Will the second time be good for Anthony Calvillo? The principal concerned is convinced that yes.
After first announcing that receivers coach Michael Lionello was going to call the games on offense against the Edmonton Elks (1-4) this Thursday, Danny Maciocia has changed his mind and it is rather Calvillo, officially coach of the quarterbacks, who will lead the Montreal attack.
However, during his first stint as offensive coordinator for the Alouettes in 2016, success was not there. It must be said that the team then used a host of quarterbacks and that the formation was the worst since the club’s return to Montreal 20 years earlier.
“I was happy that they had confidence in me,” said the former Alouettes No. 13 after practice on Tuesday. Others have done it before, like Dave Dickenson (in Calgary). For my part, I have not been able to accomplish as much with the tools at my disposal. I would have liked it to be different, but it is now part of my personal baggage. »
This time, Calvillo is much better prepared.
“Every year that you work, whether it’s as a quarterbacks coach or calling the games, you see things more clearly, you become more patient, you understand the sport better. All these years that I have been away have allowed me to build the confidence that I have today. It’s a group I join, with André (Bolduc), ‘LBJ’ (Luc Brodeur-Jourdain) and of course Mike Lionello, but I feel like I’ve grown. »
Maciocia is also convinced, as is the rest of the coaching staff, that Calvillo is better equipped to perform these duties.
“After retiring, in 12 or 18 months, he became offensive coordinator. The number of quarterbacks and coaches who passed, as well as the lack of stability, did not help him. The fact of having left for Toronto and spending time with Marc Trestman, of having taken a step back, of his years in university football as a coordinator where he did a good job: I think he now understands better what the job requires, and I’m sure he’ll do a good job for us. »
The decision to entrust him with “the keys to the car” was not difficult to make, underlines the new head coach.
“We sat down and Michael […] thought Anthony was the best prepared. Since he was in charge of the quarters, Michael felt that it was a better decision than to entrust him with the call of the plays,” mentioned Maciocia.
What should we expect from Calvillo’s attack?
“It’s the Montreal Alouettes’ attack, developed by Khari Jones over the past three seasons,” recalled Calvillo, who also took the time to thank Jones for bringing him back into the club’s fold. There are concepts that I have never seen before and they are excellent. That’s what happens when you change teams or work with new coaches: you expand your repertoire of games.
“What’s great about working with this group of coaches is that we’ve built this game plan together. Now we’re going to get together and decide what our best plays are on first down, second and short, or second and long. But it’s true, in the end, it’s me who will have the last word. I’m going to call the games that I’m comfortable with, by virtue of the group work done beforehand,” continued Calvillo.
And no question for Maciocia, who will hear the discussions between Calvillo and the quarters, to intervene.
“The call of the games belongs to him. I will not use my right of veto to call anything other than what he has decided, ”he assured.
Already matches without a future?
At the Alouettes, we repeat that the season is still young and that we will begin a 14-game campaign on Thursday. In fact, with a 1-3 record and the way things are going out West, the Alouettes’ room to maneuver is already very slim.
The Ottawa Redblacks and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, both 0-4, face off this weekend. The chances are good that one of these two clubs will therefore register its first victory. The Alouettes don’t want to end up with the same 1-4 record in the event of a loss against the worst team in the West.
“Whether it’s Thursday or next Thursday, I think people are going to ask that question every week,” Maciocia admitted. We are starting a 14-game season and we want to win every game. But the reality is that with all the changes, philosophical, identity and on the attack, we don’t have a training camp to put them in place. So what we want is to progress. I want us to play our best football in the second half of the season. »
Speaking of the West, the fourth-place team, the BC Lions, already have six points in the standings, six better than third-place in the East. It is true that it is early, but the possibility that the rule of crossing will be applied again is slowly but surely setting in.
The Alouettes will therefore have to aim at all costs for the first two places in their section.
“We haven’t talked much about the crossover with 14 games to go,” Calvillo said. For us, we’re just trying to focus on the next game. We want to win and we want to win at home. We should aim for a perfect record at home. That’s what all teams should be aiming for. By playing smart football, that’s what we should be able to do. »
During this game, which will begin at 7:30 p.m., the Alouettes will pay tribute to the memory of Guy Lafleur, as well as to the 2002 Gray Cup champion team. Several former players of this edition, as well as his general manager Jim Popp, will be on hand for the occasion.