Johany Jutras/CFL.ca
From first to (almost) worst.
The Toronto Argonauts head into the final stretch of the season knowing that winning back to back championships will not likely be a reality.
Before the season started Marc Trestman, maybe he knew something, didn’t want to talk about 2018 as if it were an attempt to be 2017. It was a new season, with a new team, who needed to find their own way to a championship.
The biggest question though is what happened?
The Argonauts were the best team in the East last year and now are sharing the basement suite with the Montreal Alouettes.
Yes, I know, Ricky Ray got hurt. Missing the veteran quarterback for the majority of the season put the Argonauts at a serious disadvantage, as most all other teams have had their primary starter (if they had one) for most of their games.
But what else?
1. The heir apparent is apparently not the heir (just yet)
James Franklin was demoted to No. 2 behind McLeod Bethel-Thompson earlier this season (The Canadian Press)
Okay, so the Toronto Argonauts lost Ricky Ray but they did make a deal to bring in James Franklin. Franklin arrived before Ricky Ray even signed on for another year and it was a sign the team was getting ready for the future without Ray. Franklin had shown more than capable to play quarterback in the CFL while backing up for Mike Reilly and many believed Franklin could be the next big thing in the CFL.
So, too, did General Manager Jim Popp.
Then training camp came and all of a sudden Marc Trestman was saying Franklin was in a fight for the No. 2 job with McLeod Bethel-Thompson. It was a surprise to hear from a team that invested in Franklin to be the heir apparent for Ray.
Then Ray went down and it was Franklin’s turn. In the previous three years in the league, Franklin had thrown 12 touchdown passes to one interception. His starts didn’t go well, throwing one touchdown to six interceptions.
In came McLeod Bethel-Thompson and Franklin has been demoted to running short yardage. Now, he’s doing that very well with 12 touchdown runs this season, but that’s not what they brought him to Toronto to do. It was to win games if Ray wasn’t there. He did not.
2. Rushing the passer became a passing fad
Whether it was Victor Butler deciding to retire or Shawn Lemon not performing (until he became a BC Lion) or a decrease in blitz packages — whatever it was, the Argos were tied for first in the league with 50 quarterback sacks last season. In 2018, they have just 13 right now with five games remaining.
No wonder the QB Rating of opposing quarterbacks went from 66.6 last year (second lowest in the CFL) to 95.9 this year (highest in the league).
Butler was No. 2 in the league in sacks last year and a dispute over his contract left him disinterested in returning to the Argonauts. Too bad, they needed him.
3. Sophomore slide
After winning Most Outstanding Rookie, James Wilder Jr. has cooled off in his second season (CFL.ca)
James Wilder Jr. had similar issues to Butler regarding a contract, but Wilder got his extension and then started talking big about individual goals.
He wanted 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving after being named the league’s Most Outstanding Rookie in 2017. Wilder had 872 and 533. He didn’t start every game.
But Wilder’s second year in the league didn’t come easy. And there is one telling stat that jumps off the page for me in terms of Wilder’s production this season. Last year, Wilder led the league with an amazing 7.1 yards per carry (minimum of 50 carries). The next closest running back was William Powell at 5.9.
This season, Wilder is sitting at 4.7 yards per carry and that puts him last among starting running backs. Without Ray, teams of course were allowed to cheat a bit and game plan around Wilder. But it was a significant drop off.
4. Corey Chamblin heads south
One thing that I don’t think is being mentioned enough is the loss of defensive coordinator Corey Chamblin. In the off-season Chamblin decided to pursue opportunities in the U.S. and he landed a job at the University of Arkansas.
Chamblin helped build a stout defence that ranked in the top three in many categories last year. The veteran coach, who had won a Grey Cup as a head coach with Saskatchewan and then added another title last year, loved an aggressive defence that allowed for the pass rush to pile up as many sacks as they did and rely on a good secondary.
This year, whether it personnel or not, the defence went from top in the league to in the bottom two in most defensive categories without Chamblin’s guidance.
This was Mike Archer’s second year coaching in the CFL. He was the linebacker’s coach under Chamblin last year but veteran NCAA defensive coach didn’t get the job done this season.
5. Reality of Ricky Ray
Ricky Ray was injured in Week 2 against the Calgary Stampeders at BMO Field. (Adam Gagnon/CFL.ca)
And fifth… okay… Ricky Ray got hurt in the second game of the season. The emotional leader of the team.
You may be thinking I’m crazy saying Ray is an emotion leader. But his calm demeanor has been a big influence on every team Ray has led. There was never panic when Ray was in the huddle.
Look at the playoffs last year. Ray with the ball, late in the game, did what needed to be done to win the game in both the Eastern Final and the Grey Cup.
When it came down to the wire, Ray was going to win. They missed that this season and of course when the season ends that will be the first question I have about the Argonauts in 2019.
Who will lead them?
