QB Glenn gets playbook crash course
Newly acquired veteran QB expected to start Sunday against Tiger-Cats
Perhaps it’s because he’s undersized for a receiver — height-wise at least — or came from Southern Arkansas, a small NCAA Division-II school, that Nik Lewis always has felt like a bit of an underdog.
And perhaps that’s why he and Kevin Glenn meshed together so well for two seasons at Calgary, Lewis quickly realizing the quarterback has had his own demons to battle, obstacles and criticism to overcome, over his lengthy Canadian Football League career.
“I’ve been an underdog my whole life and career. He was labelled a loser — and he’s won a lot of games and has put up a lot of numbers. Everybody wants him because they understand what he can do,” Lewis said following Thursday’s practice at Stade Hébert — the first time Glenn worked out with the Als following Wednesday’s trade from Saskatchewan.
“He’s my favourite quarterback. I just love his attitude, the way he approaches the game,” Lewis added. “He can do a lot. He can get the ball out of his hands. He can get it into our hands to make plays. That’s all we want to do.
“It’s good to have a veteran quarterback. You have young guys that are reading things for the first time. Teams play us different and we were seeing things for the first time. It was an adjustment. Kevin’s probably seen everything.”
It’s not going to be easy, but the plan remains for Glenn to play — and probably start — Sunday afternoon, when the Als entertain Hamilton. The 36-year-old will do so on only two full days’ of practice. But his final game with the Roughriders, last Friday, was against the Tiger-Cats. Glenn most certainly will be putting in extra time at Olympic Stadium, learning the playbook and meeting with coaches.
He said his head’s crammed with information, and was pleased with his first day on the field. The plays and route concepts are typically the same in the league, he reiterated. It’s how the individual coaches and coordinators read them, and the terminology they use, that changes.
“It’s going to affect you because you’re learning — at a rapid pace,” he said. “You have to do a lot off the field, go over plays. It’s learning. I’ve been doing this a long time. I’ll figure it out.
“Today was a good day,” added the 15-year veteran. “I don’t think I didn’t know where to go with the ball or not knowing the plays.”
Glenn certainly has had a nomadic existence, associated with every CFL team except Edmonton. The 5-foot-10, 203 pounder has produced a pair of 5,000-yard passing seasons — one with Winnipeg in 2007, the other with Hamilton, three years later. He was named the East Division’s outstanding player with the Blue Bombers.
But Glenn doesn’t move particularly well and has a tendency to make a mistake by forcing things. With British Columbia last season, he was on the losing end of a 50-17 evisceration by the Als in the division semifinal, not only signifying his end with the Lions but that, too, of head coach Mike Benevides. And for all the numbers he posted this season at Saskatchewan, when healthy, the team has won only two of 15 games. Glenn has played in one Grey Cup, with the Stampeders, in 2012. He barely completed 50 per cent of his passes and failed to throw for a touchdown.
But he most certainly provides the Als with their best — and last — option as the team attempts to salvage its season. Montreal has a 5-9 record and is in a battle with B.C. and Winnipeg for the last playoff berth. The Als have struggled for a variety of reasons, including the fact Glenn becomes their seventh quarterback.
Whether they continue to flounder, or improve to some extent, it’ll be on the wings of Glenn. That much is irrefutable.
“The message? We’ve done everything we can to allow you to win games — from the head coach to the offensive coordinator ... to bringing in Kevin,” Lewis admitted. “Everything they’ve done has led us to believe that we can win. Everybody in the locker believes we can win. We just haven’t done it very much.
“But we still have a chance. Honestly, B.C. and Winnipeg have a tough road.”
The Als are on a three-game losing streak. But, one of the strange coincidences of their bizarre season has seen them already defeat the Ticats twice. Indeed, Montreal became the first team to win a game at Tim Hortons Field. All this was accomplished without Glenn.
“His challenge is huge, let’s not kid ourselves,” general manager and head coach Jim Popp said. “It doesn’t matter how many teams he has played for. All the systems are different, the language is different. His cadence. We could have offsides. There’s a lot to it, and he has no chemistry with the receivers. He doesn’t know their actions and moves. It’s a challenge. If we can pull it off, great.
“He’s extremely professional and intelligent. He’s here for all the right reasons and wants to be here. He’s a great leader.”
Meanwhile, Popp confirmed QB Rakeem Cato has a concussion and has been ruled out of Sunday’s game. Injured cornerback Mitchell White and defensive-lineman Aaron Lavarias both returned to the field and could be activated.
He’s my favourite quarterback. I just love his attitude, the way he approaches the game. He can do a lot.