Toronto Argonauts: Scouting the Saskatchewan Roughriders

The Toronto Argonauts finally know their opponent for the East final after the Saskatchewan Roughriders knocked off the reigning Grey Cup champions.

If the Toronto Argonauts were looking for a challenge on their road to the Grey Cup, they have one in the Saskatchewan Roughriders who had a strong performance against the Ottawa Redblacks.

The Roughriders offence got a major boost with running back Marcus Thigpen carrying the ball 15 carries for 169 yards, including a 75-yard run for a touchdown. All that was left for Kevin Glenn to do was protect the ball and make some plays through the air and he did just that.

Ottawa had no answer for the Riders who scored three touchdowns in the first-half and held the Redblacks to eight points. Where Saskatchewan was able to take advantage of three turnovers by Ottawa.

The Redblacks offence did put up 515 yards combined but inability to get much going in the run game forced Trevor Harris to air the ball out more. It also led to two interceptions.

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The Argos have played the Riders tough this season, but the Riders took over late in the second half and came away with the win in the season series.

The first game in Saskatchewan was the Duron Carter show with two touchdowns and 131 yards on nine receptions, while Bakari Grant had five catches for 115 yards.

The difference in this game came on the ground with Marshall Cameron taking 18 carries for 110 yards while James Wilder Jr. had only 35 yards on 11 carries. The Roughriders would score 18 points in the fourth quarter to beat the Double Blue 38-27.

The second game was a much closer game that came down to the wire as Tyler Crapigna hit a field goal with under a minute left in the game. Brandon Bridge came into the game for Glenn completing 20 passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns.

The Argos come into this game with a healthier lineup as Marcus Ball is expected to make his return from an ankle injury. They will need the defence to be at full strength to stop a Riders offence that has a lot of talent and ability to make explosive plays.

Offensively the Argos need to find a way to finish drives, having Anthony Coombs back gives Ricky Ray more options. However, if Toronto leave points in the redzone, the Riders will take advantage.

So how do the Argos stop an explosive offence? They need to keep the run game in check and get pressure on Glenn. If the veteran quarterback has time to throw his receivers are going to make plays.

The Argos will lean on their dominant defensive line led by Shawn Lemon to continue to produce at a high level. If Bridge comes in at any point, keeping the young quarterback in the pocket will be that much more important.

On the offensive side of the ball, the offensive line need to keep Ray upright as much as possible and avoid having passes knocked down by rushers. Rain could play a factor on Sunday so establishing the run game will take pressure off Ray.

The Riders defence did not look great against the Redblacks and that plays to the Argos wheelhouse. They do not need to make big plays, but if the offence is efficient in moving the chains and dominate the time of possession, it should mean a berth to the Grey Cup.

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What do you think about the Argos chances on Sunday? What do they need to watch with the Roughriders coming to town? Let us know in the comments.

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