It’s been a while since the Toronto Argonauts have found themselves in this situation.
The club has lost back-to-back games, something that didn’t happen a year ago during a 16-2 season. In 2022 the club dropped consecutive games on two occasions, once in June, and once in August.
That season ended just fine.
It doesn’t mean that coaches, players, and staff aren’t aware of what they hope is a bump in the road. With some teams, early adversity can be problematic, though the ’22 Argos certainly were able to nip any problems in the bud.
Having a player like Damonte Coxie on the roster this year certainly doesn’t hurt.
The third-year receiver from Reserve, Louisiana – just a few twists of the Mississippiupriver from New Orleans – has a personality that makes turning the corner easier. In good times or bad, the receiver can be found with a smile on his face whether it be on the field, in the locker room, or in the lunchroom.
“In football you go through adversity, and it tests character,” Coxie told Argonauts.ca. “No matter what’s going on you can’t get too high or too low, you’ve got to stay mellow. If I get upset, then the guys feed off that. But if I stay positive, they feed off that.”
Coxie had an up-and-down game in last week’s loss in Regina. He led the team with 76 receiving yards, but the usually flypaper-handed receiver was unable to haul in a couple of passes he’d usually catch in his sleep, one of which resulted in an interception.
He’s ready to bounce back this week, as are his teammates. The former Memphis Tiger had a couple of double-digit win seasons there but hasn’t always been on good teams. That’s made him aware of the Argos big picture this season.
“I’ve been a part of programs that didn’t win at all,” he said. “Coming into a programwhere we do win, I understand the expectations. That’s why it hurts so bad, our expectations for each other are very, very high.”
An Argo ship captained by Ryan Dinwiddie has not lost three straight games in the fourseasons he’s been at the helm. That possibility looms on the horizon with the team headed to Montreal to play the Alouettes, who sit at 5-0 and are acknowledged to be the best team in the league at this point.
Coxie agrees that the Als are in a groove right now.
“They’re really good. They’re playing really good football right now. We respect every team. If everybody comes to play it will be a great game. We’re a good team, they’re a good team.”
This year the Argos and Alouettes play just three times, so the Als can clinch the season series with a victory on Thursday. The Argos also don’t want to fall eight points behind Montreal, especially with them clinching the tiebreaker with a win.
But Coxie insists it’s just another game.
“Definitely. Every game is just a game, he said. “You don’t make the game too much bigger than it what it is because that’s when you kind of get lost in the moment. You’ve just got to embrace it, like playing when you were little, have fun. That’s when you’re loose, and when you’re loose like that you’ll be able to play in your element. You don’t want to go into a game too tight, thinking about it too much because you’ll overthink things. It’s just best torelax and let the game come to you.”
The Alouettes will likely be paying a little extra attention to the 6’3” receiver as he was a major pain for them last year. His remarkable diving, one-handed touchdown catch on July 14 was selected as TSN’s top CFL play of the year, while on September 15th his touchdown catch on a deep ball helped the Argos erase a fourth quarter deficit in a 23-20 win.
The receiver is now working with Cameron Dukes at quarterback, something he’s very comfortable with.
“He’s my guy,” Coxie said of the QB. “On the field we have the same connection as off the field. We talk a lot; we’ll spend a little time together after we watch a lot of film. He’s a great player, he’s very smart and he’s got a good arm. We’ve got to get him comfortable,and we’ve got to make the plays for him.”
The Argos are hoping some of those plays come Thursday night in Montreal.