(Montreal) The bye week was good for everyone at the Alouettes, particularly for certain injured players who were able to take advantage of it to return to the Montreal camp when the club returned to work on Tuesday.
Thus, running back William Stanback and precision kicker David Côté, who missed the last two duels for the Alouettes (10-7), were back with their teammates, on the synthetic surface adjoining the Olympic Stadium.
“I think all the available players are back,” noted head coach Jason Maas. We needed it badly: we paid the price for our 12 games in 10 weeks. It would have left traces in any training.
“Our medical teams did a great job and our guys were very professional as well. We talked about it with them before going on leave. We told them not to let the guys alongside them down and to do their rehabilitation well, without neglecting their rest. They did a good job and it shows: they are all back today. »
It is still too early to say if the two players will be in uniform for the last duel of the season, Saturday, against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (8-9), but both players lined up with their respective first units during this first training after the last break of the Birds season.
“I would expect [that they would be available],” Maas said. To do this, they will have to do a full week of training. It’s one thing to think you’re ready to return to the game. It’s another to put in a week of training before a match. »
In 13 games this season, Stanback, who was ill with a virus, carried the ball 140 times for 752 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught 25 passes for 228 yards and a major.
Côté, affected in the hip, made 37 of his 48 placements for a rate of 77.1% this season, his lowest in three campaigns in Montreal. In 15 games in 2023, he scored a total of 139 points for Jason Maas’ team.
It’s not just the players whose names appeared on the injured list who took advantage of this bye week. At this point in the season, just about every player in uniform is dealing with aches and pains to varying degrees.
“I was able to go home to see my wife and my son who I hadn’t seen in nine weeks, so it allowed me to recharge my batteries,” said quarterback Cody Fajardo. No one is 100% right now, so being able to take care of your little aches and pains during this week feels good. »
“The only concern is that this bye week comes after a four-game winning streak. Sometimes it takes away your wanderlust. But everyone is back in great shape and everyone understands what is at stake. Everything we wanted at the start of the season is now within our reach. […] I think if you don’t have the bye for the first playoff round, this late bye week is the best thing that can happen to you. »
The Alouettes and Tiger-Cats will play the first of two consecutive duels on Saturday, while it has already been agreed that the two teams will face each other on November 4, in Montreal, in the Eastern semi-final. Saturday’s meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m.
If the Alouettes were to win, it would be the first time since 2012 that they have scored 11 victories in a season. It would also be their first winning season since 2019 (10-8).
