Oct 16, 2015
Can Kevin Glenn save the Alouettes?
The Montreal Alouettes have not a lot of success with quarterbacks this season. But by acquiring Kevin Glenn from the Roughriders at the trade deadline, TSN's Derek Taylor explains from a numbers standpoint how they’ve taken a step up.
The Montreal Alouettes have not had a lot of success with quarterbacks this season. They’ve been through six, thanks to a mix of injury, inexperience and poor play. In acquiring 15-year veteran Kevin Glenn from the Saskatchewan Roughriders at the trade deadline, they’ve taken a step up and added a quarterback who can help open things up.
The Alouettes offensive attack this season has been defined by two obvious characteristics: they throw the ball less than anyone else in the CFL and they don’t throw it far.
Teams ranked by pass attempts
| RK | TEAM | COMP | ATT | YDS | TD% | YDS DOWNFIELD/ATT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | WPG | 295 | 475 | 3432 | 2.9% | 9.4 |
| 7. | HAM | 314 | 457 | 4238 | 6.1% | 10.5 |
| 8. | BC | 280 | 440 | 3560 | 5.9% | 11.1 |
| 9. | MTL | 263 | 419 | 3083 | 3.6% | 8.2 |
The average pass for an Alouettes quarterback this season is just over eight yards downfield - that’s the shortest in the league. For the rest of the CFL’s quarterbacks, the average is closer to 10 yards.
This season, Glenn has averaged 10.5 yard per attempt. His arrival in Montreal should mean more shots to the Alouettes top two deep targets: Fred Stamps and SJ Green. Below is a look at how Glenn’s pass attempts compare to Montreal rookie Rakeem Cato, who has spent the most time under centre for the Alouettes this season.
Passes attempted in 2015
Though they’ve attempted roughly the same number of passes this season, you can see from the charts Glenn has many more attempts between 10-20 yards and 20+ yards downfield.
Montreal’s offence has allowed pressure on the quarterback 28 per cent of the time, a little better than the league average and more often than Glenn faced pressure in Saskatchewan. This season, Glenn is unique in the CFL in handling the rush.
Top QBs Under Pressure
| Player | Comp% | Catchable % |
|---|---|---|
| Kevin Glenn | 63% | 85% |
| Trevor Harris | 62% | 70% |
| Zach Collaros | 61% | 79% |
| Henry Burris | 61% | 76% |
He leads all quarterbacks completing 63 per cent of his passes when he’s under pressure. And by our count, 85 per cent of those passes have been “catchable.” His completion percentage drops about five points from when he’s not under pressure.
Glenn is the only quarterback in the league whose percentage of “catchable” passes actually goes up when defenders are bearing down.
Quarterbacks From Under Pressure
| Comp % | Catchable % | |
|---|---|---|
| Kevin Glenn | -5% | 4% |
| Rest of the QBs | -20% | -23% |
While Glenn’s rate goes up four points, the other starters in the league see their stats fall. Their completion percentage falls 20 points, and percentage of “catchable” passes falls even more.
Montreal is last in the east and has the toughest remaining schedule in the division.
However, they are one point out of the crossover spot. And they have an easier schedule than their rivals for it: BC and Winnipeg.
With the trade for Glenn, the Alouettes are ready to make a push.