Alouettes' Chapdelaine wins first game as HC, while Argos struggle with Willy

For one game at least, the Montreal Alouettes' big move to have Jim Popp focus on his duties as general manager and appoint receivers coach Jacques Chapdelaine as interim head coach paid off. Meanwhile, for one game at least, the Toronto Argonauts' big move to start Drew Willy didn't, as the Alouettes thumped the Argos 37-11 Sunday in Chapdelaine's first game as a CFL head coach. (He's been a long-time CFL coordinator and assistant, and was previously a successful head coach in the CIS ranks, but this is still a new step for him.) One game isn't a large sample size, and it doesn't necessarily mean Chapdelaine will succeed for the rest of the season or Willy will fail in the long run, but with the end of the season fast approaching, this result does have big implications for both teams. It suggests Montreal might be on the right course, and that Toronto's in excepionally tough in their quest to grab a playoff spot.

First off, let's look at the Alouettes, whose previously-struggling offence looked much better with Chapdelaine as head coach. Chapdelaine's only had two weeks at the helm, but he seems to have used them effectively. Rakeem Cato had his best game of the year under centre, completing 18 of his 23 passing attempts (78.3 per cent) for 210 yards and four touchdowns, and while that yardage total isn't spectacular, the efficiency and the lack of turnovers is great. Cato also picked up 30 rushing yards on four carries, while running back Tyrell Sutton added 83 on 10 carries (8.3 yards per carry), and other Alouettes combined for another 26 yards on six further attempts. One good offensive performance doesn't necessarily mean a ton, and there have been other games this year where Montreal has looked solid (plus many where they have not), but this is certainly a step in the right direction, and one that suggests Cato may be able to grow into the role of starting quarterback.

Meanwhile for the Argonauts, Willy's first start seemed like a step in the wrong direction. Willy, acquired from the Winnipeg Blue Bombers a few weeks ago for a princely sum, did okay in relief last week after Dan LeFevour struggled, and that prompted Toronto to try giving him a start. However, many of the same issues that were evident in Willy's play in Winnipeg this year (where he went 1-4 as a starter before being pulled in favour of Matt Nichols, who's led the Bombers to a 7-2 mark since) showed up again Sunday: accuracy (while he completed 68.6 per cent of his throws on the day, many of those were quite short, leading to his total of just 226 yards, and he made some incredibly terrible underthrows and overthrows on longer passes), turnovers (he had one interception and another pick that was overturned on review), and an inability to finish drives (the Argos had no touchdowns and just three field goals on the day).

This wasn't all Willy's fault, especially as there were also two costly fumbles. However, the Argonauts really need more productivity in the passing game; their ground game, led by Brandon Whitaker (95 yards on 12 carries, 7.9 yards per carry), was quite strong, but without an aerial attack, they're not going to put up many points. Maybe Willy can still live up to Toronto's hopes and be their key quarterback going forward, but there certainly wasn't much to support that idea on display Sunday.

This result is a big one in the East division playoff race. The Alouettes improved to 4-9 with the win, and while they're still quite a long shot for the postseason, their hopes haven't been wiped out quite yet. Meanwhile, the Argos are now 5-9, and their own hopes are starting to dim. They're still in third place in the East, and still not far behind both 6-6-1 Ottawa and 6-8 Hamilton (both of which lost this weekend), but the 7-7 Edmonton Eskimos (who beat Winnipeg Friday) are making a finish ahead of the East's third-place team and a crossover far more likely. Things are starting to get desperate in Toronto, and it certainly seems like Willy didn't give them the boost they'd hoped for. The Argos still lead the Alouettes in the standings, but Sunday's result suggests it might be Montreal on the way up and Toronto on the way down.