2009 CFL Eastern Preview - Montreal Alouettes

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06/23/2009 - Montreal, QC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FACTS & FIGURES: Division - East. 2008 Record: 11-7. Playoff Result: Lost, 22-14, to Calgary in Grey Cup Championship. Stadium - Percival Molson Stadium. Capacity - 20,202. Colors: Red, blue, silver, white, and black

Since 2000, the Montreal Alouettes have made six appearances in the Grey Cup Championship Game, but five times the club was sent away empty handed. Last season, the club finished 11-7 during the regular season, the only Eastern Division team to post a winning record. The Alouettes reached the title tilt only to be defeated by Calgary in a 22-14 final.

So what does the 2009 season have in store for Marc Trestman's squad? Well, there aren't many new faces in the fold, but some consider that to be a good thing. After all, there is enough talent on the roster to put the team back in the championship race.

Of course, it all starts with veteran quarterback Anthony Calvillo, who completed 69.2 percent of his passes in 2008 for 5,633 yards with 43 touchdowns and only 13 interceptions. He is thrilled to have Jamal Richardson back in the fold, as the talented receiver tallied 98 receptions for 1,287 yards and 16 touchdowns a year ago. Some though Richardson might be playing in the NFL this season, but his return to the Alouettes cements them as a serious Grey Cup contender.

There are other dangerous weapons on the offensive side of the football, such as tailback Avon Coburne and wideout Ben Cahoon. Coburne rushed for 950 yards and six touchdowns on only 145 carries a year ago, and he also caught 66 passes for 616 yards and two more scores. As for Cahoon, he had a team-high 107 receptions for 1,231 yards and seven scores, proving more than capable of moving the chains with clutch catches.

Montreal did a good job of locking up Anwar Stewart and Mark Estelle, rather than allowing those players to find new homes. T.J. Hill led the club with 84 tackles last season, while Keron Williams posted 10 sacks. This is not an elite defense, but there is obviously enough talent in place to complement the explosive offense.

What can be expected by fans is another successful season, a first-place finish in the East and a likely return to the Grey Cup title game. Still, expect the team to come up just short once again.

Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Finish: First

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Colts give the ‘D’ its due

The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.

They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.

"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."

Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.

New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.

Not so sound on the ground

If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.

Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com

“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.

Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.

Brees says bring it on

Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.

Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.

Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.

"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."

SportsBooks ready for a shootout

Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.

“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”

New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.

The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.

“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”

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