Caleb Evans might only be keeping the seat warm until Cody Fajardo regains his health, but the Alouettes have now become his team as he assumes the starting quarterback role.
And now Evans must prove to his teammates, the coaching staff and, indeed, the entire CFL, that the sky’s not falling in on the defending Grey Cup champions.
Certainly that’s not too much to ask?
“The starting quarterback is normally who you see out there,” Evans said Wednesday at Olympic Stadium. “Experiencing that and seeing that first-hand when I was younger in college, I understand the severity of it, especially in the professional ranks. I have to be calm, cool and collected. Get a couple of drives going, so the team can breathe and relax (and believe) we can still get it rolling. It’s just about getting out there and executing at this point.
“I had a good week of practice,” added the 6-foot-3, 212-pounder. “Trusting my guys, that’s the main thing. And them trusting me.”
Life without Fajardo begins in earnest Thursday night (7:30 p.m., TSN3, TSN4, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM) when the Als host the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Molson Stadium. With Fajardo out indefinitely with a hamstring injury, suffered at the end of the first quarter July 11 against Toronto, management knows this scenario — with or without Evans — might have an extended run.
There’s speculation Fajardo could miss as many as five games. Coincidentally, that’s the number of matches Montreal plays before its next bye week in the schedule at the end of August. Following Saskatchewan, the Als play Hamilton twice consecutively, then travel to Regina before hosting Edmonton. Only the Riders have a winning record.
Montreal (5-1) leads the East Division, the loss against the Argonauts ending a 13-game winning streak, including playoffs and the Cup, dating back to Sept. 15. The burning question now becomes: What will the Als’ record be upon Fajardo’s return?
Fajardo missed two games last August, and the Als won both with Evans at quarterback. He completed eight of 13 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown against Saskatchewan. One week later, at Ottawa, Evans connected on 24 of 36 attempts for 333 yards and two touchdowns, leading Montreal to a comeback victory. But ball security also has been an issue with Evans, who was intercepted three times in those two contests.
Coming off the bench two weeks ago, with little time to react or prepare, Evans struggled. He completed 12 of 22 throws for 127 yards. While he passed for two touchdowns, he also was intercepted twice — one returned for a score. Evans remained in Montreal during the bye week and has had two weeks to prepare while getting mentally focused.
“I was talking to them all week, just so they could hear my voice,” said Evans, 26, now in his fourth CFL season and a former starter with the Redblacks. “The biggest thing for me this week was communicating from Day 1, so we could get on the same page. They can feel me out and I can feel them out, as players and leaders. We did a good job of that this week.
“The bye week happening, it gave me time to relax, get into the mindset of what’s going to happen. Now with the game plan in, it feels even more comfortable.”
Tyson Philpot, the Als’ leading receiver, can understand the sense of panic that has arisen from the outside. But the vibe inside the room, he quickly added, is totally different.
“The belief is in Caleb,” Philpot said. “Anyone who watched practice this week saw that we didn’t skip a beat. You would have never guessed that Caleb hasn’t been the starter. That shows the belief and trust we have in him. He’s going to show and put the league on notice. He can do some different things than Cody. He’s very elusive with his legs. He does have a bit of a deep ball, too. Teams haven’t seen that yet. We’re going to ride no matter what.
“Caleb has shown that he can win games and produce.”
The Als obviously will try to play to Evans’s strengths, and he worked hard last winter improving the velocity of his throws along with what’s considered an awkward passing motion. Head coach Jason Maas, himself a former CFL quarterback, said Evans has developed. Maas said the Als’ offence won’t considerably change.
Davis Alexander, who now becomes Montreal’s backup, is available if necessary. Maas said he’ll rely on a gut feel should a change become necessary. Meanwhile, veteran guard Kristian Matte, who lost his starting job to Philippe Gagnon this season, has been put on the six-game injured list.