Straight Outta Crompton: Jonathon returns to Edmonton to lead Alouettes against his old team
At the start of the year, he was their fourth-string quarterback. Now, Jonathon Crompton is the opposing starter, and he's leading the Montreal Alouettes into Edmonton to face the Eskimos (9 p.m. Eastern, TSN/ESPN3), the team that determined (after using him as their primary backup in 2013) that he was only worthy of a practice-squad spot earlier this year. That led to him asking for (and receiving) his release and signing with Montreal, where he's recorded two straight wins (including one while playing through emotional pain from the death of his former fiancee) and has the Alouettes tied for first in their division. Of course, in the CFL (L)East, that only requires a 3-7 record. Still, Montreal has played significantly better with Crompton under centre than they did with Troy Smith and Alex Brink, and he may be motivated for some revenge against the Eskimos, especially considering that Edmonton head coach Chris Jones essentially said Thursday the team doesn't have any regrets about putting him as their fourth-stringer:
“He was given his opportunities both in the (exhibition) games and in practice, and we charted every throw,” Jones said. “We charted everything. We’re big on statistics. And we saw how he would relate to the players and things of that nature, so we viewed that our guys, the way we have them listed is exactly how they landed."
That's not necessarily quite as harsh as it sounds at first, especially considering that Edmonton has a great starter in Mike Reilly, a more seasoned backup in Matt Nichols (who missed all of last year with a torn ACL) and an intruging dual-threat prospect in Pat White. Crompton certainly doesn't have the experience of Reilly or Nichols at this point, and he doesn't have White's rushing ability, which likely made a difference in choosing who took the third spot. (You'd much rather have White than Crompton running short-yardage plays or run-focused packages, which is how the Eskimos have generally been using him so far.) Jones also said some complimentary things about Crompton, particularly about how quickly he gets rid of the ball:
“He’s done a very nice job of getting the ball out of his hands. He knows where his weapons are and he’s thrown some very nice balls,” said Jones, who has spent as much time as anyone watching the film from Crompton’s two starts. “And if a guy’s covered, he’s throwing the ball behind. He’s done a great job of managing and I think he’s brought a level of energy that they maybe were lacking at one point.”
That ability to make quick decisions and throws is something that's also been praised by Montreal head coach Tom Higgins:
“He’s everything that we need,” the coach said. “He needed to execute the offence. Not carry the team, but direct the team. He gets the ball out of his hands and hits the playmakers.”
Two weeks ago, in Crompton’s first practice before the game against Ottawa, Higgins noticed many dropped passes — mostly because of a lack of timing between Crompton and the receivers, Crompton simply delivering the balls too quickly out of a receiver’s break.
“The thought was still there that this is a quality quarterback. And we were at the point where we were looking,” Higgins said. “You had this sense ... it comes out of his hands and he makes quick decisions. You hope it transfers to game time.
“He has this great ability to not be phased, mentally. That’s a sign of all true great quarterbacks.”
It's notable that Crompton's victories to date have come against the 1-9 Ottawa Redblacks and 2-7 Hamilton Tiger-Cats, though. Facing the 7-3 Eskimos on the road is an entirely different kettle of fish. Still, Edmonton has lost two in a row, and Crompton and the Alouettes have impressed recently. He also should have plenty of motivation to prove they made the wrong call on him, even if he isn't letting that show:
They’re just another team on our schedule,” Crompton said. “I’m happy where I’m at. We’re here for a business trip.
“We’re here for a reason. We have to execute our game plan. It’s not about what I’ve made. It’s not about me.”
Except, Friday night, it may very well be about him. There will be more than Crompton's play to watch, of course; can Montreal's defence stand up against the Eskimos' attack? Can the Alouettes generate enough production on the ground? Will the line and receivers come through? When it's all said and done, this is a quarterback-focused league, though, and a lot of the spotlight will be on the Edmonton backup turned Montreal starter. If he can deliver a command performance against his old team, the Alouettes may have a chance to pull off the upset here. If the Eskimos' defence shuts him down, though, it will look like they made the right call on which quarterbacks to keep.
