There’s a tendency among fans to discount the importance of a pre-season football game. True, the score doesn’t matter, two points aren’t awarded to the winning team, and the best players aren’t on the field when the game is on the line.
That doesn’t take away the magnitude of the game for some players, those trying to win a job and keep their dream of playing pro football alive. Some impressed, some didn’t as the Toronto Argonauts lost their first of two pre-season games, a 30-13 decision in Montreal.
Pre-season football is sloppy by nature. Continuity is non-existent; the Argos brought 66 players to Montreal, roughly a game roster-and-a-half. Many players are experiencing the speed and pace of the CFL for the first time, while most of a team’s usual starters are not dressed for the game or were taken out after a series or two.
Argo head coach Ryan Dinwiddie understands the nature of the beast but was obviously frustrated at times by what he saw. He says that some players helped themselves, others hurt themselves in their attempt to make the team. It also places great significance in the final pre-season game, this Friday against Hamilton in Guelph.
“It’s going to be a big game for us,” said the coach in a post-game meeting with reporters. “Some (young players) are going to have to step up to the plate and prove that they’re going to make us a better team. We’ll get our veterans playing so I think we’ll be more fluid and more consistent. We’ve got another install and we’re looking at some new concepts, so these younger guys, they’ve got to pick it up, or if we find they can’t play and execute maybe we’ll bring in some new guys. There are always guys we can bring in.”
Cameron Dukes started at quarterback and played most of the first quarter, finishing 4/6, for 51 yards, an interception and a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Marshall. It was a good indication of what fans can expect, particularly early in the season. Dukes got rid of the ball quickly, showed poise and toughness as he hung in and took a hit on the TD pass, while earlier in the quarter he showed he was comfortable enough to throw the ball away when pressured and not take a sack.
The QB says it’s now up to them to learn from the mistakes they made.
“The biggest thing is just details,” he told reporters after the game. “We’ve got to iron out the details and stay focused on not making the game bigger than it needs to be. We’ve got to slow everything down mentally and play fast. I think that comes with more preparation, more time in film, and more time in our playbook. There’s always a lot to learn from film win or loss, so I think there’s a lot to learn from this film and it’s going to be good for us moving forward.”
Nick Arbuckle replaced Dukes late in the opening quarter and went 7/13 for 93 yards without a TD or an interception. He hit Richie Sindani 3 times for 36 yards late in the second quarter, and narrowly missed him on a deep ball that would have resulted in a 34-yard touchdown.
Bryan Scott played the entire second half. He finished 10/20 for 109 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions, though he turned the ball over at the Montreal 8-yard line when a defender punched the ball out of his hands after a 13-yard gain. Running back Deonta McMahon also turned the ball over on a fumble.
There were no on-field activities scheduled for Sunday, though the team would be in meetings for much of the day.
ARGOS NOTES: First-round draft pick Kevin Mital was the leading receiver with 3 catches for 37 yards, while Sindani had 3 for 36…McMahon led running backs with 24 yards on 2 carries, adding 31 yards on a pair of catches…Isaac Darkangelo was around the ball often. The rookie linebacker from Illinois had 5 defensive tackles and added 2 more on special teams…Alfredo Gachuz Lozada connected on both of his field goal attempts and his lone conversion attempt…The Argos first-round pick in the Global Draft, Jeremy Edwards, punted 3 times for an average of 46.7 yards…The Argos lost the turnover battle 5-0…A dozen or so players who didn’t make the trip gathered in a meeting room at Alumni Stadium in Guelph to watch the game as a group…The Argos final pre-season game will be played on Friday in Guelph with the Tiger-Cats visiting for a 7:00 game.
Tickets are just $20 and can be purchased here bit.ly/3TWmNxw.
The regular-season opener will be played at BMO Field against the BC Lions on Sunday, June 9 at 7:00.
Tickets can be purchased at here: https://www.ticketmaster.ca/event/1000605BD7B52275