What the Toronto Argonauts accomplished on Thursday night has all the makings of a true signpost game. Down 28-7 at half and 38-20 after three quarters, the Argos rallied in improbable fashion to shock Ottawa in a 42-41 victory. For 2-5 Toronto, Thursday’s win has the chance to be a turning point in what has been a frustrating season thus far.
It had been tough sledding for the Argonauts heading into their Week 8 matchup with the REDBLACKS. They were having all kinds of issues on offence, they were turning the ball over, and it seemed like everything that could go wrong would. And Thursday’s game seemed like it was following a familiar script.
Toronto turned the ball over four times in the first half, and did so in dramatic fashion. Martese Jackson fumbled a punt return that led directly to an Ottawa touchdown. The Argos also gave up points following a James Wilder fumble in the second quarter. It sure did seem like another “one of those nights” in Toronto.
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James Wilder Jr. celebrates during an improbably Argos comeback win in Week 8 (Adam Gagnon/CFL.ca)
And then they figured it out. Led by McLeod Bethel-Thompson in his first CFL start, the Argos put up 35 points in the second half, including 22 in the fourth quarter. They were explosive on offence, they forced a few turnovers defensively, and they made huge plays with the game on the line. It was pretty impressive to see.
But why would this be a turning point as opposed to just any other win? For me, it comes down to how difficult the season has been so far in Toronto. To win a game like that, when the narrative has been so overwhelmingly negative, has the potential to go a long way. To take a win over the East Division’s top team helps build belief.
Perhaps more importantly, though, is the confidence gained on offence after a 42-point performance. Since Ricky Ray’s injury, the Argos have struggled immensely with the ball in their hands. Entering action on Thursday, Toronto was averaging less than 16 points and 280 total yards per game. Plain and simple, this team couldn’t move the ball effectively and thus couldn’t score.
But then all of a sudden a 30-year-old journeyman quarterback started lighting things up. Bethel-Thompson made plays in the pocket and on the run and was the catalyst of the impressive comeback. SJ Green was dominant, Wilder was explosive, and this offence looked formidable against one of the league’s better defensive groups.
I don’t know if Bethel-Thompson is the long-term answer at quarterback, but I do know there’s no reason to make a change when the Argos take on BC in Week 10. Knowing how bad things had been going offensively, taking a performance like that into a bye week has to do wonders mentally.
So, Thursday’s win has all the makings of a turning point win for Toronto. Now it’s on them to make sure the script plays out as such.
Making a statement
I know everyone is buzzing about Johnny Manziel’s struggles in his first CFL start on Friday night. But while watching the Hamilton Tiger-Cats hammer Manziel’s Montreal Alouettes 50-11, I was thinking far more about the quarterback on the other side. Did anyone else feel like Jeremiah Masoli was out to prove a point?
I’ve been as skeptical as they come when it comes to Manziel in this league, but I’m not willing to make any definitive judgments based solely on one difficult outing. Instead the real story was Masoli’s performance in getting the Ticats back within a game of first place in the division.
For the sixth time in seven games this season, and 11th time in his last 12 overall, Masoli threw for 300 yards or more against Montreal. But unlike some of Hamilton’s more recent games, Masoli and the offence did a little more with those passing yards: they scored five offensive touchdowns.
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Masoli was good for three of those majors; he threw touchdown passes to Jalen Saunders and Brandon Banks and ran in another of his own. Statistically Masoli has been one of the league’s most consistent and productive passers all season, but I wonder if there was a little extra motivation going up against his former teammate.
When Manziel finally signed with the Tiger-Cats, the talk about Masoli’s job security started almost immediately. Hamilton had traded Zach Collaros over the winter to make room for Masoli and then signed him to a new contract. But despite his solid 6-4 performance upon being named starter last season, not everyone was sold on Masoli.
For some it was only a matter of time until Manziel got the ball in Hamilton. After all, you don’t bring in Johnny Football to sit on the sidelines. Some opinions suggested June Jones would give the ball to Manziel at the first sign of struggles for his incumbent. Whether that was true or not, those struggles never came to pass.
Pro athletes rarely admit to it, but they hear what’s being said, either directly or indirectly. I truly believe Manziel’s perceived backpressure was a driving force behind Masoli’s impressive start to the season. And I also think there’s a good chance that motivation carried over in Friday’s head-to-head matchup.
Football is a sport built on competition. Sure, you compete against the other team, but with no guaranteed contracts, internal competition can be almost as fierce. It goes with the territory and some thrive on it. I think Masoli qualifies in that category, and his performance against Montreal was another example why.
Quick hits
The 7-0 Calgary Stampeders are set to be without Eric Rogers for the next few weeks after their star receiver underwent minor knee surgery last week. Rogers is tied for the league lead with five receiving touchdowns, but is anyone worried about it adversely affecting the Stamps? With Kamar Jorden, DaVaris Daniels, and a bevy of other weapons, one of the league’s deepest receiving corps should be just fine.
Duron Carter did it again. While he didn’t put up incredible numbers in his return to receiver, Carter still caught three passes for 59 yards and a touchdown in Saskatchewan’s 26-19 loss to Edmonton Thursday night. Despite barely working with the offence this season, Carter stepped in and made an impact right away for one key reason: he’s an athletic freak (he was also a solid Fantasy buy). Now let’s see how long the Riders keep him on offence.
