Going to Winnipeg: Als have tough road test
Nearly 500 yards in net offence was still not enough to defeat Redblacks
Perhaps it would be incorrect to label it a breakout game for Darian Durant. After all in 2010, when he played for Saskatchewan, he passed for 500 yards against Calgary — and the Roughriders won that night in overtime.
Nonetheless, the 452-yard performance Durant produced last week at Ottawa — a season-high — was impressive. But what did it mean in the grand scheme of things when Montreal was on the short end of a 24-19 score line?
“I think too much emphasis goes on wins and losses for quarterbacks. I wouldn’t call it a breakout game. I had some mistakes early,” Durant said.
“It was definitely a second half we can build off. We showed the potential that we have. We can be a potent offence when we’re clicking on all cylinders. If we can keep that momentum going into this week, we can put up some numbers.”
The Als play their final game before a bye week in the schedule Thursday night, when they meet the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Investors Group Field (8:30 p.m., TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, TSN5, RDS, TSN Radio 690).
Four times in five games this season Montreal has been held under 20 points — a large reason why the team has a 2-3 record. But they produced 27 first downs and nearly 500 yards’ net offence against the Redblacks. Two receivers, Ernest Jackson and B.J. Cunningham, had 100-yard efforts, while Tiquan Underwood was five yards short. Underwood is injured this week.
And yet, the Als lost. Perhaps they were a controversial thirddown play away from winning — backup quarterback Vernon Adams stopped short on a sneak when he appeared to gain the necessary yard — but they still lost.
It remains to be determined whether some good emanated from that defeat.
“I think teams definitely have to be aware that we have that potential. We’ve shown we can spread the ball around,” Durant said.
“We’ve shown we can be a team that can put up some points and put some yards up.”
Durant, the veteran 34-year-old the Als acquired last winter from Saskatchewan, has completed nearly 70 per cent of his passes this season while throwing for 1,392 yards through five games.
He has a modest six touchdowns. But Montreal is 2-3, meaning Durant has yet to prove he can be a consistent winner. Worse, he has been intercepted six times in the last four games. In each of the last two games, Durant has been pilfered twice in the first half.
On one, against Ottawa, he was intercepted in the end zone when the Als were at the Redblacks’ fiveyard line.
Nik Lewis recently stated Durant doesn’t have to carry the offence himself; there are enough veteran players to share the burden. Durant admitted there are times he feels the effects of single-handedly trying to change this team’s fortunes, Montreal having missed the playoffs the last two seasons.
“Personally, I have to settle down, don’t try too hard and take the pressure off myself. I have a lot of guys on offence that can move the ball, that can make things happen,” Durant said.
“For us to move the ball, it’s about me being a point guard, basically. Just get the ball to our receivers in good spots, let them run after the catch, let them do what they get paid to do. I get paid to distribute the ball, not sit there and break tackles and try to force throws.
“I have to take the pressure off myself ... and not force it. It’s just little things that I can’t let affect me. Punting’s not bad. We have a stout defence. Just don’t put them in bad field position. We can punt the ball, flip the field and make their offence have a long way to go.”
Anthony Calvillo, the last great quarterback this franchise had, said more emphasis was placed on practice this week to ensure the team comes out and plays fast. The Als have scored only 16 firstquarter points while allowing 15. But in two of those games, they failed to produce a point over the opening 15 minutes.
“We’re trying to look at everything. We don’t think it’s him. Is it us? What’s preventing us from getting going early?” asked Calvillo, the team’s quarterbacks coach.
“When we see things on film … if we think we need to work on certain things, we do. We work on our pocket movement. We do things that we think will get these guys back to where we want them to be.
“Interceptions are going to happen. You try to limit those mistakes.”
The Als would dearly love to feel good about themselves heading into their first break in the schedule. Not only is a 3-3 record infinitely better than 2-4, Montreal is quickly starting to realize the weak East Division is theirs for the taking. They want to keep pace with Toronto (3-2) while staying ahead of Ottawa and Hamilton. The Tiger-Cats have yet to win, while the Redblacks have a win and a tie in six games. It appears only two teams will make the playoffs.
“We have to go out and start winning. The first six makes the last six easier,” Lewis said. “I feel like we’re right there and ready to turn that corner. It’s going to be a big stepping stone for us to win this game.”