Fourth-string quarterback isn't usually a prestigious position; in fact, some CFL teams only carry three pivots. It proved to be a vital one for the Montreal Alouettes this week, though, as Rakeem Cato, who started the year in that role, turned in an incredibly impressive performance Friday, leading the Alouettes to a 29-11 victory over the defending Grey Cup champion Calgary Stampeders. Under normal circumstances, a CFL rookie like Cato likely wouldn't even have played this early in the season, but long-term injuries to starter Jonathan Crompton and backup Dan LeFevour in Week One meant it was him or third-stringer Brandon Bridge. While Bridge looked likely to get the start all week, which would have been the first CFL start for a Canadian quarterback since 1996, Montreal audibled to Cato Friday, and their decision paid off. Can he be effective going forward, though, and give the Alouettes some hope in place of their injured top quarterbacks?



Cato's performance Friday was remarkable on a lot of levels, as he completed 20 of 25 passes for 241 yards and three touchdowns. There's a good reason he was trending in the U.S. Friday night. First, there's the efficiency; an 80 per cent completion rate is amazingly good for any quarterback, but it's utterly incredible for a rookie playing in his first-ever CFL game. The differences in the Canadian game (including 12 men on each side, the bigger field, the three downs and the expanded motion) often take a while for anyone to adjust to, but they're particularly difficult for quarterbacks, which is why CFL experience is often so key to quarterback success. Cato's play suggested he's already got a solid handle on the Canadian game, though, and he was also able to avoid bad throws and interceptions. That decision-making has always been part of his success, as his NCAA career shows; he threw for 131 touchdowns and just 44 interceptions in four years with the Marshall Thundering Herd. If Cato can keep up that accuracy and decision-making level going forward, Montreal might be just fine without Crompton and LeFevour.

It's worth noting that there were a lot of other factors helping Cato out here, though. For one thing, Alouettes' running back Tyrell Sutton ran all over the Stampeders, collecting 134 rushing yards on 25 carries. That dominance on the ground had Calgary's defence cheating towards the run at times, and that made it easier for Cato to burn them with passes. He also had some great experienced receivers to throw to, including Nik Lewis, S.J. Green, Fred Stamps and Sam Giguere; that certainly lessens the burden on a rookie quarterback. Moreover, the Alouettes' defence came up big, holding Jon Cornish to 59 rushing yards and Bo Levi Mitchell to 244 passing yards (with just a 61.3 per cent completion percentage). It's too reductionist to say that this upset was all about Cato. Still, he was crucial to it, providing an aerial attack that Montreal desperately needed. We'll see if he can build on this performance and keep playing at this level, but if he can, there might be good times ahead for the Alouettes.