I'm going to simply say there's a lot of over-reaction going on but also some very valid and warranted concerns.
I think Montreal, at least defensively, is one of those teams we don't match up well with. Noel Thorpe has done a pretty damn good job of making our "stars" look very pedestrian. That said, it didn't help that our starting offense didn't play a single rep in the preseason. That's on our coaching staff and, to a lesser extent, the players for not advocating for themselves.
The organization has enjoyed so much success the last half decade that complacency may be setting in - I don't see the hunger or urgency any longer. Montreal on the other hand looks like they want it. That goes back to last year and their Grey Cup run.
Three turds for this one:
Zach Collaros - I'm not going to jump on the Zach is cooked bandwagon but last night was a continuation of what we've seen at various points over the last couple of years. In the game day thread I asked what QB will we see and sadly we got the guy who looks like a deer in headlights.
Sergio Castillo - even recognizing that the chipped ball may have played a role in what happened last night, he's paid to do one job and do it well. I think he would recognize that wasn't his best effort.
Mitchell - another guy I called out in the game day thread and a guy I've never been sold on. He sort of demonstrated why last night but will acknowledge that he's never been asked to return kicks in a game (up here) before last night.
Even with some of the defensive struggles last night (which I think largely stems from guys not playing together a whole lot), they did enough to win the game had the offense showed up. I didn't think BA looked terrible, he's still a physical presence but he doesn't have the range he used to. WJ was invisible - still has to be accounted for but was hoping for more last night. The secondary, in general, will play better the more they play together and I sort of figured that chemistry and communication would be an issue early. Overall though, this side of the ball wasn't the issue.
Three stars:
Chris Streveler - guy played with more heart and emotion than anyone else on our offense - he's hungry, he still has the dawg in him, he still has a sense of urgency.
Devin Adams - for a guy still playing his way into game shape, he was disruptive and made his presence felt.
Terrell Bonds - got tested a few times and was solid, really happy with his addition to the backfield.