Willy to lead Montreal first unit in exhibition opener at Ottawa
Alouettes coach Sherman doesn’t have a lot of time to evaluate quarterbacks
We knew it was going to be Drew Willy and Matt Shiltz. Or Shiltz and Willy. The Alouettes really don’t have any other alternatives at quarterback.
For one game, at least, head coach Mike Sherman has decided to start Willy, the veteran, when the Als launch their exhibition schedule Thursday at Ottawa (7:30 p.m., TSN, RDS, TSN Radio 690), to be followed at some point by second-year pro Shiltz. The other two pivots — Antonio Pipkin and Garrett Fugate, probably in that order — are also expected to play, likely in the second half.
“I expect the best performance they can give during the time they have,” said Sherman, who has yet to announce which of the two has won the starting regular-season job. “It’s not a 100 per cent accurate comparison, if they’re not playing with the same deck of cards each time. It’s a bit different kind of evaluation.
“But this isn’t rocket science,” Sherman added. “You kind of have a feel after the end of the game who played better ... what group was the best.”
The offence and defence the Als run will be fairly vanilla, “with maybe a couple of chocolate chips in there,” quipped Sherman, who also is preparing for his first taste of the Canadian Football League.
With only two exhibition games, decisions will have to be made quickly. The rookies, in particular, must make a statement this week and leave everything on the field.
“I’ve been thinking about (this game) since the second day of practice,” said rush-end Bo Banner, selected by the Als in the third round (19th overall) in the CFL draft this month. “This game’s going to be something that the rookies, like myself, really need to show our abilities on someone else.”
The 6-foot-2, 224-pound Banner was the most effective passrusher during one-on-one drills at the CFL’s national combine in March. Combining speed with athleticism, he produced 12 sacks as a senior at Central Washington University, while being named an all-American.
“That (quarterback pursuit) is my bread and butter,” said Banner, 22.
“You’ll be seeing me just (playing to) the absolute best of my abilities, going as hard as I can. I really want to make this team. Nothing ’s guaranteed, especially at this level. I’m leaving it all out there, trying to enjoy myself, even though the stakes are really high.”
While Sherman wants to win — setting the tone as quickly as possible for a team that hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2014 — that’s not the most important mandate against the Redblacks. Instead, he’ll use the three-hour exercise to assess how well the players have adapted to the schemes and techniques.
While the players are physically ready to hit the opposition, Sherman will quickly discover whether they’re mentally prepared after less than two weeks of training camp.
“If the ball’s on the ground a lot, we’re fumbling and stumbling and have too many guys in the huddle and we don’t line up right, the answer’s no, we’re not ready,” he said. “I worry more about the pre-snap stuff at this stage of the game ... our waggles, our snap, hanging on to the football, staying onside.”
It also marks the CFL debut for Sherman, the former head coach and general manager of the Green Bay Packers who was coaching a high school team in Cape Cod, Mass., when the Als called.
Sherman said he has been scrambling to make sure all the pregame preparations have been handled, that he and his staff — which includes plenty of coaches wellversed in the Canadian game — aren’t caught by surprise.
“I feel ready,” he vowed.
As does Fugate, even if he doesn’t get on the field before the fourth quarter.
Fugate has size — 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds — and speed in his favour. As a senior at the University of Central Missouri, he averaged 304 passing yards per game and rushed for 457 yards in 12 games. He passed for 31 touchdowns while scoring eight as a runner.
Fugate, 24, said he realizes he could rival Shiltz or Pipkin as the Als’ future franchise quarterback if things fall into place.
“In this league, quarterbacks are a really important position,” Fugate said.
“Guys have bounced around a lot on this team. They ’ve had some great ones obviously, but I try not to think about that stuff.
“Even though it’s a pre-season game, our goal is to go out there and execute. You always want to try and win the game. Mentally, I’m going to be checked in for all four quarters.”
Fugate tore a ligament in his right knee in the fourth quarter of his final regular-season collegiate game and was forced to sit out a year while recovering. He worked out for the Packers last December.
“At first I thought about (the injury) a lot,” he said. “But I’m here now and playing professional football. I couldn’t be any more excited.”