It is true that the Montreal Alouettes are very successful because their level of execution in all phases of play is very high. But this series of 12 victories by the Birds is also based on the mutual trust between the players and the coaching staff.
Take for example the 44-yard play that led to a Cole Spieker touchdown on third down and one last Friday in Toronto. General manager Danny Maciocia said Tuesday in the press box at Hébert Stadium, where the Alouettes hold their practices, that it takes courage to call that kind of play. Head coach Jason Maas believes it’s more about confidence.
“There’s two outcomes in that situation: You’re either going to convert the third down or you’re going to miss it. But we have confidence in our guys that the play is going to be successful because we’ve talked about the play, we’ve taught it, we’ve rehearsed it,” he said. “We have confidence that we’re going to make the next play. So every time we try something like that, I have confidence that if it doesn’t work, the defense or special teams are going to make the next play.”
“We have a positive approach to everything we do. We have confidence in our team, in our players. I prefer to think positively than to think about everything that might not work.”
And it’s reciprocal: the players have confidence in their coaching staff.
“Every time a player hears the play called, he should think he’s going to make the assignment,” Maas said. “You don’t call any play that you don’t think the players are capable of making, […] Otherwise, we wouldn’t call them. There are loads of games that we try during the week that don’t make it into the playbook because we didn’t like what we saw.”
Wall and Cosby in support
That confidence also shows in the event of injury, as the next player on the roster always seems to slot in seamlessly, whether on offense, defense or special teams.
We saw it after Reggie Stubblefield suffered a knee injury in the season opener in Winnipeg. Stubblefield’s season is over, but Bryce Cosby and now Titus Wall, who alternates at defensive back with Stubblefield, are both enjoying success on the CFL’s best defence.
“It speaks volumes about their skill set,” defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe said of Cosby and Wall. “That we can put anybody in those positions and not lose rhythm, it speaks volumes about the quality of the guys.”
“Execution and confidence always go hand in hand and these guys work hard to deliver those types of performances. What we do in practice translates into games. Guys work hard in practice and it translates into games.”
Used as a starter since Stubblefield’s injury, Cosby has 13 tackles and a sack in three games. Wall has three tackles in two games, having been hired in mid-June. At Tuesday’s practice, Wall took a few reps with the first unit. Could he start Saturday against the Calgary Stampeders at Percival Molson Stadium?
“We try to have different schemes of play to maximize the qualities of all our guys,” Thorpe said, avoiding opening up a bit. “The players believe in our system, which is team-first. We talk about unselfishness and believing in what you can do. Putting in the effort in meetings, studying the playbook and during games.”
Thorpe and Maas could find themselves with a big problem in a few weeks, as Wesley Sutton has returned to training with the group.
Injured during training camp, Sutton, whose name is on the injured list for six games, participated in his first practice since his injury.
“We’re waiting patiently for Wes to get healthy,” Thorpe admitted. “He missed a lot of camp, so he’s got to get his legs back. I know he’s healthy; that’s Wes. But he missed us and we missed him.”
In the morning, the Alouettes also announced the hiring of defensive back David Vereen, who for the moment gives more depth to the position.