During the Alouettes’ training on Wednesday, none of the five positions on the offensive line was held by the same player who occupied it in the first half of the season. And with a quarterback who likes to stay behind his protective line like Trevor Harris, that’s certainly not ideal.
This reshuffle is of course attributable to the many injuries that have plagued the quintet in recent weeks. Tony Washington (ankle) and Philippe Gagnon (lower leg) missed Wednesday’s practice, while Sean Jamieson, who is recovering from a knee injury, is gradually resuming.
Washington had trained on Tuesday, and could be at his left tackle position to protect Harris’ blind spot on Saturday (1 p.m.). The Alouettes will then welcome the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and their formidable defensive front. Gagnon will miss the game, however, and will be replaced by David Foucault at the guard post on the left.
Kristian Matte will play a second straight game as a center after serving as the right guard for most of the season. For his part, Landon Rice trained at the guard post on the right on Wednesday, he who was the blocker on that side in the first 12 games of the season. Rookie Nick Callender was the right tackle on Wednesday.
In short, things continue to move on the line and it’s a bit worrying two weeks before the start of the playoffs.
“We had the same five players during the first seven weeks of the season and there is a chemistry that had developed. We have to start from scratch. But most of our band have been playing together for a while, ”said Matte.
It might not be ideal, but we have a week of training to prepare. You have to be able to manage and be versatile. I have confidence for this week’s game.
Kristian matte
Jamieson was doing a good job in the middle of the offensive line before he got injured. The center should be back in time for the playoffs, which would allow the Alouettes to use Matte as a guard, as he’s particularly good on the ground. Head coach Khari Jones also expects Washington and Gagnon to play in the playoffs.
“There is nothing set in stone yet. We try different combinations to prepare for any eventuality, ”Jones said.
“Yes, it’s a bit worrying at this point in the season, but I think some of our players will be back shortly. They could all be back when they’re really needed. Until then, we will have to manage as we can. ”
The offensive line was effective on the ground play in last Saturday’s loss to the Blue Bombers. His play in pass protection, however, left something to be desired. Harris is not as mobile as Vernon Adams Jr. and Matthew Shiltz are, which makes passing protection line play even more essential.
“Of course he’s a quarterback with a different style of play, so whether we like it or not, we have to change the way we do things a bit. We adjusted our game plan last week. We are a little in learning mode, ”explained Matte.
Take two against the Bombers
Jones and his players will have a second chance in a week to face the Blue Bombers, who announced on Wednesday that quarterback Zach Collaros would not play in Montreal. Collaros will be replaced by Sean McGuire, a move that is not surprising given the Bombers are already guaranteed to finish first in the West.
Remember that it was the tie, 21-21, after the first three quarters, last Saturday in Winnipeg. The Bombers scored the last 10 points in the fourth quarter to win, 31-21, their 10e victory away.
“We were all disappointed because we knew we had kept our foot on the accelerator. We had a good offensive streak at the start of the third quarter and our defense played well, but in the fourth, it looks like they have gained strength as we slowed down, ”said Matte.
“I think we did several good things in attack, we managed long games, we had success on the ground and we were opportunistic near the end zone”, meanwhile analyzed Harris, who will get a second start with his new team and his first at Percival-Molson Stadium on Saturday.
It seems more and more obvious that Harris will be the Alouettes quarterback for the remainder of the season if he stays healthy. Jones essentially confirmed that Vernon Adams Jr. will no longer play in 2021 on Wednesday, while Shiltz has a knee injury.
I expect Matt [Shiltz] comes back to the game, and we hope it will be soon.
Khari Jones, Alouettes head coach
Currently, recruits Shea Patterson and Quinten Dormady are Harris’ reservists. “None of our current three-quarters were on the squad at training camp,” Jones noted.
The line game in front of Harris will therefore be doubly important in the last two games of the season. Let’s say it wouldn’t be ideal for Patterson or Dormady to get their first CFL start in a playoff game.