Argos sinking badly with QB problems
A team loses by 23 points after scoring the first eight points before the offence even takes to the field and all seems lost, one of those lost causes with no immediate answer for all that went wrong.
That’s the ugly reality the Toronto Argonauts are faced with following their 46-23 setback to Edmonton Saturday, a game head coach Scott Milanovich would describe as the most disappointing loss he’s experienced in quite some time.
No loss is bigger than when a team plays for a championship, but given how the Argos entered the game well-rested, had practised well leading up to kickoff and had some injured pieces back, it did leave a sour taste, a feeling that will linger as the Argos get a few days off to lick their wounds before playing on Aug. 31 against visiting B.C.
Getting quarterback Ricky Ray back will help but no one knows how long Ray can play without experiencing another injury. Logan Kilgore has thrown 10 interceptions, unable to do much of anything in his third, and likely final, start on Saturday.
His replacement, Cody Fajardo, hurt his throwing arm when he dove for the pylon on a rushing major and is out indefinitely.
Fourth-stringer Adrian McPherson was under siege when asked to mop up.
It’s not hard to see how fragile the Argos’ quarterback position has become and how limited the options appear.
The Argos are a mess, which is putting it mildly, but one must always remember this is the CFL and turnarounds are always possible.
It’s damning when a CFL offence averages 3.3 passing yards and ends the game with a woeful quarterback efficiency of 28.32.
Vidal Hazelton and Andre Durie combined for zero catches.
Kevin Elliott comes back for the first time since the season opener and he hauls in two receptions.
The return gets revamped and none of Devon Wylie, who averaged 17.7 yards on kickoffs, A.J. Jefferson, who had one punt return for seven yards, and Diontae Spencer, who averaged 6.5 yards on two punt returns, is able to step up.
Defensively, what does it say when an opposing quarterback checks in with an efficiency of 126.61? It says the Argos aren’t good, their 4-4 record a reflection of average, only this team is now carrying a below-average rating.
Certainly, things can change, but the halfway point to the season is looming, a time when teams start to establish their identity, a period when roster changes, or at least the right ones, can position a team for a post-season push.
When they hit the one-third pole with a 4-2 record, the Argos were well positioned staring at a threegame home stretch that looked very enticing. How quickly things have changed. How quickly the Argos must now bounce back.