When people ask me if I’m having a good summer, I tend to refer to the Alouettes, who are tasked with overseeing the Montreal club for the duration of the season.
“I don’t watch Canadian League football that much,” one admitted.
“Are the Alouettes having a good start to the season?” asked the other.
The answer is yes.
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Almost only at the Edmonton Elks forecasters predicted a less good season than that of the Alouettes in 2023 in the Canadian Football League (CFL). However, the Montreal side can boast a mid-season record of 6-3.
Best of all, the Birds suffered three losses to CFL powerhouses Winnipeg Blue Bombers, BC Lions and Toronto Argonauts. Otherwise, head coach Jason Maas’ team has managed to win every game against opponents within their reach, including last Saturday’s spectacular 25-24 win over Rouge et Noir in Ottawa.
These results put them in second place in the Eastern Division standings behind the mighty Argonauts (7-1), the reigning Gray Cup champions. The Alouettes are also ahead of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (3-6) and the Rouge et Noir (3-7).
Hats off to the defensive unit!
Traditionally, it is often the attacking players who take the honors and take the limelight in football. In the case of the Alouettes, however, their success can be attributed in good part to the effectiveness of their defensive unit since the start of the season.
The Montreal side, for example, conceded less than 20 points per game on average in the first half of the season. This puts the Alouettes in second place in the CFL. Only the Lions were less generous to the enemy.
In terms of points scored, the Alouettes are fourth, and in that regard it’s worth remembering that on July 1, the team was limited to three small points at home in their first loss of the season against the Blue Bombers. .
Difficult weeks…
The Montreal club flies to Winnipeg to take on the Bombers on Thursday. If the current record of 6:3 is more than interesting, it could become significantly less brilliant by mid-September. The Alouettes are indeed set to receive a visit from the Lions on September 2 ahead of a home-away series against the Argonauts.
After the current series of four wins in a row, a series of four defeats is even conceivable. Otherwise, it will not be the first surprise of the season for the Alouettes. Nothing is lost for Jason Maas’ stubborn players; And the beauty of the calendar is that Montreal will have life a little easier at the end of the season. This could allow the Alouettes to start the playoffs with some wind in early November.
Then the Montreal band will arouse even more interest among the general public. At the moment, the Alouettes have already improved their position considerably, while bookies now rank them as the fourth favorite club to win the Gray Cup, behind the Argonauts, the Blue Bombers and the Lions. The Montreal soccer team is aiming for their first win since 2010. It’s the only goal!
Since the start of the 2023 CFL season
Average points awarded per game
1 – Leo – 18.7
2 – Alouettes – 19.9
3 – Blue Bombers – 20.8
4 – Argonauts – 21.9
5 – Red and Black – 25.3
6 – Stampeders – 25.5
7 – moose – 26
8 – Roughriders – 27.2
9 – Tiger Cats – 27.6
Average points scored per game
1 – Argonauts – 33.5
2 – Blue Bombers – 29.7
3 – Leo – 26.2
4 – Larks – 24.9
5 – Red and Black – 23.1
6 – Stampeders – 21.7
7 – Roughriders – 21
8 – Tiger Cats – 18.9
9 – Moose – 15.8