For anyone naive enough to believe the Alouettes caught a break when Drew Tate dislocated his shoulder, we present exhibit A: The last time Kevin Glenn faced Montreal, he passed for 275 yards, Hamilton scoring 52 points in the East Division semifinal.
The defence rests ? and on that day last November, so, too, did Montreal?s.
?He?s a veteran player who has thrown for a lot of yards. He understands the league and plays with confidence,? said Als head coach Marc Trestman. ?He can cut you up. He has done it to us. We?ve got to find every reason not to let that happen.?
When Calgary traded Henry Burris to the Tiger-Cats last winter for Glenn, the Stampeders knew they were acquiring a valuable insurance policy. Little did they know, however, they would have to begin reaping the dividends in the season?s second week.
Tate suffered the injury to his left shoulder early in the opening quarter of last Saturday?s loss at Toronto, and is expected to miss up to six weeks. The 33-year-old Glenn, now in his 12th CFL season, helped the Stamps rally from a 15-point third-quarter deficit before losing on a final-play field goal.
Glenn was methodical, completing 15 of 19 passes for 172 yards and a pair of touchdowns. But he was also intercepted twice and fumbled once.
?Kevin did a nice job. He completed some passes and made a mistake or two. But he?ll get better,? said John Hufnagel, Calgary?s general manager and head coach. ?He?s a veteran who has won a lot of games. He?s started and had success. I was hoping he would smooth over some of the rough spots. He?s ready to accept this challenge.
?The adjustment period?s over,? Hufnagel added. ?For the near future, it?s Kevin Glenn?s football team.?
If Glenn?s not the most capable backup in the league, he?s not far from it. He has started 125 games, passing for 32,446 yards and 179 TDs. His career record as a starter is 61-63-1. If there?s any knock against the 5-foot-10, 203 pounder, it has been his inability to win the big game. He was outstanding in 2007, with Winnipeg, leading the Blue Bombers to the Grey Cup. But Glenn missed the championship game with a fractured arm.
?It?s a team, the Calgary Stampeders, not Kevin Glenn,? he said. ?I?m the starting quarterback now and will try and hold the pieces together, being a coach on the field. I want to put them in situations to make plays and score touchdowns.
?I want to play Kevin Glenn ball,? he continued. ?Making smart decisions and rallying them. Using the experience and knowledge I?ve gained to get wins.?
If Glenn didn?t see the trade coming, it should settle him to know Hufnagel insisted on receiving an experience pivot in return for Burris. And Glenn, at least for public consumption, takes no delight in the Ticats? 0-2 start.
But he admits it has been a mental adjustment becoming a backup following years of taking every snap.
?You want to go out and do certain things ... say certain things,? he explained. ?But you?ve got to understand your role and there?s a guy in front of you who needs and wants to do it, too.
?I?m a team guy you can rely on. I?ve fought for everybody over the years and tried to win games.?
The defence rests ? and on that day last November, so, too, did Montreal?s.
?He?s a veteran player who has thrown for a lot of yards. He understands the league and plays with confidence,? said Als head coach Marc Trestman. ?He can cut you up. He has done it to us. We?ve got to find every reason not to let that happen.?
When Calgary traded Henry Burris to the Tiger-Cats last winter for Glenn, the Stampeders knew they were acquiring a valuable insurance policy. Little did they know, however, they would have to begin reaping the dividends in the season?s second week.
Tate suffered the injury to his left shoulder early in the opening quarter of last Saturday?s loss at Toronto, and is expected to miss up to six weeks. The 33-year-old Glenn, now in his 12th CFL season, helped the Stamps rally from a 15-point third-quarter deficit before losing on a final-play field goal.
Glenn was methodical, completing 15 of 19 passes for 172 yards and a pair of touchdowns. But he was also intercepted twice and fumbled once.
?Kevin did a nice job. He completed some passes and made a mistake or two. But he?ll get better,? said John Hufnagel, Calgary?s general manager and head coach. ?He?s a veteran who has won a lot of games. He?s started and had success. I was hoping he would smooth over some of the rough spots. He?s ready to accept this challenge.
?The adjustment period?s over,? Hufnagel added. ?For the near future, it?s Kevin Glenn?s football team.?
If Glenn?s not the most capable backup in the league, he?s not far from it. He has started 125 games, passing for 32,446 yards and 179 TDs. His career record as a starter is 61-63-1. If there?s any knock against the 5-foot-10, 203 pounder, it has been his inability to win the big game. He was outstanding in 2007, with Winnipeg, leading the Blue Bombers to the Grey Cup. But Glenn missed the championship game with a fractured arm.
?It?s a team, the Calgary Stampeders, not Kevin Glenn,? he said. ?I?m the starting quarterback now and will try and hold the pieces together, being a coach on the field. I want to put them in situations to make plays and score touchdowns.
?I want to play Kevin Glenn ball,? he continued. ?Making smart decisions and rallying them. Using the experience and knowledge I?ve gained to get wins.?
If Glenn didn?t see the trade coming, it should settle him to know Hufnagel insisted on receiving an experience pivot in return for Burris. And Glenn, at least for public consumption, takes no delight in the Ticats? 0-2 start.
But he admits it has been a mental adjustment becoming a backup following years of taking every snap.
?You want to go out and do certain things ... say certain things,? he explained. ?But you?ve got to understand your role and there?s a guy in front of you who needs and wants to do it, too.
?I?m a team guy you can rely on. I?ve fought for everybody over the years and tried to win games.?
