Toronto Argonauts: Pressure on Bethel-Thompson in pivotal game vs. Lions

With the Toronto Argonauts putting their faith in McLeod Bethel-Thompson, the team needs him to guide them past the B.C. Lions.

The Toronto Argonauts know what’s on the line against the B.C. Lions and will have the comfort of an unbeaten streak at BMO Field on their side.

With the Hamilton Tiger-Cats earning a convincing win over the Edmonton Elks, the pressure now falls on the Argonauts to keep them off their backs in the East Division standings. The team hit a setback against the Montreal Alouettes and saw quarterback Nick Arbuckle sent to Edmonton.

McLeod Bethel-Thompson is now the undisputed starter and will look to reward the faith in the team making him the face of their push for the playoffs. A win against the Lions clinches a playoff spot and gets them back in a battle with Montreal.

The Lions have been struggling after suffering a 45-0 loss to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Toronto knows that their opponent still presents a challenge with Lucky Whitehead making his return to the lineup.

“They got a different dynamic with him on the field. He’s a good ball and hand guy, he can threaten you vertically in the passing game, he’s taken that next step as a receiver,” head coach Ryan Dinwiddie sais about Whitehead. “We expect them to design some plays for him to get some touches. Defensively we got to know where he’s at lining up bad on the field, some tendencies he has.”

Charleston Hughes knows that B.C. will rally around Michael Reilly in a game that is also a must-win for them especially if they want to be an option in the crossover. At a time where Hughes’ play has come into question, there is no change in his approach.

“Just trusting the process, you know, everybody’s in different positions and in unique positions on this team,” Hughes explained. “Once you just trust the process, keep pushing forward and doing what you set out to build, that’s all that matters. In the end, you just got to win.”

Offence looking to give the Toronto Argonauts a necessary boost at start of game

With rain the forecast for kickoff, the Argos know that they will have to deal with the elements and the impact it will have on the field. They won’t use it as an excuse considering the Lions will also have to deal with it as well.

This also means that the team knows how important it will be to get things going early in the game because having a lead before the weather really has an impact. Getting a lead will also allow the team to dictate the pace of the game which has been a struggle for Toronto especially against Montreal.

“They got a bunch of athletic guys that can fly around so we’ve been preparing for them all week,” DaVaris Daniels explained. “Coach has done a good job of putting the right scout team players in the right spots to give us the look that we’re going to see on game day. I think we will be well prepared. We’re looking forward to the challenge for sure. We’re gonna try and utilize all our talents to the best of our ability.”

We have seen the Argos turn things in the second half with their backs against the wall which has put a lot of pressure on the defence. Toronto knows they can’t continue to play like that and hopefully the offensive line and run game can help the offence stay on the field longer.

If not, they will make life difficult on themselves as lose out on securing a spot in the playoffs for the first time since winning the Grey Cup in 2017.

Do you think the Argos can get a much-needed win over the Lions? Let us know in the comments below.