week 2, especially in the leadership department. For starters, the Eskimos now feature a front office led by former Saskatchewan Roughrider’s General Manager Eric Tillman. Tillman was an integral part of the Roughriders’ Grey Cup win in 2007 and looks to bring the same winning formula an Eskimos organization that hasn’t won a Grey Cup since 2005.
For the Alouettes, though the injury to quarterback Anthony Calvillo would have one believe that there would be a giant void in the leadership department, that hasn’t truly been the case.
Stepping up
Calvillo’s absence on the field has allowed for other players to show their leadership abilities. Linebacker Chip Cox, arguably the best defensive player in the CFL right now, has provided an immense amount of guidance to the Alouettes. His timely plays and effort have proven to be a model to how all defensive players have been performing as of late.
On the offensive side of the ball, Adrian McPherson’s season debut last week against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats proved that should Calvillo require more time to recuperate, the team is in very good hands.
Last week saw McPherson lead the Als to a 27-6 win at Ivor Wynne Stadium. McPherson completed 21-of-37 passes for 238 yards and a touchdown to Kerry Watkins. He also used his nimble feet to his advantage, taking off for a whopping 121 rushing yards on 16 carries.
His rushing yards total was the second largest total in Alouettes history for a quarterback.
Calvillo’s status for this week’s matchup is still uncertain. Should he be unable to play, the fans at McGill would have their first look at McPherson since the pre-season.
Ray’s off target
For the Eskimos, last week’s battle of Alberta saw them become the latest of Henry Burris and the Calgary Stampeders’ victims. In the loss, Ray passed for 209 yards a touchdown and a pair of interceptions. Ray’s seven touchdown passes are the lowest among starting pivots, while his 10 interceptions are the third worst in the league.
However, if there’s anything that would spark Ray, it’s a visit to Montreal as he has been a notorious Alouette-killer all through his career.
The Alouettes next play the Edmonton Eskimos at McGill on Sep. 19 at 4 pm EST on RDSHD, TSNHD, NRJ, CJAD
