The CFL regular season is 18 games long. Over the five months of the regular season, teams vie for a playoff spot, then maybe a home playoff game, and if they’re fortunate, first place in the division and a bye to the divisional final.
An 11-7 record was good enough for the Toronto Argonauts to claim top spot in the East and a well-deserved week off; able to watch the Montreal Alouettes and Hamilton Tiger-Cats battle to see who would join them in the Eastern Final.
It was the Alouettes that outlasted the Ticats, meaning it will be the third time in as many games that the Argos will face the Montrealers.
Argo players and coaches spent last week doing prep work on both potential opponents, but for the most part they rested, both mentally and physically.
Among those that appreciated the downtime was quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson.
“You have to know that when you’re on you’re on, and when you’re off you’re off,” he explained. “I made sure I got a couple of days where I did kind of wind down and then ramped back up so we’re peaking at the right time. You’ve got to keep watching film and keep your body lubricated, but I definitely needed the rest after that long season. Now I’m feeling ramped back up and hopefully we’re peaking on Sunday.”
He practiced what he preaches. He spent a great deal of his downtime playing with his daughter, while finding enough time to study game film and “getting my body pieced back together for these last two games.”
Casually mentioning the last two games showed off the quiet confidence the quarterback has become known for. It wasn’t boastful mind you; he just looks at the season as concluding in Regina in two weeks, not in Toronto on Sunday.
Bethel-Thompson had a strong regular season. He led the CFL in with 4,731 yards, leading his team to the first-place finish. That’s quite an accomplishment on a team that was ravaged by injuries. Argos players appeared on the injured list for an astonishing 302 games this year, an average of 16.8 players on the injured list each week.
With this week’s return of Andrew Harris – out of the lineup since August – the Argos group of running backs and receivers is as healthy as its been all year. According Bethel-Thompson – the East’s All-Star QB and team’s Most Outstanding Player – the team can now finally show off who it really is.
“We’ve been looking for our identity all season,” said the San Francisco native. “We’ve been a clutch offence that performs at the right time and now it’s time to perform for the entire time. We’re excited for all the pieces to come together and for us to put together our best performance at the most critical time. That’s why you prepare all year, that’s why you put the work into an 18-week season, and you hope all that work is going to pay off and we’ll have our best performance on Sunday.”
Bethel-Thompson spoke with Argonauts.ca after grabbing some lunch, where the 6’4”, 200-pound QB had a salad big enough to make George Costanza want to claim it.
When the final piece of lettuce was gone, Bethel-Thompson talked about how to employ his talented array of offensive weapons. Is equal distribution the key, or is it exploiting the best matchup available?
“You try to get your guys involved early,” he said. “We have so many weapons and everyone is better with the ball in their hands. The more they can touch it early and often, the more they feel involved, then everyone will be pulling the rope together. Part of my job is to understand what’s best in terms of what the defence is giving you, but also to get it to your playmakers and get the ball in their hands.”
The group of receivers and backs, coupled with the improved play of the offensive line, has given M B-T an added boost of confidence.
“I’m confident because of the team we have,” he said. “We find ways to win games. We have a very talented football team and we have a culture; we have a backbone that we’ve proven all year long. I’m not afraid of whatever happens on Sunday. I’m not afraid of going up early, or going down early. What is most important is that when the clock hits zero we have more points than they do and I’m very excited for the opportunity to get there.”
So is the entire Argo fan base.