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Alouettes vs. Eskimos: CBC analysts break
it down
Our CFL on CBC panel discusses the strengths and weaknesses of this
year's Grey Cup competitors – the Montreal Alouettes and Edmonton
Eskimos. Darren Flutie discusses Montreal, while Greg Frers disects
the Edmonton Eskimos. Both offer their keys to victory for each
team and fearless predictions.
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| Montreal Offence
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Darren Flutie: I think Montreal has a real chance to light
it up against Edmonton. [Running back] Eric Lapointe ran so well
against Toronto (112 yards on 15 carries in the Eastern final) and
I'm thinking Edmonton will prepare for the run. Montreal used play-action
so effectively against the Argos, it just makes them complete and
extremely tough to stop. Lapointe is explosive and has a tremendous
O-line. He also hits the holes quicker than [injured Alouettes running
back Robert] Edwards. When he gets in the secondary he's a ball
of muscle. The problem is he doesn't stay healthy for long stretches.
[Centre] Bryan Chiu is back and that gives the O-line three legitimate all-stars [in Chiu, Paul Lambert and Scott Flory]. And their 1,000-yard receivers may not be the four most talented receivers in the league, but [quarterback] Anthony Calvillo is good at spreading the ball.
Impact player:
Calvillo. He played a steady game against Toronto (completing 19 of 30 passes for 190 yards). He's consistent and plays at a high level. I think he has a better chance to be more consistent the whole game [against Edmonton] because the Eskimos' pass-defence is not as good as the Argos. Calvillo has pretty much been the best QB in the league the last four or five years. |
| Edmonton Offence |
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Greg Frers: [Starting quarterback] Ricky Ray is amazing with his vision and understanding what is going on around him. [Backup] Jason Maas has a tendency to force something when he gets frustrated. And when he gets frustrated he makes bad decisions. The Troy Davis factor depends on what defence Montreal employs (rush or conventional). [Running back] Troy Davis is definitely a talent. For Montreal to have success, they'll have to stop him from getting five yards on first down or else Edmonton will dictate to them the flow of the game. [Slotback] Derrell Mitchell got clobbered by [B.C. defensive back] Ryan Phillips [in the West final] and I don't know how healthy his ribs are. Speedy teams can beat 37-year-old linemen Bruce Beaton and Chris Morris off the edge [of the line], but they're smart and wily veterans.
Impact player:
Wide receiver Jason Tucker. Ultimately, he's their greatest offensive
threat. He's a big-game player (seven catches, 132 yards, two touchdowns
in 2003 Grey Cup). He can be covered but somehow make the catch. He
has great body awareness and control. He's a veteran player with an
ability to make the catch. Tucker can cut on a dime and understands
the game. |
| Montreal Defence |
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Darren Flutie: They disguise their coverages and
did it effectively against Toronto. It can look like they're rushing
three or four guys and they bring six. And then they'll line up
seven or eight guys, drop back and rush only three. They're back
to the personality they used to have. Against Toronto, [linebacker]
Duane Butler was wearing a cast [on his right arm], [defensive tackle
Ed] Philion was hurt, [linebacker Tim] Strickland was banged up
and they laid it all out the whole game. They had just played a
huge physical game the week before [against Saskatchewan]. If it
was their last game, they just weren't going to lose it.
Impact player:
Cornerback Kelly Malveaux. You can bring him on the blitz and he gets to the QB. He's a good DB (defensive back), plays in-your-face, man-to-man coverage and can lock up a receiver. He anticipates well, is aggressive and tough.
|
| Edmonton Defence |
Greg Frers: The Edmonton defensive line is really
banged up. They did a really good job with whom they had [against
B.C. in the West final]. The last six weeks they have given up an
average of 133 yards rushing after leading the league with an average
of 78 during the season. If they get [linemen] Cedric Scott and Rashad
Jeanty back [from injury] they'll be that much better. [Linebacker]
Steven Marsh is phenomenal with the amount of ground he can over and
he's so versatile. He's their most valuable player on defence. B.C.
has a very good receiving corps, but the Eskimos secondary was knocking
balls down [in the West final]. They have a talented, physical and
very mature secondary.
Impact player:
[Defensive end] Joe Montford is playing phenomenal. He made [Lions linemen] Moe Elewonibi and Sherko Haji-Rasouli look very average at best [in the West final]. He was beating B.C.'s [offensive] ends with his speed, challenging them to the outside and getting to [Lions quarterback] Dave Dickenson inside of three seconds. Quarterbacks know he's coming. He has a reputation. |
| Montreal Special
Teams |
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Darren Flutie: [Kicker] Damon Duval, by far, is
the key on special teams. He made some big kicks and had a great
season (CFL-leading 191 points). He kicked consistently. Eric Lapointe
had four special teams tackles all year and then was a madman against
Toronto. He had the first three tackles and a fumble recovery.
Impact player:
Duval. He's very calm under pressure. I remember [Eskimos kicker] Sean Fleming telling me during the season that he lost confidence during his slump and started to feel pressure. I haven't seen [Duval] do that. |
| Edmonton Special
Teams |
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Greg Frers: At the beginning of the season, I felt he was being kicked to more than [Toronto's Bashir] Levingston because he was an unknown. When the opposition found out how good he was, he still performed well. He's definitely talented. In any kind of playoff game, the kickers often are forced to kick for crucial points and I don't anticipate this game is going to be any different.
Impact player:
Kicker Sean Fleming. He's playing with a lot of confidence now, but he's also shown he's completely human, even for a veteran player. |
| What are the keys
to victory for Montreal? |
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Darren Flutie: With [Edmonton quarterback] Ricky Ray starting,
they have to make him throw off-balance, make him beat you with
his arm and shut down [Eskimos running back] Troy Davis. If Maas
is in, they have to stop the pass.
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| What are the keys
to victory for Edmonton? |
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Greg Frers: They're going to have to adjust on
offence. They can't be surprised by what Montreal does, like Toronto
was. They'll have to rely on their veteran status and understanding
of the CFL game and CFL defences to adjust. The most important thing
is to be patient. On defence, they'll need to push the secondary
and get physical with [Montreal's] receivers, especially [Ben] Cahoon.
If you take him out of the game, it will go a long way to having
success.
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| Predictions |
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Darren Flutie: Montreal wins 27-19, but this game
could go either way. Edmonton could dominate offensively, but I
think Montreal will find a way to win with [quarterback] Calvillo
and [head coach] Don Matthews.
Greg Frers: Montreal wins 32-28. Edmonton has
responded twice to [quarterback] Jason Maas coming in late in the
game and leading the team to victory. Maybe the third time in he's
going to throw for an interception that [Alouettes defensive back]
Reggie Durden is going to run back for a touchdown. I'm confident
in [Montreal coach] Don Matthews's ability to orchestrate and adjust
a game plan through the course of a game. To get his team to outscore
the Argos 27-3 in the second half [of the East final], that's phenomenal.
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