Despite three penalties, Als is convinced DB Sutton can get the job done

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If he were playing in the NFL, Wesley Sutton might as well have been released after receiving three pass interference penalties last Thursday against Edmonton.

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Not only is Sutton still a starter in the Alouettes secondary, but his position coach and teammates continue to support him and remain convinced his poor performance was simply an anomaly.

“A lot of frontcourt running backs have to deal with … usually the No. 1 receiver,” said new defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe, who replaced Barron Miles last week. “He had a tough test, but I know he is up for the challenge. He shows me a lot about his character when he stands up and says I have to be better. Those are the guys you want. Everybody is going to have a game that happens like this. It’s how you respond.”

Sutton, in his second season with Montreal, struggled to cover for the Elks’ Kenny Lawler, the CFL’s leading wide receiver last season, with Winnipeg. Lawler caught seven passes for 92 yards, including the game-winning touchdown at 10:40 of the fourth quarter, in Edmonton’s 32-31 comeback.

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The Elks racked up 108 yards, nearly the length of a CFL field, thanks to Sutton’s transgressions. But when he spoke to the media after the game, the 5-foot-11, 194-pound player took full responsibility.

“He’s one of the best players on this team,” safety Marc-Antoine Dequoy said. “He is a great player. Sometimes it just happens. Searching for the ball can be tricky; especially those flags, as they call it. I’m not worried about him. He is going to recover.”

Added cornerback Rodney Randle Jr.: “He’s got to be better at a couple of them, but some of them were called BSs and shouldn’t have been called. We know that she will recover. Don’t be surprised if she comes out with two picks this week. He will fix those fixes.

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Thorpe remains convinced that Sutton, who spent the 2020 season in the XFL with New York, is a good player but needs to learn how to operate on defense. That means he must be in a good position so he doesn’t panic. He must be able to locate the receiver and the ball when a pass is in the air.

“When it comes to taking interference penalties, use good technique, attack the ball in the air, be aware of the location of the ball, where the receiver is and attack at your highest point,” Thorpe explained.

The Als blew a 31-12 lead midway through the third quarter against Edmonton, the Elks completing the comeback with 20 unanswered points and three touchdowns. Defensively, they made quarterback Taylor Cornelius, making his first start of the season, in fact, the first time he’s dressed for a game, look magnificent. Cornelius completed 19 of 31 passes for 230 yards and a touchdown. He was intercepted once.

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With just under three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Als opted to punt on third-and-four rather than bet, believing the defense would get the ball back and knowing only a field goal was required for victory. Instead, Cornelius and the Elks ran eight plays and ran the final 2:36. It turned out to be the final slap in the defensive face.

“We should get the ball back to them,” Thorpe said. “We have to put that on our shoulders defensively. That is what we are expected to do. We need to get off the field and return the ball to the offense in that situation.”

The Als were penalized 13 times for 193 yards. The game also marked the first time this season that Montreal’s defense failed to record a quarterback sack. Cornelius, at 6-foot-5, 232 pounds, isn’t considered a mobile quarterback.

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“You kind of underestimate his skill and speed because of his size,” Thorpe said. “He has good speed and can get out of the bag. He kept his eyes downfield and found the receivers. We needed to keep it in the pocket, not let it out, cover it when it escapes, and plug those receivers. You’re not necessarily going to get to the quarterback when they’re getting the ball out as fast as they did.

“I am not disappointed in the effort, only in the execution. We took it out of its place 10 or 11 times. When (you do that) is an after-hours release. You have to make sure you locate him and take him to the backfield. We let it out of the pocket.”

The Als let a golden opportunity slip by, playing at home against a team coming off a 43-point loss to Calgary. On Thursday, in Ottawa, they will play the only winless team in the league.

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