Aug
Stamps get ready for Argos
Courtesy Calgary Herald:
It is pretty easy for Toronto Argonauts head coach Bart Andrus to identify the biggest challenge for his team this season.
The rookie CFL boss, who made his name in NFL Europe as an offensive whiz, has not exactly taken Canadian football by storm. But he is undeterred.
“I’ve always been used to scoring points,” Andrus said at practice yesterday. “I think every offence goes through dry spells. They go through times when you’re trying to get the right combination of players and get them in the right kinds of things that they can execute.”
So far this season, the Argonauts’ offence has not been able to execute much.
Heading into tomorrow’s home game against the Calgary Stampeders, the Argos rank last in the CFL in points and touchdowns.
Not surprisingly, the Argos are also last in the league in wins with a 2-5 record.
Last week’s 36-28 loss at home to B.C. highlighted Toronto’s offensive problems this season.
Quarterback Cody Pickett threw for 326 yards in his first 2009 start, but Toronto managed just one touchdown while kicking a team record-tying seven field goals.
“That means seven drives basically stalled,” Andrus said. “We’re trying to take steps to correct all the things that caused those drives to stall. We’re not going to be happy until we’re seven of seven scoring touchdowns on those kinds of things, and neither are these guys.”
The urgency of the situation grows, what with Toronto heading into a crucial stretch of games, starting with tomorrow’s clash with the defending Grey Cup champions. After that is a home-and-home series with the archrival Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who are riding a wave of improvement at 4-3.
For now and for the foreseeable future, the offence will be in the hands of Pickett.
The 29-year-old, in his third CFL season after three in the NFL, does not have a wealth of CFL game experience.
Before the start against B.C., the University of Washington product had started two CFL games: back-to-back losses last year against the Stampeders.
He said there is still much to be learned by being under centre in game situations.
“The more reps you get, the more time you get, the better you’re going to be,” Pickett said. “It’s a different game as far as you need to be really successful on first downs because otherwise it’s only a two-down game. You get yourself in second and long, it’s tough to be successful.”
