It was a turbulent year for the Montreal Alouettes in 2017. They were poor on both sides of the ball and that resulted in them being one of the worst teams in recent CFL history. Even a marginal improvement in 2018 would be welcomed.
Montreal Alouettes 2018 regular season win total
Over 5.5
Under 5.5
Odds are courtesy of BetDSI.
What Happened Last Year
The Alouettes went 3-8 under Jacques Chapdelaine, who was then fired and replaced by general manager Kavis Reed. The team then proceeded to lose their final seven games of the season, including a demoralizing 33-0 loss in Hamilton to end the season. The offense was last in points and time of possession, and Darian Durant had a bad year, passing for 3,233 yards, 16 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Tyrell Sutton had a solid year on the ground, rushing for 843 yards and five touchdowns. However, the Alouettes trailed much of the time and had to abandon the ground game. The defense wasn’t much better, ranking last in points allowed, sacks and interceptions. However, they were also on the field more than any other team last season.
What Will Change This Year
Receiver Nik Lewis retired, while cornerback Jonathon Mincy is gone to the NFL and defensive end Gabriel Knapton was traded to British Columbia. Receiver Chris Williams was brought over in that trade, while defensive backs Tommie Campbell and Joe Burnett are now in town. Defensive end Jamaal Westerman was signed by the Alouettes, while cornerback Mitchell White and linebacker Henoc Muamba will suit up for Montreal. Finally, Mike Sherman will be the head coach for the 2018 season to hopefully give the Alouettes some stability.
Outlook & Prediction
The Alouettes should be better in 2018, although it remains to be seen by how much. Sherman is known to be a good offensive mind and has plenty of NFL and NCAA experience. His first objective is to find a starting quarterback. Drew Willy probably has the inside track, but Matt Shiltz is in the mix. Josh Freeman was brought in and has to learn the offense, but he might be the most talented. Sutton and the ground game might have to carry the load early in the season, but that is a dangerous game to play. If the Alouettes get behind in games like they did in 2017, then they will be forced to go to the air. That also puts a lot of pressure on the defense, which has some talent and played well at times last season. However, they were left on the field too long much of the time and you can only do so much when you are tired. A starting quarterback has to emerge for the Alouettes and quickly, because they cannot afford another slow start. For a team that was 3-15 last season, the total of 5.5 wins seems like it might be out of the Alouettes’ reach. They will come up just short of that total, but the Alouettes will show that they have pieces for the future. 2018 might not be their year, but they could be a force in 2019.
