Cody Fajardo (17) and Lirim Hajrullahu (70) of the Toronto Argonauts during the game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg, MB., on Thursday, July 13, 2017. (Photo: Johany Jutras)
The Toronto Argonauts (7-9) will host the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (11-4) on Saturday, October 21, in the team’s Fan Appreciation game at BMO Field.
After a narrow loss on the road against Edmonton last week, the Argos return home sitting second in the East division and could climb back on top with a win against the Bombers.
Winnipeg, meanwhile, arrives in Toronto on the heels of a 26-20 home win over the BC Lions in which they locked up a playoff berth.
The last meeting between the two teams came all the way back in Week Four in what resulted in a 33-25 road loss for the Double Blue. The game featured a coming out party for running back and kick returner Martese Jackson, who totaled 339 yards in what was the fourth-highest single-game output by a returner in CFL history and the second-most in team history. Jackson’s first-quarter punt return touchdown was the team’s first since September 26, 2015.
TEAM TRENDS
The Argos’ defence has been staunch on second down, allowing second down conversions at a clip of 45.9%, second best in the league and well below the league average of 48.6%. The Argos defence allows only 339.5 yards of net offence per game while allowing just 6.2 yards per play, good for 2nd in the CFL in both categories.
A key to the offence in 2017 has been the success on first down and it could prove to be crucial this week vs. Winnipeg. Toronto averages 6.9 yards on first down, third best in the CFL, while Winnipeg gives up a league-worst 7.0 yards on first down. Getting in those second and short situations is vital in moving down the field and taking pressure off the offence. The Argos have thrown 228 times on first down, second-most in the league behind Ottawa, which shows they are not afraid to attack early.
SACKS IN THE SIX
The Argos lead the CFL with 47 sacks through 17 weeks. The last time (and only time) the Argos led the league in sacks was during the 1997 season with 49 and the Double Blue haven’t had more than 50 sacks in a season since 2007.
Sacks have been a driving force behind the success of this year’s Argonauts team. When Toronto finishes the game with more sacks than their opponent, their record is 6-1. When they finish with the same or fewer number of sacks as their foes, their record drops to 1-8.
DL Victor Butler leads the CFL in sacks with nine as well as being tied for first in forced fumbles with three. These are remarkable numbers considering he has only played in 10 contests due to injury. DL Shawn Lemon ranks T-3 and fellow lineman Dylan Wynn sits T-4 in the CFL with seven and six sacks respectively. The last Argo to lead the league in sacks was Eric England in 2003 with 14.
PASSING PROWESS
The ageless Ricky Ray, in his 15th CFL season, is proving he still has a lot left in the tank in 2017. The Sacramento State product is 218 yards away from his fourth 5,000-yard season as he currently has 4,782 yards and 24 touchdowns in 15 games played, good for second and fourth in the league respectively. If he were to accomplish the feat, Ray would be the first Argos passer with 5,000+ yards since Damon Allen in 2005. Anthony Calvillo (7) and Doug Flutie (6) are currently the only passers in CFL history with 5,000 or more passing yards in four or more seasons.
Ray currently has 11 games this season with 300+ pass yards, one off his career high set back in 2008 as a member of the Edmonton Eskimos. Ray has already tied the team record for 300+ yard games in a single season, and if he can pass for 300+ in each of the remaining two regular season games, it would move him into a tie for second all-time in single-season 300-yard games, tying him with Anthony Calvillo at 13. Doug Flutie had 14 such games playing for the BC Lions in 1991.
The Happy Camp, California, native, who is 4th all-time in CFL passing yards, is only 335 yards away from 60,000 career pass yards and would become the fourth member of the 60K pass club, along with Anthony Calvillo, Damon Allen, and Henry Burris. Adding to his stellar 2017 campaign, Ray is also only 58 completions away from setting a new personal best in that category when he had 473 in 2005 with the Eskimos.
