Defining moment awaits Argos as countdown to Fridays showdown with Ticats begins
Author of the article:
Frank ZicarelliPublishing date:
Nov 07, 2021 • 12 minutes ago • 4 minute read • Join the conversation
Argonauts’ Chandler Worthy tries to put a move on Ticats linebacker Jovan Santos-Knox during their Oct. 11 game in Hamilton. The teams meet for the fourth and final time in the regular season this Friday at BMO Field with first place in the East up for grabs. Photo by Jack Boland /Toronto Sun Article content The stakes couldn’t be much higher for the Argonauts as they prepare for a Friday night visit by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
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Article contentWin and the Argos will finish first in the East and with it, earn a bye into the divisional final. Lose and they are in danger of falling all the way to third place.
To hold on to their perch atop the East, the Argos must be a lot better than they have been the past three weeks.
The momentum they seemed to build from their comeback win in Hamilton on Thanksgiving hasn’t exactly translated into consistent play. And yet, the Argos have gone 2-1 since that one-point win over the Ticats when Boris Bede nailed a field goal with no time left on the clock.
Bede, who has gone 10-for-10 kicking field goals the past two games, has emerged as the Argos’ top player, which isn’t exactly an endorsement of how the team has built up its 8-4 record to date.
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Article contentQuarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson has to summon his best at a time when he’s been turning over the ball too frequently.
In his past three games, MBT has been picked off eight times, while throwing for only two touchdowns as his deep-ball accuracy has once again been exposed.
But whether it’s MBT or any other player in Double Blue, the Argos will be put under intense scrutiny Friday night with so much riding on the outcome.
It’s the fourth and final meeting between the teams this season with the Argos having won twice, each by one point.
A Ticats win will give Hamilton the tiebreaker. But they finish the regular season with a tough home game against Saskatchewan.
The Argos, meanwhile, will be home in their season finale against the Edmonton.
The third-place Alouettes are still in the picture as well. They will be home to Winnipeg â€" which beat Montreal in the ’Peg on Saturday night â€" and then play 2-11 Ottawa at home.
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Article contentMontreal also holds the tiebreaker over the Argos.
The Ticats seem to have found their rhythm with Jeremiah Masoli back at QB and looking comfortable running an offence that has benefited by the presence of Don Jackson and a healthy Brandon Banks.
“I can’t wait,†said Masoli of Friday’s date at BMO Field. “It’s exciting for sure. You love football games where there’s a lot on the line like that.â€
Anything is possible, but no one will give the Argos a chance if they have to go into Hamilton for a playoff game.
Since Tim Hortons Field opened its doors in 2014, the Argos have won there only twice â€" an OT thriller in 2017 and this year’s walk-off.
The Boatmen will have a shot if they have to travel to Montreal, but even then, they’ll be underdogs.
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Article contentAnother reason to win on Friday and secure home field? The Argos are unbeaten at BMO Field, even when it’s looked ugly.
“A big game,’’ said veteran rush end Cordarro Law, who had two sacks Saturday when the Argos survived a scare in Ottawa. “It’s going to be a preview of the playoffs. We have to stick together and play hard.â€
Law admitted following his team’s win in Ottawa how the Argos played down to their opponent, which entered the day having won only twice.
There will no such feeling this week given the quality of the opponent.
“Hamilton is a great football team,’’ said MBT, whose relationship with Masoli dates back to their days growing up in northern California. “It’s going to be a fun challenge.â€
The Argos are going to have to find a way to be better in many areas this week and one of them is coaching. Hamilton’s staff is experienced and will expose the Argos if head coach Ryan Dinwiddie doesn’t get his act together for what amounts to as the defining game of his rookie season and, for that matter, the entire Toronto organization.
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Article contentThe Argos are going to need their O-line to be good. Hamilton’s strength on defence is its front four. If the Argos don’t break even along the line of scrimmage, they’ll get embarrassed.
Two rivals with so much riding on the outcome, Friday night is shaping up as the game of the year in the CFL.
There might even be a crowd in attendance. In six home games, the Argos have yet to attract 10,000 for any of them.
And it’s quite possible that Ticats fans outnumber those of the home side.
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A.J. SHOWS THE WAY
A.J. Ouellette rushed 23 times in three games for 114 yards when he joined the Argos late in the 2019 season.
On Saturday in Ottawa, he rushed for 107 yards on 14 carries as the featured back following John White IV’s knee injury.
“It’s tough when you’re not on the field,’’ said Ouellette, a downhill runner who showed athleticism on one run when he hurdled over a would-be tacklery. “As a professional football player, you get paid to do this.â€
MBT is one of the few Argos who were Ouellette’s teammates two years ago.
“He’s absolutely unbelievable in his ability to fight through,’’ said the QB. “He’s on the roster, off the roster, but he never stops working. He’s in at 5:30 in the morning working his butt off and leaves at 6 in the evening. His perseverance is amazing. He never blinks an eye.â€
fzicarelli@postmedia.com
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