Good news in the Montreal Alouettes camp: after missing the last week and the game against the Calgary Stampeders , safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy joined his teammates at practice on Tuesday.
His presence on the synthetic surface of the Hébert stadium in Saint-Léonard from day 1 of this week of preparation suggests that Dequoy will be in uniform against the Rouge et Noir, in Ottawa on Saturday, even if he did not take part in team exercises.
“He’s feeling better, that’s for sure,” head coach Jason Maas said. “He came out and saw what he could do on the field [Tuesday] and we expect him to be even better [Wednesday].”
The Alouettes’ No. 24 suffered a head injury in the game against the BC Lions on September 6. The club did not specify whether or not it was a concussion. Neither did Dequoy.
“I wanted to make sure I was as close to 100% as possible before I got back on the field and there were a few things that were slowing me down,” Dequoy said. “The decision was made early on with management to rest last week to be ready for this week.”
“It was a great day to get back on the field. We take it day by day. […] It was a day to get football back into my body. A week is not long, but a lot can happen. It also happened that it was our first day, where we go with several walking exercises. It was a good pace for me. [Wednesday], we will put in more effort, we will push.”
The Alouettes (10-2-1) will look to get back on the winning track after two winless outings (0-1-1) this Saturday. By beating the Rouge et Noirs (8-4-1), the Montreal football club would secure a tiebreaker against the Ottawa team. If the Toronto Argonauts were to also suffer a defeat at the hands of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the Alouettes would thus secure a home playoff game.
After qualifying for the playoffs two weeks ago , this home game is the next step on the Alouettes’ list of goals. Quarterback Cody Fajardo, however, pointed out that the primary objective of this 2024 season is not just to ensure they play the playoffs at home.
“That’s the next step, but what we really want is to get a first-round bye,” he said. “So we’re hoping to get that, play in front of our amazing fans and reach the Grey Cup final again.”
“That’s definitely what you want: to make the playoffs, secure a home game and then win your conference,” Maas said. “All of those things are goals for the season, but you get them by staying focused on the task at hand each week.”
“We know what we can accomplish [with a win this week]. We’re not letting that blind us. We know what we have to accomplish. We’re preparing like never before to face Ottawa this week.”
An intoxicating first
Defensive lineman Philippe Lemieux-Cardinal experienced a big first on Saturday in Calgary, as he found himself in the Alouettes’ lineup for the first time.
The circumstances of the game meant that the 27-year-old defensive end was only used for one play, but this first experience has made him want to try the CFL again.
“I was told Thursday night, after the week of training, to pack my bags to leave for Calgary the next day,” noted the former Université de Montréal Carabins player. “Since I arrived two weeks ago, I’ve been preparing as if I were still a starter. Even though I only played one game, I was ready when my number was called (90).”
The 6-foot-5, 252-pound colossus quickly noticed that things happened differently in a game situation.
“You get the chance to play against guys you don’t play against in practice every day, that you don’t really know, with a higher intensity. To bring what you saw in practice for three hours and be 100% every play, it’s something rewarding. […] It just makes you want to play more!”
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