National Post (National Edition)
Season turns ugly for the Argonauts
Fall 38-11 to the Alouettes for a 5-9 record
MONTREAL • There’s nowhere for the Toronto Argonauts to turn and no reason to be optimistic about any late-season push when they continue to play like pushovers and play with so much indiscipline.
The Argos have regressed badly, unable to make plays on both sides of the ball. It can get worse when you look at the four games left to close out the season, including two against Calgary.
Drew Willy wasn’t the answer, the quarterback making his debut as a starter for the Argos, who dropped their third in a row to fall to 5-9 en route to losing 38-11 to the Alouettes in Montreal on Sunday.
“We’re just not playing well as a team in all three phases,’’ said head coach Scott Milanovich. “There are portions. After that first series our defence played well, but in the third quarter we got steam rolled. We’re just not playing consistently well enough for a long time.”
Incredibly, they still can play host to a playoff game because Hamilton is sliding, though the Ticats do have the tiebreaker over Toronto.
What’s looking more likely is for a crossover and the real possibility of an all-western Grey Cup to be played in Toronto, which, if you think about it, isn’t such a bad thing, especially if a Battle of Alberta showdown hap- pens to be on the marquee.
Only a miracle will now allow the Argos to play at home in the CFL title game, let alone get to the playoffs, amid so many issues that have gone unaddressed.
There’s a real chance the Argos will finish last in the East Division, unthinkable when the season began with so much expectations.
“I can rationalize it all I want, but all it’s going to sound like it is an excuse,’’ added Milanovich about a team that was once 4-2 and has now lost seven of eight. “I’m responsible for what’s going on here and it’s not good enough.
“We’re going to have to figure out a way out of this and if that means making changes then there are going to be changes. One thing we’re going to be sure of is that the people in that locker-room want to be in that locker-room.”
The game aside, and it was ugly, the big picture is what concerns Milanovich and there’s no telling what changes will be initiated in the coming days.
“We need to find out who is going to be part of our team going forward,’’ he continued. “We’ve got some good football players here, but I’m not sure they are really committed of what we need to have take place. It’s little things like being late, not showing up prepared, screwing around and that’s where we’re at now.
“It’s not going to stay that way.”
Toronto committed five turnovers, while Montreal played clean football. Toronto moved the ball and had 399 yards of net offence, but produced no touchdowns.
On Montreal’s first possession Rakeem Cato dropped back in the pocket and threw deep down the seam. Two plays, two throws down the field, one touchdown and an early 7-0 lead for the Als, who clearly took advantage of an Argos team not prepared for the magnitude of the moment. It was game over, for all intents and purposes.
I CAN RATIONALIZE, BUT IT’S GOING TO SOUND LIKE AN EXCUSE.