BMO Field’s first CFL match and one of the most hyped Toronto Argonaut games ever has ended. By all reports, the game was a success with fan participation and viewership the highest they have been in years. Yet, despite the apparent success of the 2016 Kickoff game, it’s hard to blame Argo fans for wanting more. However, while a 42-20 loss to arch-rival Hamilton may be have some wringing their hands, the realty is the Argos are set to rebound in a big way.
Argos Set to Rebound from Early Stumble
Not the game they were looking for…
At first glance it’s easy to be alarmed at what transpired Thursday night. The Argonauts were not prepared for the ferocity of the Tiger-Cats pass rush with John Chick and Simoni Lawrence wrecking the game plan from the get-go. Ricky Ray was rusty after missing 15 games last year and needed far more time to deliver the ball than his over-matched line could provide. Even on the passes Ray did get off, he was often thrown unceremoniously to the ground by a free rusher, not something the Trevor Harris-less Argonauts wanted to see.
On defence, Argo fans could only groan in frustration as several potential interceptions were dropped by defenders Ricky Foley, Isaiah Green, and Akwasi Owusu-Ansah. For the retooled Argo defensive line, generating any form of a consistent pass rush against the Ticats was an exercise in futility. Even the defensive game plan was suspect as the Argos were ill-prepared to handle the combination of deep strikes and underneath routes Jeremiah Masoli kept dishing out. From top to bottom, it seemed like the Double Blue were more focused on making a dramatic entrance to the new season than giving respect to one of the best teams of the past four years.
Promising Signs
Yet all this is not meant to discourage Argo fans as there was much more good than bad to be gleaned from Thursday’s loss. Last year’s East Division Most Outstanding Rookie Vidal Hazelton nearly stole the show back for his team with an All-Star level performance. Despite being continually battered, a little more of the old Ricky Ray came through on each pass attempt. Nowhere was this more apparent that the corner fade to Hazelton on the Argos first touchdown. The pass was a perfectly placed thing of beauty and fans should expect many more of those in the weeks to come.
Young receiver Kenny Shaw also stepped in nicely to the tune of 109 yards. The offensive line got markedly better in the second half and will continue to improve with newcomers Josh Bourke and Corey Watman still settling in and Ray being half a step slower than normal.
While it hurt to see so many dropped interceptions from the defensive backs in coverage, it is a sign that Rich Stubler’s defense is getting players in position to make plays. With more playing time and experience in the system, those drops will become game-breaking turnovers – and we saw how deadly Ray can be when given a short field. Also, in fairness to Stubler, no one outside of Hamilton predicted that kind of performance from Masoli and the Tiger-Cats offense. With valuable game film now on record for the next match-up on September 11, you can bet the Argos will be far better prepared.
Looking Ahead
With their next game coming against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the Argonauts will be looking for both redemption and momentum. While no team will find losing to be a positive thing, Argo fans (and maybe even the team itself) can take solace that the massive pressure of hosting Game One is off. Going forward, head coach Scott Milanovich and general manager Jim Barker will be all about racking up wins and keeping the Argos relevant in Toronto – something that didn’t even seem possible before now.
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