Big scare, slow start fells Alouettes in CFL preseason loss to Redblacks (& five other thoughts)

Big scare

Davis Alexander came into training camp last year with a hamstring injury that never fully healed. It limited his regular-season appearances as well as his level of play in the playoffs and 112th Grey Cup.

All those memories came to mind for many Alouettes fans when Alexander started limping to the bench after getting tackled from behind in the first quarter. The 27-year-old ended up in the hospital where X-rays on his right knee came back negative. He is expected to start the season opener in two weeks in Hamilton on Thursday, June 4.

After the game, head coach Jason Maas confirmed Alexander won’t play next week in Ottawa in the team’s preseason finale, but that decision had already been made prior to Friday’s game in Montreal.

In the end, it was only a temporary scare, but it could have been much worse for Alexander. We’ll see how his knee progresses during practices in Quebec City, where the Als’ training camp is being held this year.

Desjardins shines in limited opportunity

Canadian quarterback Arnaud Desjardins was promised a “legit shot” at the third-string quarterback position when he joined the Alouettes at the beginning of the week. Since then, he had to learn the playbook quickly and get ready for action against the Redblacks.

Not only did he make a good impression, but he was arguably the best quarterback for Montreal in that game despite limited practice reps. His first drive was a two-and-out, but on his second, the 26-year-old led the offence down the field, which resulted in the Alouettes lone touchdown of the game.

“I made the mistakes at practice, but today everything worked out well for me,” Desjardins said. “It will all restart next week if I get another chance.”

Asked whether the six-foot-four, 215-pound QB thought he had earned his way toward making the main roster, the Canadian quarterback didn’t want to commit.

“I try to control what I can control. I have the objective of making the main roster, but I’m taking it day-by-day. It starts again tomorrow.”

Maas had positive words for the young quarterback, stating he earned some points in his evaluation.

“I’m glad he relaxed and played the game he has played his whole life. He went out there and let it loose, that’s what I was expecting to see,” the bench boss said. “We had a quick talk — I told him not to be nervous, that it’s just another game. I’m glad he did that.”

Déjà vu feeling

Let’s talk about the game.

The Alouettes decided to dress most of their starters for this home contest, and it didn’t go well.

The defence allowed a long opening drive by the Redblacks, who were led by current backup quarterback Jake Maier. Noel Thorpe decided to test his defensive backs by putting them in man-to-man coverage while applying heavy blitz pressure, but it didn’t work. Maier drove down the field and connected with Keelan White for the opening touchdown.

Alexander had a chance to respond, but after a quick first-down pass to Tyson Philpot, the Als’ starting offence couldn’t find its rhythm.

The visitors kept their foot on the gas as Maier capped another impressive drive with a touchdown early in the second quarter. Meanwhile, Alexander left the game for precautionary reasons with a knee injury and backup Dustin Crum struggled to move the ball.

A similar scenario happened last year when Alexander and his offence stalled against the Redblacks in the preseason. He responded with an undefeated regular season, so there’s no reason to be concerned about his performance.

Raising concerns, but are they real?

Following Alexander’s injury, many fans took to social media to question how necessary it was to have the starting quarterback play in the preseason before an 18-game regular season.

Unlike them, I believe it’s important for the starting quarterback to play at least a quarter in preseason games. You can’t replicate game conditions in practice, and the beginning of the season is key to gaining an advantage in the division. We’ve seen it in recent years with quarterbacks who looked rusty and struggled to start the year.

If you’re afraid to have your quarterback play a quarter, then he probably isn’t healthy enough to play at all. Injuries are part of the game — they can happen anytime — so I don’t see why head coaches would hold back their starters.

New rules pass test

Among the rule changes in the CFL this year, the 35-second game clock and the modifications to the rouge were on display Friday night in Montreal. I like the new clock system, it makes the game faster while still giving both teams enough time to make substitutions. I also like that the final three minutes of each half remain unchanged. It will force head coaches to think more strategically and find ways to exploit the clock before the three-minute warning.

I also like the modifications to the rouge. There were still two rouges scored Friday on missed field goals where the returner couldn’t leave the end zone. The new rule limits the rouges, but won’t remove them completely.

Maier sends message

As always, a section of my column is dedicated to the Als’ opponent. This week, the quarterback situation caught my eye. Jake Maier sent a message to his head coach, Ryan Dinwiddie, but also to projected starter Dru Brown.

Yes, the Montreal defence was rusty, but Maier delivered timely throws, escaped the pocket when needed, and kept his composure under pressure. That’s the quarterback Stampeders fans expected to see for years. It’s only a preseason game, but Brown will need to deliver next week in Ottawa.

The Alouettes head back to Quebec City where training camp will continue. Montreal will face the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday, May 29 at TD Place in the final preseason game, kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.