Copeland Wants Team Effort

ARGONAUTS.CA STAFF

MISSISSAUGA – In his 11th Canadian Football League season, Argos slotback Jeremaine Copeland has experienced almost every form of triumph and struggle an offence could endure.  It is for that reason that he is not only quick to defend his quarterback but quick to put the onus on the entire offence to get better when the Boatmen host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Saturday (4:00 p.m.) at Rogers Centre.

“Just because you are the quarterback the pressure is often on you but I think overall [as an offence] we need to control the ball better,” Copeland said on Friday.  

“It’s not just a single effort out on the field, it is a team sport and that’s what you have to love about football. We all have to go out there and play better.  We have had dropped balls, tipped passes, fumbles, penalties, so we, as a whole, have to be a lot better than we have been.”

Copeland and his team represent one half of two struggling offences that will each look to improve at the other team’s expense this weekend.  Both Toronto and Winnipeg rank towards the bottom of many major offensive categories, and both Cleo Lemon and Buck Pierce are fielding the brunt of the questions.

Lemon said earlier in the week that the key to improving their offence versus a Bombers defence that dominated two weeks ago at Canad Inns Stadium is to increase production on first down.  In doing so, the Argos may need to lean on rookie tailback Chad Kackert who will make his second consecutive start.

Jim Barker echoed that theory on Friday saying that, “Cleo is throwing the ball very well.  For the most part, he is understanding the passing game much better but he needs to do a better job managing the running game.”

There was no doubt that the Argos were outmatched two weeks ago by the Winnipeg defence but the primary challenge for Barker and his club was the Bomber front seven which folded the Argos into surrendering seven sacks.

“They have great speed and explosiveness in their group,” Barker said of the Bombers.  “All of the scoop blocks and [other blocking schemes] that you work on during the week are different against Winnipeg because their linebackers are so close to the line of scrimmage.  They have very good personnel up front and their secondary is playing very well.  Tim Burke has brought a confidence and a swagger to that group.”

After a strong outing in the season opener, the Argos’ offensive line was simply overwhelmed by the Bombers’ pass rush in week 2, it is something that offensive tackle Rob Murphy says just cannot happen again.

“We have re-focused the last two weeks and I think we have shored some things up.  We feel like we let them off the hook two weeks ago and we just need to minimize mistakes.  You turn on the film and it affects your pride so practice has been a lot more crisp on the offensive line lately.”

Murphy and the rest of his linemate’s biggest individual challenge is likely trying to contain rush end Odell Willis.  He is a player that was scouted by Barker when he was in Calgary and the Argos GM & head coach knows all too well what he is capable of.

“He’s the guy that creates some havoc,” he said. “You have to alter your snap count with him.  He is a guy that jumps the snap count and he will get two or three offside penalties a game and there will be some plays where he is offside’s and it doesn’t get called, and that’s his game. From a management of the game standpoint, the quarterback needs to be able to switch up the cadence and if [Willis] is flying off the ball, that’s an indication that the quarterback needs to do a better job switching the [count] up.”

Willis leads a Bombers defence that leads the league in net offence allowed, average rushing gain allowed, net yards passing allowed, fewest first downs and have only surrendered three touchdowns all season.  

The key for the Argos, defensively, will be to get after QB Buck Pierce and limit last year’s leading rusher Fred Reid.  Reid who chews up yards on a regular basis seems to decrease in production when facing the Argos.  In his last seven meetings with the Boatmen, dating back to 2009, Reid has averaged only 59 yards on the ground.

Kickoff is at 4:00 p.m. at Rogers Centre on Saturday and tickets can be purchased by calling 416-341-ARGO (2746) or by clicking here.  

Notes: Argos WR Sammy Tranks has been activated to the 46-man roster while D.J. Boldin has been placed on the practice roster…For fans going to the game, please note that there will be no access to the Skywalk leading into Rogers Centre. This will be the case for the remainder of the season.