Courtesy Toronto Star:

The Toronto Argonauts’ special teams are getting special attention this week, but not the kind they’d prefer.

Instead of being lauded for their success, as has often been the case in recent CFL seasons, the Argo grunt guys are taking a bit of a beating for their recent lack of success.

That’s not the kick return teams, by the way, which have been just fine in the first three games of the season. It’s the kick coverage teams that are under scrutiny, mainly for a horrendous night in Edmonton last week that saw them surrender a 61-yard punt return touchdown and another long punt return to the Argo eight-yard line.

“We didn’t tackle anybody, people were not in their lanes, not disciplined enough,” said head coach Rich Stubler, who did some hands-on special teams coaching Monday in hopes of remedying the situation.

Stubler’s goal is to make sure every member of the coverage team is where he’s supposed to be, which apparently is more complicated than you’d think, especially when there are a lot of newcomers involved.

“There are just as many intricacies to the special teams game as there are on offence or defence,” four-year veteran Bryan Crawford said yesterday. “For each individual guy there are a lot of nuances that take just as long to master as any other part of the game.

“It does take some time, but the key, like anything, is that each of us have to buy into the job.”

One thing that has hurt the special teams has been the absence of captain Chris Hardy, whose training camp groin injury is likely sufficiently healed to allow him to play in Sunday’s game against Edmonton. That alone could make a difference.

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