Als’ struggling, but Bowman won’t quit
Veteran defensive end wants to see some pride after being ‘taken to the woodshed’
While his words were said emotionally, in the heat of the moment following one of the Alouettes’ worst defeats in franchise history, John Bowman doesn’t regret accusing some of his teammates of no longer caring.
“Everybody heard what I said. Everybody knows how I play. I want everybody to put the same things I do into a game. At the moment, I was heated from the asswhupping we got,” Bowman said Thursday after the team’s first full practice of the week.
“Did I feel that way at the time? Yes. And looking at the film do I still feel that way? Yes. I’m not going to apologize to anybody. I said it because I meant it.”
It wasn’t so much the Als suffered their seventh consecutive loss Sept. 29 at Calgary, it was the manner in which they were totally dominated in the Stampeders’ 5911 pasting that frustrated Bowman, who continues to attempt to lead by example at age 35 and now in his 12th Canadian Football League season, all with Montreal.
“It wasn’t all about the effort, it was the body demeanour, walking and giving up on people. When you’re getting taken to the woodshed ... it’s kind of embarrassing,” Bowman said. “I’m trying to help them, too. They have longer careers than me. I’m at the end of my rope. I’m trying to help them be professionals, show pride in what they do.
“I’m still great. That’s what I tell them.”
General manager and interim head coach Kavis Reed said he has no qualms about what Bowman said, believing he was speaking emotionally and from his heart following a dispiriting defeat. But Reed was also quick to add he’ll never question the mettle of the team he has assembled. Reed admitted there’s probably plenty of frustration and disappointment over Montreal’s 3-11 record, but denied any player has quit.
“John Bowman personifies what we want to be. He left everything on the field. We never have to question his work ethic, desire and preparation,” said Reed, who has worked hard in his first season as GM to change the team’s culture. He wants the message to be unified, while relinquishing ownership to the players.
“For him to say something in that line means he still cares. He wants all the people around him to have the same passion and work ethic. That’s ownership. That’s pleasing to hear those statements and challenges to his teammates.
“The grandfather has to establish what the foundation is. He’s done a tremendous job of that.”
While there can be no questioning Bowman’s heart and desire, the Als’ defence — the one phase that made this team somewhat respectable prior to last month’s firings of head coach Jacques Chapdelaine and defensive co-ordinator Noel Thorpe — has seemingly become abysmal.
A defence that was “good, but not elite,” according to Reed, has now allowed an average of 27.6 points per game, 396.3 yards per game and 41 touchdowns. Predictably, the Als are near the bottom of most of the league’s defensive statistics, which begs the question: did Reed do more harm than good by criticizing the unit?
“He was just speaking his mind. The stats were saying we were middle of the pack,” Bowman said.
“It’s a totally new defence. I can’t make excuses, we’ve been bad. But it’s a new defence and guys are being asked to play new positions. There’s an adjustment period.”
With Greg Quick now calling the defensive plays, the Als have taken on a different look and dimension. While they continue to primarily play zone coverage, they don’t appear to be blitzing as frequently and have lost their aggressiveness. The players have moved around, unquestionably. Linebacker Kyries Hebert, who needs to be close to the line of scrimmage, was dropping back into coverage as the safety for a while.
As the Als prepare for Monday afternoon’s home game against Edmonton, they’re tinkering with their personnel again. Dominique Tovell, who was on the six-game injured list, should return at middle linebacker. Branden Dozier will likely start at safety in front of Canadian rookie Dondre Wright. And non-import defensive tackle Fabion Foote, the Als’ secondround draft pick in May, might be activated for the first time this season.
With Darian Durant continuing to recover from a hamstring injury, Drew Willy will start his second consecutive game at quarterback.
“The direction we’re heading is good. We have the players to be an elite defence,” said rush end Gabriel Knapton. “We have guys that work on this team and guys that care. We’ve got leaders that care. From what I see, everybody wants this to work.
“My thing is are you going to tuck your tail and give up the last few games because things aren’t going right? That’s not being a man. We have a lot of guys on this team that are going to man up and make things happen — or give their damned best to do so.”
While the Als have their own problems, they’re meeting a potentially vulnerable Eskimos team. Edmonton looked like it might never lose when it won its opening seven games. Now, on the heels of a six-game losing streak, its fortunes have reversed.
Reed stated the obvious when he said it’s “obviously a must-win game.”