June 14, 2018

Game Preview – Week 1 vs. Saskatchewan

TJ Heath (23) during the game between the Toronto Argonauts and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at BMO Field in Toronto, ON. Sunday, September 11, 2016. (Photo: Johany Jutras)

It’s Go Time.

As the Toronto Argonauts opened their 2017 regular season there were many, many questions.

Could Ricky Ray stay healthy? How was S.J. Green’s knee? Did Bear Woods and Marcus Ball have anything left in the tank? Would Marc Trestman work his magic in Toronto?

They all seem like silly questions in retrospect, but at the time all were valid.

The Argos take their first step down the road to the Grey Cup this Friday in Saskatchewan (9:00 TSN, TSN 1050) with less confusion and a greater knowledge of one another than existed 12 months ago.

That’s great news for Head Coach Marc Trestman, who came to Toronto knowing a few of the players from his Montreal days, unsure about the abilities or personalities of the players he was trying to mould into a team.

Needless to say, this year’s edition of the Boatmen is light years ahead of last year with the Xs and Os and personalities.

“We know each other better which helps us bring more value out of each other because we do know each other,” said Trestman. “We know our strengths and our weaknesses, we know our backgrounds, and we’re able to communicate better and easier. That’s what working with guys does and when you get to work with them again the relationships continue to mature.”

Continuity is a word often used in football. Familiarity with teammates promotes a culture of trust, both on and off the field. The Argos were temporarily challenged in this aspect by the departure of their offensive and defensive coordinators, but both replacements are familiar faces.

On the defensive side the new boss is Mike Archer. He brought some 40 years of experience south of the border to Toronto a year ago to become linebackers coach. When Corey Chamblin left during the off-season Archer took the reins as the D.C.

He knows the defence and most of the players, but that doesn’t mean it was easy to slot “Player A” into “Position B”, particularly in the secondary. Finding the right fit for an athlete is the coach’s job, but with a talented and flexible group like the Argos back end it could be easier said than done.

Heading into Friday don’t be surprised to see Aldon Darby and Ronnie Yell at cornerback, T.J. Heath and Qudarius Ford at halfback, and Jermaine Gabriel at safety. But it shouldn’t be shocking to see Archer jumble up those names and turn the secondary into a game of Yahtzee, roll the dice and see what happens.

So how does the coach determine which player is best suited for which position?

“Obviously coverage ability,” Archer told Argonauts.ca. “Ability to make plays, to tackle. Because the field is so big up here the ability to make plays in space I think is very important.”

“They’re all very intelligent and they’re very hard working,” the coach said of the players in the secondary. “They can play the boundary half, the boundary corner, their intelligence level is what’s the most encouraging as they can play any number of positions, and when you’re playing with six (secondary players on a game roster) and somebody goes down, you better be able to play more than one position.”

Enter Ronnie Yell.

The 27-year old was signed as a free agent by the Argos in February. He signed while Chamblin’s future with the Argos was in doubt, but has embraced the Archer defence.

“I love it,” said a smiling Yell. “I love it due to the fact that in B.C. I played one position, boundary corner. In Coach Archer’s defence you have to learn various positions in the secondary which I’m having fun with. It’s making the game fun for me again. I’m playing three or four positions and I’m really enjoying myself.”

What’s been the most enjoyable part of learning how to be a human ping-pong ball, able to bounce from position to position?

“Just learning the different details and techniques of the different positions,” “That’s what makes it fun.”

The other newbie on the back end has been with the Argos before, just not in this defence.

T.J. Heath was the key part of a trade from the Winnipeg perspective when they dealt quarterback Drew Willy to the Argos in 2016. After recording five interceptions and being named a CFL All-Star a year ago, Heath moved from Blue Bomber to Double Blue when he signed a free-agent contract on Valentine’s Day.

When asked how he was enjoying playing in the Archer defence he used the exact same three words Yell did.

“I love it,” echoed Heath. “I’m having fun in it. I’m making plays in it. I’m still learning, I’m still growing, but so far I’ve made great progress and I’m making plays and that’s all I’m focused on right now.”

The Argos open the season against the team they eliminated in the East Final a year ago. Regina is never an easy place to play because of the calibre of the team coupled with the rabid nature of Rider Nation.

That suits Heath just fine.

“That place is always fun to play in,” admitted the Jacksonville State product. “It’s a big place, their fans are crazy and I’m sure they’re going to boo us, which I always love, so it’s always a good time when I go in there and play Saskatchewan.”

The matchup between an extremely talented Rider receiving corps and the new-look, multi-look Argo secondary is in all likelihood the most intriguing subplot of the season opener.

It’s a great test to start the season.