Injuries may force lineup shuffle
Defensive-back Brown, offensive-lineman Bourke questionable for Saturday’s game in Hamilton
At least now it’s beginning to make sense – why Jerald Brown cut to the left instead of continuing to run straight after intercepting Kevin Glenn late in the fourth quarter last Thursday. And why Brown inexplicably fumbled.
The Alouettes’ defensiveback was in pain. Lots of it. He originally thought he had ruptured his spleen and said, following Montreal’s comefrom-behind victory against Calgary, how much pain he was in from a rib injury.
The injury occurred in the fourth quarter, as Brown was attempting to run to the sideline to tackle receiver Romby Bryant. Brown felt the muscle stretch, grabbed his side and walked off the field – only to eventually return.
“I was in a great deal of pain and almost didn’t return to the game,” Brown said on Tuesday, after he failed to participate in the Als’ indoor practice, held at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard. “Is that the reason I fumbled? Possibly, although I’ve got to lock it up a little tighter. I couldn’t grip the ball, but that’s no excuse, since I caught the ball.
“After the game it was hard to breathe. Even during the game,” added Brown, who missed virtually the entire 2011 season with a fractured ankle. “I still feel the pain, if I sneeze or cough. I couldn’t raise my voice (last week) or turn, for that matter.”
Brown went for an MRI, which indicated a pulled pectoral muscle. That makes him questionable for Montreal’s next game, Saturday night at Hamilton, according to head coach Marc Trestman. Brown was replaced during Tuesday’s practice by rookie Ed Gainey.
“That was part of the reason why (Brown) didn’t run as fast (on the interception),” Trestman said. “He was hurting at the time.”
Brown’s injury is one of several potential problems Trestman is faced with leading up to the East Division showdown against the TigerCats.
Offensive-tackle Josh Bourke missed Tuesday’s workout with an injury to his right ankle. While Trestman said the Canadian Football League’s outstanding line- man in 2011 is expected to play, he’s listed as questionable for now. He was replaced on Tuesday by import rookie Michael Ola.
Bourke sustained the injury on the Als’ fourth drive, well into the first quarter, on a pass to Brian Bratton. While Bratton scored on a 68-yard passand-run touchdown two plays later, quarterback Anthony Calvillo also was sacked once during Bourke’s absence – and four times in total.
“There’s no pressure to play,” Bourke said. “If I can’t perform to my normal ability, I won’t play. With this injury, if I’m not at 100 per cent, I’ve got to be close.”
Bourke said there were some communication breakdowns along the offensive line against Calgary. “There were a couple of bad plays, and they resulted in sacks,” he explained.
“But guys get beat, the quarterback gets rid of the ball, and nobody notices,” he added. “Obviously we can’t allow four sacks. Anthony took too many shots.”
The als rushed the ball only eight times against Calgary. Calvillo, who gained nine yards on his one and only carry, was Montreal’s leading rusher. Brandon Whitaker, so brilliant the previous week against Winnipeg, was a nonentity. He carried four times, gaining minus-3 yards.
“We’ve got to utilize our run game a little more, in my opinion,” Bourke said. “Five rushes, I don’t believe, is enough. Calgary was rolling its safety and put seven in the box, so we had to take our shots (downfield). There wasn’t a lot there for the running game.”
Defensive-back Dwight Anderson, recovering from a fractured finger, went to the doctor on Tuesday, where a pin was removed from the digit. Trestman expects him to play.
Although rush-end John Bowman practised at full speed, he’s recovering from a knee injury sustained during training camp and has yet to play this season. Trestman wants to ensure Bowman can contribute and be part of the rotation before committing one of his 42 roster spots to him.
“He can’t just go in and play 10 plays. He has to be ready,” Trestman said. “But he looked pretty good and moved around.”
Meanwhile, while the Als have surrendered 100 points in three games, it’s not all on the defence. There was a punt returned for a touchdown by Winnipeg’s Demond Washington, while the Stampeders recovered a Jamel Richardson fumble in the opening game, returning it for a score.
Trestman believes the defence is improving, but must still seek more consistency.
After being held without a touchdown in the first half last week, Calgary produced 24 second-half points, with quarterback Glenn passing for 200 yards. But the Stampeders also generated only 89 yards rushing on 23 plays.
“It’s very hard to hold a team down for four quarters. That’s the nature of this league,” Trestman said. “Some of the throws we gave them to keep the ball in front of us. We’ve gotten better in places. We just haven’t done it consistently.”