Toronto Argonauts Looking to Rebound Against Edmonton

After a tough loss at home to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the Toronto Argonauts will try to move past it as they host the Edmonton Eskimos

If there was a game the Toronto Argonauts would want to put in the rear-view mirror it was last week’s game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Argos offence struggled as Winnipeg picked off Logan Kilgore five times in his second start in the CFL.

In addition, the defence had no answer to Clarence Denmark, who had seven receptions for 195 yards and two touchdowns, or Andrew Harris, who added 123 yards and a score on the ground. Now the team will hope to make the proper adjustments, as they look to rebound against the Edmonton Eskimos, the reigning Grey Cup Champions.

It was not all bad news for the Argonauts, as Diontae Spencer played in his first game of the season. The 24-year old was seen as the replacement for Chad Owens, who signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the offseason, and he finished with 11 receptions, for 146 yards and a touchdown.

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Even with a breakout game from Spencer, the Argos offence was missing their big-bodied receivers in Kevin Elliott, Tori Gurley and Vidal Hazelton. The Bombers did a good job in cutting off the passing routes for the Double Blue receivers and the aggressive approach led to the high number of interceptions.

What will be important for the Argos against Edmonton, is keeping Derel Walker and Adarius Bowman in check. They were the top two in CFL receiving yards entering Week 9, with 800 and 789 yards respectively.

In addition, quarterback Mike Reilly currently leads the CFL with 2,481 passing yards. Talking with Don Landry of argonauts.ca, Keon Raymond understands the defence will face its toughest challenge of the season.

Talking about covering Walker and Bowman, Raymond said: “Those guys play hand in hand together and they play off each other. So we’ve definitely gotta make sure we come ready to work against numbers eighty-seven (Walker) and four (Bowman).”

On offence, this could be the last start for Kilgore. The Boatmen are expecting Ricky Ray back for their next game against the B.C. Lions.

Luckily for Toronto, Vidal Hazelton and Kevin Elliott will be back against the Eskimos, giving their field general more options when he throws the ball downfield. They tried to use the speed of Spencer and Kenny Shaw, but having the big bodies of Hazelton and Elliott will be vital to giving Kilgore more confidence that his receivers can fight for the ball.

Jul 13, 2015; Toronto Argonauts player Vidal Hazelton poses for a photo. Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports /

What the Argos defence will need to do is try to force turnovers and eliminate the big plays. This is something cornerback A.J. Jefferson spoke about with reporters at practice.

Jefferson said: “We’re not going to change anything we do . . . we just have to key on those guys and know where they are at all times and communicate across the board. If there’s pressure up front and we’re forcing the quarterback to make bad throws, we should come up with some turnovers.”

Toronto (4-3) holds the better record over Edmonton (3-4), although the Eskimos have scored 193 points, compared to 174 by the Argonauts. This game could come down to the talent on offence, which will probably favors the visitors.

However, if the Argos can make use of one-on-one coverage and their depth at receiver, it could give them the advantage. Forcing turnovers will also be crucial, because it has been a key element of the Toronto defence.

The running game has not worked out well for the Argos so far this season. However, they will need to be more patient with it, especially if Kilgore struggles.

Argos Notes

Ray was taken off the six-game injury reserve, which means he will likely return against the Lions.

Elliott will play his first game since week one, after a late hit against Hamilton forced the receiver to miss time with a dislocated shoulder. Gurley is not expected to return for another few weeks.

Defensive end Michael Buchman and defensive lineman Brian Buckle were released by the Argos this week.

Cory Greenwood will miss time with a knee injury, but was able to avoid surgery. The linebacker is expected to miss eight weeks.

Daryl Waud, a second-year defensive tackle, and Cam Walker are expected to return to the team, which should provide more depth upfront on the defensive side of the ball.

Next: Release of Brian Bulcke represents missed opportunity

What kind of performance are you predicting from the Argos against the Eskimos? Do you expect them to bounce back from last week’s loss, or do you think they will continue to struggle? Let us know in the comments section below.

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