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Toronto Argonauts Looking to End Winnipeg’s Winning Streak

By David Morassutti

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After a convincing win against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the road to the playoff gets tougher for the Toronto Argonauts as they travel to Winnipeg to face the Blue Bombers.

The Toronto Argonauts ended their four-game losing streak last week, against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Now they have opportunity to break a winning run.

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers’ season has seem a dramatic turnaround, to the point where they are now legitimate contenders in the West. After starting 1-4, the Blue Bombers have won six straight games, the second-longest winning streak in the league behind the Calgary Stampeders.

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Not only will the Argos try to put an end to Winnipeg’s winning streak, but they will want some revenge after a tough loss back in Week 8. The Blue Bombers dominated the Boatmen 34-17, in a game where rookie quarterback Logan Kilgore threw five interceptions.

In addition, Andrew Harris rushed for 123 yards and a touchdown, while receiver Clarence Denmark had seven receptions for 195 yards and two touchdowns. This time around the Argonauts will be going with veteran quarterback Dan LeFevour, after his impressive performance against Hamilton.

LeFevour will have his work cut out for him, against a tough defensive unit, which ranks second in total points allowed. Winnipeg are first in the CFL with 20 interceptions — the Argos are second with 12 — and tied for second with 14 forced fumbles.

One thing the Argonauts have going for them is that they thrive on dominating the possession battle. The longer they can keep the ball away from Winnipeg without turning it over, it will be a much more competitive matchup.

Another advantage the Argos will have this time around is the availability of big-bodied receivers Tori Gurley, Kevin Elliott and Vidal Hazelton, who were all out with injuries in the previous matchup. Gurley has been an important part of the passing game, with three touchdown receptions and 153 receiving yards in his last two games.

On the defensive side of the ball, Shawn Lemon has been one of the most dominant pass rushers in the league with nine sacks this season, including six in his last four games. He made a key sack at the end of the game against Hamilton and is on pace for 16 sacks, which would be the third-most by a single player in team history.

The loss of T.J. Heath in the Drew Willy trade will be a tough one for the secondary, as he led the Argos with five interceptions. Marcus Alford, Aaron Berry and Joe Rankin will be looked upon to do more and will have a tough time against Matt Nichols.

Keys to the Game

Avoid Costly Turnovers: The Blue Bombers offence does not possess the ball that often, but their defence’s ability to force turnovers usually gives them favourable field position. If the Argos can limit the time the Winnipeg offence has the ball and avoid giving them the short field, then they should be able to come away with the victory.

Relying on the run game: Brandon Whitaker had two rushing scores against Hamilton – the first time since in over a year where he had a multiple touchdown performance. The Argonauts will need Whitaker to be effective on the ground, in order to avoid having LeFevour pressured to throw the ball as often against a deadly Winnipeg secondary.

Spread the ball around:  Unlike other offences in the league, the Argos have a deep receiving corps led by Gurley and Elliott, followed by Diontae Spencer, Kenny Shaw, Hazelton, Anthony Coombs and Andre Durie. Toronto will need to get everyone involved, so they can force the Blue Bomber to make changes to their defensive schemes.

The bigger receivers will be able to use their size to make the tough catches, while the speedsters can get separation from the defenders. It will be important for the offensive line to give LeFevour time to go through his reads and find the open man, rather than letting him force a tough pass.

Next: What does Drew Willy trade mean for Ricky Ray's future?

Communication in the backfield:  Speaking with Matt Black at practice, he mentioned communication has been important for the Argonauts, with breakdowns usually happening when players miss assignments or mix up signals. Toronto has made a renewed effort to improve their communication and it was a big reason why they were able to frustrate Zach Collaros last week, and stop him from making the big plays he is known for.

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