Toronto Argonauts looking to find offensive spark against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
As they get set for back-to-back games against their QEW rival, the Toronto Argonauts will need to dig deep to get their offence going as they try to end their losing streak.
Many times this season, the Toronto Argonauts have made it known that they haven’t played their best brand of football.
As they pass the midway point of the season, every game gets magnified more and more given how wide open the East Division is right now. The challenge right now is trying to put some space between themselves and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
After taking a brief break in their rivalry, the Argos and Tiger-Cats meet again at BMO Field. The importance of this home-and-home series can’t be overstated and it will be a great test for both teams to prove whether they have what it takes to perform when the stakes are at an all-time high.
For Toronto, the last two weeks have been a letdown as they have let the lead slip from their grips and provided an opening for teams to catch them in the division.
“It's tricky because you don't necessarily forget everything but you try to leave some stuff behind," Muamba explained. "At the same time you want to make sure you pick up the lessons that you learn along the way. ….It also shows that we can be in the ballgame with literally anybody in this league.”
While they know how close they have been in games, the team’s record is also an indication of where they currently are in terms of executing and finishing teams off.
"We understand we haven't played our best football and there are some games we're disappointed with our overall performance,” head coach Ryan Dinwiddie told reporters this week. “But you can't dwell on the past, we can only focus on the future and find ways to get better and just put our head down. We've got nine more games. We're playing 4-5 football, we've got to improve that to get to where we want to go."
This won’t be the same Tiger-Cats team they saw a few weeks ago in Hamilton as Dane Evans will be back in at quarterback. Matt Schiltz wil likely see some snaps as he normally does but there’s no question that it will be a different matchup for the Argos defence.
“I feel like they definitely open up the playbook at little bit more. Definitely trust him a little bit more and put more on his plate,” lineback Henoc Muamba explained. “He's not the threat running the ball that Shiltz is. They both pose different challenges but we feel equipped and ready to match up with them.”
The Argos will also be looking for the offence to overcome their struggles especially quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson who didn’t have his best performance in the second half. It was the pick-six that changed the complexion of the game for Calgary and allowed them to pull away late.
What has been an interesting trend is the lack scoring the Argos have had at home. They only have scored more than 30 points once at BMO Field and that was against the Tiger-Cats although that also included a blocked punt for a touchdown and a pick-six form the defence.
So what does Dinwiddie want from his quarterback this week? He wants him to relax and play a clean football game.
“We don’t want him to put any added pressure on himself. We haven’t been at out best the last few weeks but he’s had some good performances,” he said. “We’ve got to make sure he’s in the right frame of mind and feeling good about the game and that we believe in him.”
Can we expect to see Chad Kelly get more plays outside of short yardage?
Toronto has a lot riding on Bethel-Thompson to lead them to a Grey Cup this season.
They also don’t have the luxury that some other teams have to go to an experienced backup like the Stampeders did with Jake Maier or Montreal did with Trevor Harris. Chad Kelly is not young by any stretch but he’s also got limited experience in the CFL style of football.
The Argos are certaonly aware of this and have discussed the potential of having Kelly get some snaps outside of his usual short yardage plays.
"We want to get him on the field a little bit," Dinwiddie said. "Mac is out starting quarterback and we want to get Chad some reps. He’s been doing a good job with short yardage but maybe we’ll have some designed for him to get in the game,” Dinwiddie explained.
“He has the ability to escape the pocket, he can move and do all of those things. He's not a one-trick pony. He has a good skillset."
Like every backup quarterback does, Kelly’s mindset is prepare as if he is the starter because he knows he could get called in to play at any moment.
When it comes to his adjustment to the differences of what the Canadian game brings, he has been starting to get more comfortable.
“I think I’m getting better every day. Obviously, in zone coverage, the holes are a lot bigger than what I'm accustomed to from playing down south,” Kelly said. “Man coverage, guys have a 10-yard headstart at full speed and defensive back is sitting back. I think it opens a lot of room for catching the ball.”
When it comes to the relationship he has with Bethel-Thompson, Kelly is appreciative of what he’s learned and how they try to help each other out.
While there hasn’t been the conversation about making a quarterback change, that hasn’t stopped Kelly from focusing on achieving his ultimate goal.
“We all want to be starters so when the time calls, you better be ready.”