Alouettes in dire need of coach, QB

The Alouettes are a mess. Jim Popp’s mess.

It is a talented team that lacks the two most important ingredients: a head coach and a quarterback. Rakeem Cato might some day fill the latter role but for now, he’s banged up and tentative when he’s on the field and he’s off it too much to get into a rhythm. In any case, the Alouettes won when they had both: Mark Trestman and Anthony Calvillo.

During the Trestman years, you didn’t need a crystal ball to see what was coming. Trestman would depart for the NFL. Calvillo would retire. Somehow, Popp wasn’t ready. His first coaching hire to replace Trestman was Dan Hawkins, an outand-out disaster. Hawkins lasted five games before the inevitable: fired, replaced by Popp.

Then Tom Higgins — more competent than Hawkins, but still fired and replaced by Popp. That is now the established pattern. It’s become almost impossible for any head coach not named Matthews or Trestman to come in here and coach with Popp and his itchy trigger finger always looming.

Trouble is, Popp wants desperately to coach. He obviously believes that he’s a Vince Lombardi waiting to happen, or at least a Don Matthews.

He has now pulled this stunt four times and failed four times, but nothing will convince him that he isn’t a great head coach. Of course, it might help if the GM had provided him with a quarterback.

In the wake of Calvillo’s departure, that was arguably Popp’s most important job. He should have had a quarterback ready and waiting, the way Calvillo was ready to take over for Tracy Ham.

He didn’t. Now the position has become a joke. I’m pretty sure Chip Cox hasn’t played quarterback this season, but I wouldn’t swear to it in court. Cato threw a dozen passes yesterday before he was hurt. Anthony Boone came in and threw 12 more, until he was given the hook after he overthrew S.J. Green so many times that Green left the field shaking his head.

Tanner Marsh came on and threw 14 passes. One was picked off. One went for a touchdown that made the final score look better than it was. The game ended with Popp pleading for two more seconds, but the Alouettes had run out of time.

Brandon Bridge, Jonathan Crompton and Dan LeFevour are all hurt. They’ve all played quarterback this year, too. Six quarterbacks, by my count, five wins. That’s more than one quarterback per victory.

After yesterday’s Thanksgiving Day loss at home to the Argos, the Als are 5-9. They’re still in the hunt for a playoff spot only because: 1) the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and B.C. Lions are at least as bad as they are and; 2) the CFL has a crossover rule.

If the Als get the crossover berth and make the playoffs, you can be sure Popp will boast that the team has never missed the playoffs under him. Given half a chance, he’ll bring himself back as head coach again.

If Bob Wetenhall lets that happen, the mess is on him. Popp already has two coaches on his staff who could be head coach: Kavis Reed has done the job and has the presence, while Noel Thorpe has already been passed over too many times. But as long as Popp’s ego bulldozes everything in sight, nothing is going to change.

Meanwhile, the parade along the usual route: Face it, if the Toronto Maple Leafs had won the first three games of their season, their fans would be running up and down Yonge St. with their tinfoil Stanley Cups.

But this is Montreal. Three solid road wins and the carping on Twitter is already at playoff levels. GM Marc Bergevin has egg on his face, Michel Therrien can’t coach, the Canadiens have no shot in the playoffs because they don’t have a power play.

As I tried to explain to one fan who was ranting about the power play after the Boston game, even though the power play was responsible for the first Montreal goal: it’s two games into an 82-game season. Perhaps just a tad early to begin worrying about a new power play system under a new coach.

Do the Canadiens need a power play? Absolutely. The Boston Bruins won a Stanley Cup without one, but you wouldn’t recommend that approach. Last season, the power play looked like a Ford Pinto in need of a ring job. This season, the power play looks better. The chances will come.

Meanwhile, there’s ample reason to be pleased with this start. For openers, they have six points in the bank. When you can go into Ottawa and double a tough Senators team in shots, you’re doing something right. Mike Condon looks calm and confident. Nathan Beaulieu is older and better. Jeff Petry is here for the long haul. All four lines are contributing.

But the happiest news is that Alex Galchenyuk got off to a good start. His move to centre, with Lars Eller shifting out to the left wing and Alexander Semin the team’s most significant addition, gives this team a very different look than the one that bowed out to Tampa Bay last spring.

Two legitimate top lines. Pressure taken off Max Pacioretty. Tomas Plekanec looking like the most underrated player in the league.

It will never be easy in this market. But it’s been a brilliant start and for that, the home folks ought to be happy.