The Alouettes | newsletter time

The Birds ended their first half of the season on a high note by surprising the Blue Bombers in Winnipeg on Thursday night. They were lucky, let’s face it, but still became the first to defeat the defending champions in 2022. That said, with a current record of 3-6, no Alouettes unit deserves an “A” rating. in his mid-term report.

Miguel Bujold
The Press

QUARTERBACKS – C+

Vernon Adams Jr. only played one game and a few before being replaced by Trevor Harris, who had his ups and downs as his stats reflect: 67.7% completions, 7 touchdowns, 7 interceptions and save factor of 91.2. He was very good in some games (victories against the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Ottawa Redblacks), but very ordinary in others (losses against the same Roughriders and the Blue Bombers). Dominique Davis excels on the “sneaks” of the quarter and has already scored 9 touchdowns on the ground.

RUNNING BACKS – B

William Stanback’s injury changed the situation considerably, it goes without saying, but Canadian Jeshrun Antwi did a very respectable job in relief. Antwi had 387 yards on 67 carries for a healthy average of 5.8 yards per carry. However, he is still looking for his first touchdown of the season. The appearance of American Tavien Feaster, a former Clemson University graduate, could have a major impact on the Alouettes’ ground game. Feaster should form a good duo with Antwi, being a bit more fluid and agile runner than the latter. Centre-back Christophe Normand continues to do a good job in the shadows.

RECIPIENTS – C+

Eugene Lewis deserves an “A”, but the play of the other receivers was uneven. Did Jake Wieneke get going with his catches in the fourth quarter of the game in Winnipeg? He was having a very disappointing season so far. Is Reggie White Jr. happy to be one of many plays or does he want to be a top receiver in this league? Canadians Hergy Mayala and Kaion Julien-Grant will need to be efficient and productive if they don’t want to see their role diminished in favor of rookie Tyson Philpot, a revelation in the first half of the season.

OFFENSIVE LINE – C

This group went from a “C-” to a “C” thanks to their performance on Thursday, surely their best of the season given the quality of the Bombers’ defensive front. The threat of roster changes and criticism of their level of intensity has clearly had an impact… The rosters are in place for a better and more consistent second half of the schedule. The big question is when or if Pier-Olivier Lestage will join the starting lineup, and at the expense of which player.

DEFENSIVE LINE – B-

Like the offensive line, the defensive front played perhaps its best game of the season on Thursday night. When they manage to control their emotions well, Mike Moore and Mike Wakefield are able to dominate the line of scrimmage, and veteran Almondo Sewell remains a force against the ground game in the middle of the front. Defensive end Nick Usher, on the other hand, is having a disappointing one-sack season. Sewell, Moore and Wakefield have the size to play in a three-man line, allowing coordinator Noel Thorpe to use the blitz more frequently, as he did against the Bombers.

SECONDS – B-

The hardest group to assess. Chris Ackie has missed five games and Tre Watson is now playing in Edmonton, while Micah Awe and Tyrice Beverette haven’t played enough to make up for it. Adarius Pickett may have been the club’s best defensive player in the first half and seems to have found his footing playing as wide-side linebacker.

TERTIARY – C

Marc-Antoine Dequoy is improving game by game and leads the team with 3 steals, tied for first in the CFL with seven other players (before weekend games). After a hesitant start, the quality of his tackles has already improved significantly. Former Bomber Mike Jones is playing well, too, but it’s more difficult for Wes Sutton and Rodney Randle Jr., who gave up a lot of long plays. It should be added, however, that Sutton has been playing better lately. It’s all or nothing with this unit; she makes her share of big plays, but grants too many long wins.

SPECIAL UNITS – B+

The prize goes to the special teams. This group has gone from a weakness to a strength, and the credit goes to coordinator Byron Archambault. Here’s one who seems to have all the qualities to eventually become a good head coach… Chandler Worthy and Tyson Philpot excelled on kickoff returns, coverage units were generally reliable, and punter Joseph Zema is solid. Only downside, the two short placements that David Côté missed, the first of which cost a victory in Toronto. Note also that the special teams are much more disciplined than in recent seasons, and again, a good part of the credit goes to Archambault, who leads the group for the first time this year, it should be noted.