The 27-12 victory in Winnipeg in the curtain-raiser proved costly for the Montreal Alouettes.
The Montreal football club announced Tuesday that defensive back Reggie Stubblefield’s season is over and it appears that he will have to do without receiver Tyler Snead and linebacker Tyrrell Richards for a few weeks.
Stubblefield suffered a torn ACL in the final moments of the third quarter of last Thursday’s game against the Blue Bombers. The 25-year-old American was walking on crutches as he left Princess Auto Field. Further examinations made it possible to identify the exact nature of the injury.
His name was placed on the injured list for six games, but it is already certain that we will not see him again this season.
It will be Bryce Cosby who will be tasked with replacing him on the field. Cosby came in relief at Stubblefield in Winnipeg and practiced Tuesday with the starters on defense on the synthetic surface at Hébert Stadium.
” It’s a shame. I have known Reggie for many years. We even trained together before the draft, Cosby pointed out. But those who know me know that I’ve been waiting for this opportunity and that I’m going to give my best on every play. I want to show this defense what I’m capable of. »
“I told him to do his job and be ready,” said head coach Jason Maas. Within the special teams, he is very dynamic. He is very fast and he explodes towards the ball. We always say we don’t have starters on this team, we have 45 players ready to contribute at all times. It’s up to him to do the job now. »
Signed as a free agent in January, Cosby played his college football at Ball State and spent time on the Las Vegas Raiders roster.
“It’s only the beginning,” Cosby added. I will always be ready; I will always be very competitive. »
Health problems continue for Richards. The linebacker, the first overall pick in the 2022 draft, has still not played a full season in the CFL after playing seven and 11 games in his first two campaigns. The Alouettes have not announced anything in his case, but Richards told TSN 690 that his name will likely be placed on the injured list for six weeks due to a “good calf muscle strain.”
Geoffrey Cantin-Arku, the Alouettes’ first choice in the last draft, should replace him on defense.
“There are several ways for us to approach [the replacement of Richards], but it is not wrong to think that [Cantin-Arku] could be part of the solution,” Maas recounted.
On Snead’s side, the receiver injured an ankle and was not at Tuesday’s practice. Canadian Shedler Fervius will replace him in the starting lineup, a third Canadian receiver after Tyson Philpot and Kaion Julien-Grant.
“He was with us last year and finished the season very well,” Maas said of Fervius. During camp, he really stood out.
“We decided to go with three Canadians for various reasons. But we have a plan for every decision. We’ve already seen some very productive trios of Canadians in this league. This is not unusual in this league. »
Finally, the Alouettes added offensive lineman Jazston Turnetime to their practice squad. The American was at the team’s last camp a few weeks ago.
The Alouettes (1-0) will continue their journey in Western Canada by facing the Elks (1-0) in Edmonton on Friday evening.
After the “saga” of microchipped footballs, we had to ask Alouettes kicker David Côté what his preference is. His answer ?
“No chip. We keep the good old classic. Like last year, nothing changes for us. »
Last Friday, Bombers kicker Sergio Castillo complained that these microchipped footballs were affecting the trajectory of kicks after missing two field goals, from 38 and 40 yards, against the Alouettes. Côté made his two placements, but missed a one-point conversion in this duel.
“We were more comfortable with the old balls. When we heard the news, we started kicking the new guys. We saw it in the match: it didn’t change anything. In the end, I think it’s more mental. I prefer balloons without a chip. We had more time to practice with these balls. »
Since Friday, the CFL has given kickers from all teams the choice to choose their preferred ball before each game. All kicks must then be made with the chosen ball type for the duration of the match.