BMO Field meets CNE. View during the game between the Toronto Argonauts and the BC Lions at BMO Field in Toronto, ON. Wednesday, August 31, 2016. (Photo: Johany Jutras)
The Return Of The Run
The final score wasn’t what the Argonauts wanted, but there were a few positives from the loss in Montreal. First and foremost was the revelation that the Boatmen can indeed run the football. Brandon Whitaker looked like, well, Brandon Whitaker on Friday night.
The Oklahoma native carried the ball 13 times for 96 yards or 7.4 yards per rush. He’d add 24 yards on four receptions for 120 total yards. Whitaker would also catch the coaches’ attention with a couple of devastating blocks, the most under-appreciated aspect of a running back’s game by the majority of fans.
It wasn’t just the running back gaining yards on the ground. Quarterback Cody Fajardo, who took over after a lacklustre performance by the offence in the first half, gained 60 yards, while Anthony Coombs added 17 more on a couple of carries.
With the way the running game has struggled for the most part this season – at one point the club was on pace for the lowest per-game rushing total in CFL history – it’s easy to forget that the club was able to run the ball effectively last season. Whitaker finished second in CFL rushing with 1,009 yards.
The offensive line has struggled this season. There have been glimpses of how good the unit can be, such as the home game against Ottawa where Ricky Ray was virtually untouched the entire night.
A game like Friday’s should do wonders for the O-line’s confidence. Also, the linemen love run blocking. They aren’t passive like they are when they’re in pass protection, they get to explode off the ball and create contact.
As my previous broadcast partner and former Argo o-lineman Sandy Annunziata likes to say, it’s better to be the hammer than the nail.
New Speedster In Town
There’s been a change in the receiving corps and Argo fans will likely get their first look at a new player on Saturday.
With the release of Khalil Paden early in the week, Kendall Sanders has been taking reps with the first-team offence.
Sanders was a highly recruited high-school player in Texas, but received more notice for his play as a cornerback, where Sports Illustrated named him as an Honourable Mention All American.
He’d stay in state and play for the Texas Longhorns as a receiver, where he’d dress for 11 games as a freshman in 2012 before starting seven games in his sophomore season. He’d finish third on the ‘Horns in catches and receptions, highlighted by a seven-catch, 55-yard game against ‘Ole Miss, a game in which he had a 51-yard kick-off return.
He transferred to Arkansas State, where last year he hauled in 37 catches and had a pair of 100-yard receiving games.
Sanders possesses elite speed and should be able to stretch the field. The Argos signed him in July and he’s been getting used to the Canadian game as a practice roster player.
On the injury front, DeVier Posey is very close to returning, while Chandler Worthy is still day to day.
The Men In The Middle
Every team has injuries, it’s a part of playing a contact sport.
The Argonauts have had more than their share of injuries and most of them have forced players to be added to the six-game list. What’s remarkable about the spate of injuries is how many have been to defensive linemen.
Defensive end Victor Butler and tackles Ken Bishop, Cleyon Laing, Daryl Waud (twice) and Alan-Michael Cash have all missed significant time, Cash hasn’t dressed for a game all season.
The sheer number of key injuries at one position would devastate most teams, but the Argos have significant depth, and the ‘next man up’ theory has been tested and tested often.
Shawn Lemon has been the one constant, while last week tackles Dylan Wynn and Jeff Finley answered the bell to start, as did end Troy Davis. Wynn and Davis were among the best Argos on the field Friday, with Wynn registering seven tackles, an insanely high number for a DT.
This might be the week that Cash makes his debut in an Argo uniform. How good is he? This is what two-time East Division Most Outstanding Defensive Player Bear Woods said of his former Alouette teammate on Episode Two of the Double Blue Podcast.
“My two awards, they might as well have Alan-Michael Cash’s name written on them,” said Woods. “’Cause he held up two and three guys for 18 games, or however many games, to allow me to run and make tackles.”
“My skill set is to tackle,” the linebacker continued. “So they made (a system) to where I could run around and tackle people, but Alan-Michael Cash made that possible.”
It’s going to be interesting to see what the depth chart looks like if and when the unit is completely healthy.
!!!!Shameless Plug Alert!!!!!! You can download the Double Blue Podcast wherever you’d like. iTunes, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, Soundcloud, it’s all good. It’s fun, it’s informative and it’s free! This episode we made fun of Jeff Johnson’s height, or lack thereof, looked back at one Montreal game and ahead to the next, and SJ Green joined us to talk about “The Catch”, why his stats in college were underwhelming, and who had the better hands, him or Ben Cahoon?
Now, back to your regularly scheduled Five Things column.
Lights Out Lirim
The Argos have been blessed with some tremendous place kickers over the last 20 years or so. Lance Chomyc, Mike Vanderjagt, Noel Prefontaine and Swayze Waters all became fan favourites because of their reliability.
Lirim Hajrullahu may be the latest in that lineage.
The St. Catharines native, undrafted despite graduating Western as the leading scorer in the history of Canadian university football, has been incredibly consistent here in Toronto.
Hajrullahu went 3-for-3 in Montreal and has hit eight field-goal attempts in a row. His 32 FGs leads the league and he’s one of just three kickers who hasn’t missed a convert yet.
Let’s Go To The Ex
Kingston, Ontario isn’t far from the CNE grounds. In fact, one website says the distance between your scout team scribbler’s boyhood home and old Exhibition Stadium is 268 kilometres. To a kid from a working-class family without much disposable income, the Ex may as well have been in the Rocky Mountains.
As an Argo fan I’d watch the games on television, but a couple of times a year I was mesmerized by what was appearing on the screen. Not only were Jim Corrigall, Joe Theismann and Granville Liggins running around on the field, but outside the stadium was a full-fledged midway.
The visuals of the Alpine Way soaring high above the Ex grounds, the rickety old Flyer roller coaster just beyond the stadium, the unusual facade of the Coliseum, and the old Bulova digital clock on the Shell Oil Tower looking as out of place then as it does in photos now, all seemed larger than life.
The combination of an Argo game and midway seemed too good to be true. If I had known you could get free admission to the Ex with an Argo ticket my head may have exploded.
Sadly, I never had the opportunity as a kid to experience what would have been an incredible day. Now, the believed to be long-gone chance has reappeared.
Despite missing some of the memorable kitsch of days gone by, fans are now afforded the opportunity to combine cornerbacks and cotton candy, midway rides and middle linebackers, kickers and carnies.
A ticket to see a pivotal Argo game against Montreal gets you free admission to the Ex. This seems as good a time as any to encourage Argo fans to bring a friend or three to the game Saturday and combine it with one of the great traditions of Toronto.
A glorious chance to combine the Argos, the CNE, and a two-for-one ticket deal. The 10-year-old from Kingston envies you.