Jermaine Gabriel (5) and teammates before the home opener game against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at BMO Field in Toronto, ON. on Thursday, June 23, 2016. (Photo: Johany Jutras / Toronto Argonauts)
After picking up two wins on the road, the Toronto Argonauts are back home at BMO Field for a first-place fight with the Ottawa Redblacks. Whoever comes out on top in this game will sit atop the East Division standings through four weeks.
THE LOWDOWN:
The Argos arrive home after going 2-for-2 on the road, spoiling the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ final home opener at Mosaic Stadium (30-17) before handing the BC Lions their first loss of the 2016 season (25-14).
The Argonauts are now 2-1 on the season, giving them a shot at first place in the East Division with a win over the Redblacks (2-0-1) in this week’s game.
The undefeated Redblacks arrive in Toronto fresh off of the CFL’s first tie since 2009, after drawing even with the Calgary Stampeders (26-26) in Week Three. Ottawa’s success has been largely dependent on the hot play of Trevor Harris and Chris Williams, along with a stout run defence that is allowing just 3.3 yards per carry through their first three games.
THREE KEYS:
1) Limit the big plays
No team has manufactured more chunk plays than the Redblacks have on offence early in the season. Through three games, the Ottawa offensive unit has produced nine passes of 30+ yards and three rushing plays of 20+ yards. In order to have success at home on Wednesday, the Argos will need to limit the big plays and force the Redblacks to move the ball methodically.
2) Break Harris’ rhythm
Both Henry Burris and Trevor Harris are talented CFL quarterbacks, but they come about their success in different ways, says Argos head coach Scott Milanovich. Burris is a rare playmaker who can create something out of nothing when a play breaks down, while Harris executes the offence on a surgical level. The key to slowing Harris down is to force him to operate outside the construct of the play, which means forcing an early throw with pressure or forcing him to hold the ball with tight coverage. The best thing the Argos can do on Wednesday is to break Harris’ rhythm and force him into situations where he has to create on his own.
3) Win the turnover battle
It should go without saying at this point, but the outcome of a football game almost always comes down to the ability to protect the ball and create takeaways. Through three weeks, teams with fewer turnovers than their opponents have a .909 winning percentage, and since 2012 that figure is at .811. The Argos own a +4 turnover ratio currently, with a +7 total in their last two wins; keeping that number in the positives should allow them to keep the winning streak going.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
TORONTO ARGONAUTS:
- Brandon Whitaker is coming off of the 10th game of his career with 150+ yards from scrimmage, his first of the season and the first since Week 1 of 2015 vs. Edmonton. Whitaker racked up 97 rushing yards on 13 carries (7.5 avg) and caught all seven of his targets in the passing game for 55 receiving yards. During his time spent playing under Argos head coach Scott Milanovich in Montreal (2010-11) and Toronto (2015-pres.), Whitaker has compiled
- AJ Jefferson makes his return to the Argos defensive lineup after missing the first three games of the season with an injury. Jefferson will line up at corner for the Double Blue on Wednesday, where he played all 18 regular season games during his 2015 rookie campaign with the team. The Fresno State product made 57 total tackles and three interceptions – one of which was a pick six – last season, adding 324 punt return yards and a return touchdown on 26 punt returns.
OTTAWA REDBLACKS:
- Chris Williams has been taking the league by storm through three weeks, recording a CFL record 493 receiving yards over the first three games. Williams found the end zone three times last week against the Stampeders, increasing his league-leading total to six. In three games agains Toronto last year, Williams caught 14 total passes for an average of 64.7 yards per game and no touchdowns.
- Trevor Harris returns to Toronto for the first time since departing for Ottawa during 2016 CFL Free Agency. The former Argos pivot spent four years with the Double Blue, starting in 16 games for the club in 2015. Harris entered the Redblacks Week 1 game after Henry Burris went down with an injury and he’s played very well since, passing for a CFL-leading 1,083 yards, nine touchdowns and just one interception in three contests.
GAME NOTES:
- The Argonauts enter Wednesday night’s game riding an 11-game home winning streak against Ottawa, dating back to July 6, 1995. In that span of 11 games, the Argos have hosted three separate Ottawa teams, defeating the Rough Riders on three occasions, the Renegades five times, and the Redblacks in three contests. Furthermore, in the last 25 home games against Ottawa, the Argos hold a 23-2-0 record.
- Since the Redblacks were established in 2014, the Argos hold a 4-1-0 record against their East Division counterparts and are a perfect 3-0-0 at home. Toronto swept last year’s season series with 30-24, 35-26, and 38-35 wins.
- After signing with the club as a free agent this off-season, Keon Raymond has taken little time to have a big impact on the Argonauts defence. Through three games, the veteran linebacker has recorded 25 defensive plays, just one less than CFL leader, Ian Wild. Raymond ranks second on the team in tackles (18), while also recording two sacks, two tackles for a loss, an interception, a fumble return and a pass knockdown. Early in the CFL year, no player besides Raymond has recorded multiple sacks and multiple tackles for a loss.
- Tori Gurley and Vidal Hazelton combined for 19 receptions, 281 receiving yards and four touchdowns against the Redblacks during their 2015 CFL rookie season. Through three games in 2016, the pair has combined for 379 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 23 catches.
- Thomas Miles made his first career start in last season’s September 26 showdown with the Redblacks; he made a career-high seven tackles in the game
MILESTONES:
- QB Ricky Ray is currently tied with Damon Allen (77) for second on the Argos all-time passing touchdown list. Ray needs one more passing touchdown to pass Allen, and another 20 to catch Condredge Holloway (97) atop the team’s all-time list.
- Scott Milanovich is tied with Lew Hayman for fifth on the team’s all-time coaching wins list with 40. With a win in Wednesday’s game he could take sole possession of fifth place.
- Ricky Ray became the CFL’s fifth passer to reach 53,000 career passing yards in last week’s game; he can leapfrog Danny McManus (53,255) into fourth place on the league’s all-time list with just 18 passing yards.
- TJ Heath (INT) and Ken Bishop (QB Sack) each recorded career-firsts against BC in Week Three, in what was each player’s second career game.
- Chris Van Zeyl will make his 100th career start on the Argonauts offensive line on Wednesday night. His first start came on October 23, 2009 against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Van Zeyl will become the fifth player on the Argos roster to start 100+ games in the CFL, joining Ricky Ray, Josh Bourke, Ricky Foley and Keon Raymond.