Sep
Argos desperate for “W”
Courtesy Hamilton Spectator:
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are holding the coffin lid, the hammer and the final nail. All that’s left is to bang that sliver of metal into place and all but put an end to the playoff aspirations of an East Division rival.
The Toronto Argonauts come into tonight’s game at Rogers Centre with a 2-7 record and fresh off a 34-15 thrashing at the hands of the Ticats four days ago. Their head coach’s job security is in question, their general manager was fined this week for screaming at a reporter and several of the team’s starters are banged up. All the Cats have to do is push them off the precipice.
They know it, too.
“This (game) has some ramifications. It’s not our motivation, it’s our extra motivation. We have a chance to create some separation and stay within striking distance of Montreal,” said Ticat head coach Marcel Bellefeuille yesterday. “All those things are important to us and the players understand that. They also understand that we have to not look past this. It’s one play, one game at a time.”
Argos’ head coach Bart Andrus is still struggling to find the right mix in his first Canadian Football League season. He candidly assessed his team’s shortcomings yesterday when asked about the team’s record.
“We haven’t won enough games. We’ve turned the ball over, we’ve had penalties, we haven’t finished, we haven’t protected a lead. We haven’t scored a touchdown defensively or on special teams yet. We haven’t scored enough touchdowns offensively. Those are the reasons why,” he said.
The Double Blue will get some help as veteran defensive end Jonathan Brown returns to the lineup tonight after missing the first nine games with a back injury. Brown, who was an East Division all-star the past four seasons, should give the Argos a stronger pass rush after the team failed to register a sack last game.
“Here’s a veteran player that brings a lot to the table as a pass rusher. He’ll bring more confidence to the defensive side of the ball — not that they need more, they’re a very good defence,” Bellefeuille said.
The Ticats will field the same lineup that won the Labour Day Classic on Monday, though Bellefeuille said he still hasn’t made a decision on a starting quarterback — at least not one that he’s willing to share. But Kevin Glenn will likely get the nod after his 273-yard, two-touchdown performance Monday, though he said second-year man Quinton Porter is ready to play after hurting his knee three weeks ago.
“I think (Porter’s) back to the point where he could play right now, but you have to evaluate the whole thing. That’s what we’re doing right now,” Bellefeuille said.
Glenn’s ability to make good decisions is likely helping his case — he’s thrown just four interceptions this season against eight touchdowns. The Cats committed zero turnovers last week while the Argos coughed it up five times.
“Ball security is a priority for the team. But those guys on defence get paid, too, and they are going to make plays that create turnovers. But we want to make sure we keep them to a minimum and win the turnover battle,” Glenn said.
Ticat receiver Arland Bruce will be making his return to Rogers Centre, his first game in Toronto since the July trade that brought him to Hamilton. The Ticats elected not to make him available to media yesterday but Bellefeuille said he’s been happy with Bruce’s play and his quotes — despite Bruce’s assertion this week that the Argos’ decision to get rid of him was “the worst decision in football.”
“I think he’s handled himself well,” Bellefeuille said. “To go through four weeks of scrutiny, 150 questions every other day to find one comment that might have been out of context, I don’t think is a bad track record.”
The Argos haven’t won since Bruce left the team and haven’t put up a ‘W’ at home since July 2008. But linebacker Zeke Moreno says the team has to use tonight’s game as a starting point to right the ship.
“Now that the ball is in our court, hopefully we can get some home-court advantage and show the fans that we’re still in this race,” said the former Ticat. “If we’re going to make a push for this playoff time, the time has got to be now.”
