MONTREAL -- The struggling and injury-ravaged Montreal Alouettes will get yet another look at life after Anthony Calvillo. Five days after the CFLs all-time
passing leader suffered a concussion, Josh Neiswander will once again guide
Montreals sputtering offence Thursday night when the Alouettes host the B.C.
Lions at Percival Molson Stadium. Watch the game live on TSN tonight at 7pm
et/4pm pt. The game can also be seen on TSN Mobile TV. Neiswander came on in
relief in Saturdays 24-21 loss at Saskatchewan after Calvillo, who turns 41 on
Friday, was knocked out of the game on the first play of the second quarter. Jim
Popp, the Alouettes general manager and interim head coach, elected to go with
Neiswander over rookie Tanner Marsh and 2006 Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith.
The 26-year-old quarterback threw a pair of interceptions in the loss to
Saskatchewan. He completed 12 of 30 passes for 147 yards. "I showed up initially
two and half years ago thinking I was just going to be here for three days and
it was more of a tryout and for them to get a look at me, and then I ended up
staying and had to have all my stuff shipped up to me," said Neiswander, a
6-foot-2, 211-pound Texan from Angelo State. "Its certainly an opportunity, as
far as being here in general, that Im grateful for and getting to play
(Thursday) is something that Im really excited about and grateful for, also."
Popp said that Marsh, a senior at Arkansas Tech last season, actually won the
backup job in training camp, but he put substantial value in lessons imparted to
Neiswander under coaches Marc Trestman, Scott Milanovich and Marcus Brady, as
well as in being Calvillos understudy for the last few seasons. "Obviously Josh
has more experience," Popp said. "Hes been here tutoring. This is his third
year. Hes been under coach Trestman, Milanovich, Brady, now Mike Miller. Hes
been here with Anthony the whole time and he knows the ins and outs. The players
know him and hes very comfortable so its one of these situations where he got
the nod this past week. "We were planning on playing both guys and we may this
game. We still want to see Tanner play some, see how he does, but well start
with Josh and depending on how the game goes, it may go like last game, Josh may
get every rep but thats how were looking at it." The Lions arrive in Montreal on
a two-game winning streak, also with four days off on a short week. Tim Brown
returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown in B.C.s 26-22 win over Calgary on
Saturday. The win moved the Lions into a tie with the Stampeders for second in
the West at 5-2. Whether or not Calvillo will be on hand for the game is his own
decision to make, according to Popp, who spoke to his star quarterback by phone
Wednesday. "I can report that he feels good today and thats a great sign, and
its up to him whether he comes tomorrow or not," Popp said. Marsh completed both
of his pass attempts for 33 yards in a 38-13 loss to Toronto on Aug. 3. The
6-foot-4, 218-pound Texan wasnt surprised that Calvillo chose to return to the
Alouettes bench for the second half of Saturdays game despite a team doctors
suggestion that he stay out of the bright sun. "Thats A.C.," Marsh said. "Hes a
team player. The team always comes first. He helped Josh tremendously." The loss
to the West Division-leading Roughriders was Montreals second in a row since
Popp and owner Robert Wettenhall fired head coach Dan Hawkins on Aug. 1. The
Alouettes are third in the East at 2-5, with both wins coming under the brief
and erratic reign of Hawkins, who was hired after two-time Grey Cup champion
Trestman left to become head coach of the NFLs Chicago Bears. "I think the
biggest word for us is finish," Popp said. "You know thats one thing I really
stress to the team. I mean weve doing it little by little but I said youve got
to have vision, execution, finish. We havent even been executing great. The
vision, the practice, getting it prepared, thats one thing and youve got to do a
great job of it, and Im talking about all of us, coaches and players. "Executing
it is another plan, whether its players executing it or coaches calling it. And
then finish is finishing the game, and we havent done that well." Montreal
centre Luc Brodeur-Jourdain recognizes the Alouettes have to score touchdowns
when they are within reach. "Obviously as a group, as an offence, we all have to
step up, and not because its Neiswander or A.C.," Brodeur-Jourdain said. "As an
offence we have to produce more in the red zone. We have to produce more
offensively. "The change of quarterback, I know its a big challenge. Hes a young
guy but Ive known him for a long time now because hes been part of this club and
Ive seen that his work ethic has been awesome and hes been embracing what
Anthony Calvillos been doing since he came here. Every morning I can see that
Josh is here and hes watching the same stuff that Anthony is doing, and he was
here this week doing all of the same routine." Anwar Stewart, Montreals all-time
sacks leader, will be rotated in and out of the lineup in his return to the
Alouettes after broadcasting the teams games earlier this season. Stewart, who
was released by Montreal prior to the 2012 season, played four games for Calgary
last season, including a four-sack effort against B.C. on Oct. 26. "Lets hope
that repeats," Popp said. In addition to Calvillo, receiver Brandon London is
also out with a concussion, another one of the eight Alouettes injured in
Saturdays road loss. Long snapper Martin Bedard (separated shoulder) and special
teams player Bryn Roy (knee) were both placed on the nine-game injured list.
Linebacker Kyries Hebert and offensive tackle Josh Bourke will also miss
Thursdays game. Both are day-to-day with knee injuries. Shane Green tries to
pitch the New York Yankees to their fourth straight win on Monday when they open
a four-game series with the Texas Rangers at Yankee Stadium. Green has been
terrific for the Yankees since being inserted into the rotation two starts ago,
winning both of his starts, while surrendering just two runs in 13 1/3 innings.
He was marvelous in his last start on July 12 versus Baltimore, as he scattered
four hits and struck out nine batters over 7 1/3 scoreless innings to get the
win. Green, who will be making his Bronx debut tonight, is also the first
Yankees pitcher to work at least six innings and allow four hits or fewer in
each of his first two Major League starts "It was awesome, for sure," said
Greene. "It means a lot. It means a lot that I got the opportunity, and it means
a lot that I can come up here and help the team win." New York, meanwhile, came
out of the break with an impressive three-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds to
pull within three games of the first-place Orioles in the American League East.
The Yanks had lost five in a row before the Reds series. "I think its everyone
involved," manager Joe Girardi said. "Its a team effort, because theres gonna be
days where pitchers struggle a little bit. They pick them up offensively, so I
think its everyyone.dddddddddddd Its gonna take everyone in that clubhouse to
play better at home." Texas, meanwhile, continues to sputter and is a miserable
4-24 since June 17 and has dropped 10 of 11 after a series loss in Toronto over
the weekend. The Rangers are 20 games below .500 for the first time since
finishing the 2003 season 71-91. "Im not upset with the way were playing," Texas
manager Ron Washington said. "Those guys put us in a position to be able to win
some ballgames. Weve just got to pitch better." Hoping to reverse their fortunes
tonight the Rangers will turn to righty Miles Mikolas, who has not enjoyed the
same type of success Green has since being recalled on July 1. Mikolas lost to
the Los Angeles Angels on July 12, as he allowed five runs (4 earned) and nine
hits in 5 2/3 innings to fall to 0-2 to go along with a 10.05 ERA. He had given
up just a run in five innings before yielding four runs in the sixth inning. "He
had 68 pitches going into the sixth inning; he was throwing well," Washington
said. "I pull him out right there, what do I have to do? Get four more innings
out of my bullpen? No, hes got to figure out a way to get through that." These
clubs are meeting for the first time since the Rangers won four of seven
encounters a season ago.
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