BC Lions defensive back Ronnie Yell (25) defends Toronto Argonauts wide receiver Vidal Hazelton (21) as he catches out of bounds during the second half of CFL action in Vancouver, B.C., on Friday, July 24, 2015. Toronto beat the Lions 30-27. (CFL PHOTO - Jimmy Jeong)
The Argonauts arrived in BC yesterday for the second leg of the team’s two-game road trip. After capturing their first win of the season in the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ final home opener at Mosaic Stadium, the Argos will look to go 2-for-2 by dealing the Lions their first loss of the 2016 regular season.
The Argos found a rhythm in last week’s 30-17 win over the Riders, as all three phases of the game came into their own in Week Two. Ricky Ray’s offensive numbers were not gaudy by any means at face value, but it was the veteran’s efficiency and game-management that were instrumental in the victory. Ray opened the game 4-for-4 for 102 yards and two touchdowns as he found Andre Durie and then Vidal Hazelton to put the team up 14-0 early on. Throughout the remainder of the game, Ray managed just 84 yards on 11 more completions, but the savvy veteran took care of the football, moved the chains, and remained accurate despite the team’s move to a more run-focused attack.
On defence, the Argos’ unit showed some stopping power when it mattered, allowing just 13 points on four red zone trips for the Riders, while holding the team to just 9 first downs and four points on five fourth-quarter drives.
The special teams units were instrumental in the 13-point win as well. With a 57-yard punt return on his first touch of the game, veteran kick returner Larry Taylor set the offence up with a one-play, five-yard drive for their first score. Taylor totalled 132 return yards on the night, taking another one back over midfield later in the game to set up a field goal. Lirim Hajrullahu was lights out for the second straight game, hitting on all three of his field goal attempts to remain a perfect 5-for-5 this season.
The Lions enter the game riding a two-game win streak, upsetting the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 28-3 in the Ticats’ home opener last weekend. The Leos defence has allowed a league-low 21 points through two games, holding opponents to just two touchdown drives total and none in the last 18 possessions. BC will look to go 3-0 for the first time since 2007 on Thursday night; here is what the Argos must do to prevent the team from their fastest start in nine years.
- Build sustained drives and control the football
It’s common sense — you can’t score without the ball — but football is a simple game and can often be over-analyzed. The Tiger-Cats beat themselves into submission in last week’s loss to the Lions due to an inability to sustain offensive possessions. The Lions forced nine two-and-outs and allowed just a single play inside their own 20-yard line last week, and they’ve averaged 12 more offensive plays per game than their opponents through two weeks. When an offence doesn’t move the chains, it places additional strain on the defensive and special teams units, and fatigue often leads to mental and physical mistakes.
The Argos must find a way to sustain drives on Thursday, and that starts with efficiency on first down. Moving the ball on first down opens up a wider range of play calls on second down, preventing the defence from keying in on certain plays or players. In this Week Three showdown, the Argos offence must put themselves in good position on first down and execute on second down in order to control the flow of the game.
- Win the turnover battle
The Argos proved last week that there is one way to win a game without controlling the football more than your opponent, and that is by taking care of the ball and winning the turnover battle. Despite running 28 fewer offensive plays and being outgained by 141 yards, the Argos won on the strength of a defence that forced three turnovers in key situations, and an offence that protected the ball. The entire team was opportunistic as well, as the defence and offence each turned a takeaway into seven points for a total of 14 points off turnovers.
In the last ten games that have been played between these two teams, the winner in the turnover department has gone 6-2-0 (the other two games had even margins); if the Argos hope to steal a win on enemy soil, they’ll need to play sound football and come out on top in this integral area of the game.
- Disrupt Jennings’ rhythm
Jonathan Jennings has carried his success from late 2015 into the new season and he’s now won four straight starts dating back to games 16 and 17 of last year. Jennings has the lowest passer efficiency of all starters through two weeks, but he’s been able to make plays when it’s mattered, in large part due to the time that he’s been given in the pocket and his ability to extend plays with his feet. For the Argos to succeed in Week Three, they’ll need to make Jennings uncomfortable, which starts with getting pressure and ends with containing him once he’s on the move.
Forcing Jennings out of the pocket only works if a) that pressure gets home, and b) the defensive backs remain assignment-sound once the young quarterback is on the move. If the Argos can disrupt Jennings and make him uncomfortable, they’ll be well on their way to slowing down the Leos offence.
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