Cauz: S.J. Green is as good at football as he is at proving me wrong

After writing that maybe Matt Nichols has shed the “game manager” label and that Ottawa is the best winless team in the league I think I am going to take a week off from making predictions. Instead, I’m just going to bask in the early season accomplishments of one of the best surprises to kick off the year, S.J. Green.

Now of course I need to preface this piece with the usual qualifier of “it’s still so early” but come on did anyone expect Green to be second in the league in receiving yards? I viewed his signing by the Toronto Argonauts as nothing more than a band aid for the Argonauts who were in a transition at the receiver spot. A career parting gift from Marc Trestman and Jim Popp. I imagined at best Green would be that cagey veteran who helps tutor the younger receivers while occasionally contributing on the field.

Now before you call me a cynic or a pessimist just do the math on where Green was coming from as he entered the season.

A 32-year-old player who a year ago had to repair a hat trick of ligaments (MCL, PCL & ACL) plus the meniscus in his right knee from that devastating injury back in Week 2 of the 2016 season. That’s a hard enough injury to recover from when you’re 22! Green had played in 116 games over 10 seasons putting up nearly 7,000 receiving yards while winning two Grey Cups and earning multiple All-Star nominations along the way.

Green had accomplished everything there was to accomplish as a CFL player. I had him pegged quietly riding into the sunset. Throw that prediction in the ever expanding list of things I have been wrong about.

Re-watching every catch he made from the Argonauts 26-25 win over the Ottawa REDBLACKS you see a player who doesn’t have blazing speed but has more than enough football speed. His body positioning was flawless; his routes were precise and just as important was his heightened football sense. Green has that kind of intelligence that guides all great receivers to find those open spaces in any defence. Every one of those attributes was on full display on Saturday night. Let’s take a quick look back at some of his catches.

The remarkable thing is Green put up 203 of his 210 total receiving yards in three quarters of work, he was only targeted twice in the first quarter, Toronto did not score in that first quarter.

His first real contribution comes with his team in trouble, backed up at their own five yard line facing a second and ten. A failed conversion leads to either a conceded safety or excellent field position for the REDBLACKS. Instead Ray spots a wide open Green, the nearest defender being 2015 All-Star Jerrell Gavins for 28 yards. Green on an obvious passing does what all elite receivers do; find the weakness in the pass defence and make the opposition pay. The drive nets no points but at least Toronto has not lost the field position battle.

Green’s next big catch on the following drive would not lead to a touchdown but would serve as a reminder about just how physical he still is. After making a leaping grab over the middle of the field Green and his 6’2, 216-pound body collides with Antoine Pruneau who technically is credited with the “tackle”. Green pops right up after his 23-yard reception, Pruneau is clearly shaken up on the play.

S.J.’s biggest play of the game leads to Toronto’s first lead of the game. His 55-yard touchdown was a lethal combination of concentration and athleticism. The coverage by A.J. Jefferson is good but Green’s body positioning is better as he manages to bring in the Ricky Ray pass as Jefferson stumbles and falls over. Moments after Green easily eludes Pruneau with a slick cut and shakes off Jefferson’s last gasp attempt at a tackle and suddenly it’s 13-12 Toronto. On the broadcast, Duane Forde astutely points out that Green did not turn his head to look for the ball until well after Ray had thrown it. For it only being Week 3, Green and Ray really are in sync. More on that later.

Green would again beat Jefferson on a quick little double move near the end of the third quarter this time for 38 yards. The Argonauts would soon a short field goal pushing their small lead to 16-12.

The final big play for Green really underscores the level of trust that Ray has in his new target. There are so many different statistical indicators to measure how good a receiver is and so many eye ball moments that confirm what the numbers say but one of the most fool proof ways of knowing if a player is good is a simple one: Does the quarterback have faith in him? On a big down, under pressure will the quarterback look his way? That was answered with less than three minutes to go in a one point game with Toronto again backed up deep in their own territory. Ray was under a great deal of pressure and he just launched it to a spot where he hoped Green would be. Forde called it a “leap of faith” throw because when Ray released the ball Green was nowhere near the empty space on the field where Ray intended his throw to go. But just like he had done all night Green was in the right place at the right time. It’s almost like they had been playing together for a decade and not just one training camp and three games.

I’m glad I have been wrong about my S.J. Green prediction, here’s hoping they continue to prove me wrong for the rest of the year.