The Montreal Alouettes backfield was a rare positive note during their 2015 season, and heading into the new CFL year, the rushing duo of Tyrell Sutton and Brandon Rutley could very well be the focal point of their offence. With questions surrounding their passing game, the Alouettes backfield will need to lead the attack this season.
Alouettes Backfield Strong with Sutton, Rutley
The reliance on the Alouettes backfield for production last season was a bit surprising considering how potent their offence was through the air when Anthony Calvillo dominated the game. During their Grey Cup years of 2009 and 2010, the Alouettes led the league in passing yards each season, with 5,191 and 5,675 yards, respectively. Last season, with multiple starting quarterbacks and no stability, they finished with a league-worst 4,052 passing yards.
After seeing such a great passing offence falter into a weak one, general manager and head coach Jim Popp had to find a new way to score points, and he found a solution through their ground game. With his one-two punch of Sutton and Rutley, Popp saw the Alouettes backfield finish second in the CFL with 2,076 yards. They did not produce points, however, as they tied with three other teams for fifth in rushing touchdowns with 10.
2015 was Sutton’s breakout season. After spending two seasons behind Brandon Whitaker, Sutton finally became the number one back, and he ran away with it. After collecting 842 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns combined in his first two seasons with the Alouettes, Sutton put up a league-best 1,059 yards on the ground, to go along with 5 rushing TDs and 2 passing TDs. With the help of his all-Canadian offensive line, Sutton exploited defences any way possible. Against competition like Andrew Harris and Jerome Messam, Sutton started the season as an underdog to win the rushing title, but overcame the doubters and finished on top.
Popp could relate Sutton to another former running back of his, who was key to their Grey Cup victories. Avon Cobourne was dominant on the ground and was a great blocker, and Popp would certainly love to see Sutton develop into that type of player. Cobourne and Sutton are both 5’8″, and Sutton is 13 pounds heavier than Cobourne, at 213 LBS. In order to build a good offence, Sutton will need to protect Kevin Glenn the way Cobourne protected Calvillo.
Rutley was largely underrated in that Alouettes backfield behind Sutton last season. After being signed twice to the practice roster during the 2014 season, and later promoted to the active roster right before the playoffs, Rutley found his groove on the team and made his name known.
At 5’11” 192 LBS, Rutley has a perfect body type for a receiving back in the CFL. Whitaker is one of the best in the league at that role, and he stands at 5’10” 196 LBS, so Popp knows how to employ Rutley in his offensive scheme. He put up good receiving numbers in his first full CFL season with 286 yards on 20 receptions and 2 touchdowns. He was just limited to 12 games, and he also backed his receiving game with a good running game, as he collected 454 yards on 83 carries, but failed to find the end zone.
With experience under his belt, Rutley can seriously do damage in 2016. With Sutton out of the first pre-season game, Rutley had only 6 yards on 6 carries on the ground, but managed 2 catches of 12 yards each in his one quarter of play. He looked promising as the receiving back.
The duo of Rutley and Sutton is supported by a good core of players in the Alouettes backfield. Stefan Logan, the kick and punt returner, had some touches last season when Popp needed, as he had 137 all-purpose yards from the line of scrimmage. Rookies Jewel Hampton, who spent time on the practice roster last season, Cam McDaniel and Wayne Moore are all battling it out in pre-season to earn the final few spots on the roster, and the former two showed promise against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
If Popp and the Alouettes brass have one thing to be happy about amidst this train-wrecked team, it’s the Alouettes backfield. Sutton and Rutley could produce the deadliest one-two punch in the league this season, and opposing defensive lines and linebackers may have some trouble sleeping the night before a game. Exciting things could come from them this season.
The Sutton-Rutley duo just needs a fierce nickname… Any suggestions?
Main Photo.
