Montreal Alouettes 2021 Season Preview & Predictions

The CFL is scheduled to kick off for their first season since 2019 on August 5. This is the lone game on Opening Night and it should be a good one. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Winnipeg Blue Bombers are both potential Grey Cup winners in 2021. They met in the Grey Cup in 2019 with the Blue Bombers clearing easily for a 33-12 win.

The Tiger-Cats had the better offence on paper, but the Winnipeg defence was too stingy to stop. The CFL was one of the only professional sports leagues in North America that didn’t return to play in some form. Instead of a shortened campaign, the CFL cancelled their season without a single game.

It wasn’t going to matter much for the Ottawa Redblacks. They weren’t winning many games if they played last year, and it’s going to be an uphill battle to be competitive this season. We have a preview for the Redblacks’ season and a prediction for how things should play out. TheSportsGeek is going to have a season preview for every team in the CFL, so especially if you aren’t familiar with the league, use this as a guide for early in the year.

It will give you an idea about each team. After missing a year, I wouldn’t go too crazy on a future bet, but there are some attractive prices out there. You can probably dismiss Ottawa from your shortlist. However, a team like the Montreal Alouettes might have the potential to surprise. The Alouettes finished with a record of 10-8 in the East Division.

They showed solid improvement after a 5-13 campaign the previous season. The Als are showing a lot of faith in Vernon Adams Jr. to run the show at quarterback. Adams is making around $1.5 million CAD on a deal that takes him to 2022. It’s crazy to think back that fans were chanting for Johnny Manziel not too long ago in Montreal. Head below for our free Montreal Alouettes preview and season predictions for 2021.

🏈 One month to the day before the home opener… Can’t wait to relive these kinds of moments with y’all 🤩 ! #CFL #montreals

🐐 » @mario_alford

Don’t forget to sign up for Thursday’s pre-sale to get your ticket 👉 https://t.co/3SdOwsCtnm pic.twitter.com/Pmo8e35hIQ

— Alouettes de Montréal (@MTLAlouettes) July 27, 2021

Offence

The Alouettes gave Vernon Adams Jr. the keys to this team with his contract. He opened his collegiate career with Eastern Washington on the ref turf, and transferred to Eugene for a year with the Oregon Ducks in 2015. It’s too bad that we only got to see Adams at Oregon for one year, but he made the most of his time in Eugene.

He was comfortable in the Pac-12 from the get-go. Adams Jr. passed for 26 touchdowns and 6 interceptions on 64.9% completions. He also ran for 147 yards and 2 touchdowns. After failing to draw attention from the NFL, Adams Jr. headed north for the CFL.

I liked Adams Jr. at Oregon and backed the Ducks frequently with him at the controls. No surprise that he’s finding success in the CFL. Adams passed for 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in his first season as the starter in 2019. He really blossomed on the ground. We saw some of his running ability in college, but really nothing like this.

‘We want Johnny!’ chants upset Alouettes QB Vernon Adams Jr. https://t.co/8QKxxdzjVH pic.twitter.com/BZHcxgcWYH

— Sporting News NFL (@sn_nfl) July 31, 2018

Adams Jr. gained 394 yards on 4.8 yards per carry and 12 touchdowns. He wouldn’t be doing this in the NFL, so the CFL has been a great fit for his skill set. Head coach Khari Jones and Adams Jr. were really on the same page, and they hope it carries over into 2021 after missing a year. If Adams can continue improving and take care of the ball, the Aloutettes’ offence is going to be in good shape.

Fortunately for Adams, he is going to have his running back returning this season. 27-year-old William Stanback will be in Montreal after putting out feelers in the NFL. In January of 2020, the Raiders signed Stanback to a futures deal, but was released in August. Stanback was named a CFL All-Star in 2019 after rushing for 1,048 yards and 329 receiving yards.

Defence

The Montreal Alouettes’ defense was a bottom-3 unit in the 2019 season. They could have had a big chance of doing something more in that campaign if the defence did their part. Montreal conceded 410.5 yards and 26.9 points per game for seventh in the CFL.

Along with Adams continuing going in the right direction, the defence must take a massive leap from 2019. I’m expecting to see small progress from the Al’s defence this season. They should be a middle tier team defensively in what is likely a best-case scenario.

Former XFL defensive back Wesley Sutton will provide decent depth for the secondary. Sutton also spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles and has some experience in an NFL locker room. Depth was a problem for the Alouttes, so I can’t fault the move.

💸Money Hunter is a great addition to the defence and he’s ready for another great season in a #Montreal uniform this time 😉

Full 📰 👉 https://t.co/y95vZIu4yg

— Alouettes de Montréal (@MTLAlouettes) July 23, 2021

Especially for a team that ranked dead last against the pass last season. Another solid addition to the defence was the signing of Monshadrik Hunter. This is more than a depth move, as the Alouettes are hoping for instant results from Hunter.

He finished third on Edmonton with 85 tackles in the 2019 season. Hunter was also a ballhawk with 4 interceptions, a sack, and a fumble recovery. He’s still only a 26-year-old, so there is time for him to progress and be an even better defender. If the Al’s get what Edmonton did in 2019 from Hunter, they will be content with that production.

Montreal Alouettes Season Prediction

Khari Jones will take some chances this season with Vernon Adams Jr. The former standout in the Pac-12 with Oregon showed that he’s more than capable in the CFL game in 2019. If Adams Jr. avoids a sophomore slump, then Alouttes are going to be a better than expected offensive unit. Everything will go through Adams Jr.’s arms and legs this season. With a reliable running back in William Stanback, Montreal could take off on the offensive side of the ball if Adams Jr. takes a big leap in his development.

The signing of Monshadrik Hunter to a secondary that struggled in 2019 is a positive. The defence has the potential to move up in production. There are three CFL teams with odds of +1000 or greater. If I’m taking a flier on any of them as a lottery ticket of sorts, I think the Alouettes have the biggest upside. Their defence should be improved, and Adams Jr. will be in his second season in a CFL offence as a full-time starter. They might be a year off, but the Als are heading in the right direction. The Alouettes likely finish around the .500 mark with upside for better results.