SOLOMON JUNIOR
Ray isn’t the only 10+ year veteran to be playing at the top of his game this season. WR S.J. Green, in his 11th CFL season and first with the Argonauts, is having the best season of his career. His 95 receptions and 1,337 yards (third in the league) are far and away new career highs and he has also added nine touchdowns to go with it. He has proven to be Ricky Ray’s favourite and most reliable weapon with a league-leading 154 targets so far in 2017.
One year after suffering a devastating knee injury that ended his season prematurely, the former South Florida Bull has shown no signs of slowing down as a 32-year old. Last week’s 13 receptions against Edmonton were a new career high and he finished the game with 159 yards, one touchdown and back to back two-point conversions in the fourth quarter. That performance earned Green his league-leading fourth Top Performer of the Week award. 121 more receiving yards will give Green the fifth best single-season receiving year in Argos history. Green currently sits 44th all-time in CFL receiving yards with more than 7,900 after starting the year 61st on the all-time list.
News and Notes:
- Second-year receiver Armanti Edwards had a very productive game last week against Edmonton with eight catches for 95 yards. He is now up to 72 receptions and 871 yards on the year, leaving him only 129 yards away from the 1,000-yard plateau. He will need to average 65 yards over the final two regular-season games to achieve the mark.
- If Edwards reaches 1,000 yards receiving in 2017, he would join S.J. Green as the Argos first pair of 1,000-yard receivers in a single season since 2005 (Tony Miles – 1,275; Arland Bruce – 1,205; Robert Baker 1,065).
- K Lirim Hajrullahu, who spent his first two CFL seasons with the Bombers, looks to add to his impressive numbers against his former squad this year after going 6-for-6 in a Week 4 loss at Winnipeg.
- Seeing his first action since Week 11, RB Brandon Whitaker rushed 10 times for 39 yards last week. He surpassed former Argo great Michael “Pinball” Clemons for 35th all-time in CFL rushing yards and now sits at 5,380.
- Short yardage specialist QB Cody Fajardo snuck in his 4th rushing TD of the year and passed for his second when he hit RB Declan Cross late in the game for a go-ahead touchdown last Saturday against Edmonton. It was the first time in his 2-year career he has both thrown for and rushed for a touchdown in the same game.
Last Game vs. WPG (Wk 4 – 33-25 Loss)
- In just his second career CFL game, RB/KR Martese Jackson gave the Argonauts their first lead of the game (10-7) in the first quarter by way of a 78-yard punt return touchdown. Jackson’s first career touchdown marked the Argos first punt return touchdown since Chad Owens 85-yard return on September 26, 2015, in Ottawa. The Florida Atlantic product finished the night with a total of 339 return yards (148 punt return, 191 kickoff return), ranking him fourth all-time in CFL history for total kick return yards in a single-game. Jackson’s total return yardage ranked second in Argos single-game history, behind Bashir Levingston’s 345 yards on August 24, 2005, vs. Calgary.
- Fourth-year Argo RB Anthony Coombs led the club and notched a career-high in catches (8) and receiving yards (94).
- Argonauts QB Ricky Ray registered a 300+ yard passing game for the fourth consecutive week, throwing for 330 yards on 27-of-46 passing.
- LB Bear Woods led the double blue defence with nine tackles, the most he has had in a single game since joining the club in June.
- WR S.J. Green passed Argos legend Michael Pinball Clemons and Jason Tucker to slide into the Top 50 receivers all-time in the second quarter. Green finished the night with five catches for 85 yards.
- Canadian kicker Lirim Hajrullahuconnected on 6-of-6 field goal attempts in just his second return to Investors Group Field. The Western University product’s six field goals tie a career high for field goals made in a game. Hajrullahu last converted six kicks against the BC Lions on July 7, 2016.
- 10-year CFL veteran Brandon Whitaker moved into the Top 40 rushers in CFL history on the night. Whitaker’s 19 yards on the ground pushed him past Gerry McDougall for 40th on the CFL’s All-Time list.