In 2021, the Montreal Alouettes offence led the league in many categories. For example, no team scored more points, ran more plays or picked up more yards than the Als did last year. That’s even more impressive when you consider the fact that they used three different starting quarterbacks. But that still didn’t result in a Grey Cup title or even a playoff win.
So, how does the offence take the next step in 2022?
Starting quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. will be back to full health. He suffered a season-ending left shoulder injury against the Ottawa Redblacks on Thanksgiving Day at Percival Molson Stadium. As frustrating as it was for him to watch from the sidelines, he felt it was important to keep a positive mindset for himself and his teammates.
“That was the first season-ending injury of my career, so it was really tough to process that,” Adams Jr. said from his home in Tacoma, Washington.
“That hit me hard. I could’ve taken it one of two ways. I could’ve let it get to me and say, ‘I’m not going to be a team guy and I’m going to go home for the rest of (my recovery)’. Or, I could still be around, have good energy and help the guys however I could with the knowledge I have. And I chose that (last) route and I think that was the better route to choose anyway.”
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After he went down, Adams Jr. did what he could to help quarterback Matthew Shiltz perform, he tried to help Trevor Harris learn the offence after the in-season trade that saw Harris land in Montreal from Edmonton, and he also spent time watching game film with some of the receivers.
Harris’ return and the arrival of Dominique Davis will provide plenty of competition for Adams Jr. in training camp. He made it clear that he welcomes the arrival of other veteran quarterbacks, and he believes their presence will bring the best out of him.
“It brings that fire back out in me because we have two veteran quarterbacks who started a lot of games in Dom and Trevor,” he said. “Trevor is still a top guy and Dom can still get it done as well. So, I think that’s just going to push me, even more, to want to be great. I think they’re both great signings.”
The 29-year-old’s ability as a dual-threat quarterback gives the offence a different look when he’s on the field. But when mobile quarterbacks run the ball, it’s normal for them to absorb hits from opposing defenders. The Als pivot believes one of the reasons he was injured against Ottawa was because he came into training camp too light. So, this year, his plan is to enter the season at a higher playing weight.
“I came into camp last year at a very light 185lbs and I had never done that before, not even in college. I was so worried about my six-pack and trying to look good on the beach,” he said with a laugh.
“This year, I’m not on that (plan) because I got injured and I think that’s one of the reasons why. I was too light. Right now, I’m 198lbs and I plan on coming into camp at 205lbs. So, if I lose about 5-10lbs, I can play at around 195-200.”
Even though Adams Jr. has been in the CFL since 2016, this will be just his third season as a full-time starter at his position and just the second time he enters training camp at the top of the depth chart. Head coach Khari Jones is familiar with his quarterback’s skill set, but he believes there’s still room for him to grow.
“First of all, I’m very excited to have Vernon back,” Jones said. “He’s shown the things that he’s capable of doing and I think there’s still more for him to show. He’s on the upswing and on the rise as a quarterback. Last year was tough because he did get injured. I thought he was starting to turn that corner when it did happen and I’m just looking forward to his development. He’s just a special talent.”
On top of having a healthy Adams Jr. heading into this season, the Als offence will benefit from the return of receivers Jake Wieneke and Geno Lewis, who were both scheduled to become free agents this winter. Lewis signed a new contract in December while Wieneke did so right before the start of free agency.
“After we took care of the offensive line and the quarterbacks, first and foremost on my list was to get both (Lewis and Wieneke) back,” added Jones. “To have both guys who led the league in touchdowns last year, you don’t want to lose that. I’ve seen Geno’s rise from being a practice squad player to being one of the stars in the league. It’s really fun to watch him develop and he’s still getting stronger. And Jake, from the beginning, I just had a really good feeling about him. Not only with his play, but just with his personality and what he brings to the team. He’s just a rock for our football team.”
The Als will return four of their five starters on the offensive line, they gave running back William Stanback an extension, they were able to get Harris and Davis Davis under contract, and they signed another Canadian receiver in Hergy Mayala.
The team also made a key addition to their offensive coaching staff, as they added quarterback coach Anthony Calvillo to help lighten Jones’ workload. Calvillo, who won three Grey Cups with the Alouettes during his career, is Canadian Football’s all-time leading passer and he’s one of the greatest players in league history.
“He’s already coached at Montreal and Toronto, and he’s just a wealth of knowledge,” Jones said of Calvillo. “We’ve been getting along great in our meetings, and we speak the same (football) language, which is fantastic.
“I’ll still be the coordinator and I’ll still be doing the things I was doing on that side (of the ball), but with (Calvillo) being hands-on with the quarterbacks every day, it will allow me to go different places during the day. I’ll be able to check in with defence, check in the with special teams, see those players a little more often than I was (last year).”
The Alouettes are hoping that the additions they’ve made and the fact that there’s some continuity on the roster and on the coaching staff will translate into victories on the football field. Building chemistry can take time, especially with the long CFL off-seasons and the departure of certain players every winter. But with Adams Jr., Jones and the rest of the offence mostly intact, the team is hoping to recapture the magic they found two seasons ago.
“I think our offence is pretty good, but I know we can get better,” Adams Jr. said. “The last two years, we’ve been to the playoffs. Now, we have to get to that next step now. We’ve been bounced out in the first game of the playoffs and we need to make that next step by getting to the semis and the Grey Cup. We’ve got the guys on offence and we just have to keep scoring more points. We put up a lot of yards and did a lot of good things…we just weren’t winning and that’s what we need. We need to win because winning solves everything.”
