Continuing with the CFL Talking Points series, Last Word On Sports CFL writer Thomas Gunther addresses several pressing questions after the Toronto Argonauts 23-20 win over the Ottawa Redblacks, as well as his overall impression of the game. For last week’s recap with fellow writer Kelly Bale, click here. Let’s get started with the key takeaways in CFL Week 6 Talking Points.
CFL Week 6 Talking Points
1) The Toronto Argonauts now lead the CFL with 4 wins through one third of the season. Going forward are the Boatmen the team to beat?
Close, but the Toronto Argonauts fall to third when factoring in the powerhouse B.C. Lions and Calgary Stampeders from the West Division. The Argos were lucky to face the Ottawa Redblacks with a less than effective Henry Burris and, while they have the most wins, the Boatmen still can’t be considered top dog until Ricky Ray returns to health. That is not to say that the Argos are in anyway a pushover, the team has all the makings of a Grey Cup contender.
The defensive line has been downright terrifying with the addition of Shawn Lemon while getting A.J. Jefferson back in the secondary has paid huge dividends. Despite missing Tori Gurley and Kevin Elliott in the passing game youngsters Kenny Shaw and Devon Wylie have picked up the slack while the run game remains solid, if not exciting, under the reliable Brandon Whitaker. If Ray returns to form (and health) count on this team to make noise in the playoffs.
2) Should Redblacks fans be concerned about Henry Burris’ poor showing?
No, but Ottawa fans should be concerned about how quickly Burris was rushed into an important game against a division rival. Leading up to the game the team claimed the transition from Trevor Harris to Burris would be seamless, yet the reality was anything but. Burris was rusty, and worse sloppy, in his return to game action after injuring his hand in week one and the offence slowed to a crawl during the early stretches of the game. Burris was lucky to throw only two interceptions in the game as Argo defenders dropped several more.
Now, Burris will certainly improve in the coming weeks and the Redblacks will continue to be a powerhouse team going forward. This game, however, showed a lack of understanding on how ready Burris really was to return to the starting line-up.
3) Has Toronto found yet another diamond-in-the-rough quarterback in Logan Kilgore?
It’s too early to place Kilgore in the same boat as Harris and Zach Collaros, two previous Toronto back-ups to reach All-Star status, but the young passer impressed in his first crack at the pro game. Restricted to short passes early in the game Kilgore took off and showed both the arm talent and poise to take several deep shots when the game was on the line. The final stat line is modest (322 yards at 59.5%) but several frustrating drops by Vidal Hazelton and other Argo receivers prevented much higher numbers.
Once healthy Ray will certainly take back his starting job and is still the best option for the team this season, but Argo fans will have to hope that management won’t let yet another promising passer walk out the door.
4) Despite the loss what are some positives Redblack fans can take away from the game?
Perhaps more than anything the relentlessness of Nic Grigsby and the continued use of the run game stuck out as a bright spot for the Redblacks. Ottawa has a well-balanced offence with the most potent aerial attack and a solid run game. While it may not look good coming off a loss the Redblacks commitment to pounding the ball on the ground shows patience and trust in both their scheme and players. With the first third of the season over the games will only get more important as the temperature starts to drop. Ottawa fine tuning their run game now will lead to benefits come playoff time, something that should encourage fans going forward.
5) How does the Eastern Division look going forward?
Despite the Montreal Alouettes absolute lambasting of the Saskatchewan Roughriders earlier this week the East Division remains a three horse race. The Argos have earned the top spot but the Redblacks should be considered 1B, especially as Burris knocks off the rust from his five week injury trip. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are the CFL’s version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde but will gain a measure of consistency when Collaros returns, though when that will happen is uncertain. All in all the competition among the top three East teams should prove highly entertaining going forward.
Top Performer of the Game?
Hard to give this to anyone other than Argos kicker Lirim Hajrullahu. The former Winnipeg Blue Bombers kicker went 5 for 5 on the night with his final kick being a 53 yard game winner. This has been a season of redemption for Hajrullahu who has returned to the ranks of the CFL’s elite kickers. With Ray set to miss several more weeks the Double Blue will certainly lean on one of their most reliable players to put up points at any distance.
Main Photo.
