Toronto Argonauts need to cut out mistake against Edmonton Eskimos

The Toronto Argonauts offence will have a different look going up against the Edmonton Eskimos as they look to get their first win.

At some point, something has to give for the Toronto Argonauts. Almost everything you can expect to go wrong has through the first five games and it won’t get any easier going up against the Edmonton Eskimos.

The last time the team started a season 0-6 was back in 1981 and the team ended up finishing 2-14 that season. After going 4-14 last year, you have to wonder what needs to change in order to turn this around.

After letting Marc Trestman go and bringing in Corey Chamblin along with a new coaching staff, the pressure now falls on the front office and the players to try and do what they can to get the Argos over the hump.

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Where it should start is by cutting out the mistakes that have cost the team especially in games where the score was within reach. Give McLeod Bethel-Thompson credit for taking ownership of his performance against the Calgary Stampeders but now it is time for him to let his play do the talking.

No team is going to win with seven turnovers in a game especially four interceptions from their quarterback. Bethel-Thompson’s job doesn’t get any easier now with the news that James Wilder Jr. and Armanti Edwards won’t be suiting up in Edmonton.

It’s unclear what the injuries are but not having either player in the lineup is a loss for the offence. Wilder Jr. might not be producing on the ground like we’ve become accustomed to but he also leads the league with 233 yards after the catch this season. His ability to extend plays has been a big help to an Argos offence that has struggled to move the ball down the field consistently.

Edwards has been a big contributor offensively with 19 receptions for 353 yards and three touchdowns which is tied for second in the league. What the Argos will miss with Edwards out is not having that player that can take advantage of soft coverage for big plays.

This now means the guys behind Wilder Jr. and Edwards are going to have to step up especially Brandon Burks who will get the start at running back. The Argos need to find a way to get more out of their rushing game considering they have a league-low 66 attempts on the ground to go with 289 rushing yards and no run plays over 20 yards.

It doesn’t help that the Argos have been trailing in most of their games and that has put pressure on them to pass the ball more than they want as they are second in the league in pass attempts per game at 38.2. This is a big issue considering the team doesn’t have an elite QB that’s throwing the ball that much and it doesn’t help that they are only completing 65.2 per cent of their passes and lead the league with 11 interceptions.

When a team has a tough time protecting the football, it would probably make more sense to utilize the running game more so that the Bethel-Thompson isn’t being asked to throw much and maybe shorten the field as well so that he’s not throwing second and long more than he has too.

What do you think the Argos need to do to get the win over the Eskimos? Let us know in the comments below.